The Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans (CAC) and The Helis Foundation will put on WOKE DREAMS, honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

WOKE DREAMS remembers and celebrates the impact of Dr. King and the way art shapes today’s social activism. Guests are encouraged to observe and interact with the variety of occurring acts as they reflect on the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The event will feature live art by Jose Cotto with his project cultivating history, documenting dreams that expresses the dreams of individuals through personal portraits. A memorial altar installation created by Jet Costello and Les Femmes Féroces will stand to honor murdered trans women in the US. Eminent DJ Raj Smoove will play a curated set titled “When Oppressed, Knowledge Endures: WOKE.” 

There will also be a panel exploring the influence Dr. King maintains on social activism today. The panel will feature esteemed national and local activists such as Alanah Odoms Hebert, the first African American woman to be named executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana and activist for the advancement racial justice within Louisiana; Stephanie Mckee-Anderson, Executive Artistic Director of Junebug Productions, artist and educator committed to creativity that furthers social justice in the community; Ranord J. Darensburg, Judicial Administrator for Orleans Parish Juvenile Court who works to overcome boundaries to justice for the youth of New Orleans; Dr. David W. Robinson-Morris, Founding Director of The Center for Equity, Justice, and the Human Spirit at Xavier University; and Kathy Randels, ArtSpot’s founding artistic director. 

WOKE DREAMS takes place on Monday, January 20 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) from 12 pm-3:30 pm at the CAC, 900 Camp Street, New Orleans, LA 70130. The event is free and open to the public, though registration is encouraged and can be done at cacno.org/wokedreams. On behalf of The Helis Foundation, the CAC will also offer complimentary admission to its visual art exhibitions on this day, which feature the works of artist Mickalene Thomas, Akosua Adoma Owusu, and more. More information about WOKE DREAMS and other exhibitions can found on the CAC website.