L9 Center For The Arts

L9's founding purpose is to serve Lower 9th Ward. Our mission is to promote art and culture. We provide support to develop meaningful, measurable, and sustainable opportunities for under-recognized and emerging artists. L9 seeks to promote cultural exchange by offering residencies and exhibition space to national and international artists. Our goal is to revive, rebuild, and reclaim the Lower 9th Ward through the arts and with that, preserve the cultural fibers and heritage of New Orleans.

L9 Center for the Arts is an arts organization that supports Artists and their work. The Center hosts exhibitions of local and national artists. We've facilitated artist conversations and cultural exchange with community and Culture Bearers. Our organization has provided a residency for Artist's to create and engage. The artist's work is exhibited and the artists give back by sharing and engaging with community in what they do in their work.

Through a summer photography camp, we have passed on the craft of photography and filmmaking to a new generation of young people, and enable them to be inspired by the same kinds of precious encounters that we have experienced over the years.

The families of our community have a long generational history. Some of our children and youth who we engage come from low income families of working people. Our families and children have few opportunities, L9 Center for the Arts takes pride in our outreach programs that mentor kids who might not likely be exposed to photography and the arts because of the expense.

With the arts being removed from our educational system it's imperative that this program continues as it is important for our students to freely pursue the possibilities to creatively express themselves.

Testimonials

"Amazing to hear and see the excitement of these young photographers at our projection party. The finale of our 2-day photo workshop in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans." Monica C. Corcoran, National Geographic, NPR

"Had the pleasure of helping the National Geographic Your Shot Team with a community workshop in the Lower 9th Ward. Residents with cameras many of them teens from the L9 Center For The Arts, did a great job capturing the essence of the 9th Ward." Lee Curran

"For almost four decades Keith Calhoun and Chandra McCormick have captured the spirit and imagination of New Orleans through their work, particularly black life and culture. Through L9 Center for the Arts, the pair utilize their experience, expertise and international connections to help revitalize their community of the Lower 9th Ward by creating an cultural home where local culture can thrive and a new generation of artists can flourish." Michelle Eddleman

"We know that we are merely tapping the surface of the bubbling energy of talents that reside within these students. Giving our young artists a camera was almost like putting a weapon in their hands. Remember Gordon Parks, the pioneer African American photographer, filmmaker and composer who said, in his book, A Choice of Weapons, that a camera is just as powerful as a gun when put in the right hands. When our youth choose to pick up a camera, they have the opportunity to show what is beautiful in spite of the jungle of obstacles set before them." Chandra McCormick and Keith Calhoun