Artists love New Orleans, and after Hurricane Katrina, legions of them arrived en masse, determined to rebuild the city through new forms of arts activism large and small. The Prospect.1 biennial is the largest example. Participating New York artist Paul Villinski, who visited after the storm, unveiled his futuristic Emergency Reponse Studio, a FEMA-type trailer bought at a government auction and converted to a self-contained mobile studio complete with solar panels, a wind turbine, geodesic dome skylight and bamboo-based cabinetry. While designed as a studio, it's also a very cool example of self-sufficient mobile housing. It is open for viewing during Prospect.1 hours (11 a.m.-5:45 p.m., Wed.-Sun.) at the New Orleans Museum of Art through Dec. 14, at Lafayette Park in the CBD from Dec. 17 to Jan. 4, and at the Colton School (2300 St. Claude Ave.) from Jan. 7 to Jan. 18. Free admission.
Written by D. Eric Bookhardt