Material Institute

Material Institute expands perspectives and potential.

We create a living practice that transforms ourselves and, in turn, society. We grow new ideas; build radical connections; cultivate a new generation of contemporary artists and thinkers; and shift culture.

Material Institute is where art and ecology are practiced as one. We are a nonprofit cultural institution and learning community in New Orleans making and experimenting with sound, soil, and textiles to recognize the interconnection of art and the natural world. We understand ourselves as material, including our voices, bodies, and movement.

Within our programs, students, staff, teachers, and collaborators learn and create side by side. Material Institute is multicultural, centering emerging Black artists from New Orleans, welcoming people across experience and backgrounds, and inviting global artists and thinkers to widen our context.