Press
Ogden Museum of Southern Art Announces Winners of 2026 Louisiana Contemporary, presented by Helis
(NEW ORLEANS, LA) – Ogden Museum of Southern Art is pleased to announced the award winners for the 2026 edition of Louisiana Contemporary, presented by The Helis Foundation. Now on view through February 14, 2027, the Museum’s annual juried exhibition features 50 works by 45 Louisiana artists, including 28 artists participating for the first time.
The 2026 guest juror, Sarah Jones, Lulu C. and Anthony W. Wang Head of Live Arts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, selected the following artists to receive awards:
• The Helis Foundation Art Prize for Best in Show: Nathalia Toledo Barcia, Ekeko in Custody, 2026, Hand built porcelain sculpture, glazes, underglazes, plastic, rubber, wood, metal, paper, currency, straw, cotton and strings
From the Amazon to Best in Show: Nathalia Toledo Barcia’s Extraordinary Journey
Some artists find their medium early and never look back. Nathalia Toledo Barcia is not one of them — and that is precisely what makes her work extraordinary.
The 2026 Coconut Grove Arts Festival “Best in Show” winner came to ceramics and painting through one of the most unconventional paths in the contemporary art world: classical piano training, advertising agency work, printmaking in Argentina, textile arts in Indonesia, sacred painting in India, and extended time living and learning in the Amazon Rainforest. Her practice was not simply influenced by global traditions — it was forged by them.
Independant artist podcast
Welcome to The Independent Artist Podcast with your hosts Douglas and Will — the show where we pull back the curtain on the real life of working artists.
Fresh off winning Best in Show at the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, Ecuadorian artist Nathalia Toledo Barcia joins us for a deeply moving conversation about culture, soul, and the stories embedded in her work.
Nathalia’s art lives at the intersection of painting and porcelain—where delicate surfaces become artifacts of memory and identity. Drawing from her Ecuadorian heritage, her paintings carry the visual language of her culture while her porcelain forms feel like relics of something timeless, as if they’ve been unearthed from a personal mythology.
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: NATHALIA TOLEDO BARCIA
The Center for Southern Craft and Design, located within the Museum Store, is excited to share work from Nathalia Toledo Barcia. Interested in the pursuit of ancestral knowledge along with the myths and rituals of primal nations, her work illuminates diverse visions and knowledge.
Artists in the Juror’s Seat. An inerview with Zapp
Ever wonder what it’s like for the artists who serve on an art festival jury? Zapp interviewed Nathalia Toledo Barcia and James Pearce recently juried the 2025 Cherry Creek Arts Festival.
Zapp: “In this conversation, they share their approach to applying and participating in festivals, offer valuable advice for fellow artists, and reflect on their experience as jurors. Whether you’re a seasoned festival artist or just beginning your journey, their insights provide an inside look at what it takes to succeed in the competitive world of art festivals.”
Ogden Museum: Art of the Cup Ceramist Highlight
Art of the Cup Ceramist Highlight An Interview with Nathalia Toledo Barcia. From the Ancient Amazons to Modern America: How Nathalia Toledo Barcia Brings Life to Ceramics