Applications are open for the1-week summer institute “Bvlbancha Rising: Louisiana Coastal Landmarks Imperiled by Climate Change,” a National Endowment for the Humanities Landmarks of American History and Culture program hosted by Tulane University, New Orleans, to be held in June 2025.
Co-organized by art history professors Adrian Anagnost and Leslie Geddes, the program offers higher education and humanities professionals an immersive exploration of Louisiana's cultural history through its coastal landmarks. Participants will engage with a program of site visits, workshops, and discussions, exploring place-based approaches to historical interpretation and preservation led by artists, culture bearers, and scholars.
Topics will include:
The displacement riverside Fazendeville community and the history of the War of 1812 Chalmette Battlefield site
Colonial histories partially submerged at the mouth of the Mississippi River
Craft traditions in changing ecological contexts
Language revitalization and traditional foodways
The effects of industrial development on historic burial grounds near New Orleans
Contemporary artistic responses to regional histories
The program will consider approaches to overlooked, hidden, and unofficial sites, as well as strategies for integrating digital mapping and place-based inquiry in humanities research and teaching. Guest speakers will include artists, scholars, and cultural practitioners who bring fresh perspectives on interpreting and protecting sites of historical importance.
Funded by the NEH, the institute will take place twice: June 2–6 and June 9–13, 2025. Participants will receive stipends to cover travel and living expenses. Applications are open until March 5, 2025. Applicants will be notified of their status by April 2, 2025 and accepted applicants must confirm they will be attending by April 16, 2025.
Higher education faculty, advanced graduate students, and humanities professionals—including museum and historic site staff and preservationists—are encouraged to apply.
