Bernard Mattox: Retrospective

Masur Museum Main House November 19, 2026 – February 6, 2027 Public Reception: TBA Bernard Mattox is a New Orleans-based artist who specializes in multi-media and ceramics. His work blends the vibrant imagery reminiscent of New Orleans street-life with totem-like figures that call to mind tribal imagery. Inspired by anthropology and archeology, Mattox considers himself more of excavator than artist. His unfired ceramics and ritualistic shapes embody ancient spirits and forgotten deities. These forms evoke the history of Louisiana not just as an early settlement for European settlers, but one of the oldest sites of earthen monuments in the country, such as the ridges and mounds in Northeastern Louisiana, built by indigenous people between 1700 and 1100 BCE. Generous support for this exhibition and a corresponding publication has been provided by Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. Image credits: Bernard Mattox, Alters and Alleys (Series) 1, mixed media on panel, 24 x 48 x 2 in, 2026, Lemieux Galleries, Louisiana