Artist's Statement
The work of Willie Birch has powerful political, sociological and spiritual meaning that it is wonderfully anchored in the daily life and celebratory rituals of New Orleans. Birch documents a community and culture devastated by hurricane Katrina; however, an undercurrent of optimism and celebration remain evident in the work.
The artist captures the distinctive vibrant rituals and spirit of New Orleans in street parades, second lines and the revelry of Zulu but also the dignity, uniqueness and beauty of everyday individuals. Birch continues to be especially fascinated by the retention of African elements and traditions in the dress, music, dance and rituals of New Orleans’ African-American community.
In the preface to the recently published Celebrating Freedom: The Art of Willie Birch, Lolis Elie writes, “The sensuality and sentiments [of Birch’s art] speak New Orleans with an eloquence that is insightful, local and universal.”
Birch was born in New Orleans in 1942. He received a B.A. from Southern University in New Orleans in 1969 and a M.F.A. from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore in 1973. After residing in New York for many years and traveling to Africa, he returned to New Orleans in the mid 90’s to reside in the 7th Ward.
The work of Willie Birch is found in museum collections as well as public and private collections across the country, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Birch was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in 1984 and again in 1989. In 1993 he was the recipient of a John Guggenheim Fellowship in sculpture. In 2002 Birch received the Mayor’s Arts Award in New Orleans.