Applications are open for “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 of the 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. Higher education faculty, advanced graduate students, and humanities professional—including museum and historic site staff and preservationists—are encouraged to apply.

For more details and application information, visit https://www.sitesofmemorynola.org/neh