Carl Joe Williams

03/07/2026

01/25/2026

Soul Transmission 2014 Mixed Media Video sculpture
This work was created some time ago, and I had nearly forgotten about it. Years back, it was
acquired by .dorsey. I’m pleased to share that it will soon be on view at the Bo Bartlett
Center as part of the upcoming exhibition, “We Are the Drum and the Scribe: Black Art in
America Collection.”
In this mixed media sculpture, the television screen becomes a site of conflict between symbol
and reality. By painting directly onto the glass, I create a static barrier through which a loop of
archival footage spanning from the Jim Crow South and Martin Luther King Jr. to modern life in
the inner city must pass. The painting literally colors the narrative, forcing the viewer to peer
through the "official" symbols of Americana to see the lived human experience playing out in the
background. It is a meditation on how systemic structures paint overlay and obscure the fluidity
of Black history.
paintedscreen
sculptureart contemporaryartist carljoewilliams

11/05/2025

Shout out to Dan Charbonnet for inviting me to participate in the exhibition at . While the piece I originally planned to show suffered some significant damage, I’m focusing on finding new meaning in the work I will be installing.

It’s an honor to share this space with so many great artists here in New Orleans.

07/30/2025

I'm not 55 I'm just 18 with 37 years of experience. Happy birthday to me!

01/20/2025

Civic District Court Building. Work in progress. Coming along nicely, thanks to an amazing group of collaborators. Stay tuned!

08/21/2024

This piece is a continuation of the mural series in the uptown area of New Orleans. I am collaborating with a generous patron on a project that aims to use art to address and curb gun violence in my old neighborhood of central city. Our project is situated at 3201 S Liberty Street, adjacent to the cemetery.

In reflecting, I recall our childhood spent outdoors, playing games like marbles and football, among various other activities. It's a common observation nowadays that fewer children are seen playing outside.

This collaboration has deepened my understanding of how art can have a lasting positive effect on a community. Stay tuned for much more!

02/03/2022

“Making Great Lives Matter”

is a multimedia installation with a videography of local Jacksonville Florida Artists answering a series of questions related to access to the American Dream. A second tier of videos depicting use of excessive force by police on repeating loops. There are multiple interviews sounding colliding with white supremacy icons and symbols. History in the making and art in the making of what is meaningful in community and society at large. Art remains as a strong contender of how we share our thoughts and ideas. Throughout history, art has survived the tidal wave of information, and remains an unpredictable source of imagination. It has the possibilities of changing one’s thoughts, opening new ideas, and borrowing through received ideas so common to our educational system. The idea of creating conversations and a new idea can change a person’s perception and narrative.
Mal Jones is a Hip Hop artist in Jacksonville Florida

"Making Great Lives Matter"2020

01/02/2022

After almost 3 years this book is finally published. Thanks and gratitude to the Kia Robinson Hatfield , Noa , Ahmad and Jordan for posing and being an important part of the process.

In this gorgeous and lyrical picture book, a family finds hope and healing in a Mardi Gras celebration after Hurricane Katrina changed their world.

That zany beat in our feet is ‘cause of Pop-Pop, our pa. He sure loved himself some Mardi Gras! “It’s Mardi Gras weather!” he’d shout out whenever, blaring his horn, tilting it high. Mamma’d laugh ‘til she cried. Hands on hips, she’d sashay barefoot, fancy-dancy of the ball.

But Pop-Pop hasn’t played his horn, not since the storm.

This vibrant and moving story shows a family struggling to rebuild their home and their spirits following Hurricane Katrina. A young brother and sister aren’t sure how their displaced family can move on until one very special Mardi Gras gives them and their parents new hope and belief in a beautiful future.
About the Author
Kathy Z. Price made her debut in the children’s book field with the publication of The Bourbon Street Musicians. She is a Cave Canem Fellow and a recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Poetry. Kathy was awarded an Archie D. and Bertha H. Walker Scholarship with the Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown, and received a scholarship award for the Squaw Valley Community of Writers. Visit her at KathyZPrice.com.

Carl Joe Williams was born in uptown New Orleans. At fourteen, he was accepted into The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) where he received his formal training. Williams’s work has been displayed in several venues throughout the United States, including “Journeys,” an installation at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and Williams’s “Sculptural Trees” installation on the median of Veterans Boulevard. Visit him at CarlJoeWilliams.com.

11/14/2021

Unity" is a collaborative work between me and the men and women at the Net High School. We are exploring our history with water, reclamation, water management and its environmental impact on our city. We are attempting to redefine what it means to live with water in New Orleans.