NEW ORLEANS — A New Orleans writer and photographer is making history on one of the world’s most prestigious art stages.

L. Kasimu Harris has become the first Black, New Orleans–based photographer to have work added to the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Five photographs from his series are now part of MoMA’s landmark exhibition marking the 40th anniversary of its celebrated series. The show runs through January 19, 2026.

The series, which Harris began in 2018, documents disappearing Black bars and lounges in New Orleans and beyond — spaces that served as cultural anchors, community hubs, and gathering places for generations.

“It’s truly an everlasting honor,” Harris said. “Anytime you are in a permanent collection, it means your work is worthy of being a

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