NEW ORLEANS, LA.- Tekrema Center for the Arts and Culture, which will be a place of meditation and reflection from June 3 to August 31. The space of contemplation and relaxation, free and open to the public, centers around Healing Waters an installation created by artist Niko Ciglio. The exhibition features different waters of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast and offers the community a place to commemorate the memories and lessons of Hurricane Katrina and to formulate community action plans for the current oil crisis.

“Taking time to reflect and meditate is just as important as our actions, “ Ciglio said. “The mediation informs our actions and protects us from missteps. We are happy to provide this space to the community-at-large for contemplation and a staging ground for action to improve our environment and quality of life.”

Visitors are encouraged to bring a non-monetary offering for the space. Items such as flowers, relics, writings and other pieces engage the community, inspire others and most importantly represent a symbol of healing for the waters that surround New Orleans and the southern coast.

A filmmaker and educator from California, Ciglio moved to New Orleans in June of 2006 to focus his artistic intentions on social relevance in the wake of Katrina. Nicholas has shown in galleries on Royal St., St. Claude, and Julia St. His first public piece in New Orleans was the popular mural on Frenchmen Street titled “Kufaru Katrina Mural.”

Ciglio is currently painting his second mural on Frenchmen St. titled “Heart Wisdom” and has been working as an art educator/filmmaker at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School in the Lower Ninth Ward since November 2006. Since moving to the city in 2006, he has worked to create blessings for the reconstruction of New Orleans through his art. His most recent exhibition called “Blessed be the Reconstruction” included works on canvas and multi-media drawings on salvaged wood.