NEW ORLEANS—Nationally acclaimed New Orleans artist John T. Scott, known for his African-Caribbean–and New Orleans–inspired kinetic sculpture, died September 1 in Houston after two double lung transplants and a long struggle with pulmonary fibrosis. He was 67.

In 1992, Scott received the prestigious "Genius Grant" from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for his creativity as one of the nation’s most innovate artists. In 2005, the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) recognized his contribution to American art in a major retrospective, "Circle Dance: The Art of John T. Scott." A month after the show closed, Hurricane Katrina devastated the city, forcing Scott and hundreds of thousands to flee to Houston and other cities around the nation.

In a September 2007 tribute to Scott on New Orleans public radio, local artist and art activist Jacqueline Bishop described him as an original who "needed New Orleans as much as New Orleans needed him. He was part of the ecosystem." Throughout his long career as an artist, Scott drew upon the city’s rich African-Caribbean culture and musical heritage in creating his vibrant kinetic sculptures that often explored themes such as the "diddley bow" from West African mythology or rhythms and movements inspired by early 19th-century African slave dances in the city’s famed Congo Square.

In the catalog that accompanied his 2005 retrospective at NOMA, Scott used the words "jazz thinking" in describing his mindset while creating his art: "[I]f you listen to a really good jazz group, three things are always evident: Jazz musicians are always in the ‘now’ while you’re hearing it, but these guys are incredibly aware of where they have been and have an unbelievable anticipation of where they are going. To me that’s jazz thinking. It’s improvisational thinking in the sense that I don’t have to contrive some system of connecting two things that don’t seem related because I understand the relationship."

Scott studied art at Michigan State University and at Xavier University of New Orleans, where he later taught art for more than 40 years. During the summer in 1983, he received a grant to study in New York under the internationally acclaimed sculptor George Rickey.

In describing the constant influence the culture, music and streets of New Orleans had on his work, Scott often said, "New Orleans is the only city that I’ve been in that if you listen, the sidewalks will speak to you."