AQ April May June 2012

ArtsQuarterlyNEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART APRIL � MAY � JUNE 2012 , VOL . 34 N o .2

A Membe r s ’ P ub l i c a t i on

As an encyclopedic museum, the New

Orleans Museum of Art is committed to

examining and interpreting art through

both traditional and contemporary perspectives. We

also aspire to engage New Orleans in the most

current issues.

NOMA’s exhibition calendar demonstrates our

determination to bring the best to New Orleans.

Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial is a powerful

installation. The Wall Street Journal named it one of

the best American exhibtions of 2011, and Time

magazine describes it as a “triumphant

retrospective” that presents “some of the most

assured, delightful, and powerful art around.”

I encourage you to see the show before it

closes in May.

Our summer contemporary art series in the

Great Hall continues with a new work by Katie

Holten, who represented Ireland in the 2003 Venice

Biennale. Holten’s site-specific installation will give

visitors the chance to experience our neoclassical

space in yet another way. NOMA will continue to be

a reminder of why contemporary artists are drawn to

New Orleans, and how the city acts as both a source

of inspiration and a point of departure for their work.

NOMA explores the complicated, rich relationship of

artists with the city through a new programming

series, “Inspired by New Orleans.”

As stewards of art it is vital for us to engage with

our collection and continue to enrich our holdings. A

current selection of works on display in the Great

Hall illustrates that NOMA has been a leader in the

field of self-taught art for decades, and is committed

to giving these artists their earned recognition for

their roles in American art history. In this issue you

will also read about some important recent

acquisitions: a rare Native American beaded panel

and photographs by Malian artist Malick Sidibé.

NOMA has long been a pioneer in collecting

photographs, and under the leadership of Russell

Lord, our new curator of photographs, I am

confident that it will continue to be one of NOMA’s

strongest areas.

As we maintain certain strengths, we continue to

build upon newer resources and initiatives. NOMA

uses a multitude of print and virtual media to

connect with our audiences in a variety ways. I

encourage you to explore our media presence via our

website, Facebook page or by following us on

Twitter; perhaps you will discover you have a new

favorite way of getting all of your NOMA updates.

I am also delighted to share some recent news:

the addition of Allison Reid to our staff as the

Director of Interpretation and Audience Engagement.

Under her leadership there will be much to look

forward to. We will continue to listen to our

audiences and respond with innovative

programming, and current programs, such as our

spring film and theater series, will flourish. The

Besthoff Sculpture Garden is so much more than a

green space—it serves as an outdoor art museum, a

place of wellness and community engagement, and

as we’ve discovered, a stage for film and theatre. Our

spring Movies in the Garden film series and the

return of The NOLA Project’s performances of

Shakespeare will surely be a delightful opportunity

to relax with loved ones in pleasant weather.

Susan M. TaylorThe Montine McDaniel Freeman Director

DIRECTOR’S LETTER

Susan M TaTaT ylor

From the Permanent Collection:Richard Clague, American, 1821-1873Fisherman's Camp, n.d. (detail)Oil on wood panelGift of Mrs. Benjamin M. Harrod, 13.6

CONTENTS

2 FeatureCal l and Response: Rals ton Crawford and Jazz

NOMA: Inspi red by New Orleans

6 Exhibi t ionsKat ie Hol ten chosen for NOMA’s 2012 Great Hal l P rojec t

Celebrat ing Leah Chase, a New Orleans Legend

Exhibi t ion Explores Def in i t ion of Photography

10 Museum NewsRecent Acquis i t ions: Chi ldren of the Revolu t ion

Recent Acquis i t ions: Nat ive Amer ican Blanket S t r ip

NOMA Welcomes Al l i son Reid, Di rec tor of the Depar tment of In terpre ta t ion and Audience Engagement

TAP in to Hard Tru ths

14 Exper iencing NOMAIn teract ing wi th NOMA

16 NOMA and the CommunitySummer Ar t Camps

Communi ty Par tners Teach Ar t on Fr iday Nights

F i lm Screenings and Shakespeare Spice Up the Sculp ture Garden

20 Suppor t ing NOMAExper ience the Benef i t s of a NOMA Membership

NOMA Welcomes New Trus tees of 2012

Join NOMA’s Contemporar ies

A Bi r thday to Remember

28 Prof i les in GivingThe Jones Fami ly

Arts��2 April � May � June 2012

FEATURE

Though he is often remembered for his pre-

World-War II precisionist paintings of urban

and industrial subjects, Ralston Crawford

produced a significant body of work after 1949

inspired by the culture of New Orleans. This

summer, NOMA will present Ralston Crawford and

Jazz, an exhibition that considers the relationships

between music, photography, painting, drawing and

film as they intersect in Crawford’s work in New

Orleans. Organized by the Sheldon Art Galleries, in

Saint Louis, MO, the exhibition includes 148

photographs, prints, paintings, drawings and films,

many never before published.

Different aspects of New Orleans have inspired

many artists and writers, but for Crawford, New

Orleans jazz music had the most profound effect. In

his work, Crawford imported the elements of jazz—

syncopation, polyphony, and improvisation—and

transformed them into visual strategies. For example,

in music, syncopation breaks up the straightforward

rhythmic progression of a song and in Crawford’s

paintings, “syncopated” forms disrupt the overall

composition, entertaining the eye with a varied

landscape of shapes and colors [Figure 1]. This kind

of synesthesia—the interpretation of one field of

sensory perception (the visual) in terms of another

(the aural)—became increasingly important for

Crawford, who even analyzed the work of his

forbears in musical terms: in a notebook entry on

Leonardo da Vinci’s Virgin of the Rocks, he noted the

“contrapuntal activity” and “cross melodic

references” in the painting.1

Thinking along these lines, Crawford produced

photographs of jazz musicians that are as punchy

and rhythmic as the music that his subjects played

[Figure 2]. He made equally strong, graphic

photographs of the cemeteries, weathered buildings,

signage, and boats at dock. Always inventive,

Crawford also interpreted these same scenes in

lithographs, paintings, and films. This exhibition

brings together works in all of these media and in

some cases, displays the painting, lithograph, or

drawing next to the photograph that inspired it.

These juxtapositions demonstrate Crawford’s skill in

cultivating the unique properties of each medium.

For example in his black-and-white photograph,

Basin Street, 1974 [Figure 3], Crawford creates

Call and Response: Ralston Crawford and Jazz

Fig. 1: St. Ann Street, 1954, oil on canvas

Arts�� 3April � May � June 2012

abstraction through contrast and tone, whereas in the

painting Basin Street Cemetery, made the following

year, form is created out of his bold use of color

[Figure 4]. Returning again to a jazz analogy, the final

result is a kind of “call and response” structure.

Although Crawford never lived in New Orleans

for any long amount of time, he continued to visit

throughout the rest of his life. When he died in 1978,

he was buried in New Orleans in St. Louis Cemetery

No. 3, with a full jazz funeral.

An Interview with Neelon Crawford

Neelon Crawford is an artist and the son of Ralston

Crawford. Russell Lord, Freeman Family Curator of

Photographs, recently had the opportunity to ask

Neelon some questions about this exhibition, his

father’s work, and his own experiences growing up

around jazz music and musicians.

RL: Your father is perhaps best known for his

paintings, but he was a wonderful photographer as

well and photography plays a central role in this

exhibition. Did he consider the photographs that he

made works of art or documents of life, or

something else?

NC: I think he saw the photographs as finished

works. They were not just documents, or recordings,

or notes. He took good equipment and lugged

around heavy tripods. He framed things carefully

and made deliberate visual decisions. There are, of

course, casual snapshots woven through his work

but those didn’t get printed, unless it was a gift

for somebody.

RL: This exhibition demonstrates that sometimes

Ralston would make a photograph that would be

transformed into a drawing, which might itself serve

as the source for a painting, and so forth. What do

you think Ralston thought of the relationship

between these works? Did he consider them as

connected or as separate things?

NC: Both. There were also conversations between

Ralston and Stuart Davis [American painter, 1892-

1964], who were peers and knew each other well.

Stuart said to Ralston something along the lines of “I

FEATU

RE

Fig. 2: Advertising theDance, 1953, gelatinsilver print


really dislike it when they want to put the drawing

next to the painting. When they put the drawing next

to the painting, somebody comes along in the gallery

and they don’t look at either one, they just look at the

comparison.” When Ralston made a drawing based

on the photograph, he would consciously go out of

his way to make sure that the drawing aspect ratio

was not the same as the photograph. Then, when he

would put the clean blank canvas on the easel he

would make sure that the aspect ratio of the canvas

was again different from the drawing. By changing

the ratio, he forced himself to change the image. He

wasn’t just making that photograph or drawing into

a painting. It made him seek new solutions.

RL: This exhibition highlights the fact that he made a

large body of photographs in New Orleans, but

Ralston made photographs in many other locations.

Are those photographs different from the work he

produced in New Orleans in some way?

NC: Well, he would wear a [35 millimeter] Leica

camera all the time. 35 mm was a joy for him because

of the quality and portability, but in New Orleans he

mostly made pictures with 4 x 5 and 8 x 10 [inch

negative] cameras. One of the things you can notice

in the catalogue is that he would see something that

many people would just walk by and he would

frame it and crop it in such a way that it suddenly

snapped into place as a “Ralston Crawford”

composition. It’s uncanny. After you are tuned in to

his work you can spot his kind of images all over the

place, whether it was a fishing village in France, or

holy week in Spain, or the docks in New Orleans, or

in Manhattan.

RL: What went into his decision to be buried here?

NC: The thing about New Orleans is that its

exuberance and life energy—well, it’s pretty much

unlike anywhere else in the world. I remember when

I was young, Ralston would say definitive statements

like “Dixieland jazz is the best music!” and I would

think, now wait a minute, there’s a lot of other music

FEATU

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Fig. 4: Basin Street Cemetery, 1975, oil on linenFig. 3: Basin Street, 1974, gelatin silver print

Arts��

out there! But he really meant it. He would say “New

Orleans, there’s nothing else like it.” I think his

decision...it was basically because of his love of the

place and the food and the music and energy.

RL: Do you remember any stories about meeting

musicians with Ralston in New Orleans?

NC: I remember one night it was about 11 o’clock. We

were staying at the Hotel Monteleone and Ralston

said “come on let’s go meet so and so” and so we

went to one of the clubs on Bourbon Street to meet

up with this friend. I was a little tired. It was late and

I’m not even of drinking age yet. Midnight comes

and goes. But right around 1 o’clock Billie and Dede

[Pierce] [1907-1974 and 1904-1973] show up and start

playing. I don’t know if that was expected or if it was

just coincidence. But I wasn’t tired anymore. I woke

right up. There was this mixture of pure gold…the

integrity and the love…just the two of them, trumpet

and piano. There are life moments like that when

something happens and its very powerful, but good

for you. And you can’t always plan it. For me, now,

recounting that—I don’t think I’ve told anyone that

in years—but I’m realizing, that’s probably why

Ralston went to New Orleans. This is the real deal.

It’s the real music in the real place.

Ralston Crawford and Jazz will be on view in the Ella

West Freeman Galleries from June 21 to October 14, 2012.

A fully illustrated catalogue is available in the Museum

Shop, published by the Sheldon Art Galleries and Virginia

Publishing (162 pp., $24.95).

Notes

1. Crawford drawing notebook, undated, unpaginated, c. 1951, quoted

and cited in Barbara Haskell, Ralston Crawford (New York: Whitney

Museum of American Art, 1985), 79.

FEATU

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Arts��

NOMA: INSP IRED BY NEW ORLEANS

NEW ORLEANS, KNOWN FOR ITS UNIQUE art,architecture, literature, cuisine and music, has been amuse to artists working in a variety of disciplines. Thisyear, NOMA wishes to pay homage to the city with athematic approach to programming, examining thebreadth, diversity, and beauty of artistic works thathave been and continue to be inspired by NewOrleans.

The museum’s weekly Friday night Where Y’Art!?programs will soon include the “Inspired by NewOrleans” programs and lecture series. Those featuredwill be artists, politicians, writers, directors, authors,architects, and chefs whose works have beeninfluenced by New Orleans. Some Friday nights willbe spent in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, where wewill have film screenings, musical performances, andtheatrical productions, all related to this inspiring city.Support for Where Y’Art!? programming has beenprovided in part by grants from the Office of theLieutenant Governor Department of Culture, Recreation

and Tourism, Ruby K. Worner Charitable Trust, and theNew Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival andFoundation.

The exhibition calendar for 2012 is rich with NewOrleans influence as well. Dario Robleto: The Prelivesof the Blues, Leah Chase: Paintings by Gustave BlacheIII, and Ralston Crawford and Jazz all illustrate NewOrleans inspiration, through imagery, music and theculinary arts.

NOMA invites visitors to link the creative processwith the city, providing them with opportunities to seeboth art and New Orleans in a fresh light. Be on thelookout for more information on upcoming events,programming and exhibitions surrounding this theme.

The “Inspired by New Orleans” programming issupported in part by an award from the NationalEndowment for the Arts.

FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 7 P.M.Panel discussion on Ralston Crawford in New Orleans with OliviaLahs-Gonzales, Director of The Sheldon Art Galleries and John H.Lawrence, Director of Museum Programs at The Historic NewOrleans Collection. Moderated by Russell Lord.


EXHIBIT IONS

This summer, the museum looks forward to a

new large-scale work by Katie Holten, an

internationally renowned artist who

represented Ireland in the Irish Pavilion of the 2003

Venice Biennale. This will be the museum’s second

site-specific installation for the Great Hall; the first

being Thalassa, Swoon’s stunning sea goddess of

last summer.

Living and working in New York, Holten (born

1975, Dublin, Ireland) received her bachelor’s degree

from the National College of Art and Design in

Dublin in 1998. She moved to the United States after

receiving a Fulbright Scholarship from Cornell

University in 2004. As an artist Holten is known for

creating thoughtful sculptures, drawings, and public

art that respond to specific urban and rural ecologies.

Her artist statement explains:

I am interested in creating works that contribute to an

awareness of 'place' while reflecting the vulnerabilities

implicit in everyday life. At the root my practice is a

curiosity with life's systems. My work is an ongoing

investigation of the inextricable relationship between man

and the natural world in the age of the Anthropocene.

In addition to her fascination with “deep time,”

Katie Holten chosen for NOMA’s 2012 Great Hall ProjectMiranda Lash, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art

Excavated Tree (FloweringDogwood), 2007Newspaper, cardboard, steel,PVC, wire, and duct tape.Soloexhibition at the ContemporaryArt Museum St. Louis.Photograph by Mike Schuh.Courtesy CAMSTL.

biodiversity, fractal patterns of natural growth, and

the scientific “average colour of the universe,”

Holten’s work includes ongoing interest in the

shapes and roles of trees. This was the focus of her

Tree Museum, a public art project commissioned by

the Bronx Museum in 2009. For this project Holten

researched 100 trees along the Grand Concourse of

the Bronx, compiling maps, information, and oral

histories relating to the different trees

(www.treemuseum.org). Other past projects by

Holten include in 2006, a pop-up market in Mexico

City titled Gran Bazaar, where the artist sold original

artworks made from recycled materials, in 2007 a tree

installation titled Paths of Desire for the

Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis, and most

recently, a public art project in 2011 in Dublin, where

she adorned various streets with hand-painted

ceramic tiles containing excerpts from “On The

Nature of Things,” a poem by Lucretius.

In January and February, Holten completed a six-

week residency at Tulane University’s Studio in the

Woods, located in a serene forest on New Orleans’s

west bank. During this residency Holten explored

different regions of Louisiana, from the marshes of

Cocodrie, to the unique trees and wild areas of City

Park. Her piece for the Great Hall will be inspired by

her time spent in New Orleans and her impressions

of the city and its environment.

Katie Holten’s installation will be on view in the

Great Hall from June 15 through September 9, 2012. The

artist will give a lecture in the Stern Auditorium on

Friday, June 15 at 6 p.m.

On the Nature of Things (Branch Like Atoms), 2011Ceramic tiles. Public artwork in the streets of Dublin city for DublinContemporary. Photograph by Renato Ghiazza.

ON VIEW

Self-taughtArtistsfrom the PermanentCollectionGreat HallLast day:June 10

Without knowledge of the artistic mainstream,these self-taught artists of the American South weresometimes referred to as folk or “outsider” artists.They lived, however, as insiders, deeply rooted intheir communities, unaffected by the synergy of thecommercial urban art world. Often their ownenvironment and life experiences were the sourcefor their imagery, ideas, and materials.Biographical and local in its initial reference, theimagery in their work is often universal in itsmessage and visual appeal.

NOMA has collected the works of self-taughtartists since the 1960s, and has been a leader ineducating the public on this important chapter ofAmerican art history. Works on view includepaintings and sculpture from Clementine Hunter,Sister Gertrude Morgan, William Hawkins, andone of Thornton Dial’s earliest large-scaleassemblages, among others. Curated by AliceYelen, Senior Curator of Collections Research.

Hard Truths:The Art ofThornton DialElla WestFreemanGalleriesLast day:May 20

Don’t miss this exhibition featuring over forty worksby Thornton Dial from the past twenty years.Created using found objects, his assemblages,sculptures, and drawings address some of the mostprevalent social ills in the United States, and serveas a historical account of a working-class blackman living in the Deep South. Curated by JoanneCubbs, Adjunct Curator of American Art at theIndianapolis Museum of Art. Organized by theIMA.

Fridays, April 6 and May 18, 7 p.m.: Film: Mr. Dial Has Something to Say

Friday, April 20, 6 p.m.: Exhibition walk-through and discussion by artist Willie Birch

Friday, May 18, 6 p.m.: Art historians JaneLivingston and John Beardsley will discuss theevolution of the modern folk art movement inAmerica


Leah Chase, co-owner and chef of Dooky

Chase Restaurant, is one of the city’s most

beloved icons. To celebrate her and her many

contributions to New Orleans, NOMA will host a

gala preview of Leah Chase: Paintings by Gustave

Blache III. In the exhibition, Blache investigates the

chef in her environment at her famous restaurant.

The restaurant is named after its original owner,

Leah’s father-in-law, Dooky Chase. In 1945 Leah

married Dooky Chase Jr., a jazz musician, and began

working in the restaurant during the 1950s. The

restaurant became famous as a meeting place for civil

rights activists during the 1960s, and today it remains

a favorite destination for locals and tourists alike.

Blache, New Orleans-raised but now living in

Brooklyn, chiefly depicts Leah in the less glamorous

but nonetheless essential aspects of the restaurant

business. Wearing her often seen pink cap, Leah cuts

squash and scallions, pours oysters and parsley into

her mixing bowl, and even washes the dishes. Leah is

in her element, carefully stirring her concoctions.

While endeavoring to capture the spirit of her

cooking, Blache nonetheless took care to keep the

ingredients generic enough not to reveal any secrets

to her recipes.

In addition to being an award-winning chef,

Leah is also known as a life-long advocate of the arts,

particularly by African American artists, and is

currently an honorary life trustee of NOMA. The gala

preview will be on Monday, April 23, from 6 to 8

p.m., and will also serve as the inauguration of the

Leah Chase Art Purchase Fund, which will support

the acquisition of works by African American artists.

Join us to celebrate art and one of its greatest

champions. Gala tickets prices start at $75. For more

details or to purchase tickets, contact Marilyn

Dittmann at (504) 658-4107 or [email protected].

Tickets may also be purchased on the web at

www.noma.org.

Leah Chase: Paintings by Gustave Blache III will

be on view in the Louisiana Galleries from April 24—

September 9, and is sponsored by Richard Colton Jr. and

Liberty Bank and Trust.

Celebrating Leah Chase, a New Orleans Legend

EXHIBITIO

NS

Clockwise from top left:

Cutting Squash, 2010(detail), Oil on wood

Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution

Transferring Squash, 2010(detail), Oil on wood

Courtesy of Dr. Glenfield and Gradie Night

Dining Room (Leah Greeting Guests), 2011

(detail), Oil on woodCollection of

Richard Colton


Exhibition Explores Definition of Photography Russell Lord, Freeman Family Curator of Photographs

What is a photograph? How do we define

its history? This exhibition, compiled

mostly from NOMA’s permanent

collection, examines many forms of photography

from the 1840s to the present, in order to explore

these questions. Over the past 190 years,

photography has infiltrated almost every aspect of

modern life, from birth to war and science to religion.

During this time, the photograph has taken many

forms, such as the daguerreotype, cyanotype, and

gelatin silver print. Scholars and historians have

often found it difficult to write a history that gives

equal weight to each of these distinct forms, but

recent technical developments in photography have

made it even more complicated. With the advent of

the digital era, it appears that we must once again

begin rewriting photography’s history to include not

only images on metal plates, paper, and cloth, but

also images on laptop screens and handheld devices,

images that have no physical support and may never

physically exist at all. It has become clear that a

history that narrowly defines photography as one

medium is insufficient. Photography, it seems, is not

one medium, but many.

This exhibition describes and includes many of

the most common photographic processes

(daguerreotypes, salted paper prints, gelatin silver

prints, and inkjet prints), but it also includes objects,

artifacts, and practices that have typically been

considered marginal to the history of photography

(reproductions of photographs in ink, negatives,

camera-less photographs, cartes-de-visite, color

processes, and even a piece of jewelry). These

disparate works invite you to consider what—if

anything—links them together within the history of

photography.

What is a Photograph? will be on view from April

20 to August 19, 2012 in the Templeman Galleries.

Anonymous, Portrait of Young Female Child (Mourning Bracelet), circa 1855, Daguerreotype mounted on inside of bracelet locket with the initial"C" woven out of human hair under glass on the opposite side. Gift of an anonymous donor, 83.184. Photography by Judy Cooper.

This object was probably made to commemorate the untimely death of a young girl. Her portrait is on one side of the locket, and what is mostlikely her initial woven out of her hair is on the other side.


MUSEUM NEWS

RECENT ACQUISIT IONSChildren of the RevolutionRussell Lord, Freeman Family Curator of Photographs

Recently, the artist Philip Taaffe gave

NOMA 187 small vintage prints by Malick

Sidibé (Malian, born 1935). These prints,

mounted to eleven sheets, enter the permanent

collection as only the second major group of

twentieth-century African photography, following a

2005 gift of eight photographs by Seydou Keita

(Malian, 1921-2001). Keita and Sidibé, who were both

active in the capitol of Bamako in the 1950s and 60s,

are the two most recognizable photographers in

western African from that time period. Sidibé in

particular became famous for his pictures of parties

and events in Bamako, and played a significant role

in the transformation of African photography.

In 1960, the Republic of Mali declared its

independence, finally shrugging off the mantle of

French colonial rule that extended back to the 19th

century. Eager to erase the trappings of western

European influence, leaders of the new Republic

sought to establish a particularly African style of

political, social and cultural policies.1 Many young

Malians, however, viewed independence as a chance

to celebrate personal freedom, which surprisingly

meant importing the music, clothing, and attitudes of

western European and American culture.

In Bamako, young people began to search for a

new form of visual representation. Staid studio

portraiture, with its roots in static nineteenth century

images of wealth and power, was rejected as

conservative and artificial. Instead, they wanted

pictures that matched the dynamic, vibrant energy of

the culture they were importing. This desire led them

to seek out mobile, engaged photographers who

could depict them as autonomous, joyful, and

independent. They found the perfect accomplice in

Malick Sidibé.

Sidibé was born in 1935 in Soloba, a village

about 200 miles from Bamako. He was hired by a

French photographer in Bamako, Gérard Guillat

(nicknamed Gégé la pellicule, or Gégé the film) to

serve as his assistant. Sidibé eventually launched his

own “Studio Malick” in 1960. Although in-studio

portraits were his primary business, as early as 1957

he had begun photographing private events in and

around Bamako. Ultimately, he became a permanent

fixture in the social clubs or Grins that formed in

post-colonial Bamako. The Grins, named after music

idols or cultural phenomena from the western world

(The Beatles, Les Monkees, Las Vegas, etc.), would

serve as meeting places to discuss current social

topics of Western and African culture.

Using a small 6 x 6 cm or 35 mm camera, Sidibé

photographed the discussions, people drinking and

dancing, and captured impromptu portraits of

people in their finest western style attire. After the

gathering, he would spend most of the night making

small proofs for the party attendees to look at the

next day. These small work prints were then

mounted to supports and numbered, so that

customers could choose which prints to purchase.

Ironically, these images that chronicle the

vibrancy of the young Bamakois’ cultural revolution,

were often affixed to a banal manila (or colored)

administrative folder. Nevertheless, the energy and

camaraderie of the Grins unfold through these small

and often sequential photographs. In one sheet of

prints, Les Copains, four dapper young men pose

rather seriously in front of a stark white wall and are

later seen smiling and dancing in other images on the

same support. In another, Las Vegas, 3e Anniversaire

Independance, Malians celebrate the third anniversary

of Malian independence (September 22, 1963). Sidibé


also photographed public events outside of the

private clubs. For example, in Gala de Boxe, he

photographs a boxing match in which we see both

participants and spectators. From this particular

series, the passage of time is explicitly marked: we

see boxers posing for quick portraits, squaring off to

fight, and then finally, the referee raises the victor’s

hand in the last picture.

For a few decades, these small intimate prints

were all that existed of Sidibé’s work. In 1995,

however, he was included in an exhibition at the

Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain, in Paris.

Since then, professional printers have made huge

prints from his negatives (with his approval) for

exhibitions in museums and commercial galleries.

These enlargements draw upon the graphic

sensibilities of the original—the patterned clothing

and textured surfaces—but explode them to

enormous proportions. As a result, the intimacy, the

context of independence, and the cultural shift

implicit in the originals are cast aside in favor of the

pictures’ formal qualities. In effect, the pictures have

been transformed from document to art, removed

from the administrative folders and launched onto

the walls of fine art institutions.

This is not necessarily a contradiction. Indeed for

Sidibé, whose pictures are certainly beautiful, these

new prints represent a level of perfection that was

unavailable to him. The work of Seydou Keita

underwent a similar transformation, about which he

has said, “You can’t imagine what it was like for me

the first time I saw prints of my negatives printed

large-scale, no spots, clean and perfect. I knew then

that my work was really, really good.”2 There is no

doubt that Sidibé’s work is deserving of attention for

its form, pattern, and composition, but it is equally

important not to lose the backdrop of political, social,

and cultural change that made such pictures

possible.

Notes

1. Manthia Diawara, Malick Sidibé Photographs

(Göteborg, Sweden: Hasselblad, 2003): 11.

2. Interview with Seydou Keita in Michelle Lamunière, You

Look Beautiful Like That: The Portrait Photographs of Seydou

Keïta and Malick Sidibé (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University

Art Museums, 2001): 47.

This fall, look for these photographs in an exhibition

titled, Photography, Sequence & Time.

Malick Sidibé, Les Copains, April 30, 1970, 22 gelatin silver prints mounted to administrative folder, Gift of Philip Taaffe, 2011.52.3

RECENT ACQUISIT IONSNative American Blanket StripPaul Tarver, Curator of Native American Art

In December of 2011, NOMA

accessioned a Native American beaded

panel referred to as a blanket strip. This

object, created by a Native American

woman in the Upper Missouri Valley, was

made from large blue and white glass pony

beads and sewn on to buffalo hide. The

finished strip was then attached to a high-

ranking individual’s buffalo robe. Native

American objects created prior to 1850 are

rare, and most of them belong to European

museums. NOMA’s blanket strip dates to

circa 1830, making it an important acquisition.

After the signing of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, Thomas Jefferson

commissioned Lewis and Clark to explore the northern boundaries of the

territory. They were to learn as much as possible about the land and to let

the inhabitants know they had a new “father.” Among the many trade

items they took with them were large bags of blue and white glass beads

made in Venice, Italy. These beads came to be referred to as “pony” beads

and became instantly popular among the women of the region.

In the early 1830s, painters George Catlin and Karl Bodmer visited

the upper Missouri to document the native tribes. Both artists painted

portraits of important leaders in full regalia, dressed in robes with blue

and white pony-beaded strips. In 1837, a smallpox epidemic swept the

region, leaving only a few hundred survivors, which may account for the

lack of surviving material culture from that area. Only four known pony-

beaded blanket strips exist today, and only NOMA’s is in a public

collection.

The provenance, or history of ownership of this piece can only be

traced back to the late twentieth century, when it came into the collection

of the former senator and one time presidential candidate Barry

Goldwater. Goldwater, a collector of Native American art, donated it to

the Smoki Museum in Prescott, Arizona in the early 1990s. Later it was

sold to a private collector, and eventually ended up in a Santa Fe Gallery,

where NOMA found it.

Figure 1: Northern Plains Culture, United States, Beaded Panel (Blanket Strip), circa1830, Glass "pony" beads, buffalo hide, sinew, Museum purchase: The BraceEndowment Fund. On view in the Kresge Foundation Gallery, 3rd floor. Photo courtesyof H. Malcom Grimmer.

Figure 2: Karl Bodmer, Switzerland, 1809-1893, Two Mandan Men, 1833 (detail);Digital print from an engraving of an original watercolor.Fig. 1

Fig. 2


NOMA Welcomes Allison Reid, Director of theDepartment of Interpretation and Audience Engagement

TAP into Hard Truths

Previously the Vice President for Collections

& Programs at Cheekwood Botanical Garden

& Museum of Art in Nashville, Tennessee,

Allison Reid comes to NOMA with nearly fifteen

years of museum experience and a strong hands-on,

visitor-focused philosophy toward exhibitions and

programming.

Recently, Reid acted as a senior manager in

planning and preparation for Cheekwood's fiftieth

anniversary in 2010, which included a year-long

celebration and marked the presentation of the

institution's largest exhibition. During Reid's tenure,

Cheekwood saw its annual visitation double and its

membership rates steadily grow.

Before Hurricane Katrina, Reid served as the

Assistant Director for Education at NOMA (1999-

2006), where she led the department in developing

educational programming grounded in the

museum's expansive encyclopedic collection.

NOMA's Department of Interpretation and

Audience Engagement (formerly known as the

Department of Education) is dedicated to providing

educational opportunities to broaden the

understanding of

and interaction with

the arts and creative

thinking. The

department offers

tours, programs and

art-making activities

that engage diverse

communities with

the collections and

exhibitions on view

at NOMA. Programs

for students,

educators, and the public are thoughtfully designed

to awaken the imaginations of museum visitors and

foster inquisitiveness in the creative process.

"I am thrilled to be joining the team at NOMA,

especially as they embark on the creation of a new

platform of educational initiatives," says Reid. "I

share NOMA's vision of strong community

engagement and continued audience growth and

look forward to building on the visitor experience

with the museum."

On view through May 20,

Hard Truths: The Art of

Thornton Dial includes

over forty works from the past

twenty years of Dial’s life.

Participate in an exciting new feature of NOMA’s

exhibition experience by taking a TAP tour of Hard

Truths. The TAP program, developed by the

Indianapolis Museum of Art, provides visitors the

opportunity to immerse themselves in the exhibition

through an engaging and thought-provoking

multimedia experience. For just $3, visitors can rent

an iPod with the programmed TAP tour. Look for the

TAP logo throughout the exhibition and tap the

corresponding number into the keypad. The TAP

iPod tour includes exclusive video and audio of the

artist himself; a guided investigation of Thornton

Dial’s works by Joanne Cubbs, the curator of Hard

Truths; and interviews with the conservators and

photographers who worked on the exhibition

and catalogue.

Photograph by Judy Cooper

MUSEU

M N

EWS


EXPERIENCING NOMA

NOMA is committed to getting you all the

information you need on museum events

and exhibitions, through a variety of

media. Our website, Facebook, and Twitter pages

always have the most up-to-date information, so

you’ll never miss out on what’s going on. Here’s a

quick run-down of all the ways you can interact with

NOMA.

Arts Quarterly

Our award-winning Arts Quarterly has been a

longtime favorite resource for museum members.

Here, you can read interviews and get behind-the-

scenes information on current and upcoming

exhibitions. The pull-out events calendar also

provides a three-month schedule of lectures, special

events, wellness activities and more (not to mention,

it doubles as an art poster).

www.noma.org

If you haven’t seen NOMA’s new website, be sure to

visit for the latest information about exhibitions and

events, as well as videos and press. Browse the

collection and design your own tour, and sign up for

our weekly e-newsletter at the top of the right hand

side of the screen.

Facebook

On Facebook, the New Orleans Museum of Art has a

page where you can browse photos and read posts

about the permanent collection. You can check out

our events, RSVP to them, and invite your friends to

come, too! NOMA’s Facebook page is also a great

way to get exclusive access to what’s going on at the

museum. Signing up for a Facebook account is easy

and free.

www.facebook.com/NOMA1910

Click “like” on our page, and all of NOMA’s updates

will show up on your Facebook news feed (a.k.a. the

home page). Click “Join My List” on the left hand

side of the screen to get our weekly e-newsletter sent

to your email.

Interacting with NOMAGrace Wilson, Director of Communications and Marketing and Elizabeth Soland, Communications Assistant


Twitter

Twitter is a way to instantly see what’s going on at

NOMA. Think of it as blogging, but each mini post is

called a “tweet.” We live-tweet at events, show you

behind-the-scenes images and sometimes give

special deals to our followers. (We even made a

Super Bowl bet of a priceless painting with another

museum over Twitter!) See what others are tweeting

about NOMA, and if you have a Twitter account, you

can always mention us or “retweet” information

we’ve shared. Mention @NOMA1910 next time you

visit. Again, signing up is simple and free.

www.twitter.com/NOMA1910

Click “follow” to have all of @NOMA1910’s tweets

show up on your home page.

Instagram

If you like photography, be sure to explore

Instagram. An application you can download on an

iPhone or iPad, Instagram is used to create and share

photos with others. Download it and follow

@NOMA1910. There are funky filters and effects you

can use to create your own artsy shots with your

device’s camera, or you can just browse NOMA’s.

Add us to your feed to keep up with our

photographic journey, or take your own photos of

NOMA (and tag us in them so we can see them too).

YouTube

YouTube is a free, video sharing service. Over the

past year, the museum has produced numerous

videos, which can all be seen on our YouTube page

and on NOMA’s website.

www.noma.org/videos

www.youtube.com/user/NewOrleansMuseumArt

Click “subscribe” at the top of our YouTube page,

next to the title “New Orleans Museum of Art” and

you’ll be informed every time we add a new video.

NEXT UP AT BOOK CLUB

APRIL Joan Mitchell: Lady Painter by Patricia Albers April 12, 10 a.m.: Field Trip to the Joan Mitchell CenterApril 18, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.: Special Program on JoanMitchell by Miranda Lash

April 26, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.: Discussion Group

MAY The Vanished Smile: the Mysterious Theft of Mona Lisa by R.A. ScottiMay 17, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.: Discussion Group

JUNEMy Name is Red by Orhan PamukJune 8, 11:30–1 p.m.: Special Program by Lisa Rotondo-McCord

June 14, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.: Discussion Group

Each month a different work of fiction or non-fiction, all with art or museum-related content, is selected fordiscussion in the Felix J. Dreyfous Library. The Book Clubalso engages in curatorial programs and field tripscorrelating with each book. To join or for more info,contact the librarian at (504) 658-4117 or [email protected].

ONE NIGHT, 100 PHOTOGRAPHERS

The New Orleans Museum of Art, inpartnership with the New Orleans Photo Alliance, ispleased to present PhotoNOMA, a photographers'portfolio night at the museum. On Friday, May 11 from5:30 to 8:30 p.m., 100 photographers, from beginnersto the well established, will display their work for acommunity walk-through. Admission is $10 for thegeneral public, $5 for Photo Alliance members and asalways, NOMA members get in free. Photographyenthusiasts and the public at large are encouraged tocome out to see the wide range of work that will be ondisplay and to take advantage of the wonderfulopportunity to meet and engage with the artists.

All photographers who are interested in participatingshould register (at no cost) with the New Orleans PhotoAlliance. The first 100 photographers to register will beallowed to display their portfolios. At 5 p.m. on the dayof the event, participants should line up at the securityentrance of the museum with their portfolios and uponentering, will be allowed to choose their own table. Formore information, please contact the New Orleans Photo Alliance at (504) 610-4899 orwww.neworleansphotoalliance.com.


NOMA AND THE COMMUNITY

NOMA is teaming up with KID smART

and Young Audiences to offer Summer Art

Camps for children ages 5 – 12. All camps

feature NOMA’s permanent collection or special

exhibitions, and are taught by professional artists.

“In the Studio” visual art camps will be offered in

the mornings in our first floor art studio. “On the

Stage” afternoon camps will take place in the Stern

Auditorium and will include theater, creative

writing, photography and puppetry.

Camps are arranged for students aged 5 – 8 or

aged 9 – 12 on alternating weeks. Students may sign

up for morning only, afternoon only or full day. If

your child will be attending for a full day, please

send a sack lunch. The cost of each summer camp

session is $120 for NOMA members and $150 for

non-members, with all materials included. Each

session meets for one week, Monday through Friday.

Contact Elise Solomon at 504-658-4128 or

[email protected] to register your child.

JUNEIn the Studio: 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

June 4 – 8: Hold the Line, Ages 5 - 8

Line, form, color and texture will be the focus as

students explore the basics of drawing. Students will

work with pastels, colored pencils, charcoal and

graphite.

June 11 – 15: Drawing Is Fundamental, Ages 9 - 12

Students will learn how artists make two-

dimensional drawings appear to have depth and

form. Two-dimensional design principles, basic

composition, and the illusion of space will be taught

in this “back to basics” art class.

June 18 – 22: Art is Multicultural, Ages 5 - 8

Visit the world without ever leaving NOMA’s third

floor! Children will explore many places where art is

made and will create their own unique works of art

inspired by the arts of the world.

June 25 – 29: Art through the Ages, Ages 9 - 12

From pre-Columbian Maya to modern New York,

NOMA’s collection includes works that span diverse

places and times. After exploring he museum’s

galleries, students will create works inspired by art

from around the world.

On the Stage: 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

June 4 – 8: A Group Picture, Ages 5 - 8

Students will learn how to use body language and

tableaux to create short scenes inspired by works of

art in NOMA’s collection.

June 11 – 15: Statues Come to Life, Ages 9 - 12

Drama students will create characters and brief scenes

to tell stories about the works of art they encounter in

museum galleries and the Sculpture Garden.

June 18 – 22: A Thousand Words, Ages 5 - 8

During this creative writing camp, students will work

as a class to reconstruct works of art the on the page,

focusing on setting and environment.

June 25 – 29: Every Picture Tells a Story, Ages 9 - 12

Students will learn play-writing techniques as they

work together to write a short play based on works of

art from NOMA’s galleries.

JULYIn the Studio: 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

July 9 – 13: Monsters, Magic and Myth, Ages 5 - 8

Imaginations will run wild as students conjure up

whimsical beasts out of every material under the sun.

2-D and 3-D techniques will be used as students bring

their fantasies to life.

Summer Art Camps

July 16 - 2: Mixing with Mixed Media, Ages 9 - 12

Students will travel all over the museum to discover

new and unusual materials from around the world,

then use found objects to create works of art using

mixed media.

July 23 – 27: About Face, Ages 5 - 8

Students will learn the history of portraiture and the

wide range of ways that artists have used the body

as inspiration. They will use pencil, charcoal,

printmaking and watercolor.

July 30 – August 3: Figure This Out, Ages 9 - 12

The human figure is one of the most widely depicted

subjects in art. After looking at examples from

NOMA’s collection, students will create their own

figurative drawings and paintings using charcoal,

pencil, watercolor, and printmaking materials.

On the Stage: 1:00-4:00 p.m.

July 9 – 13: Photo Shoot, Ages 5 - 8

This camp will emphasize fun and photography as

students explore NOMA and the Sculpture Garden

with camera in hand. Students will explore

photography through a variety of formats including

film, digital, and solar prints.

July 16 – 20: Snap a Picture, Ages 9 - 12

Young photographers will learn basics of

photography, emphasizing composition, color and

form, as they snap photos of the museum and its

surroundings.

July 23 – 27: Puppetry in Motion, Ages 5 - 8

Students will build their own puppets and use them

to tell a story inspired by NOMA’s collection.

Shadow puppets, hand held and stick puppets will

all be introduced.

July 30 – August 3: Up My Sleeve, Ages 9 - 12

Different styles of puppetry and puppet traditions

from around the world will be discussed as students

build their own puppets and create a set in which a

story can unfold.

Photography by Roman Alokhin and Grace Wilson

The 2012 Louisiana Iris Rainbow FestivalJoin NOMA as wecelebrate the beautifulbloom of our Louisianairises in the BesthoffSculpture Garden with theLouisiana Iris RainbowFestival, on Sunday, April1, from 12 - 4 p.m.Whether you’re aseasoned gardener, justplanting your first bulb, orif you just want to spend arelaxing day in the Gardenamong radiant flowers, thisfree event is for you.

The festival will include live music by Cindy Scott,gourmet sliders and pomme frites from the SliderShak foodtruck, and family art-making activities provided by NOMA’sDepartment of Interpretation and Audience Engagement.

Eileen Hollander, Vice-President of the Greater NewOrleans Iris Society (GNOIS) and Master Gardener ofGreater New Orleans, will speak on three topics: “TheLegend of the Fleur de Lis,” “How to Distinguish LouisianaIrises from the Imitators/Impersonators,” and “How to GrowLouisiana Irises.” Joe Musacchia will lead a walk through theGarden to demonstrate how to identify good Louisiana irisesin a garden setting. Patrick O'Connor, President of theGNOIS and owner of the Zydeco Louisiana Iris Garden willalso be available for questions.

For more information, contact Pamela Buckman at (504) 658-4153 or [email protected].

Congratulations to the winners of theannual Cox Art Contest!To celebrate 200 years ofLouisiana statehood, thisyear’s theme was “LivingLouisiana!” Students wereasked to create a work ofart that reflected someaspect of Louisiana’s richculture and traditions.

Talented students fromJefferson, Orleans, St.Bernard, and St. Charlesparishes competed to win$6,000 in scholarships.Entries were judged onquality of line or paintapplication, completenessof composition, expressionof artwork, and originalityand creativity.

NOMA is proud tohave partnered with Coxand Cox Media for the lastfifteen years to support artcreated by local students.This year’s finalists allshowed incredible artistictalent and merit. Thanks toall who entered—NOMAcan’t wait to see what nextyear’s contest will bring!

Jeffery Nguyen, Dr. John: Such a NightPencil, NOCCA, 11th Grade1st Place: 9 - 11 Category.

Photograph by Judy Cooper.

Community Partners Teach Art on Friday Nights

Friday nights at NOMA offer art activities for

visitors of all ages at our "Where Y'Art?! Cart"

located in the first floor elevator lobby. While

NOMA’s art teacher, Kate Ryan leads these activities

twice a month, the museum has been inviting local

arts organizations to lead the activities on select

Friday evenings. Past activities include photo

transfer projects, making collage wearable pins and

masks, and creating vases with self-drying clay.

In addition to a stipend for labor, art activity

hosts receive the chance to work with a cross-section

of the community and spread the word about their

organization's mission, while NOMA gets the

opportunity to interact with new audiences. If your

organization is interested in teaming up with NOMA

on Friday nights, please contact Tracy Kennan at

(504) 658-4113 or at [email protected].

Thanks to all of our past and upcoming partners:

3 Ring Circus Arts Education Center

Ashé Cultural Center

KID smART

New Orleans Craft Mafia

Preservation Resource Center

Press Street

A Studio in the Woods

YAYA

Young Audiences of Louisiana

Film Screenings and Shakespeare Spice Up the Sculpture Garden

This spring, bring your blankets and folding

chairs to Movies in the Garden! NOMA is

partnering with the New Orleans Film

Society to present more screenings of your favorite

classic films. On the second Fridays of April, May,

and June, Where Y’Art?! programming will move to

the Sculpture Garden. Music and art-making

activities begin at 5 p.m. in the Pine Grove, near the

garden’s front entrance. At 7:30 p.m. (or sundown),

the films will be shown on a large outdoor screen in

the Oak Grove.

Theater also returns to the Garden this May,

when NOMA and The NOLA Project will present a

rendition of another Shakespearean classic: As You

Like It. Seven performances are listed below, all

beginning at 7 p.m. in the Sculpture Garden. Stay

tuned for announcements of fall collaborations

between NOMA and The NOLA Project, and for

future programs in the Garden. NOMA promises to

keep providing the public with family-friendly

events like these in the months to come.

April 13: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

May 11: Breakfast at Tiffany’s

June 8: The Wizard of Oz

In April and June, La Cocinita will serve gourmet LatinAmerican street food, and in May Crepes a la Cart will bemaking fresh sweet and savory crepes. No outside food orbeverages will be permitted. Admission is $6 for adults, $3for NOMA and NOFS members, and children 17 andunder get in for free.

Wednesday, May 9; Thursday, May 10; Sunday, May13;Wednesday, May 16; Thursday, May 17; Friday,May 18; Sunday, May 20

Tickets are $16 for adults, and $8 for students, children,and NOMA members. They may be purchased onNOMA’s website or at the front desk during museumhours.

Did you know The NOLA Project and NOMAwere nominated for five Big Easy Awards this year fortheir production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream?

The spring 2012 film schedule:

As You Like It performance schedule:

NOMA A

ND TH

E COMMUNITY


SUPPORTING NOMA

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLEMr. and Mrs. John D. Bertuzzi

Mr. and Mrs. Sydney J. Besthoff III

Mr. and Mrs. David F. Edwards

Dr. and Mrs. Ludovico Feoli

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Hansel

Ms. Adrea D. Heebe and

Mr. Dominick A. Russo Jr.

Mrs. Paula L. Maher

Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Mayer

Mrs. Robert Nims

Mrs. Charles S. Reily, Jr.

Jolie and Robert Shelton

Kitty and Stephen Sherrill

Mrs. Patrick F. Taylor

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLEMrs. Jack R. Aron

The Booth-Bricker Fund

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Coleman

Mr. Leonard A. Davis

Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Favrot Jr.

Mrs. Lawrence D. Garvey

Mrs. JoAnn Flom Greenberg

Mr. Jerry Heymann

Mr. and Mrs. Erik F. Johnsen

Ms. Kay McArdle

Mrs. Peter R. Monrose Jr.

Dr. Howard and Dr. Joy D. Osofsky

Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Patrick

Mr. and Mrs. Edwin R. Rodriguez Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin M. Rosen

Ms. Debra B. Shriver

Mr. and Mrs. Bruce L. Soltis

Margaret B. and Joel J. Soniat

Mrs. Harold H. Stream Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. Richard L. Strub

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Taylor

PATRON’S CIRCLEMrs. Adele L. Adatto

Dr. Ronald G. Amedee and

Dr. Elisabeth H. Rareshide

Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Boh

Mr. E. John Bullard III

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Carey

Dr. and Mrs. Isidore Cohn Jr.

Mrs. John J. Colomb Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Prescott N. Dunbar

Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Francis

Mr. and Mrs. James J. Frischhertz

Mr. and Mrs. Edward N. George

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Heebe

Ms. Allison Kendrick

Mr. Henry M. Lambert and

Mr. R. Carey Bond

Mr. and Mrs. H. Merritt Lane III

Mr. Paul J. Leaman Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Lemann

Dr. Edward D. Levy Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. J. Thomas Lewis

Dr. and Mrs. E. Ralph Lupin

Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Masinter

Mr. and Mrs. R. King Milling

Mrs. Ellis Mintz

The James R. Moffitt Family Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Moffitt

Robert and Myrtis Nims Foundation

Dr. Andrew Orestano

Dr. and Mrs. James F. Pierce

Mr. and Mrs. James J. Reiss Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. Edward F. Renwick

Mr. and Mrs. R. Randolph Richmond Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. George Rodrigue

Mr. and Mrs. Brian A. Schneider

Mr. and Mrs. Edward Shearer

Mr. and Mrs. Lynes R. Sloss

Ms. E. Alexandra Stafford and

Mr. Raymond M. Rathle Jr.

Mrs. Frederick M. Stafford

Mr. Stephen F. Stumpf Jr.

Mr. Hollis C. Taggart

Mr. and Mrs. James L. Taylor

Mrs. Hendrik Willem van Voorthuysen

Mrs. John N. Weinstock

Mrs. Dorothy R. Weisler

Mrs. Henry H. Weldon

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Brent Wood

We appreciate the generous and continuing support of our Circle members.

Circles of the New Orleans Museum of Art

The NOMA Board of Trustees cordially invites you to join the Circles, the museum’s most prestigious membership group.

President’s Circle: $20,000

Director’s Circle: $10,000

Patron’s Circle: $5,000

UPGRADE YOUR SUPPORT OF NOMA

For more information, please call (504) 658-4107.


$525,000

Patrick F. Taylor

Foundation

—Endowment Fun d

—Education Programming

Zemurray Foundation

—Endowment Fun d

—Spanish Colonial

Assessment

$450,000

Helis Foundation

—Endowment Fund

—Free Wednesdays

—Art Purchase

$300,000

Save America’s Treasures

—Permanent Collection

Conservation

$100,000

Collins C. Diboll

Foundation

—Endowment Fund

$50,000

The Selley Foundation

—Re-design and Re-launch

Website

$20,000 - $49,999

American Express

Foundation

—Urn Restoration

The Bertuzzi Family

Foundation

—Hard Truths: The Art of

Thornton Dial

Louisiana Division of

the Arts

—General Operating Support

Luce Foundation

—Kuntz Galleries Renovation

The Lupin Foundation

—Odyssey Ball, 2011

National Endowment of

the Arts

—Publishing of Permanent

Collection (Sculpture

Garden book)

—Inspired by New Orleans

Office of the Lieutenant

Governor State of

Louisiana

—Where Y’Art!?

Programming

The RosaMary Foundation

—General Operating Support

Andy Warhol Foundation

—Curatorial Research

$10,000 - $19,999Libby Dufour Foundation

—Urn Restoration

Goldring Family

Foundation

—Odyssey Ball, 2011

GPOA Foundation

—Language and Art

Eductional Programming

Eugenie and Joseph Jones

Family Foundation

—Art In Bloom, 2012

Ruby K. Worner

Charitable Trust

—Where Y’Art!?

Programming

$20,000 - $49,999

Richard C. Colton Jr.

—Leah Chase: Paintings

by Gustave Blache III

IBERIABANK

—Odyssey Ball 2011

International Well Testers

Inc.

Liberty Bank and Trust

—Leah Chase: Paintings

by Gustave Blache III

Peoples Health


Robert and Jolie Shelton


Whitney National Bank

—Art in Bloom 2012

$10,000 - $19,999 Chevron


DocuMart


Garden Study Club

—Sculpture Garden

Beautification Project

June and Bill McArdle


Adrea D. Heebe

—Hard Truths: The Art

of Thornton Dial

$50,000 - $74,999

Sheraton New Orleans

Hotel

$20,000 - $49,000 The Ralph Brennan

Restaurant Group

Landis Construction

$5,000 - $9,999

Soniat House Hotel

$1,000 - $4,999

Kentwood Spring Water

Christie’s Fine Art

Auctioneers

Dooky Chase’s Restaurant

Degas House

NOMA’s exhibitions and special programs are made possible through the generosity of our

sponsors. If you would like additional information on sponsorship, please contact the

museum’s Development Department at (504) 658-4107.

Foundation and Government Support

Corporate and Individual Support

In-Kind Corporate Donations

SUPPO

RTING N

OMA


Individual Membership: $60

• Free admission at all times open to the

public for one adult

• Complimentary subscription to Arts

Quarterly

• Invitations to members-only preview

receptions and special events

• 10%-20% discount in the Museum Shop

• Discounts on art classes and other

educational programs

• First notices of special events at NOMA

• Free admission to select Sculpture Garden

evening events

• Free admission to all festivals at NOMA

Dual/Family Membership: $75

Same privileges as Individual membership, plus:

• Free admission at all times open to the

public for one additional adult, plus

children or grandchildren 17 and under

Sustaining Membership: $125

Same privileges as Dual/Family membership, plus:

• Free NOMA admission for two additional

guests when accompanied by the member(s)

• Reciprocal membership privileges to

numerous major art museums throughout

the United States and Canada (check NOMA

website for details)

Benefactors: $250

All Sustaining membership benefits, plus:

• Priority reservations and seating for select

NOMA lectures and intimate preview events

• Invitations to the annual NOMA holiday

party

Young Fellows (Individual): $250

Young Fellows (Couple): $400

This new membership group is dedicated to members

ages 21 through 45. Young Fellows receive

Benefactors membership privileges as well as a 15%

discount on tickets to NOMA events, including the

Odyssey Ball and LOVE in the Garden.

Advocates: $500

In addition to Benefactors privileges, Advocates

receive:

Experience the Benefits of a NOMA Membership

SUPP

ORT

ING N

OMA

Photograph by Judy Cooper


• Invitations to an annual special event

• Free museum admission for two guests

when accompanied by the member(s)

• One museum catalogue selected by NOMA

• The opportunity to give one Dual/Family

membership as a gift

Fellows: $1,500

In addition to Benefactors privileges, Fellows receive

• Discounts on special event rentals

• Invitations to NOMA’s annual Fellows

Dinner, a special event held in their honor

• Free museum admission for four guests

when accompanied by the member(s)

• Two free museum catalogues selected by

NOMA

• The opportunity to give two Dual/Family

memberships as gifts

Family Circle: $2,500

NOMA created this new membership level for our

members who are dedicated to sharing NOMA’s

permanent collection, educational activities, and

special exhibitions with their families. Grandparents

are welcome! Family Circle members receive docent-

guided tours (with prior reservation) complete with

educational materials tailored for your family as well

as VIP reservations and access for public family art-

making activities. Additionally, enjoy free admission

for your family to our annual Fabergé Egg Hunt.

This level includes all Fellows benefits,

complimentary copies of educational materials for all

special exhibitions, and special recognition in our

Arts Quarterly.

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE: $20,000

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE: $10,000

PATRON’S CIRCLE: $5,000

The Circles, our most prestigious levels of annual

giving, are comprised of individuals who contribute

$20,000, $10,000 or $5,000 each year in unrestricted

funds. NOMA is pleased to extend these unique

privileges to those who demonstrate their

commitment at these levels:

All Fellows membership category privileges, plus

• Discounts on special event rentals

• Annual listing on Donor Wall as a member

of the Circles

• Invitations to our exclusive annual Circles

event

• Free admission for all additional guests to

the museum and Sculpture Garden when

accompanied by the donor

• Reciprocal membership to numerous major

art museums

• With prior arrangement, Circle members may

bring additional guests to members'

previews of special exhibitions

• Special recognition in Arts Quarterly

• Advance announcements for special travel

programs

• Use of the Woldenberg Board Room for

meetings

• An opportunity to have a private tour with

the director or curator of a collection or

special exhibition of your choice, with

complimentary beverages in the Woldenberg

Board Room, for a party of up to six

individuals, at a mutually agreed upon time

According to IRS guidelines, only contributions over the

value of goods and services are tax deductible. We estimate

the nondeductible portion of your contribution to be as

follows: Advocates, $200; Fellows, $200; Patron’s Circle,

$200; Director’s Circle, $200; President’s Circle, $200.

For additional membership information, please call

Marilyn Dittmann at (504) 658-4107.

Join the NOMA family today!

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Justin T. Augustine III is the

Chief Executive Officer of the

New Orleans Regional Transit

Authority as well as a Vice

President of Veolia

Transportation. He received his

undergraduate degree from

Xavier University where he studied accounting.

Augustine is also a member of many past and

present boards, including the NOLA Business

Alliance Board, Industrial Development Board of

New Orleans, and the New Orleans Urban League.

Kia Silverman Brown earned a

BA in Art History from St.

Lawrence University followed by

a Masters in Chinese Medicine

from TAI. She moved to New

Orleans from Virginia where she

has been actively involved in the

arts for many years, serving on numerous non-profit

boards, helping to enrich the arts within her

community. She is married to Christian Brown, a life

long New Orleanian.

Grammy nominee Robin

Burgess is the co-owner of Over

the Garage Productions, a firm

devoted to the careers of

recording and performing artists.

It represents multiple Grammy

nominees and winners, Emmy

nominees, Golden Globe nominees, and has

collaborated with many of today’s prominent figures

in the music, film, and television industries. She has

served as music coordinator on over 41 films and

documentaries, including Their Eyes Were Watching

God, When the Levees Broke, and Red Tails.

A native of South Carolina, Daryl

G. Byrd graduated from Samford

University in Birmingham,

Alabama, and earned a MBA at

the University of Alabama in

Birmingham. He started his

career at Vulcan Materials

Company in Birmingham and then moved into the

banking industry when he joined the Trust Company

Bank (now SunTrust) in Atlanta. First Commerce

Corporation brought him to Louisiana where he

served in a number of capacities in Lafayette,

Alexandria and New Orleans. He was recruited to

join IBERIABANK as President and CEO in 1999.

Collette Creppell, AIA, LEED AP,

is the university architect and

director of campus planning for

Tulane University (2003-present).

Ms. Creppell returned to New

Orleans in 1994 to establish an

architectural firm and to teach at

the Tulane School of Architecture. She is Vice Chair of

the Board of the New Orleans Building Corporation

and serves on the boards of the Tulane School of

Architecture and Benjamin Franklin High School. She

is married to Stephen Higginson; they have three

children.

Dr. John F. Fraiche is a native of

New Orleans who resides in both

Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

He is married to Donna D.

Fraiche, an attorney, and they

have two children, Dr. Geoff

Fraiche and CoCo Fraiche. Dr.

Fraiche is a former member of the Board of the

Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans and the

New Orleans City Ballet. He was a partner in Galerie

Simone Stern.

NOMA Welcomes New Trustees of 2012

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Love contemporary art? Then join the

Contemporaries, NOMA’s new affinity group

for individuals interested in learning about

contemporary art; meeting artists; and supporting

exhibitions, programs, and art acquisitions in

NOMA’s contemporary department.

Events for the Contemporaries will include tours

of local artist studios and private collections, private

artist receptions, and the opportunity to vote on an

acquisition of a work of contemporary art for

NOMA’s collection. This fall, Contemporaries can

also look forward to a guided visit through the St.

Claude Arts District, New Orleans’s most vibrant

destination for emerging experimental art. Future

trips to New York City to visit galleries and artists are

on the horizon as well.

You can take advantage of this unique

opportunity for $1,000 plus NOMA membership

dues. Your yearly contribution will directly offset the

cost of Contemporaries programming, a portion of

which goes towards a fund for Contemporaries

acquisitions.

For more information, contact Miranda Lash at (504)

658-4138 or [email protected], or Marilyn Dittmann at

(504) 658-4107 or [email protected].

Join NOMA’s Contemporaries

Michael J. Siegel, President of

Corporate Realty, Inc., is a Tulane

graduate and has been involved

in the commercial real estate

business for over thirty years. He

is an Emeritus board member

and a three time President of the

Board of Directors of the Contemporary Arts Center,

and Vice Chair and incoming Chair of the Metairie

Park Country Day School. Siegel is also a member of

the Business Council of New Orleans and the River

Region. He is married to the former Aimee Farnet;

they have two children.

Kitty Duncan Sherrill is a New

Orleans native who studied Fine

Arts as an undergraduate at

Harvard and resides in

Manhattan with her husband

Stephen and three children. Kitty

has served as a trustee of The

Buckley School of New York and a member of the

Administrative Board of The Society of Memorial

Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. She works with The

Second Stage Theatre in New York and with The

Addison Gallery at Phillips Academy, Andover.

Suzanne Thomas is a native of

New Orleans. She earned a BA in

Fine Arts from Dominican

College and a MBA from the

College of William & Mary. She

began her banking career thirty

years ago and is currently the

Executive Vice President & Chief Credit Officer of

Whitney Bank. She has served on numerous non-

profit boards and is a past Chair of the Board of

Trustees of the Academy of the Sacred Heart. She is

married to Robert E. Thomas, and has two grown

children. In the 1970s she was an intern in NOMA’s

Registrar’s office, around the time of the Treasures of

Tutankhamen exhibition.

Sunday, April 15Studio visit with Cuban artist, Luis Cruz Azaceta, 11 a.m.

Thursday, May 10 - Thursday, May 17NOMA guided trip to Cuba to tour the Havana Biennial

Thursday, May 31Reception for NOMA exhibiting artist Dario Robleto, 6 p.m.

UPCOMINGCONTEMPORAR IES EVENTS

Mr. and Mrs. John D. BertuzziMr. and Mrs. Sydney J. Besthoff III

Mrs. Susan BrennanMr. and Mrs. Thomas B. ColemanMr. and Mrs. George Denegre Jr.

Ms. Sheila R. FentonMs. Anna HaudenschildMr. David Workman

NOMA CONTEMPORAR IES(AS OF FEBRUARY 1, 2012)

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A Birthday to Remember

What better way to commemorate a

milestone than with a two-day

extravaganza? On December 16 and 17,

2011, NOMA celebrated its 100th birthday

surrounded by thousands of good friends and family.

For thirty-one hours, over 3,000 guests enjoyed live

music, poetry, art-making activities, film screenings,

lectures, and more. Highlights included a

performance and book signing by Irvin Mayfield,

comedic improv tours with The New Movement, and

a late night DJ set by Quintron. Congratulations also

to the winner of our NOMA 100 Green Playhouse

Raffle, Bill Dalton. NOMA gives special thanks to

Lakeside Shopping Center, the Feil Family

Foundation, and the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel for

sponsoring the monumental occasion.

NOMA worked with dozens of community

partners to produce a variety of events, at no cost to

the public. NOMA thanks the community for coming

out to support the museum on such a memorable

occasion.

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1. Director Susan M. Taylor; 2. Youth Ballet Ensemble from Woodmere Elementary; 3. Isidore Newman Choir; 4. Amanda Shaw; 5. Author MarkYakich; 6. The New Movement giving a comedic improv tour of the NOMA 100 exhibition; 7. New Orleans Ballet Association Youth; 8. IrvinMayfield. Photography by Judy Cooper and Grace Wilson.

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9. Bruce Davenport Jr. and Russell Lord; 11. The Roots of Music; 11. Quintron; 12. Helen Newell, a visitor who was born in the museum 95 years ago(shown with her family), Photography by Grace Wilson, Allison Abney, Michael Hays, and Elizabeth Soland.

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Arts��

PROFILES IN GIVING

The charitable works of the Jones family

have offered unique support to the New

Orleans Museum of Art for over three

decades. Their tradition of philanthropy, originally

led by Joseph Merrick Jones, is now continued by his

descendants via three entities: the Canal Barge

Company; the law firm of Jones, Walker, Waechter,

Poitevent, Carrère & Denègre L.L.P.; and the Eugenie

and Joseph Jones Family Foundation. NOMA is

grateful to be a continued recipient of their generous,

grouped donations, most recently including $75,000

for our successful exhibition, NOMA 100: Gifts for the

Second Century. They have also contributed to two of

NOMA’s major fundraisers, Art in Bloom and the

Odyssey Ball.

Founded in 1933, the Canal Barge Company, Inc.

is a family-owned, independent marine

transportation company headquartered in New

Orleans, Louisiana. The name “Canal Barge” dates

back to their early years when they operated one

barge exclusively along the Gulf Intracoastal

Waterway. Today they are one of the most diverse

marine transportation companies in the country.

Canal Barge recently celebrated its seventy-fifth year

in operation, and their longevity is a testament to

their insight and commitment to the region.

Since its inception in 1937, the law firm of Jones,

Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrère & Denègre

L.L.P. has grown over the past several decades in size

and scope to become one of the largest law firms in

the Gulf South. It serves local, regional, national, and

international business interests in a wide range of

markets and industries. Jones Walker proudly

supports more than 150 civic and charitable

organizations, NOMA included. Often, their

attorneys are personally involved with a number of

local organizations, fundraising events and charities.

In 2012, Jones Walker will celebrate its seventy-fifth

anniversary.

The Eugenie and Joseph Jones Family

Foundation, incorporated in 1955 in Louisiana,

primarily gives to organizations in the greater New

Orleans area with a special emphasis on education,

the arts and other community services. Their support

has proven to be invaluable to NOMA, providing

funding in the formative years of the Besthoff

Sculpture Garden, offering support immediately

following Hurricane Katrina, and bestowing funds to

increase NOMA’s collection.

Through the Jones family’s foundation support

and corporate gifts, NOMA has not only grown its

collection but has been able to expand its

programming and offer exciting exhibitions to the

public. By supporting NOMA for over thirty years,

the Jones family is ensuring that the museum will

continue its mission well into the future.

The Jones Family

CHARITABLE GIFTS to NOMA

Make a lasting contribution to the museum with a gift of cash, stock, real estate, or other assets. Such gifts may allow for significant tax savings. For more information, please call (504) 658-4107.

1. Susan Gundlach, Andrew andSusu Stall; 2. St. Denis J. Villere II,Herschel Abbott, Susan Gundlach,Marjorie Villere, Jimmy Gundlach;3. Mimsy Lindner, Sally Lapeyre,Sarah Merrick; 4. Poco Sloss,Christy Brown, Bill Hines; 5. Merritt Lane, Peter Stephaich. © Grevy Photography

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Board of TRUSTEES

National TRUSTEES

Susan G. Guidry,Councilmember District “A”

Lee Hampton Stephen A. HanselAdrea D. HeebeMs. Allison KendrickMayor Mitch LandrieuMrs. Merritt LanePaul J. MasinterMrs. R. King MillingMichael D. MoffittMrs. Michael D. MoffittHoward J. Osofsky, MD, PhDMrs. James J. Reiss Jr.Mrs. George RodrigueDonna Perret RosenMrs. John RyanBrian Schneider Mrs. Jolie L. SheltonKitty Duncan SherrillMike SiegelMrs. Lynes SlossE. Alexandra Stafford Mrs. Richard L. StrubRobert TaylorSuzanne ThomasBrent Wood

Mrs. Charles B. Mayer,President

Sydney Besthoff III, Vice-President

Julie Livaudais George, Vice-President

E. Ralph Lupin, MD, Vice-President

Timothy Francis, SecretaryMs. Kay McArdle, TreasurerWilliam D. Aaron Jr.Justin T. Augustine IIIMrs. John BertuzziDr. Siddharth K. BhansaliSusan BrennanKia Silverman BrownRobin Burgess Daryl ByrdMrs. Mark CareyEdgar L. Chase IIITommy ColemanCollette CreppellLeonard Davis David F. EdwardsH. M. “Tim” Favrot Jr.Mrs. Ludovico FeoliDr. John Fraiche

H. Russell Albright, MD Mrs. Jack R. Aron Mrs. Edgar L. Chase Jr. Isidore Cohn Jr., MDPrescott N. Dunbar S. Stewart FarnetSandra Draughn FreemanKurt A. Gitter, MDMrs. Erik JohnsenRichard W. Levy, MDJ. Thomas Lewis Mrs. Paula L. Maher

Mrs. J. Frederick MullerMrs. Robert NimsMrs. Charles S. Reily Jr.Mrs. Françoise Billion

RichardsonR. Randolph Richmond Jr.Mrs. Frederick M. StaffordHarry C. StahelMrs. Moise S. Steeg Jr.Mrs. Harold H. Stream Mrs. James L. TaylorMrs. John N. Weinstock

Joseph BaillioMrs. Carmel CohenMrs. Mason GrangerJerry HeymannHerbert Kaufman, MD

Mrs. James PierceDebra B. Shriver Mrs. Henry H. Weldon Mrs. Billie Milam Weisman

E D I T O R: Taylor MurrowA RT D I R E C T O R: Aisha ChampagneP R I N T I N G: DocuMart

Arts Quarterly (ISSN 0740-9214) is published by the New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA 70124.

© 2012, New Orleans Museum of Art. All rightsreserved. No part of this magazine may bereproduced or reprinted without permission of thepublisher.

SUPPORT ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The programs of the New Orleans Museum of Art aresupported by grants from the Louisiana State ArtsCouncil through the Louisiana Division of the Arts,the National Endowment for the Arts, the Office ofthe Lieutenant Governor Department of Culture,Recreation and Tourism, Ruby K. WornerCharitable Trust, and the New Orleans Jazz andHeritage Festival and Foundation.

MUSEUM HOURS

The museum is open Tuesday through

Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.,

and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed Monday and all legal holidays.

The Besthoff Sculpture Garden is open every day,

10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., except Fridays, when it is open

until 8:45 p.m. For information on upcoming

exhibitions and events at NOMA, please call

(504) 658-4100 or visit our website at www.noma.org.

Honorar y L i fe TRUSTEES

Cover Image:Ralston CrawfordAdvertising the Dance, 1953, gelatin silver print

P. O. Box 19123New Orleans, LA 70179-0123

NON-PROFIT ORG.US POSTAGE

PAIDNEW ORLEANS

PERMIT #108

Arts��

NOW AVAILABLE IN THE MUSEUM SHOP

NOMA is pleased to announce the release of the much-anticipated book, The Sydney and Walda BesthoffSculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museumof Art. Designed as an expanded companion to theGarden's Artspaces "mini-guide," this beautifully illustratedhardcover provides detailed entries on every artwork in theGarden, as well the history of the Garden's founding andits exquisite plant life. Edited by Miranda Lash, curator ofcontemporary art and published by SCALA Publishers ofLondon. 192 color pages, $49.95.

This book has been sponsored in part by a NEA grant.

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AQ April May June 2012

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Transcript of AQ April May June 2012