The New Orleans Museum of Art was selected to receive a $150,000 grant from The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The funds, from the Museums for America program, will support a two-year project to digitize the museum’s collection of African art. The collection from sub-Saharan tribal peoples is considered one of the most outstanding collections in the United States. The award was announced in October 2016.
“This meaningful award will help NOMA position for the future and our next 100 years,” said Susan M. Taylor, The Montine McDaniel Freeman Director. “As museums across the country strive to engage next-generation audiences, this project will help NOMA remain competitive and relevant. It follows previous support from IMLS that has allowed us to engage with visitors near and far, allowing them to explore our extraordinary collection of African art. This access is crucial for all audiences – students, scholars and the general public.”
IMLS grants are highly competitive. NOMA’s digitization project was one of 206 projects selected from a field of 548 applications. NOMA has already successfully digitized 10,000 two-dimensional objects from the museum’s permanent collection. A majority of these works were from NOMA’s collection of photography, prints, and drawings, which can be shown only periodically due to light sensitivity. The project is a continuation of NOMA’s efforts to make the museum’s over 40,000-object permanent collection a vital resource for audiences in New Orleans and around the world.
NOMA’s digitization efforts have so far had a transformative effect on the way it interacts with the public, turning the museum’s galleries into interactive learning environments, allowing website access to a substantial amount of NOMA’s collection, and developing digital and physical educational tools for visitors and educators.
About NOMA and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden
The New Orleans Museum of Art, founded in 1910 by Isaac Delgado, houses over 40,000 art objects encompassing 5,000 years of world art. Works from the permanent collection, along with continuously changing special exhibitions, are on view in the museum’s 46 galleries Fridays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The adjoining Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden features work by over 60 artists, including several of the 20th century’s master sculptors. The Sculpture Garden is open seven days a week: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The New Orleans Museum of Art and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden are fully accessible to handicapped visitors and wheelchairs are available from the front desk. For more information about NOMA, call (504) 658-4100 or visit www.noma.org. Wednesdays are free admission days for Louisiana residents, courtesy of The Helis Foundation. (May not include special exhibitions.) Teenagers (ages 13-19) receive free admission every day through the end of the year, courtesy of The Helis Foundation.
About The Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. IMLS is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Our mission has been to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. For the past 20 years, our grant making, policy development, and research has helped libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.