New Orleans Museum of Art

Tour with Curator Brian Piper
2025-04-30 17:30 - 18:00 (America/Chicago) | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119
Every week, NOMA hosts gallery talks in the museum and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden led by curators, artists, and other special guests. These lively, participatory conversations provide a moment to take a close look at one work—or a selection of works—currently on view.
This week, join Brian Piper, Freeman Family Curator of Photographs, Prints, and Drawings, for a tour of the exhibition Nicolas Floc’h: Fleuves-Océan, Mississippi Watershed.
Included with museum admission, which is free for Louisiana residents every Wednesday courtesy of The Helis Foundation’s Art for All initiative. When you arrive at NOMA, check in at the admissions desk for directions to the appropriate location.
Following the tour, join Piper and artist Nicolas Floc’h for a conversation in the second-floor Frederick R. Weisman Galleries.

Conversation with Artist Nicholas Floc’h and Curator Brian Piper
2025-04-30 18:00 | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119
To celebrate the opening of Nicolas Floc’h: Fleuves-Océan, Mississippi Watershed, enjoy a conversation between artist Nicholas Floc’h and Brian Piper, NOMA’s Freeman Family Curator of Photographs, Prints, and Drawings, followed by a Q&A with the audience.
Included with museum admission, which is free for Louisiana residents every Wednesday courtesy of The Helis Foundation’s Art for All initiative.
Seating for the talk is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. Check in at the admissions desk in the Great Hall and then head to the second-floor Frederick R. Weisman Galleries for the program.

About the Exhibition
French photographer and visual artist Nicolas Floc’h’s Fleuves-Océan project traces the movement of water across our planet, exploring its flow through varied habitats and representing the ways we are all connected by water cycles and systems. This exhibition pairs vibrant monochromatic photographs of the color of water made under the surface with dramatic black-and-white landscape photographs made along the banks of the Mississippi and its tributaries—from Louisiana and across the country.
Learn More

Gallery Talk with Curator Brian Piper
2025-05-07 12:30 - 13:00 | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119
Every week, NOMA hosts gallery talks in the museum and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden led by curators, artists, and other special guests. These lively, participatory conversations provide a moment to take a close look at one work—or a selection of works—currently on view.
This week, join Brian Piper, Freeman Family Curator of Photographs, Prints, and Drawings, for a gallery talk on the exhibition Delicate Sights: Photography and Glass. This talk will be offered at 12:30 and 6:00 pm.
Included with museum admission, which is free for Louisiana residents every Wednesday courtesy of The Helis Foundation’s Art for All initiative. When you arrive at NOMA, check in at the admissions desk for directions to the appropriate location.

The Role of Warrior Women in the Republic of Benin, Haiti, and New Orleans with Creative Assembly Artist Caleb Dowden and Her Royal Majesty Queen Mother Dr. Dowti Desir
2025-05-07 17:30 - 19:00 | NOMA’s Lapis Center for the Arts
This is a multi-part program organized by Creative Assembly resident artist Caleb Dowden beginning with a lecture by Her Royal Majesty Queen Mother Dr. Dowti Desir, who will discuss the intersections of spirituality and cultural traditions in Haiti, the Benin Republic, and New Orleans.
Guests will engage in a light body movement rooted in the warrior dance practice of the Agoojee, an all-female army of the Dahomey Kingdom, formerly the Benin Republic, which symbolizes strength and resilience.
Closing with a conversation with Her Royal Majesty Queen Mother Dr. Dowti Desir, moderated by Creative Assembly artist Caleb Dowden.
Discussion of the vital roles women of African descent have carried in the spiritual and cultural traditions of New Orleans, reinforcing the interconnectedness of these rich histories and highlighting the ongoing influence of the leadership of women in contemporary society.
This event is part of the series “Nana Benz: Reimagining the Black Feminist Future,” which seeks to deepen the understanding of Black women’s contributions and the cultural legacies they continue to uphold.
Included with museum admission, which is free for Louisiana residents every Wednesday courtesy of The Helis Foundation’s Art for All initiative.
About Creative Assembly Artist Caleb Dowden
Caleb Dowden is a choreographer and researcher from New Orleans, Louisiana. In 2021, she graduated from the State University of New York at Purchase with her BFA in dance. As a 2021 recipient of a Fulbright Independent research award from the U.S. Department of State and a Fulbright Hay’s fellowship with SUNY Purchase , Caleb’s choreographic work and research has been supported locally and internationally by the French Alliance of New Orleans, Le Centre ( Benin Republic), Borna Soglo gallery ( Benin Republic), University of New Orleans, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, International Dance Festival of New Orleans, The New Ohio Theatre , and the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography at Florida State University. As the Director of Dow-Dance Company, Caleb Dowden produces choreographic work at the intersection of African history and culture with a unique vision of (re)connecting the African Diaspora with the African continent.
About Her Royal Majesty Queen Mother Dr. Dòwòti Désir
Her Royal Majesty Queen Mother Dr. Dòwòti Désir, Sêmévo 1st of the Royal Palace of the African Diaspora, has been a prominent figure since her enthronement in 2022 as Queen Mother of the African Diaspora in the Benin Republic. Born in Haiti, she is the first Haitian to hold this title on the African continent and is recognized for her dedication to African spirituality, repatriation, and dual citizenship for members of the African Diaspora. An accomplished scholar with degrees from Barnard College, Bard College, and The New Seminary, her work includes founding the Imperial Corps Agoodjié, advocating for children’s rights, and engaging in various international initiatives. Dr. Désir has participated in notable events such as the Festival of the Diaspora in Colombia and has collaborated with organizations to foster connections between Africa and its Diaspora. As an educator at Dutchess Community College, she empowers youth through the Imperial Corps Agoodjié and its Youth Warriors program. Her commitment to reconnecting the African Diaspora with their ancestral roots and addressing critical issues has made her a recognized thought leader on a global scale.

Virtual Seminar: Beyond the “Mask” with the Arts Council of the African Studies Association
2025-05-14 12:00
Join us on Wednesday, May 14, at 12 pm for a thought-provoking webinar discussion—“Beyond the ‘Mask’: Towards a New Paradigm of Collecting and Displaying African Art in US Museums”—that examines how museums can reshape their approaches to collecting and displaying African art through ethical transparency, inclusive narratives, and critical practices.
Inspired by the New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations exhibition (April 4–August 10, 2025) at the New Orleans Museum of Art, this panel explores case studies that honor artist agency, cultural authenticity, and global accountability by centering the voices of African artists and their communities. Beyond celebration, this dialogue challenges us to rethink, reimagine, and drive actionable change toward a more just and accountable future for African art curation.
This virtual event, presented in partnership between the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Arts Council of the African Studies Association, is free with registration.
Registration via the link below is required to receive webinar credentials before the event. Registration closes one hour before the event.
Register Here

About the Exhibition
New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations spotlights the work of four contemporary artists working in cities across West Africa: Chief Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa, Sheku “Goldenfinger” Fofanah, David Sanou, and Hervé Youmbi.
The first presentation of its kind, New African Masquerades offers a rare look into contemporary West African masquerade by contextualizing the works of individual artists within a range of social, economic, and religious practices and examining their networks of viewership and exchange.
Learn More

Gallery Talk: New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations
2025-05-14 12:30 - 13:00 | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119
Every week, NOMA hosts gallery talks in the museum and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden led by curators, artists, and other special guests. These lively, participatory conversations provide a moment to take a close look at one work—or a selection of works—currently on view.
This week, join for a gallery talk on works in the exhibition New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations.
Included with museum admission, which is free for Louisiana residents every Wednesday courtesy of The Helis Foundation’s Art for All initiative. When you arrive at NOMA, check in at the admissions desk for directions to the appropriate location.

Book Club: New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations
2025-05-15 12:00 - 13:00 | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119
NOMA’s book club meets monthly to discuss fiction and non-fiction books related to art in the museum’s collection and exhibitions.
It is an informal group open to anyone on a month-to-month basis. You do not have to attend every meeting or read every book to participate. In addition to monthly book discussions, the book club meets periodically for curatorial programs related to the book selections.
Books are selected in advance and planned according to the museum’s exhibition schedule. Participants are expected to procure their own copy of the titles. Selections are also available at the NOMA Museum Shop, where museum members receive a 10% discount.
Register Now
Meetings are held in person or via Zoom. All meetings begin at 12 pm. For more information or questions, please email programs@noma.org.

About the Book
New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations
Edited by Amanda M. Maples, Jordan A. Fenton, and Lisa Homann
An exploration of contemporary African masquerade that reveals its cultural contexts, artistic innovations, and intersection with museum collection practices
By placing masquerade at the forefront of contemporary African art, this volume shows how masquerade is a dynamic and urban phenomenon shaped by shifting global concerns. Essays examine the lack of institutional recognition offered to present-day masquerade artists and the methods used to curate masquerade art at the museum level. An international group of scholars and artists explore the motivations and creative decisions of masquerade artists, highlighting their stories and providing a nuanced understanding of masquerade as a contemporary expression of human experience.
This lavishly illustrated study includes more than 150 images, artist’s biographies, in-depth analyses of masquerade ensembles in relation to themes of collaboration, economics, and meaning, and a discussion of the methodologies for ethically commissioning and acquiring masquerade art.

Music in the Garden feat. T Marie & Bayou Juju and Haruka Kikuchi & Friends
2025-05-18 14:00 - 16:00 | Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans , LA, 70124
NOMA presents Music in the Garden, a seasonal outdoor music series.
Encounter the sounds of local New Orleans musicians while strolling through the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden on select Sunday afternoons throughout the year. Performances will take place alongside sculptures across the garden.
T Marie & Bayou Juju will perform from 2-3 pm in the Pine Grove. Haruka Kikuchi & Friends will perform from 3-4 pm in the Ampitheater.
From the Artists
T Marie & Bayou Juju
T Marie & Bayou Juju play traditional and original Louisiana music. In addition to honoring traditional Cajun, Creole, Zydeco, Swamp Pop, Country, Blues, and New Orleans songs, the band also contributes to the next generation of South Louisiana sound with their own original tunes, performed in both Louisiana French and English. The band started through gatherings at fires, suppers, porches, and levees, and you’ll feel this vibrant community of friendship echo through all of their music. These days you can catch them at dive bars, dancehalls, and festivals, sharing that same good juju and joy. They play regularly in New Orleans, and the band has toured in California, Colorado, North Carolina, France, and Spain. So grab your dancing shoes—or shrimp boots—and get ready to dive into some authentic Cajun magic below sea level!

Marie-Isabelle
Marie-Isabelle Pautz is a second generation culture bearer. She grew up across the street from her grandparents, who immersed her in Louisiana French and folkways. Her grandfather played fiddle at house dances, her grandmother was the queen bee of the neighborhood bartering system, and her mother joined the movement to protect Louisiana French. When an injury prevented her from dancing to the music she grew up with, Marie-Isabelle started performing on stage. In addition to performing traditionals from South Louisiana, she also writes her own original songs and poetry. Marie-Isabelle’s writings in Louisiana French have been published by The University of Louisiana at Lafayette as well as Ancrages in Canada, and she is a member of the Recording Academy. Marie-Isabelle hopes that everyone who hears her music is transported to the feel of a community dancing in step – with floorboards creaking under the feet of our ancestors, elders, and the next generation.
In addition to performing, Marie-Isabelle has devoted much of her time to Restorative Justice, Food Justice and Housing Justice programs. Her social change work includes: EarthShare Gardens co-founder, Lafayette Hurricane Survivors Coalition founder, Center for Restorative Approaches co-founder, and Culture Campout co-founder. She has designed, managed, and facilitated programs for Center for Restorative Approaches, Travelers Aid Society, and UNITY for the homeless, as well as a number of other schools and organizations. She is a Restorative Justice Practitioner and Cultural Worker in New Orleans at an urban homestead and accessible housing community that she founded called Jukebox Farm.

Haruka Kikuchi
Trombonist Haruka Kikuchi, a.k.a. “Queen of Tailgate” because she continues the tailgate style Trombone which is tradition of New Orleans Jazz.
She was born in Japan and always had a knack and a love for music, listening to as much of it as she could at a young age as well as picking up instruments like piano and violin. It wasn’t until she heard an old recording of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band that she decided to pick up a Trombone, a decision that would predicate her later move to New Orleans, where the birthplace of Jazz.
Since she came to New Orleans in 2014, she has been playing with Shotgun Jazz Band, Shake’Em Up Jazz Band, Preservation Hall All Stars, Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, Kermit Ruffins and many more local musicians both within and outside the country, festivals like North Sea Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival, Edinburgh Jazz Festival etc. Also she was a nominated member for 61st Grammy Awards, Best Regional Roots Music Album with Cha Wa’s album “SpyBoy”.

In April 2020, a new compilation Album from her project【Japan: New Orleans Collection Series】came out and is now available online & through Louisiana Music Factory.

Producer's Choice: The Talented Mr. Ripley and Conversation with Jude Law and Producer Meryl Poster
2025-05-21 18:00 - 21:00 | NOMA’s Lapis Center for the Arts
Films build community through shared experiences.
NOMA presents a series of films—selected by award-winning producer and filmmaker Meryl Poster—followed by insightful special guests. Don’t miss your chance to revisit or discover modern classics on the big screen and gain behind-the-scenes insight into the film industry from leading figures.
Discussions will draw connections to art more broadly and celebrate cinema as an essential art form.
NOMA will screen The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) for this program, followed by a conversation with actor Jude Law and Poster. Doors open at 5:30 pm, and the film screening starts at 6:00 pm.
Tickets are $10 for NOMA members and $15 for general admission.
Sold Out
View all events in the Producer’s Choice Film Series
Ticket Waitlist Policy
If tickets are sold out for a screening, there will be a first come, first served policy to fill any unoccupied seats:

At 5:30 pm, the waitlist will open at the Front Desk.
At 6:15 pm, we will count the number of vacant seats and begin to fill them with waitlisted individuals, who will be invited to purchase a ticket and be seated.
NOTE: There are no additional tickets available at the door. Waitlisted individuals will only be able to claim seats left open by no-show attendants. We cannot guarantee that individuals on the waitlist will be able to sit together.
The museum is open until 7:00 pm on Wednesday evenings. While waiting, waitlisted individuals are welcome to view NOMA exhibitions.

About the Film
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999, 2h 19m)
A social-climbing psychopath insinuates himself into a wealthy man’s life. Chilling.
About Meryl Poster
Meryl Poster is an award-winning producer and filmmaker. Starting as the second ever female trainee in the William Morris Agency mailroom, she has since led and developed a slate of groundbreaking, critically acclaimed films, including the Oscar-winning Chicago, Chocolat, Cider House Rules, Cop Land, Beautiful Girls, Bounce, Kate and Leopold, and An Unfinished Life.

Salon Supper Club Presented by First Horizon Bank
2025-05-22 18:00 - 21:00 | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119
This year, the New Orleans Museum of Art introduces a new food- and art-focused series of events inspired by works on view: the Salon Supper Club Presented by First Horizon Bank.
During this lively cocktail event with progressive food stations throughout the museum, guests will explore featured exhibitions and installations at the museum while celebrating the ability of art to connect us with friends, family, and new acquaintances.
Salon Supper Club Presented by First Horizon Bank
Celebrating the Exhibition Nicolas Floc’h: Fleuves-Océan, Mississippi Watershed
Event Chairs | Mary Beth Benjamin, Katherine Duncan, Ileana Feoli
NOMA Volunteer Committee Chair | Taylor Pospisil
Your support of the Salon Supper Club events provides critical resources to exhibitions, educational initiatives, and programming at NOMA.
For sponsorship inquiries and questions about the Salon Supper Club, please email salonsupperclub@noma.org or call 504.658.4121.

Event Tickets
Tickets no longer available for online purchase. Please purchase tickets at the door.
$250 | Tickets
Summer Cocktail Attire

Event Details
Signature Dish from Guest Chef E.J. Lagasse, Chef and Co-Owner of Emeril’s and Vice President of The Emeril Group

E.J. Lagasse fell in love with food at a very young age. As the son of Chef Emeril Lagasse, he spent most of his early years in kitchens and at home where the family table was a central part of daily life. Cooking with his dad at home and exploring new culinary experiences were fundamental to his childhood and instilled an appreciation and respect for seasonality and nature that has led to his dedication to culinary artistry.
At 13, he started working in the kitchen at Meril Restaurant in New Orleans, and throughout high school he continued working for his father at Emeril’s Coastal in Florida. During summer breaks, E.J. had an opportunity to stage at highly acclaimed Café Boulud in New York City where he gained invaluable experience training under Daniel Boulud. He went on to spend nearly two years training at the celebrated Le Bernardin with Eric Ripert. After graduating from culinary school at Johnson & Wales, he spent time refining his skills in some of the world’s most renowned kitchens including Core by Clare Smyth in London and Frantzén in Stockholm.
In 2022, E.J. returned to New Orleans to take the helm as Chef, Co-Owner where he leads the day-to-day restaurant operations. Following an extensive renovation in 2023, the flagship reopened with a refined menu thatpays homage to the restaurant’s rich culinary heritage while incorporating innovative techniques and modern adaptations of Chef Emeril’s classics. Chef E.J. draws inspiration from the bounty of Louisiana’s produce from the area’s most dedicated farmers, fisherman and producers to craft an evolved menu that tells a story through food and nature.
In 2023, E.J. received the prestigious ‘New Talent of the Year’ award from La Liste, the restaurant guide and ranking that designates the world’s best 1,000 restaurants. ln 2024, Emeril’s received AAA’s esteemed FiveDiamond Designation and the restaurant became a member of Relais & Chateaux, joining the list of 80independent restaurants worldwide. Emeril’s also became a new member of Les Grandes Tables du Monde, joining 195 extraordinary restaurants across 23 countries.

Food Stations and a Special Progressive Menu Inspired by the Exhibition from Ralph Brennan Catering and Events at Café NOMA

Live Music from the Grammy-Nominated Cameron Dupuy and the Cajun Troubadours

Born and raised in a suburb of New Orleans, Cameron became infatuated with the sounds of Cajun music at an early age, which is appropriate being the son of Cajun musician, Michael Dupuy. His father often took him to gigs where Cameron would always be on stage strumming a guitar, banging on spoons, or any thing he could get his hands on. As a result of Hurricane Katrina, Cameron was exposed to Cajun music a little more after evacuating to Lafayette, LA. On the last day of the evacuation, Cameron finally convinced “Mr. Rick”, who let the Dupuys stay at his house for the storm, to let him play the accordion sitting on the shelf. Mr. Rick was not eager, since the accordion was used to record a Grammy winning album by Jimmy Breaux, but he decided to let him play it. He was instantly hooked on the accordion.
Following his return to New Orleans, he received his first guitar for Christmas. It was his constant hearing of Cajun music that made him want to get his father’s accordion repaired that had been broken for the past few years. After spending several years as a guitarist, Cameron Dupuy started playing the Cajun accordion at the age of eleven. A breakout performance at The Liberty Theatre in April of 2010 led to a standing ovation, which earned Cameron and his band “The Cajun Troubadours” an invitation to play at Festival Acadiens et Creoles by Dr. Barry Ancelet.
Cameron, the eight-time Cajun accordion contest winner, has now established himself as a favorite among many Cajun music fans in Louisiana. He has now recorded on three CDs; the most recent being The Mid-City Aces featuring Michael Dupuy and Gina Forsyth and the brand new Cameron Dupuy and the Cajun Troubadours self titled album.
In November of 2020, the band’s debut self-titled album, Cameron Dupuy and the Cajun Troubadours was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Regional Roots Music Album.
And More!

About the Exhibition
French photographer and visual artist Nicolas Floc’h’s Fleuves-Océan project traces the movement of water across our planet, exploring its flow through varied habitats and representing the ways we are all connected by water cycles and systems. This exhibition pairs vibrant monochromatic photographs of the color of water made under the surface with dramatic black-and-white landscape photographs made along the banks of the Mississippi and its tributaries—from Louisiana and across the country.
Nicolas Floc’h, The Color of Water, Water Columns: Mississippi River Delta, from Empire, Louisiana to the Gulf of Mexico, 2022. 288 Pigmented ink prints. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Maubert, Paris, France.
Learn More

Sponsorship Levels and Benefits
Take advantage of the opportunity to join as a sponsor for all three Salon Supper Club events in 2025 on Thursday, May 22; Thursday, July 17; and Friday, October 3.
$25,000 | Platinum Sponsor

12 tickets to each Salon Supper Club event
Recognition as a sponsor with name or logo in all press materials
Recognition as a sponsor at all NOMA Salon Supper Club events
Invitations to exhibition patron preview openings during 2025–26
Sponsor recognition on printed invitations, evites, and on noma.org
Mention on an Instagram post + story before the event and mention in an Instagram story at the event; 2 mentions on Facebook
Listed in paid advertisements
NOMA Fellows membership
Exhibition catalogues

Become a Platinum Sponsor
$15,000 | Gold Sponsor

10 tickets to each Salon Supper Club event
Recognition as a sponsor with name or logo in all press materials
Recognition as a sponsor at all NOMA Salon Supper Club events
Invitations to exhibition patron preview openings during 2025–26
Sponsor recognition on printed invitations, evites, and on noma.org
Listed in paid advertisements
NOMA Fellows membership
Exhibition catalogues

Become a Gold Sponsor
$8,000 | Silver Sponsor

6 tickets to each Salon Supper Club event
Recognition as a sponsor at all NOMA Salon Supper Club events
Invitations to exhibition patron preview openings during 2025–26
Sponsor recognition on printed invitations, evites, and on noma.org
NOMA Fellows membership
Exhibition catalogues

Become a Silver Sponsor
$5,500 | Benefactor

4 tickets to each Salon Supper Club event
Recognition as a sponsor at all NOMA Salon Supper Club events
Invitations to exhibition patron preview openings during 2025–26
Sponsor recognition on printed invitations, evites, and on noma.org
NOMA Fellows membership

Become a Benefactor
$2,750 | Supporter Couple

2 tickets to each Salon Supper Club event
Recognition as a sponsor at all NOMA Salon Supper Club events
Invitations to exhibition patron preview openings during 2025–26
Sponsor recognition on printed invitations, evites, and on noma.org
NOMA Fellows membership

Become a Supporter
$1,375 | Supporter Single

1 ticket to each Salon Supper Club event
Recognition as a sponsor at all NOMA Salon Supper Club events
Invitations to exhibition patron preview openings during 2025–26
Sponsor recognition on printed invitations, evites, and on noma.org
NOMA Fellows membership

Become a Supporter
For sponsorship inquiries and questions about the Salon Supper Club, please email salonsupperclub@noma.org or call 504.658.4121.

Thank You to Our Current Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor

Gold Sponsors
Anonymous
Walda Besthoff
Silver Sponsors
Elizabeth Boh
Benefactors
Shaun and Foster Duncan
Supporters
Broadmoor, LLC
Red River Bank
Blanca Rosa Maldonado. M.D.
Ann Duffy and John Skinner
Millie and Robert Kohn
Renee and Paul Masinter
Claude and Mimi Schlesinger
Suzanne and Robert Thomas
Lele and Brent Wood
Media Sponsors

Libations
Sazerac Co.
Special Thanks
Urban Earth
Emeril’s
Café NOMA

Event Committee

Michaela and Ryan Acomb
Amy and Todd Johnson

Katie Adams
Kristen and Paul Leonard

Helaine and Ned Benjamin
Kyle Lutkewitte

Teddy Benjamin
Kelsie and Andrew Marcus

Soraya Verjee and Jerel Bryant
Bitsy Metcalf

Caroline and Murray Calhoun
Eleanor and Cameron Miller

Abigail and Jordan DesHotels
Dave Moore

Shaun and Foster Duncan
Catherine and Scott Richardson

Megan and Mason Eustis
Liz French and Will Sadler

Liza and Filippo Feoli
Clare and Carter Sayers

Stephanie and Ludovico Feoli
Nina Sloss

Sarah Elise and McDaniel Freeman
Louise and Jack Smallpage

Courtney Geary
Alison and Steve South

Ellie George
Julia and Andrew Stall

Marilee and Andrew Hovet
Kaler Zetzmann

Coco and Jonathan Howe
Carroll and Emory Zimmer

Libby Jacob

NOMA at Night with the Indian Arts Circle of New Orleans
2025-05-23 18:00 - 21:00 | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119
Get creative and explore the museum after hours during NOMA at Night.
For this edition of NOMA at Night, we’ve partnered with the Indian Arts Circle of New Orleans for an evening celebrating the vibrant cuisines, arts, and cultures of India. With live folk and contemporary dance performances from the NOLA Garba Group and Sanjukta; inspired dishes from local Indian food vendors, along with specialty cocktails and a happy hour menu by Café NOMA; a documentary film screening; Mehndi tattooing; and much more, this NOMA at Night will be one to remember.
$15 for members
$30 general admission
Free admission for attendees ages 19 and under
Buy Tickets

Program Details
Temporary Mehndi Tattooing with Local Artist
6:00-8:00 pm in the NOMA Shop courtyard
Celebrate the ancient art of mehndi (also known as henna) tattoos by receiving a design from a local mehndi artist.
Fresh Indian Cuisine with Atti NOLA and Inaayat NOLA
6:00-8:45 pm in the Front Circle of the New Orleans Museum of Art
Explore Indian cuisine with local pop-ups Atti NOLA and Inaayat NOLA. These vendors will serve their takes on South Indian and Indian-meets-Southern cuisine, respectively, throughout the evening.
Live Dance Performances from NOLA Garba Group and Sanjukta
7:10 PM and 8:30 pm performances by Sanjukta in the Great Hall, 7:45 pm performance with the NOLA Garba Group
Dance along with the NOLA Garba Group in a collaborative Garba performance, a folk dance originating in the state of Gujarat. Also enjoy two performances of a classical Bharatanatyam dance with a unique twist by Sanjukta.
Tour of the Indian Art Gallery with Curator Lisa Rotondo-McCord
6:40 pm in the third-floor Elise Mayer Besthoff Galleries
Join NOMA’s Deputy Director and Curator of Asian Art Lisa Rotondo-McCord for an after-hours guided tour of the Indian Art Gallery. Learn all about our collection of art and objects from across the Indian subcontinent from an expert.
The Elephant Whisperers (2022) Film Screening
7:00 pm and 7:45 pm screenings in the Lapis Center for the Arts
View two exclusive screenings of the 2022 documentary The Elephant Whisperers for NOMA at Night guests.
More Dining and Drinks from Café NOMA
6:00–9:00 pm in the Great Hall
Enjoy a happy hour menu and specialty cocktails from Café NOMA all night long.

About the Indian Arts Circle of New Orleans
The Indian Arts Circle of New Orleans (IACNO) aims to organize concerts by accomplished Indian classical performing artists, enrich the cultural life of New Orleans by introducing yet another element of music among the thriving indigenous jazz and blues tradition, and to increase awareness of the diverse classical heritage of India.
Learn More
About Atti NOLA
“Atti” is a slang word that means a local spot or adda—a place where people gather, eat, and bond over good food and great conversations. It’s more than just a name; it’s a reflection of what we wanted to create—a space where South Indian food lovers and the curious foodies of New Orleans could come together and experience something unique.
See @atti_nola on Instagram for information.
About Inaayat NOLA
Chefs Kanwarpal Singh and Elise Ryon run the Indian-meets-Southern cuisine pop-up Inaayat NOLA, which takes its name from an Urdu word for blessing. Singh is a native of the state of Punjab in India and cooked at some top New Orleans restaurants before starting the pop-up. He and Ryon met while working at Donald Link restaurants.
See @inaayat_nola on Instagram for information.
Thank You to Our Supporters
NOMA at Night is supported in part by grant funds from Ruby K. Worner Charitable Trust through the PNC Charitable Trusts Grant Review Committee; New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation; and the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council.

Producer's Choice: Cinema Paradiso and Conversation with Producer Meryl Poster
2025-05-28 18:30 - 22:00 | NOMA’s Lapis Center for the Arts
Films build community through shared experiences.
NOMA presents a series of films—selected by award-winning producer and filmmaker Meryl Poster—followed by insightful special guests. Don’t miss your chance to revisit or discover modern classics on the big screen and gain behind-the-scenes insight into the film industry from leading figures.
Discussions will draw connections to art more broadly and celebrate cinema as an essential art form.
NOMA will screen Cinema Paradiso (1989) for this program, starting with a conversation with Poster. Doors open at 6:30 pm, the talk begins at 7:00 pm, and the film screening starts at around 7:45 pm.
Due to pending weather conditions, this program will now take place in NOMA’s Lapis Center for the Arts.
Seating location is on a first-come, first-served basis. Popcorn, bites, beverages, and special cocktails by Café NOMA are available for purchase. No outside food or drinks are permitted.
Tickets are $10 for NOMA members and $15 for general admission.
Note on Ticket Availability
Due to pending weather conditions and indoor capacity limitations, tickets for this program are no longer available for purchase online.
View all events in the Producer’s Choice Film Series

About the Film
Cinema Paradiso (1989, 2h 35m)
A prominent movie director returns to his Sicilian home village for the first time in many years to attend the funeral of the town’s former film projectionist, who served as the filmmaker’s mentor when he was a young boy.
About Meryl Poster
Meryl Poster is an award-winning producer and filmmaker. Starting as the second ever female trainee in the William Morris Agency mailroom, she has since led and developed a slate of groundbreaking, critically acclaimed films, including the Oscar-winning Chicago, Chocolat, Cider House Rules, Cop Land, Beautiful Girls, Bounce, Kate and Leopold, and An Unfinished Life.

Spring Festival: New African Masquerades
2025-05-31 10:00 - 16:00 | Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans , LA, 70124
Celebrate the special exhibition New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations at NOMA’s Spring Festival, a day of activities for all ages.
This year’s Spring Festival will take place on Saturday, May 31st, from 10 am to 4 pm.
$5 for Members
$10 for General Admission
Free admission for people ages 19 and under
Register Now
Please note: the New Orleans Museum of Art will be CLOSED after Spring Festival ends at 4 pm on Saturday, May 31st. There will be no public admission to the museum after 4 pm this day.

Event Details
Live Music from Local Acts Young Guardians of the Flame and ÌFÉ
Listen and dance along to live performances by the Young Guardians of the Flame at 10:30 am and electronic music artist ÌFÉ at 2:45 pm.
Guided Tours of New African Masquerades, Afropolitan, and More
Explore all three floors of the museum with guided tours of our New African Masquerades and Afropolitan exhibits, as well as our permanent African Art collection on the 3rd floor. Enjoy docent-guided tours of the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden throughout the day. Tours are all ages, with youth- and teen- focused tours scheduled throughout the day, as well.
New African Masquerades-inspired Arts and Activities
Enjoy art-making activities and demonstrations inspired by New African Masquerades.
Conservator-Led Workshop on Document and Photo Preservation
Join NOMA’s Conservator of Photographs and Works of Art on Paper, Nayla Maaruf, for an invaluable workshop titled “Preserving Family History: Disaster Prep at Home for Family Photos and Documents.”
Connect with Our Community
Meet and mingle with a variety of community partners, learn about their programs and projects, and get creative.
Enjoy Food and Drinks All Day
Enjoy food from local vendors, including Tanjariné and Café NOMA. Food will be available for purchase throughout the event.

About New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations
New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations spotlights the work of four contemporary artists working in cities across West Africa: Chief Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa, Sheku “Goldenfinger” Fofanah, David Sanou, and Hervé Youmbi. Read more.
About ÌFÉ
New Orleans-based African American producer and percussionist ÌFÉ blends elements of Afro-Cuban folklore and Yoruban religious music with the sounds of modern day Jamaican Dancehall, Trap and AfroBeats. The single most important electronic act in Afro-Caribbean music today, ÌFÉ’s long awaited sophomore album 0000+0000 was released to worldwide critical acclaim in November of 2021. His new album is scheduled for release in the Spring of 2025.

Gallery Talks Every Wednesday
2025-06-04 12:30 - 13:00 | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119
Every week, NOMA hosts gallery talks in the museum and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden led by curators, artists, and other special guests. These lively, participatory conversations provide a moment to take a close look at one work—or a selection of works—currently on view.
Included with museum admission, which is free for Louisiana residents every Wednesday courtesy of The Helis Foundation’s Art for All initiative. When you arrive at NOMA, check in at the admissions desk for directions to the appropriate location.

Women in Masquerade Panel Discussion: Women Cultivating Legacy
2025-06-04 17:00 - 19:00 | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119
In Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, the Ivory Coast, and New Orleans, women in masquerade carry the power and culture of the women before them, ensuring their histories live on in future generations. Through performances involving elaborate ornamentation, women create and use ornate suits to commemorate, uphold, and progress the role of women in cultural traditions on the continent of Africa and throughout the diaspora.
This program, presented in connection with the exhibition New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations, offers a fresh perspective on how women’s power and presence span the scope from silent architects shaping practice to influential leaders in cultural expression. Cherice Harrison-Nelson and Tribal Queen Bee will be joined by moderator Kristiana Rae Colón for this important conversation on the legacy of women across global masquerade arts.
Admission and registration for this event are free.
Register Now
NOTE: Registration guarantees you a seat until the beginning of the program. Standing room will be allowed.

Bios
Cherice Harrison-Nelson is an educator, artist, and arts administrator who co-founded and curated the former Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame. She is the co-editor of eleven publications and coordinator of numerous exhibitions and discussions focused on West African-inspired cultural traditions in New Orleans. She contributed to original, hand-beaded Carnival Day ceremonial attire, worn by her son and later acquired by the Smithsonian Institution, Anacostia Museum in Washington, DC. Production credits include the award-winning narrative short film, “Keeper of the Flame.” She is the recipient of several honors, including: Fulbright Scholarship to study at the University of Saint-Louis in Senegal and the University of Ghana at Accra, Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities Teacher of the Year, Mayor’s Arts Award, and 2016 United States Artist Fellowship. She approaches her art with the specific intent to engage observers through performance that simultaneously explores femininity, classism, and confining norms. She uses imagery from her family history, ancestral homeland, and personal experiences. To quote, “I am not masking when I debut my ceremonial attire on Carnival morning, I am revealing my authentic self, naked and rooted in the strength of my personal history. I cannot mask as myself.” She has a solo exhibition, Maroon Queen, on view through August 31, 2025, at the New Orleans African American Museum in the Historic Treme neighborhood.

Tribal Queen Bee was born Littdell S. Banister in New Orleans, Louisiana, on October 5, 1934. She is the Tribal Queen of the Creole Wild West Tribe (hailing from Uptown New Orleans) and is the Senior actively masking Queen in the New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian tradition. Tribal Queen Bee is 90 years old and started masking in 1973. After starting her six-year-old son, Honey, on the Indian path, Tribal Queen Bee joined the Creole Wild West tribe, where her son is now Flag Boy of the Tribe. Due to his young age, Queen Bee chaperoned Honey for three years as he traveled throughout the Black Masking Indian terrains. The Tribe’s Big Chief invited her to join the group because she was committed to the practice and consistently present in the culture’s circles, and thus began her journey as a Mardi Gras Indian. She later ascended to the position of Tribal Queen, which, as she explains…”It’s different from a Big Queen. A Big Queen is the Chief’s Queen and must always be next to the Chief. A Tribal Queen is over the entire Tribe.” Tribal Queen Bee and her son Flag Boy Honey have been masking for over fifty years.

Kristiana Rae Colón is a poet, playwright, actor, educator, producer, curator, creator of #BlackSexMatters, co-founder of the #LetUsBreathe Collective, and Writer/Producer on Showtime’s hit series The Chi. Her plays have been produced in London, New York, Chicago, and the USA. Kristiana’s collection of poems titled “promised instruments” won the inaugural Drinking Gourd Poetry Prize and was published by Northwestern University Press. Her play Tilikum won a Joseph Jefferson Award for Best New Play. Published plays include “Octagon” and “but i cd only whisper”. She appeared on the fifth season of the Home Box Office (HBO) Def Poetry Jam. Kristiana writes, produces, and organizes to cast spells for the embodiment of liberated futures.

Producer's Choice: The Wings of the Dove and Conversation with Susan Taylor and Producer Meryl Poster
2025-06-04 18:00 - 21:00 | NOMA’s Lapis Center for the Arts
Films build community through shared experiences.
NOMA presents a series of films—selected by award-winning producer and filmmaker Meryl Poster—followed by insightful special guests. Don’t miss your chance to revisit or discover modern classics on the big screen and gain behind-the-scenes insight into the film industry from leading figures.
Discussions will draw connections to art more broadly and celebrate cinema as an essential art form.
NOMA will screen The Wings of the Dove (1997) for this program, followed by a conversation with Susan Taylor, the Montine McDaniel Freeman Director of NOMA, and Poster. Doors open at 5:30 pm, and the film screening starts at 6:00 pm.
Tickets are $10 for NOMA members and $15 for general admission.
Purchase Tickets
View all events in the Producer’s Choice Film Series
Ticket Waitlist Policy
If tickets are sold out for a screening, there will be a first come, first served policy to fill any unoccupied seats:

At 5:30 pm, the waitlist will open at the Front Desk.
At 6:15 pm, we will count the number of vacant seats and begin to fill them with waitlisted individuals, who will be invited to purchase a ticket and be seated.
NOTE: There are no additional tickets available at the door. Waitlisted individuals will only be able to claim seats left open by no-show attendants. We cannot guarantee that individuals on the waitlist will be able to sit together.
The museum is open until 7:00 pm on Wednesday evenings. While waiting, waitlisted individuals are welcome to view NOMA exhibitions.

About the Film
The Wings of the Dove (1997, 1h 42m)
A scheming woman exploits a friendship with a dying heiress to attain her goals in this handsome adaptation of Henry James’s novel.
About Meryl Poster
Meryl Poster is an award-winning producer and filmmaker. Starting as the second ever female trainee in the William Morris Agency mailroom, she has since led and developed a slate of groundbreaking, critically acclaimed films, including the Oscar-winning Chicago, Chocolat, Cider House Rules, Cop Land, Beautiful Girls, Bounce, Kate and Leopold, and An Unfinished Life.

Pride Summer Soirée
2025-06-06 18:00 - 21:00 | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119
Join us on the first Friday of June for a vibrant evening of art, music, and celebration in honor of LGBTQ+ Pride month.
NOMA’s after-hours Pride Summer Soirée invites everyone to celebrate art and Pride in the heart of NOMA’s galleries. With live music and DJ sets, Pride-inspired art making activities, and more, this celebration is designed to be inclusive and welcoming for all.
We can’t wait to see you there!
Tickets are $15 for Members, $30 for General Admission, and free for attendees under 19.
Purchase Tickets

Event Details
Live DJ Set from ZEUS
Dance all night to live mixes from local artist, DJ, and producer ZEUS in NOMA’s Lapis Center for the Arts.
Art-Making Activities for All
Craft the night away at our interactive art-making station. Our featured art activity, an “identity Collage” inspired by Robert Rauschenberg’s Melic Meeting (Spread), on view in the second floor’s Entergy Corporation Gallery, is designed for creatives of all experience levels.
Glam Photo Booth, Courtesy of MIPB & Co.
Strike a pose, channel the energy of your favorite LGBTQ+ icons, and capture unforgettable memories of the night with complementary photos from a Glam Photo Booth courtesy of MIPB & Co., an LGBTQ+ owned business.
Gallery Talk with Dr. Orlando Hernández Ying, Curator of Arts of the Americas
Enjoy after-hours access to our galleries and exhibitions, and gain deeper insight into our collection with a gallery talk led by NOMA’s Curator of Arts of the Americas, Dr. Orlando Hernández Ying. His gallery talk, titled Three Male Nudes at NOMA, will focus on the appreciation of the male nude through the lens of Mannerism, a period of experimentation and innovation that pushed the boundaries of art and challenged the idealized norms of the High Renaissance.
This gallery talk will take place from 7:00-7:20 pm. The talk will begin in the Renaissance Art Gallery and move into the Dutch Art Gallery, both found on the first floor.
Food and Drinks from Café NOMA
Sip and snack on a small bites and beverage menu from Café NOMA. The menu will include a rainbow doberge cake, Pride-themed cocktails, and more.

Bios
About ZEUS
ZEUS is a New Orleans-based artist, DJ, and producer. He supported Grammy Award-winning Tank and the Bangas on their The Heart, The Mind, The Soul tour across the US, performed at Gameday at The Bayou Classic, and recently held a residency at Emeril Lagasse’s 34 Restaurant and Bar in New Orleans. You can find him on Instagram, Soundcloud, TikTok, YouTube, and on his official website.

About MIPB & Co. (Photo Booth Experience Makers)
MIPB & Co. is a premier destination for exceptional photo booth experiences. They are passionate about creating unforgettable moments and capturing the essence of joy, laughter and celebration.
“As a LGBTQ+ owned business, it’s important to us to show up for our community not just in celebration, but by giving our time, talent, and resources where it counts,” remarks co-owner Orlando Whigham. “We’re excited to support Pride in a way that feels authentic to who we are.”
Connect with MIPB & Co. on their Instagram (@mipb.activations) and their official website.

Gallery Talk with Erika Witt
2025-06-11 12:30 - 13:00, 2025-06-11 18:00 - 18:30 | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119
Every week, NOMA hosts gallery talks in the museum and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden led by curators, artists, and other special guests. These lively, participatory conversations provide a moment to take a close look at one work—or a selection of works—currently on view.
This week, join Erika Witt, Director and Chief Curator of Southern University at New Orleans Museum of Art, for a gallery talk on works in the exhibition New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations.
Witt will lead two iterations of this gallery talk: the first from 12:30-1:00 PM, and the second from 6:00-6:30 pm the same evening.
Included with museum admission, which is free for Louisiana residents every Wednesday courtesy of The Helis Foundation’s Art for All initiative. When you arrive at NOMA, check in at the admissions desk for directions to the appropriate location.

About Erika Witt
Erika Witt is the Director and Chief Curator of the Southern University at New Orleans Museum of Art (SUNOMA) and serves as an adjunct professor in SUNO’s Master of Arts in Museum Studies program. She specializes in traditional African art and Egyptology, with a focus on preserving and interpreting African material culture within museums and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Erika’s work emphasizes the importance of accessibility, representation, and cultural continuity across academic and museum settings. Her mission is to make museums and global heritage inclusive and accessible—particularly for communities historically excluded from institutional narratives. Through exhibitions, public programming, and academic engagement, her curatorial practice foregrounds representation, cultural stewardship, and diasporic storytelling.

Producer's Choice: Chocolat and Conversation with Robert Nelson Jacobs and Producer Meryl Poster
2025-06-11 18:00 - 21:00 | NOMA’s Lapis Center for the Arts
Films build community through shared experiences.
NOMA presents a series of films—selected by award-winning producer and filmmaker Meryl Poster—followed by insightful special guests. Don’t miss your chance to revisit or discover modern classics on the big screen and gain behind-the-scenes insight into the film industry from leading figures.
Discussions will draw connections to art more broadly and celebrate cinema as an essential art form.
NOMA will screen Chocolat (2000) for this program, followed by a conversation with screenwriter Robert Nelson Jacobs and Poster. Doors open at 5:30 pm, and the film screening starts at 6:00 pm.
Tickets are $10 for NOMA members and $15 for general admission.
Purchase Tickets
View all events in the Producer’s Choice Film Series
Ticket Waitlist Policy
If tickets are sold out for a screening, there will be a first come, first served policy to fill any unoccupied seats:

At 5:30 pm, the waitlist will open at the Front Desk.
At 6:15 pm, we will count the number of vacant seats and begin to fill them with waitlisted individuals, who will be invited to purchase a ticket and be seated.
NOTE: There are no additional tickets available at the door. Waitlisted individuals will only be able to claim seats left open by no-show attendants. We cannot guarantee that individuals on the waitlist will be able to sit together.
The museum is open until 7:00 pm on Wednesday evenings. While waiting, waitlisted individuals are welcome to view NOMA exhibitions.

About the Film
Chocolat (2000, 2h 1m)
A mysterious woman opens a sweets shop in a 1950s French village and immediately causes a romantic and societal stir among the uptight townsfolk.
About Meryl Poster
Meryl Poster is an award-winning producer and filmmaker. Starting as the second ever female trainee in the William Morris Agency mailroom, she has since led and developed a slate of groundbreaking, critically acclaimed films, including the Oscar-winning Chicago, Chocolat, Cider House Rules, Cop Land, Beautiful Girls, Bounce, Kate and Leopold, and An Unfinished Life.

Book Club: Strapless: John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X
2025-06-12 12:00 - 13:00 | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119
NOMA’s book club meets monthly to discuss fiction and non-fiction books related to art in the museum’s collection and exhibitions.
It is an informal group open to anyone on a month-to-month basis. You do not have to attend every meeting or read every book to participate. In addition to monthly book discussions, the book club meets periodically for curatorial programs related to the book selections.
Books are selected in advance and planned according to the museum’s exhibition schedule. Participants are expected to procure their own copy of the titles. Selections are also available at the NOMA Museum Shop, where museum members receive a 10% discount.
Register Now
Meetings are held in person or via Zoom. All meetings begin at 12 pm. For more information or questions, please email programs@noma.org.

About the Book
Strapless: John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X
by Deborah Davis

The subject of John Singer Sargent’s most famous painting was twenty-three-year-old New Orleans Creole Virginie Gautreau, who moved to Paris and quickly became the “it girl” of her day. A relative unknown at the time, Sargent won the commission to paint her; the two must have recognized in each other a like-minded hunger for fame.
Unveiled at the 1884 Paris Salon, Gautreau’s portrait generated the attention she craved-but it led to infamy rather than stardom. Sargent had painted one strap of Gautreau’s dress dangling from her shoulder, suggesting either the prelude to or the aftermath of sex. Her reputation irreparably damaged, Gautreau retired from public life, destroying all the mirrors in her home.
Drawing on documents from private collections and other previously unexamined materials, and featuring a cast of characters including Oscar Wilde and Richard Wagner, Strapless is a tale of art and celebrity, obsession and betrayal.

Summer Art Camp Session 1 (Ages 5–12)
2025-06-16 - 2025-06-19 | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119
Campers will embark on an exciting summer adventure at NOMA, exploring 5,000 years of art through our permanent collection, special exhibitions, and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden. With an interdisciplinary approach to creative thinking and art-making, campers will engage in a variety of artistic mediums and activities, including drawing, painting, movement, sculpture, and more. Each camp session is unique, yet all are centered on the joy of art exploration, creation, and fun—all located conveniently within New Orleans City Park.
Registration is $320 ($240 for members). Please note that session 1 does not meet on Friday, June 20, in observance of Juneteenth.
Register Now

Juneteenth: Nu Nation Choir at NOMA
2025-06-18 18:00 - 19:00 | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119
Join us in NOMA’s Great Hall for a live performance by New Orleans’ own Nu Nation Choir in honor of Juneteenth.
This event takes place on Wednesday, June 18, from 6-7 pm. Before the program, visit Café NOMA, offering happy hour specials and a menu of shareable small plates every Wednesday, 3–6 pm.
Attendance is included with museum admission, which is free for Louisiana residents every Wednesday courtesy of The Helis Foundation’s Art for All initiative.

About Nu Nation Choir
Under the direction of John Walker Jr., Nu Nation Choir was established in 2024 in New Orleans, LA. God gave Mr. Walker a vision of the youth and young adults of the city of New Orleans together. With all the calamities occurring daily in our world, nation, state, and city we need healing. Healing of the mind, body, and soul indefinitely amongst our youth and young adults. NuNation was birthed out of a need being met. Mr. Walker then put the word out and on a Thursday night in January 2024 a group of young people met at Union Bethel AME Church, and the group was formed. A group of youth and young adults who desire to grow closer to God and spread the gospel through praise and song make up Nu Nation Choir.
The choir rehearses weekly to produce skillful vocals, energetic performances, and a captivating style. As a direct result of making music as a team, Nu Nation has created the opportunity to build and cultivate lasting friendships. Above all, it’s the goal of Nu Nation to execute ministry at a high level of excellence and satisfaction.
To learn more about Nu Nation Choir, visit their Facebook and Instagram (@nunationchoir) profiles.

About Juneteenth National Independence Day
Juneteenth refers to June 19, 1865, when Union troops freed enslaved African Americans in Galveston Bay and across Texas two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth National Independence Day, known as Juneteenth, became the 12th legal federal holiday on June 17, 2021.
To learn more about this pivotal moment in American history, visit Juneteenth: Sun, Sounds, and the Spirit of Freedom on the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s (NMAAHC’s) website.

Summer Art Camp Session 2 (Ages 5–12)
2025-06-23 - 2025-06-27 | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119
Campers will embark on an exciting summer adventure at NOMA, exploring 5,000 years of art through our permanent collection, special exhibitions, and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden. With an interdisciplinary approach to creative thinking and art-making, campers will engage in a variety of artistic mediums and activities, including drawing, painting, movement, sculpture, and more. Each camp session is unique, yet all are centered on the joy of art exploration, creation, and fun—all located conveniently within New Orleans City Park.
Registration is $400 ($300 for members).
Register Now

Musical Encounters
2025-06-25 18:00 - 18:30 | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119
On select Wednesdays, NOMA presents a new series of gallery talks featuring conversations with musicians about their creative processes, followed by a short, intimate performance inspired by a work on view at the museum. This iteration of Musical Encounters will feature music by Sam Dickey.
Included with museum admission, which is free for Louisiana residents every Wednesday courtesy of The Helis Foundation’s Art for All initiative. When you arrive at NOMA, check in at the admissions desk for directions to the appropriate location.

Kolaj Fest at NOMA
2025-06-26 10:15 - 17:00 | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119
Kolaj Fest New Orleans—a multi-day festival and symposium about contemporary collage and its role in art, culture, and society—heads to the museum for a day full of conversations, tours, and more.
The event brings together collage artists and art professionals to elevate the status of collage through panel discussions, exhibitions, and activities. Attendees will meet, network, and share community, camaraderie, and fellowship, all while developing new ideas for artmaking, writing, and curatorial projects.
Get inspired to champion collage in the year to come.
LEARN MORE ABOUT KOLAJ FEST
This event is free with museum admission. Museum visitors are invited to join in on the day’s programs.

Schedule
Daily Collage Congress: Welcome to Kolaj Fest
Lapis Center for the Arts
10:15 am
Hear from a number of artists about projects and exhibitions taking place during the festival. Andrea Lewicki from the Special Agent Collage Collective will introduce the Locative Collage Project taking place during the festival. Nikola Janevski will present their collaboration with Andrea Burgay that looks to bring collage into the fashion world.
Sacred Mother Space Gallery Walk with Creative Assembly member LaVonna Varnado-Brown
First Floor, Ella West Freeman Galleries
11:15 am – 12:15 pm
LaVonna Varnado-Brown will lead a gallery walk of the museum that “honors the Divine Mothers through visual spellcasting. The tour will include some works in the New African Masquerades exhibition as well as works in the Afropolitan: Contemporary African Arts at NOMA exhibition. Varnado-Brown is a 2024-2025 Creative Assembly artist-in-residence. “NOMA’s Creative Assembly residency promotes community engagement by welcoming artists to collaborate throughout the year with the museum’s permanent collection, special exhibitions, and programs.” During the Sacred Mother Space Gallery Walk, Varnado-Brown will share her experience as a resident artist.
Preserving Family History workshop with Nayla Maaruf
Second Floor, Frederick R. Weisman Galleries
11:30 am –12:15 pm
Nayla Maaruf, NOMA’s Conservator of Photographs and Works of Art on Paper, will share her knowledge on disaster preparation at home for family photos and documents, which also applies to artists with a paper-based practice. Maaruf will also entertain questions from artists who have material concerns about their artwork.
Victorian Scrapbook House for Paper Dolls with Beverly Gordon
Lapis Center for the Arts
1:00 pm –1:30 pm
During her thirty-year career in academia, Englewood, Florida artist, writer, and educator Beverly Gordon focused a global lens on art identified as domestic and “women’s work”. In this session, Gordon will present on collages found in late Victorian scrapbook houses. She writes: “These were collage book albums, ostensibly made as paper doll houses, which featured double-page spreads representing different rooms in a house. The cover of a given album served as the front door, the next pages represented the front hall, and so on into the inner rooms of the home and garden. The furnishings of the rooms consisted of images cut out from trade catalogs, newspapers and other visual material, which was ubiquitous in the late 19th century. Scrapbook houses are related to Victorian photocollage, but the genre stands alone as a particularized tradition.”
Gallery Tour of Nicolas Floc’h: Fleuves-Océan, Mississippi Watershed with Curator Brian Piper
Second Floor, Zita and Luther Templemann Galleries
1:oo pm
Brian Piper, Freeman Family Curator of Photographs, Prints, and Drawings, will lead a gallery tour of the exhibition Nicolas Floc’h: Fleuves-Océan, Mississippi Watershed. French artist Nicolas Floc’h’s Fleuves-Océan project traces the movement of water across our planet, exploring its flow through varied habitats and representing the ways we are all connected by water cycles and systems. On display are vibrant monochromatic photographs of the color of water made under the surface paired with dramatic black-and-white landscape photographs made along the banks of the Mississippi and its tributaries—from Louisiana and across the country. Floc’h documented the entire span of the Mississippi during a 2022 Villa Albertine artist residency in the United States in collaboration with the Camargo Foundation and Artconnexion. This exhibition, organized by the New Orleans Museum of Art, illustrates the importance of a network of water that links people across the entire continent. Floc’h’s photography translates important scientific concerns—such as climate change and the looming water crisis—into an overwhelming aesthetic experience, without sacrificing any urgency or insistence.
Learn more about the exhibition here.
Symbols on a Cave Wall: Storytelling & Collage with Andrea Lewicki, Carolyn E. Oliver, Jordan Cerminara, Kirk Read, and Erica Trabold
Lapis Center for the Arts
1:45 pm – 2:45 pm
Storytelling is a fundamental part of the human experience. Every culture does it, sometimes in wildly different ways. From painted symbols on a cave wall to role playing video games, people are telling stories but also sharing vital information, conveying ethics and morality, or building a cosmology that explains the world in which we live. In this panel, we will hear from artists whose practice is deeply involved with storytelling and collage.
Docent guided Tour of New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations
First Floor, Ella West Freeman Galleries
2:00 pm
New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations is a major exhibition presenting the works of four contemporary artists working in cities across West Africa: Chief Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa, Sheku “Goldenfinger” Fofanah, David Sanou, and Hervé Youmbi. Learn more about the exhibition here.
For collage artists and enthusiasts, New African Masquerades is an opportunity to see artwork by contemporary African artists whose practice is rooted in ancestral traditions, embedded in communities, performed live for people in performances, processions, and other ceremonies. “Looking at these artworks through the lens of collage, we can see how the artists are creating a bridge between the past and the present, mixing contemporary media with a traditional visual language, and creating dynamic experiences for the viewers they encounter. What does it mean to think of art objects as living entities?” said Kolaj Institute Director Ric Kasini Kadour. “The exhibition also invites us to reflect on how we think about historical and contemporary art from Africa and how these objects make their way into European and North American institutions.”
Where are we?: Collage Artists & a Sense of Place
Lapis Center for the Arts
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
In Lure of the Local, Lucy Lippart wrote, “When we know where we are, we’re in a far better position to understand what other cultural groups are experiencing within a time and place we all share.” Where are we? Modern life is fundamentally diasporic in nature. Understanding place is critical to survival and resilience in the 21st century where hostile factors of climate change, late-stage capitalism, and rising authoritarianism threaten community cohesion already stressed by Modernity.
Each of the four artists in the New African Masquerades exhibition contribute to a sense of place in their communities. They draw on traditions, folklore, and religious practices. They use symbols and imagery familiar to their communities. Their performances bring people together and offer the opportunity to connect with ancestral traditions and create shared memories for the future. All of these things foster a sense of place. And each of these artists operate from the now, putting that sense of place in conversation with the Modern lives in which their communities exist.
In this session, we will hear from four artists whose work also speaks to a sense of place.

About Kolaj Institute
Kolaj Institute is a 501c3 Louisiana-based, non-profit organization whose mission is to support artists, curators, and writers who seek to study, document, & disseminate ideas that deepen our understanding of collage as a medium, a genre, a community, and a 21st century movement. The institute also publishes Kolaj Magazine, a quarterly, printed, art magazine reviewing and surveying contemporary collage with an international perspective.

Public Tours in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden Every Sunday
2025-06-28 10:30 | Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans , LA, 70124
NOMA provides guided tours of the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden every Saturday. During these tours, you’ll learn about a selection of the 100 large-scale works installed in the garden.
No registration is required. NOMA’s Besthoff Sculpture Garden is free and open to all, seven days a week. Tours start at the main entrance gate to the Besthoff Sculpture Garden on Dueling Oaks Drive.

Summer Art Camp Session 3 (Ages 5–12)
2025-07-07 - 2025-07-11 | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119

Gallery Talk with Tony Yeboah: "West African Ontology of Space and the Architecture of Community"
2025-07-09 12:30 - 13:00, 2025-07-09 18:00 - 18:30 | New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA, 70119
Every week, NOMA hosts gallery talks in the museum and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden led by curators, artists, and other special guests. These lively, participatory conversations provide a moment to take a close look at one work—or a selection of works—currently on view.
This week, join Tony Yeboah, Tulane University Faculty Fellow of African Art History, for a gallery talk on works in the exhibition New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations. The title of his talk is “West African Ontology of Space and the Architecture of Community”
Yeboah will lead two iterations of this gallery talk: the first from 12:30-1:00 pm, and the second from 6:00-6:30 pm the same evening.
Included with museum admission, which is free for Louisiana residents every Wednesday courtesy of The Helis Foundation’s Art for All initiative. When you arrive at NOMA, check in at the admissions desk for directions to the appropriate location.

About Tony Yeboah
Tony Yeboah is Assistant Professor of African Art History at Tulane University. His current research supported by the Mellon Foundation and the Betty and Whitney MacMillan Center of Yale University, utilizes local-centered methodologies to reclaim African ontologies of space. Tony’s research examines the entangled themes of colonial power, the built environment, and community-making in one of the greatest West African capitals, Kumase. Tony is a contributor for the OER, (Open Educational Resources), a project of the Gates Ventures. His works have appeared in edited volumes and in numerous peer-reviewed journals and popular avenues including History in Africa, Journal of West African History, History Education Research Journal, the Conversation, and Nursing Clio.
