To help Louisianans beat the heat, The Helis Foundation has again teamed up with some of New Orleans’ largest art institutions for the third year to offer free admission when temperatures hits 95 degrees throughout the month of August. In partnership with the meteorological team at WVUE-TV (FOX 8), The Helis Foundation presents Art & A/C throughout the month of August. When FOX 8 meteorologists report the temperature has hit 95-degrees, Louisiana residents gain free admission to New Orleans Museum of Art, Ogden Museum of Southern Art and Contemporary Arts Center the following day, courtesy of The Helis Foundation. Last year, the award-winning initiative saw more than 5,500 people visit the museums over eight days. Visit NOMA’s Facebook or Istagram pages for regular updates and notifications of free admission days.
“Summers in the South can be grueling—so we wanted to again offer a chance for Louisiana residents to cool off with their friends and families, while enjoying some of the region’s premier cultural institutions,” said Jessie Haynes, managing director of The Helis Foundation. “The Helis Foundation’s mission is to help advance access to the arts, and ‘Art & AC’ is a fun, unique way to open these museums to all Louisiana residents.”
In addition to air conditioning and blockbuster art exhibitions, visitors can expect fun giveaways like sunglasses, fans and water bottles to help keep cool during the summer heat.
The Helis Foundation is committed to providing access to New Orleans’ rich cultural heritage by underwriting free admission for all Louisiana residents at leading local institutions every week, all year long: New Orleans Museum of Art and the New Orleans Botanical Garden including The Helis Foundation Enrique Alférez Sculpture Garden every Wednesday; the Ogden Museum of Southern Art every Thursday; the Contemporary Arts Center every Sunday; and the Louisiana Children’s Museum once every other month.
About The Helis Foundation
The Helis Foundation is a Louisiana private foundation, established and funded by the William Helis Family. The Helis Foundation’s resources and objectives are divided into two areas: the general fund, and the Diana Helis Henry and Adrienne Helis Malvin Art Funds. The general fund focuses on community needs primarily within the Metropolitan New Orleans area by granting funds to numerous local nonprofit organizations.
The Art Funds were established by bequests from Diana Helis Henry and Adrienne Helis Malvin. The Art Funds make grants to sustain operations, to provide free admission to, and to acquire significant art works on behalf of major institutions within the Metropolitan New Orleans area. The Art Funds also underwrite major initiatives and special projects, such as Prospect.3’s Basquiat and the Bayou presented by The Helis Foundation, the ongoing Poydras Corridor Sculpture Exhibition presented by The Helis Foundation, the installation of Lynda Benglis’ The Wave of the World in City Park, The Helis Foundation Enrique Alférez Sculpture Garden, Solidary & Solitary: The Joyner/Giuffrida Collection presented by The Helis Foundation organized by the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and the Baltimore Museum of Art, The Historic New Orleans Collection’s Tricentennial Exhibition, Art of the City: Post Modern to Post Katrina, and most recently, the downtown New Orleans large-scale mural project, Unframed presented by The Helis Foundation.
For more information visit www.thehelisfoundation.org.