by New Orleans Magazine

Though it was a statewide election year, 2011 wasn’t very exciting; there were too many one-sided contests. Fortunately, to provide some suspense, there was our annual Tops of the Town voting in which our readers could make their picks in a multitude of categories, some tightly contested.

Instead of having to trek to old-fashioned voting precincts, our readers had the luxury of voting on a postage-paid ballot that was included in our October issue and on our website. Here are the results.

Note to the federal government: If you want us to handle the voting for the presidential election, we’re willing to talk.

Favorite Museum:
New Orleans Museum of Art

The Isaac Delgado Museum of Art opened its doors on Dec. 16, 1911, owning just nine works of art. Today it’s known as the New Orleans Museum of Art, and has over 35,000 art objects in its permanent collection. The permanent collection and the five-acre Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden are some of the museum’s greatest assets. NOMA celebrated the museum’s 100th anniversary in 2011 with the addition of more than 650 new memberships.

“Introducing new technology, partnering with peer institutions to bring the very best work to NOMA, and creating an inviting, accessible museum experience are among my top priorities for the coming year,” Susan Taylor, Director of the NOMA says.

NOMA is the city’s oldest fine arts institution, and it’s quickly becoming a citywide gathering spot for the arts. Their partnerships with New Orleans’ Film Society, The NOLAProject, YA/YA, Young Audiences and Kid SmART have brought new programming and new audiences to the museum. Their full calendar of programming, the popular Friday night Where Y’Art?! programs and Café NOMA by Ralph Brennan help make NOMA the “Favorite Museum” in New Orleans.

NOMA continues to exhibit, interpret and preserve works of art from ancient to modern times. As it has for a century, the museum continues to be a gathering place for all those seeking to share the beauty of their extraordinary collection or world art and learn from it. NOMA engages, educates and enriches the diverse populations within, and drawn to, the New Orleans area.

“In the future, look for more exhibitions and “spotlights” to give even frequent visitors the opportunity to appreciate our holdings anew,” Taylor says. “As we continue to work to engage our audiences, we remain grateful for their enthusiasm and overwhelming support.”

Click here to read the full article.