In downtown New Orleans is the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, home to the most inclusive and largest collection of Southern art in America. Through the impressive galleries, the museum specializes in promoting the culture of the South of the United States. Located in the Warehouse Art District of the city, the museum is composed of two main buildings, established in 1999 and 2003, and welcomes nearly 80,000 visitors each year. Ogden strives to educate visitors by broadening the sphere of the history, appreciation, and interpretation of the visual arts.
The culture of the American South is displayed in the institution through a variety of permanent and rotating galleries, educational programs, and public events. The mission of the museum is to provide innovative and educational programs to bring a diverse audience together to learn about the cultural identities in the South through art.
At the Ogden Museum, exhibitions, films, lectures, and concerts are used to educate visitors on the development of visual arts in the southern parts of the United States. The art collections show the changes in society through the topics of traditions, literature, music, and cuisine. The paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, and sculptures that are part of the museum comprise more than 4,000 works from 15 southern states. Some of the current exhibits in the art institution are The Colorful South, Troubled Waters, Profligate Beauty, Louisiana Contemporary, and the HBCU Art Showcase. The exhibit The Colorful South is a series of photographs focusing on the history of the southern states. Another exhibit displaying photography is Troubled Waters, which explores rural life from the Mississippi Delta to Memphis. The Profligate Beauty collection is a selection of pieces from different aspects of the museum that tell the story of the region's complicated history, diverse culture, and beautiful landscape. The art scene in New Orleans and its surrounding areas is represented in Louisiana Contemporary, showcasing the culture of Louisiana. Many of the exhibits are not part of a permanent collection and do change, creating a new experience for visitors each time they visit. One of the past exhibits was the HBCU Art Showcase, which used pieces from the historically black colleges and universities of Xavier University of Louisiana and Dillard University to create a diverse gallery. The combination of art forms provides a broader story about the history and culture of the South.
At the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, there are a variety of events available for the community that can be used to expand the knowledge and interpretation of art. Specializing in promoting culture in the South, the museum has events such as photography workshops, live music, and studio tours, which focus on particular artists and themes. Every week on Thursdays the museum presents Ogden After Hours, which is an art activity for visitors in the Education Gallery, enabling them to learn more about art. The museum also offers a scavenger hunt, which allows families to work together to explore the various collections of art. Across different exhibits, teams need to identify and photograph several categories of paintings; after completing this, they can return to the front desk for a prize.
Focusing on knowledge, the Ogden Museum Education Department strives to provide its visitors and members of the community with an experience that will broaden their understanding of art. The mission of the museum is to enhance the knowledge and interpretation of art; however, they also encourage the learning of all subjects through summer camps and educational programs. During the summer, the institution provides summer camps for both younger and older children to inspire them artistically. Through the creative discovery of art using different mediums and styles, kids will be able to develop their talent and display it at an exhibition for family and friends to see at the end of the season. The Smithsonian Institute and the Ogden Museum have developed the Early Childhood Education Program to enhance learning for younger children. Specifically designed around using objects, art, and books to educate, the program is catered for Pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade students. Breakthrough New Orleans is a program that is dedicated to bringing educational equality to all children. Beginning in 1990, they offer high-quality educational services for public school students by pairing middle school students with older students to learn for free. The museum actively encourages students of all ages to have diverse learning experiences to improve the knowledge in the community.
925 Camp St, New Orleans, LA 70130, Phone: 504-539-9650, website, Map
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