Arts Quarterly New Orleans Museum of Art
Winter 2015
DIRECTOR’S LETTER
Susan M. Taylor
We are beginning 2015 with our first digital-only issue of the Arts Quarterly. It is an opportunity for us to increase our digital footprint while providing improved access to one on NOMA’s most important communication vehicles. In 2014, visits to noma.org increased by over 50%, demonstrating that more NOMA visitors are engaging with the museum virtually than ever before. As we shepherd our resources into this new venture, I’m confident that we will create even more meaningful connections with the public. As always with something new, we look forward to your feedback and hope you will let us know how this transition impacts your NOMA experience. This year also brings a robust season of exhibitions, programs, and celebrations of our growing collection. In February, NOMA will open the doors to Kongo Across the Waters, a major exhibition of Kongo art that examines the kingdom and culture’s lasting impact on North America. This exhibition, originated by the University of Florida’s Harn Museum of Art and the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium, is a testament to NOMA’s resolve to bringing historically significant art to New Orleans. Currently on view is Josephine Sacabo’s newest body of work, Salutations. Using a nineteenth century process, Sacabo creates evocative images that tread the line of the real and surreal, and encourages viewers to interpret their own narrative. We also start the year with two new additions to the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. Mimmo Paladino’s Caduto a Ragione and Yinka Shonibare’s Wind Sculpture V are extraordinary examples of work from these two internationally renowned artists. We thank the Besthoffs for their continued generosity and commitment to the garden’s growth, which welcomes over 100,000 visitors annually. Also new this year is the creation of two dynamic programs for children and their families: Baby Arts Play at NOMA and Family Art Workshops. It is our hope that our youngest museumgoers will engage with our collection with the former and the latter will provide a opportunity for families to work on meaningful art projects together creating their own artistic experiences and memories. The last year was a memorable one for NOMA indeed: Mel Chin: Rematch and Camille Henrot: Cities of Ys are exhibitions that all received national recognition, among several others. We dedicated Roy Lichenstein’s Five Brushstrokes and welcomed Dorothy Lichtenstein and Jack Cowart from the Lichtenstein Foundation; a significant way to close out a remarkable year. Photorealism: The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Collection has provided audiences an opportunity to revisit one of the most important movements in American art history, as evidenced by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune’s acknowledgment of the exhibition as one of the best of 2014. The New Orleans community has responded positively to the museum’s efforts as well. Our visitation is strong and more members made return visits in 2014 than in any other year in NOMA’s history. We are grateful for your support and look forward to your visits in 2015. There’s a lot in store!
Susan M. Taylor The Montine McDaniel Freeman Director
CONTENTS
Winter 2015
FEATURE
MUSEUM
1 0 Kongo Across the Waters Celebrating 500 years of African presence in North America
INSPIRED BY NOMA
4 Tom and Gayle Benson EXHIBITIONS
5 In Focus: Buddhist Art from the Sixth Century 6 Josephine Sacabo: Salutations
6 NOMA on the Road
COLLECTIONS
7 Works by Paladino and Shonibare Join the Sculpture Garden 8 One Object, Two Voices: Painting, Photography, and Portraiture in Colonial Lima, Peru
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KONGO ACROSS THE WATERS
Page 21
KRESS FOUNDATION AWARDS NOMA GRANT TO SUPPORT NEW TECHNOLOGY
Arts Quarterly New Orleans Museum of Art
Page 18
ODYSSEY
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ART IN BLOOM: NEW ORLEANS BY DESIGN
COMMUNITY LEARN
SUPPORT
14 New at NOMA
16 NOMA Donors 17 Save the Date: Fellows Dinner
VISIT
15 Family Day 15 Studio KIDS! 15 StoryQuest 15 India Fest 15 Upcoming Programs
17 Family Membership Special 18 2014 Closes with Major Celebrations 20 NOMA’s Volunteer Committee Celebrates 50 Years 20 Joni Diaz Selected as 2015 NVC Chair 21 Kress Foundation Awards NOMA Grant to Support New Technology 22 Odyssey chairs gear up for a busy 2015 22 Art in Bloom: New Orleans by Design 22 Save the Date for the NOMA Egg Hunt 24 Trustees and Acknowledgements
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INSPIR ED BY NOM A : TOM A N D GAY LE BENSON
Martin High School, Ochsner Hospital, Loyola University New Orleans, and the New Orleans Museum of Art. Mrs. Benson was also a co-chair of NOMA’s 2014 Odyssey. What does the New Orleans Museum of Art mean to you? How do you think an art museum benefits its community?
Mrs. Gayle Marie Benson, wife of New Orleans Saints (NFL) and New Orleans Pelicans (NBA) Owner Tom Benson, is a philanthropist and former interior design business owner. She began her career as a manager in New Orleans for a New York-based costume jeweler. Then in the late 1970s she became an interior designer and began buying and selling historic properties in New Orleans. Under Mr. Benson’s guidance, the Saints have been a focal point for healing and restoration—annually putting $15 million in charitable contributions, goods and services back into the Gulf South and Greater New Orleans. Gayle and Tom Benson have been committed leaders in the New Orleans community with philanthropic endeavors that include gifts to Brother
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NOMA is such an important institution for the city of New Orleans. With incredible treasures from all over the world, this museum has something that every member of the community can appreciate and learn from. An art museum benefits the community by being a place where people of all ages and backgrounds can gather to share ideas. It is a wonderful place people can go to and learn about art and cultures from all over the world, without ever leaving the city. Is there a particular artist or recent exhibition that has resonated with you? What kind of art appeals to you? Many exhibitions have graced our museum over the years, and all have been impressive in different ways. However, we recently saw Edgar Degas’ Little Dancer, and she is spectacular! That sculpture is a very moving piece. We appreciate modern art, and other kinds of art, but our preference is more classical and traditional.
What role do you think an art museum plays in education? Why do you choose to support arts education? An art museum is a wonderful place for children to learn not only about the history and beauty of art, but also so many other things. Through art, they can learn about and understand the world around them, and this is why we support arts education, because it is truly important. Art opens us up to new and different perspectives, and helps people learn about historical times and places. It raises awareness, and teaches us all something not only about art, but also about history and those who came before us. Art can also be used to teach all kinds of subjects. NOMA is a public place of learning for so many members of the community—old and young. With so many treasures from all over the world, NOMA is a place rich with teaching resources; everyone in our city should take advantage of that. Introducing very young children to art broadens their imaginations and ideas for the future. What advice would you give to someone who may be intimidated by the art experience, and who thinks that they wouldn’t enjoy an art museum? We would tell them to go with an open mind and reflect on how much energy, talent and time the artist spent on their project. Appreciate all details and you can appreciate it even more.
Arts Quarterly New Orleans Museum of Art
EXHIBITIONS
IN FOCUS: BU DDHIST A RT FROM THE SI X TH CEN T U RY The recent acquisition of a Buddhist Votive Stele [figure 1], occasions the creation of a special installation of sixth-century Chinese Buddhist art in the newly established focus gallery on NOMA’s second floor. Opening March 6th, the installation also includes sculpture and ceramics from the same period, underscoring this era’s importance in the development of Buddhist art in China and its lasting legacy. For nearly 400 years after the fall of the Han dynasty in 220 A.D. China was ruled by a succession of kingdoms, largely dividing North and South. The eastern half of northern China was ruled, successively, by the Eastern Wei (534-50) and Northern Qi (550-577) dynasties. Despite its brevity, this period is considered pivotal for the history of Buddhism and Buddhist art in China. As a state-supported religion, monks from India and Central Asia were welcomed, translation projects abounded, and temples and public projects began. Among the works of art on view are two stelae from NOMA’s collection that illuminate the importance of this period. The earlier, Buddhist Stele with Seated Amitabha [figure 2] dates from the Eastern Wei and illustrates a seated Buddha, carved in high relief within a shallow niche. To either side are eleven stylized donor portraits. According to the inscription, these include the primary patron, Lady Liu, who helped commission “a cave shrine dedicated the Amitabha.” The identification of the central Buddha as Amitabha, the Buddha of the Western Paradise, is both important and unusual; worship of this deity did not become widespread in northern China until later in the sixth century. Prior to that time, Mahayana Buddhism dominated; correspondingly images of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, and
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the Buddha of the Future, Maitreya, were the most popular figures in the Buddhist pantheon. Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, is the central figure in NOMA’s newest Chinese acquisition, Buddhist Votive Stele [figure 1]. The tripartite structure of this sculpture mirrors the Buddhist cosmos: the rectangular base corresponds to the earthly realm, the central zone the Buddha land, and the uppermost region the cosmic sphere. The hands of the Shakyamuni are positioned in fearlessness and wishgranting mudras and his importance is emphasized by the double halo behind his head, augmented by the larger lotusshaped mandorla, which is mirrored by the overall shape of the stele. At either side of the Buddha is a three-figure group, each comprised of a monk, a Pratyeka Buddha (“lone Buddha”) and a Bodhisattva, representing the three paths to enlightenment. One of the most significant features of this work is found at the base. At the center, a squatting Atlas figure holds a censor, with devotees, lions, guardian figures and an unusually complete array of spirit kings flanking him. Seated within defined architectural niches are the eight protective spirit kings representing wind, fire, lion, mountain, dragon, river, tree and elephant. The close examination of these sculptures within this new installation explores not only the context for the creation of each work and their iconographical features, but also the stylistic and theological transformations brought about by Buddhism’s interaction with native Chinese beliefs. Interpretive materials also draw connections to the secularized Buddhist motifs in the museum’s collections of jades, hardstone carvings and blue-and-white porcelains, presented in NOMA’s third-floor galleries.
Figure 1 Buddhist Votive Stele, China, Northern Qi period (550-577) Sandstone, Gift of Abby Rae Catlege, by exchange, 2014.39
Figure 2 Buddhist Stele with Seated Amitabha, China, Eastern Wei period, 534-550, Stone, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Stafford, 76.442
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EXHIBITIONS
JOSEPHIN E S ACA BO : S A LU TATIONS
Senegal, 20th century, Robert Gordy, Acrylic on canvas Gift in memory of Marion and Steven Millendorf, 84.1.7
NOM A ON THE ROA D This January, NOMA premiers the newest body of work by Josephine Sacabo (American, b. 1944), organized by Russell Lord. In Salutations, Sacabo combines collaged and distorted photographic images with a wet collodion on metal process that dates back to the 19th century to create a world that is barely recognizable as such, hovering like a memory or a dream in the space between the concrete and the ineffable. Throughout the work, halfmaterialized visions of certain elements appear and reappear—an apple, a bird, a window, the female form—as if to suggest some kind of narrative is buried under the layers of fractured representation. But the project as a whole resists any linear reading, and instead concerns itself with establishing an enigmatic set of conditions—loss, solitude, melancholy, nostalgia, etc.—that create a space for interpretation. In other words, rather than tell any particular story, these works set the stage for a number of potential stories that hinge upon these broader concepts. In balancing on the threshold between the real and the surreal, these images favor the poetic over the prosaic and the symbolic over the literal.
The Nature of Landscape: A NOMA | Newman Collaboration Reynolds Ryan Art Gallery January 29 - March 6, 2015
Louisiana Treasures from the Vaults of the New Orleans Museum of Art Slidell Cultural Center March 7 - April 18, 2015
This second annual exhibition organized by NOMA curators Tracy Kennan and Alice Yelen with Newman Interim Dean of the Arts, Andrew Rodgers, features works from NOMA’s collection that encompass a broad concept that has inspired artists for ages. This year’s iteration examines broad notions of landscape. The natural world has inspired artists from around the globe for centuries. In this exhibition, works from the New Orleans Museum of Art are displayed along with works by Isidore Newman School students that are inspired by NOMA’s collection. The term “landscape” is broadly interpreted to include works made from a variety of materials, inviting a discussion of how artists perceive, utilize, and interpret their world. The exhibition will include works by students from Kindergarten through 12th grade. The opening reception for The Nature of Landscape will be held on Thursday, January 29, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Reynolds Ryan Art Gallery.
This display at the Slidell Cultural Center features a selection of work by twentieth century Louisiana artists represented in NOMA’s collection. Many of NOMA’s most beloved treasures were created by Louisiana artists. Some of these artists pay tribute to their home state through the use of Louisiana imagery, including the Port of New Orleans, symbolized by the crescent of the Mississippi River, Melrose Plantation florals, the venerable landscape of live oaks trees, as well as Louisiana’s much-celebrated Blue Dog. The artistic styles in the exhibition range from representational art universally embraced in the early part of the twentieth century to abstraction developed and widely celebrated in the latter half. All are testimony to the individual vision of Louisiana painters. Along with innovative painters, Louisiana also claims proficient draftsmen and accomplished colorists who speak to the soul of the region while distinguishing themselves within the mainstream of American art.
Josephine Sacabo: Salutations will be on view in the Templeman Galleries from January 23–April 5, 2015. The exhibition is generously underwritten by Donna and Benjamin M. Rosen.
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Arts Quarterly New Orleans Museum of Art
COLLECTIONS
WOR K S BY PA L A DINO A N D SHONIB A R E JOIN THE SCU LPT U R E GA R DEN The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is home to two new sculptures: Caduto a Ragione [Fallen to the Ground], 2008 by the Italian artist Mimmo Paladino (b. 1948) and Wind Sculpture V, 2013 by the English artist Yinka Shonibare MBE (b. 1962), both recent donations by the garden’s patrons, Sydney and Walda Besthoff. In Paladino’s monumental bronze, dozens of birds are affixed to the surface of a flattened and elongated male figure. The pose is one of complete immobility— the figure stands with legs unbent and slightly apart; the arms hang straight down, not touching the body. Although
Paladino’s specific iconographic sources are elusive, his allegorical figure style draws upon his deep knowledge of archaic art, including Etruscan, Roman, Egyptian, Christian, and tribal traditions. The disconcerting—but not threatening—presence of the birds invites contemplation, particularly in the sculpture’s new, natural setting within the garden. In contrast to the stillness inherent in Paladino’s figure, Yinka Shonibare’s Wind Sculpture V embodies motion. The London-born, Nigerian-raised artist’s work is rooted in the complex histories of colonialism and contemporary issues
of cultural identity. Shonibare here captures on a large scale the effect of “Africa batik” fabric blowing in the wind. This trademark “material,” long a source of cultural pride in Africa, is itself a nineteenth-century imperialist invention: inspired by Indonesian design, produced by the Dutch and marketed in Africa where it was quickly appropriated. The sculpture also references ships’ sails, underscoring the effect of maritime trade on cultural identity. Placed within the grassy triangle to the left of the main entrance, Wind Sculpture V provides a new, dramatic welcome to the garden.
Left Caduto a Ragione [Fallen to the Ground],2008, Mimmo Paladino, Italian, b. 1948, bronze, Gift of Sydney and Walda Besthoff, 2014.43; © 2015 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SIAE, Rome Right Wind Sculpture V, 2013, Yinka Shonibare, MBE, English, b. 1962 steel armature and cast fiberglass resin, Gift of Sydney and Walda Besthoff, 2014.44 © Yinka Shonibare MBE. All Rights Reserved, DACS/ ARS, NY 2015
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COLLECTIONS
ON E OB J ECT, T WO VOICE S: PA IN TING, PHOTOGR A PH Y, A N D PORTR A IT U R E IN COLONI A L LIM A , PERU NOMA recently acquired an important and pristine daguerreotype by daguerreotypist Benjamin Franklin Pease (American, active in Peru, 1822— 1888), made in his studio in Lima, Peru. This is the first full plate daguerreotype— the largest standard size, almost 10 x 8 inches—in NOMA’s permanent collection [figure 1], as well as the museum’s only daguerreotype from Latin America. As a result, it presents an opportunity to consider the intersections between two of NOMA’s premier collections: photography and Spanish Colonial art. In this discussion, Lucia Abramovich, Curatorial Fellow for Spanish Colonial Art and Russell Lord, Curator of Photographs offer two perspectives on the relationship between painting and photography in Latin America as manifested in this important new acquisition.
Founded in 1535, the city of Lima served as the capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru throughout the Colonial period (1535-1825) and subsequently became the capital of the Republic of Peru. Colonial Lima was home to some of the continent’s wealthiest families, who valued traditional European-style portraiture as a means to immortalize important descendants and provide evidence of noble lineage and participation in courtly society. Latin American portraits achieved this by including coats of arms and cartouches outlining the numerous titles bestowed upon the elites by the Spanish crown. The introduction of daguerreotype studios to Latin America in the midnineteenth century offered an innovative and more affordable way to commission a portrait, thereby granting greater access to this genre.
NOMA’s collection of early Latin American art includes a series of portraits from the Republican Era (ca. 1825-1870). These works, like Pease’s daguerreotype, depict elite members of Latin American society in a neoclassical style, absent of the heavy adornment and heraldry that characterized Latin American painting of the eighteenth century. Colombian painter Celestino Figueroa’s portrait of a young lady with a miniature [figure 2], dating to approximately 1840, possesses a similar style of dress and hair as the lady pictured with her family in Pease’s daguerreotype. One notable difference between the two images is that the young lady in the Colombian portrait is wearing gold and emerald jewelry, which is perhaps a nod to Colombia’s standing as the world capital of emerald
Portrait of an Unidentified Family, ca. 1858, Benjamin Franklin Pease (American, active in Lima, Peru, 1822-1888) Daguerreotype in pressed leather case with brass mat and preserver, Museum purchase, 2014.55
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Arts Quarterly New Orleans Museum of Art
Portrait of a Lady with a Miniature, 1840, Celestino Figueroa (Columbian, b. ? – 1870) Oil on canvas, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Forgotston, 67.44
mining. The family’s appearance in the daguerreotype does not set them apart from the criollos of Lima—individuals of European descent born in Latin America. NOMA’s new acquisition also shares a link to one of Peru’s most celebrated intellectuals. Benjamin Franklin Pease’s great-grandson, Franklin Pease García Yrigoyen (19391999), was a famed Peruvian academic who wrote prolifically on Andean history from the Pre-Columbian period onward. The Pease family’s importance to Peruvian history adds further depth to this object, and may ultimately lead to additional research of Benjamin Franklin Pease and his clientele. -LA
Benjamin Franklin Pease moved to Lima in 1852, after having been trained as a daguerreotypist, possibly by Jeremiah Gurney, in New York City. www.noma.org
While he was not the first daguerreotype portraitist to arrive in the city, he quickly became recognized as the most important: his clientele regularly included royalty, the wealthy elite of the city, visiting dignitaries and important political figures. On September 19, 1856, for example, he produced a daguerreotype portrait of then President of Peru, Ramon Castilla, arguably the most important nineteenth century photographic portrait from Peru that still exists (now in the collection of the Museo Nacional de Historia, Lima). 1 This particular daguerreotype portrait of an unknown family (possibly visiting dignitaries) is a perfect example of Pease’s superior qualities as a daguerreotypist. It is carefully composed to draw attention to the wealth and stature of the family—the fine fabrics, tailored clothing, and well-tended coiffures (especially the young girl’s ringlets) are articulated with complete precision.
Slow daguerreotype exposures would often turn vivacious sitters into stiff and joyless looking subjects, but Pease’s relatively quick exposure time even allowed for the slight hint of a smile on the mother’s face. Three of the four family members confront the camera directly, but the father stares off into the distance, instead of engaging with the camera’s lens. This was a popular conceit, intended to represent the sitter’s visionary or industrious nature, an engagement with the noble pursuits of the future instead of with the hedonistic present. In Europe, paper photographs largely replaced the daguerreotype in the 1850s but in North and South America, daguerreotype studios proliferated even into the 1860s. Perhaps this is due to the prevalence of painted portraiture (as opposed to landscape or historical scenes) in the Americas prior to the arrival of any form of photography. Painted portraits, especially portrait miniatures, often served a memorial function, preserving visions of the living for future generations. In the Figueroa portrait, for example, the woman lovingly holds a portrait miniature of a man, possibly her fiancé, a symbolic presence despite his physical absence. The daguerreotype’s jewel-like qualities, its intimate size, and its presentation in velvet lined cases made it the likely candidate to succeed painted miniatures, but the precision and mirror-like surface of the daguerreotype added an element of the uncanny. The daguerreotype’s reflective surface often mirrors the viewer’s face, superimposing one’s own portrait onto the likenesses of the subjects in the image in an almost unsettling collapse of time and space. The act of looking at a daguerreotype, therefore, has the profound effect of bringing the past into the present. -RL [1] Keith McElroy, “Benjamin Franklin Pease, an American in Lima, Peru” History of Photography Vol. 3, No. 3 (July 1979): 198.
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Kongo Across the Waters CELEBRATING 500 YEARS OF AFRICAN PRESENCE IN NORTH AMERICA A little over 500 years ago, the first Africans landed on North American soil, at the same time as the first Europeans. To commemorate this milestone, curators Robin Poynor and Susan Cooksey, from the University of Florida’s Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, and Hein Vanhee, from the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium, have organized Kongo across the Waters, an exhibition that takes an in-depth look at the legacy of the Kongo Kingdom and its culture. Kongo across the Waters presents more than 160 works of historic and contemporary art and artifacts—including loans from the Royal Museum for Central Africa that have never been on display in the United States—spanning five centuries from the sixteenth century when Kongo first emerged as a major Atlantic presence, to the present day. Accompanying the exhibition is a richly-illustrated catalogue. Robin Poynor, University of Florida Professor of Art History and co-curator of Kongo Across the Waters, recently spoke with Arts Quarterly about the exhibition. Arts Quarterly: What was the genesis of this exhibition? Robin Poynor: Kongo Across the Waters comes out of the celebration of 500 years of African presence in the continental United States. The first African who was documented as having visited this part of the world stepped on shore in Florida. His name was Juan Garrido, and he was an associate of Juan Ponce de Leon. So, I wanted to acknowledge that at the same time that Europeans stepped on North American soil, Africans stepped on as well. The Kongo kingdom was a recognized kingdom in the sixteenth century in Europe. In 1491, the Kongo king asked for baptism, members of his court were baptized, and he then declared the kingdom of Kongo a Christian nation. They were considered to be more or less on par with European nations. Over the next couple hundred years, the Kongo kingdom flourished. Subsequently, there were large numbers of other people from Central Africa who came in to North America, most from the Kongo region. Where in North America did they impact? The three areas where they made the most significant impact were the Chesapeake Bay area; the coastal area of Georgia and South Carolina, which is known as the Lowcountry; and the third area was New Orleans, Louisiana. During the first wave of Africans being brought into New Orleans, there was only one boat that was known to have come from the Kongo area. Most of the others came from other
Staff finial, 17th-18th century, Kongo peoples, Lower Congo, DRC, Collection RMCA Tervuren, HO.1953.100.1. Photo J.-M. Vandyck, RMCA Tervuren ©
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Right Memory jar, American, 20th century, High Museum of Art
regions of West Africa. However, later on, there were a great number of Kongos who were brought into New Orleans and into Louisiana. And then there were subsequent Kongo influences that arrived with an influx from Haiti after the Haitian Revolution, beginning in 1804.
“...in traditional Kongo belief systems, the human world and the spirit world are contiguous—the spirits continue to make an impact on the living, and the living make an impact on the dead”
In the exhibition, we look not only at the visual and expressive culture of Kongo during the age of the Kongo kingdom, which essentially dwindled in power by the middle of the seventeenth century, but we also look also at Kongo identity as it continued after the kingdom no longer existed. We also want to trace the early impact of Kongo presence in North America, in those areas that I mentioned, that were impacted by the people who came in. What can visitors expect to encounter in the exhibition? We divided the exhibition into five sections. The first deals with the early presence of the Kongo kingdom. The second section deals with the early part of the slave trade into North America. We look at a few things that took place in the Chesapeake area, precisely, Annapolis, in the coastal region of Georgia and South Carolina, and in New Orleans. The third section goes back to the Kongo area, and examines what changed over time in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries—for example the slave trade has ended at this point and new forms of trade are introduced. Then we cross the ocean again, to look at changes that have taken place in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in North America, and the development of what we think of as African American folk culture. The final section exhibits five contemporary artists who make use of ideas, history, the religion, the music—all of these sorts of things that they become aware of through cultural memory, or through intellectual introduction. Can you explain the significance of the exhibition’s title? Yes, there are many layers to that idea. In traditional Kongo belief systems, the human world and the spirit world are contiguous—the spirits continue to make an impact on the living, and the living make an impact on the dead—and
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Arts Quarterly New Orleans Museum of Art
it’s believed that the spirits of the dead live below the water. That’s one of the things that we look at in the show, is this idea of the living world and the spirit world and the way that continues to be manifested over time, so that “across the waters” refers to the living crossing the waters into the world of the spirits, and the spirits crossing the waters into the world of the living. Another idea of course, is the waters of the Atlantic. The Middle Passage is an important crossing, where people were first brought from Central Africa into the Americas. In many African traditions in the New World, there is a great deal of emphasis on what happened on that Middle Passage, and idea that the spirits moved back across the waters, or under the waters to Africa, where they were taken as slaves.
Left Ndunga mask, Woyo peoples, Banana, Lower Congo, DRC, early 20th century, collection RMCA Tervuren, EO.0.0.34579. Photo R. Asselberghs, RMCA Tervuren © Right Wooden grave figure, Yombe peoples, Mayombe, Lower Congo, DRC, Early 20th century Collection RMCA Tervuren, EO.1960.32.1., Photo J. Van de Vyver, RMCA Tervuren ©
Was there anything that you discovered along the way that surprised you? The most exciting thing for me was to discover the various ways we could begin to trace Kongo presence in North America. For example, my co-curators and I were alerted by scholars of the diaspora of a connection between New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian costumes and Kongo. We were initially unconvinced by those visual connections; Mardi Gras Indians were introduced fairly recently, and the visual elements didn’t connect as easily to Kongo culture as to Native American. But then, what we discovered in looking at New Orleans music and Lowcountry music is that there are certain rhythms that are used by Mardi Gras Indians that are associated with Kongo beats. So you have the same rhythms, the same beats that are associated with these areas that have been heavily populated by people whose roots go back to Kongo. So it was very exciting to see that the culture manifested itself in some ways visually, in some ways spiritually, in some ways through music and movement, and so on. Kongo Across the Waters will be on view in the Ella West Freeman Galleries from February 27-May 25, 2015. The exhibition is organized by the Harn Museum and Royal Museum for Central Afrika, Tevuren, Belgium. The New Orleans presentation of this exhibition is sponsored by The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and Whitney Bank.
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LEARN
N EW AT NOM A In 2015, NOMA is introducing two new programs for children and families: Baby Arts Play for toddlers, and Family Art Workshops that encourage parents and children to spend time together creating art and memories.
BABY ARTS PLAY! AT NOMA
Beginning January 27 Tuesdays at 1 p.m. NOMA has partnered with Young Audiences and the Wolf Trap Institute to introduce a new program for toddlers—a guided, hands-on gallery experience designed to instill a love of art at a very young age. Young Audiences / Wolf Trap teaching artists will present a series of twelve workshops for caregivers and children ages 1-2. Learn how to integrate music, movement, and drama into everyday playtime to foster children’s developmental growth. Maximum of two children per adult, please. $5 | NOMA member caregivers $5 + regular admission | nonmember caregivers $55 for entire series 14
FAMILY ART WORKSHOPS
Ages 5-8 2-3 p.m. Get creative and make memories together! Family Art Workshops offer a guided, hands-on art-making experience led by teaching artists. This spring, sharpen your drawing skills by creating projects inspired by NOMA’s collection. Each skill-building workshop will emphasize developing basic drawing techniques and focus on different subject matter. $5 | NOMA member $5 + admission | nonmembers
Saturday, January 24 Still Life Sunday, February 22 Animals Sunday, March 22 Landscapes Sunday, April 19 Figure Drawing Sunday, May 17 Architecture
Arts Quarterly New Orleans Museum of Art
VISIT
FAMILY DAY
STORYQUEST
U PCOMING
Saturday, January 24 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
11:30 a.m. in the Museum Shop
PROGR A MS
Performing and visual arts collide on Family Day! Bring the whole family and help us celebrate Degas’ Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen. Enjoy music and dance performances by students from across Greater New Orleans, and join in a host of activities including Art on the Spot, StoryQuest, kid-friendly gallery talks, and Family Art Workshops.
Spark imagination, creativity, and a love of reading. Professional authors, actors and artists bring the world of children’s literature to NOMA in this family series. StoryQuest begins with interactive readings of selected stories then families search NOMA’s galleries and garden seeking related works of art. This season’s themes include “City,” “Treasure,” “France,” and more. Major support for this program is provided by the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation. Additional support is provided by Target.
Join us for the following programs in conjunction with the exhibition Kongo Across the Waters:
Full schedule coming soon! Check the calendar or noma.org for the full schedule.
For information or registration, call 504-658-4128 or email education@noma.org.
STUDIO KIDS!
Art classes for ages 5 - 10 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Globetrot through the galleries this spring at NOMA! Studio KIDS! explores art made by diverse cultures as inspiration for art projects. From beading to painting, each class features different media. Students will learn 2 and 3-dimensional techniques. Register for one class or the entire series and collect stamps in your passport along the way! Classes are limited to 12 students. Register in advance to ensure your spot Per class: $25 | members $30 | nonmembers Check the calendar or noma.org for the full schedule.
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INDIA FEST
Sunday, March 15 NOMA and the Indian Arts Circle of New Orleans have organized the 2015 India Fest at the New Orleans Museum of Art. The largest celebration of India and its culture in the state, this year’s fest will feature live performances and demonstrations, dancing, art activities, food, and more! Check noma.org in the coming weeks for a complete schedule.
LECTURE February 27 | 6 p.m. with Hein Vanhee, curator atthe Royal Museum of Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium; performance by Bamboula 2000 immediately following
LECTURE March 13 | 6 p.m. with Susan Cooksey, Curator of African art at the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art; and Robin Poynor, Professor of Art History at the University of Florida
SYMPOSIUM March 14 | time TBA with Jim Mokhiber, Associate Professor of history at UNO; Ryan Gray, Associate Professor of Anthropology at UNO; Andrea Mosterman, Assistant Professor of History at UNO; Freddi Evans, Associate Director of Education and Public Programs at the Contemporary Art Center New Orleans, Luther Gray of Bamboula 2000 and Founder of the Congo Square Association
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SUPPORT The New Orleans Museum of Art gratefully acknowledges our donors, who make our exhibitions, programming, and daily operations possible. We appreciate your continued support of NOMA and its mission. Thank you!
Foundation and Government Support $500,000 and above Collins C. Diboll Private Foundation The Gulf Seafood and Tourism Promotional Fund
NOMA BUSINESS COUNCIL Centurion
Bronze
International-Matex Tank
Ernst & Young
Terminals
$50,000-$99,999 American Council of Learned Societies The Institute of Museum of Library Sciences The RosaMary Foundation
Green
Platinum
Basin St. Station
First Bank and Trust Superior Energy Services, Inc.
Boh Bros. Construction Company, LLC Crescent Capital Consulting
Gold
Dupuy Storage & Forwarding, LLC
$200,000 - $499,999
The Selley Foundation Zemurray Foundation
The Elise M. Besthoff Charitable Foundation
Capital One Wealth and Asset Management
Eclectic Investment Management
The Azby Fund
$20,000 - $49,999
Chevron
Hammack, Hammack, Jones, LLC
The Harry T. Howard III Foundation
The Bertuzzi Family Foundation
Jones Walker
Helm Paint and Supply
The Helis Foundation
Eugenie and Joseph Jones Family Foundation
Liberty Bank and Trust Company
Hotel Monteleone
$150,000 - $199,999
National Endowment for the Arts
Laitram, LLC
Charitable Lead Annuity Trust under the Will of Louis Feil
Samuel H. Kress Foundation
The New Orleans Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
City of New Orleans
$10,000-$19,999
$100,000-$149,000 Ella West Freeman Foundation The Ford Foundation
Frank B. Stewart, Jr. Anonymous Bayou District Foundation Lee and Jeffrey Feil Family Foundation, Inc.
JP Morgan Neal Auction Company New Orleans Auction Galleries
Gary and Martha Solomon
Pan-American Life Insurance Group
Sapphire
Premium Parking Service
Entergy New Orleans, Inc. Ochsner Health System
The Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation
The Garden Study Club of New Orleans
Lois and Lloyd Hawkins Jr. Foundation
Louisiana Division of the Arts
Silver
New Orleans Theater Association
Anonymous (2)
Ruby K. Worner Charitable Trust
Bellwether Technology Corporation
Goldring Family Foundation
Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company
Stone Pigman Walther & Wittmann, LLC Transoceanic Development, LLC
Corporate Realty NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
Corporate and Individual Support
Phelps Dunbar, LLP
$100,000 and above
$10,000-$19,999
Sydney and Walda Besthoff
Dr. H. Russell Albright
Estate of Albert and Rea Hendler
Mary and Larry Antonini
Estate of Frances T. Kreihs
Capital One
$50,000 - $99,999
Juli Miller Hart International-Matex Tank Terminals
IBERIABANK
JP Morgan
New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau
Coya and Frank Levy
Joshua Mann Pailet Sheila and H. Britton Sanderford Kitty and Stephen Sherrill Phyllis M. Taylor
World Trade Center of New Orleans
Lexus of New Orleans Pan-American Life Insurance Group Peoples Health Regions Bank Donna and Benjamin M. Rosen
$20,000-$49,999 Susan and Ralph Brennan Chevron Whitney Bank
Jolie and Robert Shelton Peoples Health Regions Josephine Sacabo Estate of Dorothy B. Skau
For additional information on exhibition sponsorship and program support, please contact Brooke Minto at (504) 658-4107 or bminto@noma.org. 16
For more information on the NOMA Business Council, please contact Gia Rabito at (504) 658-4129 or grabito@noma.org. Arts Quarterly New Orleans Museum of Art
NOMA CIRCLES
S AV E THE DATE:
President’s Circle
Patron’s Circle
Mr. and Mrs. Sydney J. Besthoff III Mr. and Mrs. Ralph O. Brennan
Dr. Ronald G. Amedee and Dr. Elisabeth H. Rareshide
Mr. and Mrs. David F. Edwards
Anonymous
Mr. Brent Barriere and Ms. Judy Barrasso Ms. Adrea D. Heebe and Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Baumer, Jr. Mr. Dominick A. Russo Jr. Dr. Siddharth K. Bhansali Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Mayer Dr. and Mrs. Ludovico Feoli
Mrs. Robert Nims
Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Boh
Jolie and Robert Shelton
Ms. Dorothy Brennan
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen C. Sherrill
Dr. and Mrs. Isidore Cohn Jr.
Mrs. Patrick F. Taylor
Mrs. Marjorie J. Colomb
Director’s Circle
Mr. Leonard A. Davis and Ms. Sharon Jacobs Mr. and Mrs. Timothy B. Francis
Mr. and Mrs. Herschel L. Abbott, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. James J. Frischhertz
Mr. and Mrs. John D. Bertuzzi
Mr. and Mrs. Edward N. George
Mr. and Mrs. Daryl G. Byrd
Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Goodyear
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Coleman
Mr. and Mrs. Pres Kabacoff
Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Favrot Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. H. Merritt Lane III
FELLOWS DIN N ER NOMA Fellows and Circles: please mark your calendars for the 2015 Fellows Dinner and presentation of the Isaac Delgado Memorial Award. On March 7, at 6:30 p.m., join us as we honor the recipient of the Isaac Delgado Memorial Award with a cocktail reception in NOMA’s elegant Great Hall and a seated dinner in the galleries. Cocktail attire requested. Please RSVP to fellows@noma.org by February 27 or (504) 658-4130.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Lemann Ms. Tina Freeman and Mr. Philip Woollam Dr. Edward D. Levy Jr. Mrs. Lawrence D. Garvey
Mr. and Mrs. J. Thomas Lewis
Mr. Jerry Heymann
Ms. Elizabeth Livingston
Mr. Robert Hinckley
Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Masinter
Mrs. Charles S. Reily, Jr.
Ms. Kay McArdle
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin M. Rosen
Mr. and Mrs. R. King Milling
Mr. and Mrs. Brian A. Schneider
Mrs. Louise Moffett
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce L. Soltis
Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Moffitt
Mrs. Harold H. Stream Jr.
Dr. Howard and Dr. Joy D. Osofsky
Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Taylor
Mr. Joshua Pailet
Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Thomas
Dr. and Mrs. James F. Pierce Ms. Sally E. Richards Mr. and Mrs. James C. Roddy Mr. and Mrs. David P. Schulingkamp
FA MILY MEMBER SHIP SPECI A L
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Shearer Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Siegel Ms. E. Alexandra Stafford and Mr. Raymond M. Rathle Jr. Mrs. Frederick M. Stafford Dr. and Mrs. Richard L. Strub Mr. and Mrs. Stephen F. Stumpf Jr. Mr. and Mrs. James L. Taylor Ms. Catherine Burns Tremaine Mr. and Mrs. Steven W. Usdin Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Brent Wood
In celebration of the exhibition Kongo Across the Waters, NOMA is offering a Family Membership special: receive 18 months of membership for the price of 12! NOMA is offering this special from February 27–May 25, 2015. To take advantage of this deak, use the code 2015KONGO when purchasing your membership at noma.org or over the phone at (504) 658-4130. Above Two figures, Lemba couple, late 19th century, Yombe peoples, Mayombe, Lower Congo, DRC, Collection RMCA Tervuren, EO.0.0.42920. Photo J. Van de Vyver, RMCA Tervuren ©
www.noma.org
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P H OTO G R A P H Y BY J U DY C O O P ER A N D RO M A N A LO K H I N
SUPPORT
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2014 CLOSE S W ITH M A JOR CELEBR ATIONS 1. Mary Jane Parker, Brandan Odums, Michel Varisco, Jennifer Odem, and Ersy Schwartz 2. LOVE co-chairs: Nancy Matulich, Charlene Baudier, Lynda Warshauer 3. LOVE in the Garden 4. Kaminari Taiko of Houston performs at Japan Fest 5. Tom and Gayle Benson 6. Susan M. Taylor, H. Britton Sanderford, Juli Miller Hart, Phyllis Taylor, Sydney and Walda Besthoff, Margo DuBos 7. Dorothy Lichtenstein, Sydney and Walda Besthoff, David Edwards, Susan M. Taylor, Jack Cowart
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NOMA ended 2014 with a festival and two spectacular fundraising events: Japan Fest, LOVE in the Garden and Odyssey. On Friday, September 26, 2014, NOMA’s LOVE in the Garden presented by Regions Bank celebrated the fortieth anniversary of theNew Orleans Center for Creative Arts’ by honoring five artists–faculty and alumni–from the renowned high school conservatory. Jennifer Odem, Brandan Odums, Mary Jane Parker, Ersy Schwartz, and Michel Varisco were all honored this year. This year also marked the inaugural LOVE Cocktail Challenge, spearheaded by the NOMA Young Fellows, which
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featured celebrated craft bartenders in pursuit of the most creative interpretations of LOVE. Thanks also to Silver Sponsor Lexus of New Orleans, Bronze Sponsors DocuMart and Le Meridien New Orleans, and Media Sponsors NOLA. com | The Times-Picayune and WWLTV. Saturday, October 11, 2014 was the twentieth anniversary of Japan Fest, and over 2,000 visitors enjoyed the largest celebration of Japanese culture in the Gulf South. NOMA and the Japan Club of New Orleans once again organized a day filled with martial arts demonstrations, live music, food, guided tours of NOMA’s Japanese collection,
Arts Quarterly New Orleans Museum of Art
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and more. Thanks also to the Consulate General of Japan in Nashville, Japan Society of New Orleans, Zen-Noh Grain Corp., Chugoku Marine Paints, Ltd., and CGB Enterprises, Inc. The 2014 Odyssey, presented by IBERIABANK, was the most successful fundraising event in NOMA’s history, with two nights of events. Cézanne, Monet, Degas, Picasso, Arts Educator, Arts Patron, and Arts Ambassador sponsors were invited to the Enchanted Evening at the home of Basi and Michael Carbine on November 5, 2014. Two nights later, hundreds attended the Night at the Museum gala, co-chaired by Gayle Benson, Margo DuBos, Juli Miller
www.noma.org
Hart, and H. Britton Sanderford. NOMA’s Night at the Museum guests were treated to the premier viewing of Photorealism: The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Collection. This exhibition highlights one of the finest photorealist collections in the United States, based in New Orleans, and features a wide range of artworks from 1969 to 2013. Sydney and Walda Besthoff served as Honorary Chairs. The exhibition also served as inspiration for the evening’s events, which included a bourbon tasting in the Young Fellows Biker Bar, a K&B Diner, the Havana Nights Cigar Lounge, and a vintage pinball arcade in the
contemporary galleries. For dessert, guests enjoyed eating cake with Marie Antoinette on the museum’s second floor. NOMA closed the year with a dedication and celebration of Roy Lichtenstein’s Five Brushstrokes on December 10, 2014. Dorothy Lichtenstein, widow of Roy Lichtenstein was present for the occasion, along with Jack Cowart, Executive Director of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation.
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SUPPORT
NOM A’S VOLU N TEER COMMITTEE CELEBR ATE S 50 Y E A R S The NOMA Volunteer Committee celebrates 50 years of fundraising in 2015. What started as a small group of dedicated women working together to support museum projects in 1965 has evolved into a crucial component of NOMA fundraising. The seeds were planted in 1964 when James B. Byrnes, the director of the Isaac Delgado Museum (now NOMA) started a campaign to purchase the painting Portrait of Estelle Musson Degas, 1872 by Edgar Degas. Byrnes felt that Degas’ painting of his first cousin and sisterin-law Estelle should be enjoyed by the citizens of New Orleans and housed at the Delgado Museum since the portrait was painted here and the subject had resided on Esplanade Avenue. The campaign to “Bring Estelle Home” was a genuine success. Donations large and small poured in. The fundraising drive that Byrnes started gained extra steam when Edith Stern, Margo Bennet Logan and other determined volunteers got involved. According to Virginia Panno’s history of the NVC, these women met at the home of Mrs. Stern in the spring of 1965 “and decided that if a group of determined ladies could generate this much excitement for one painting, who knows what they could do for the whole museum.” And so, the Women’s Volunteer Committee was born. From the twenty-five charter members of the Women’s Volunteer Committee who raised $35,000 in 1965 and hosted the first Odyssey Ball to the hundreds of NVC members of today, this group of committed volunteers prove year after year that the NVC is, indeed, a vital part of NOMA. 20
JONI DI A Z SELECTED A S 2015 N VC CH A IR NOMA announces Joni Diaz as the 2015 Chair of the NOMA Volunteer Committee (NVC). Joni has been a tireless member of the NVC for many years with her more notable achievements associated with the annual fall LOVE in the Garden fundraiser (co-chairing the restaurant committee in 2007 and co-chairing the event in 2008). She is a local New Orleanian, graduated from LSU in 1984, and worked for the CBD law firm of Liskow & Lewis for 20 years. She is an active member (and former president) of the Lake Vista Garden Club, was a volunteer at Audubon Zoo in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and dedicates her time to many other community organizations. “The time I have spent with the NVC and the museum’s committed staff has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and I am honored to chair the NVC as it celebrates its 50th anniversary,” Diaz said. “NOMA made a lasting impression on me dating back to field trips in elementary school, and it is remarkable to realize how far the
museum has come since then. I believe the NVC has and will continue to play a crucial role in achieving the museum’s goals, and I am more than happy to do my part.” One of Joni’s goals as NVC Chair is to expand the organization’s membership, so please consider reaching out to friends, family members and co-workers about becoming joining the NVC. The museum relies heavily on the generous support of its volunteers, and the NVC is a wonderful way to meet new friends, support your local community, and be a part of a worldclass organization that has been and will continue to be enjoyed and supported by generations of New Orleans families.
Arts Quarterly New Orleans Museum of Art
Left Sacra Conversazione, circa 1560-1570, Paolo (called il Veronese) Caliari, Italian, Venetian, 1528-1588 The Samuel H. Kress Collection, 61.80; Right Portrait of a Young Lute Player, c. 1524-25. Francesco d’Ubertino, called Bacchiacca (Italian, Florentine, 1494-1557), oil on poplar wood, 38 3/8 x 28 3/8 in. The Samuel H. Kress Collection, 61.75
K R E S S FOU N DATION AWA R DS NOM A GR A N T TO SU PPORT N EW TECHNOLOGY The Samuel H. Kress Foundation recently awarded NOMA grant funding for the development of new technology at the museum. Funds will directly support the creation of a 360-virtual tour of the Kress Galleries for NOMA’s website, noma.org, and the Google Cultural Institute/Art Project; and content exploration tablet applications that highlight objects in NOMA’s Kress Collection, which will be used on-site in gallery kiosks and off-site in classrooms. In 1931, Samuel H. Kress gave NOMA an oil painting by Giovani de Biondo, Madonna and Child. Throughout the years, NOMA has received thirty-two works of art from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, twenty-four of which are in view in NOMA’s three Kress Galleries. The foundation has also provided crucial ongoing support for the conservation and preservation of the collection.
www.noma.org
This new project will strengthen NOMA’s virtual presence and expose works in the Kress Collection to a global audience. Visitors to NOMA’s website will be able to take a 3-D self-guided tour of the Kress Galleries; clickable icons will provide more in depth information on works of art. Funds from the Kress Foundation will also support NOMA’s participation in Google Cultural Institute and Art Project. Launched in 2012, Google Cultural Institute now includes over 6 million items and objects in collections around the world, and encompasses Google Art Project, an online platform that features high-resolution images of art works from museums in more than forty countries. Photographs of paintings from the Kress Collection and a virtual tour of the Kress Galleries will be the first to be featured for NOMA on Google Cultural Institute.
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SUPPORT
ODYS SEY CH A IR S GE A R U P FOR A BUSY 2015 NOMA’s 2014 Odyssey presented by IBERIABANK was the most successful fundraiser for the museum to date— thank you to all the supporters who made it possible. Without a moment’s rest, the 2015 Odyssey Chairs, Robin Burgess and Terence Blanchard, are already working to make 2015 just as successful. For the first time in the history of Odyssey, the New Orleans Museum of Art will produce three spectacular events in a year-long odyssey of visual arts, music, and entertainment. Presented by IBERIABANK and WDSUTV, the first event will be a jazz brunch on April 30, 2015, also International Jazz Day. Grammy Award winners Poncho Sanchez and Terence Blanchard will perform and parade a second line down NOMA’s steps, along the grand boulevard of Esplanade Avenue to the gates of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. On November 11, the museum will host a sponsor party in the meadow outside the sculpture garden, featuring very special guests. And lastly, on November 13, “Ghosts Along the Mississippi” will be the theme for the annual Odyssey Ball as the museum celebrates its American masters collection, featuring works by John Singleton Copley, Ansel Adams, John Singer Sargent, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Chuck Close, and others. Grammy Award winner Patti Austin will perform for an extravagant seated black-tie dinner hosted by the co-chairs. The night will close with an after-party in the meadow featuring DJ Soul Sister. Please make plans to join us for Odyssey 2015: three unforgettable celebrations.
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Thursday, April 30, 2015 Odyssey Jazz Brunch and Second Line Parade Celebrating Odyssey and International Jazz Day Featuring a performance by Grammy Award winners Terence Blanchard and Poncho Sanchez Wednesday, November 11, 2015 Odyssey Sponsor Party Cocktail Reception and Live Auction Featuring very special guests Friday, November 13 Odyssey Ball Ghosts Along the Mississippi Black Tie Seated Dinner Featuring a performance by Grammy Award winner Patti Austin
SPONSORSHIP LEVELS AND BENEFITS $50,000 | Copley 14 Odyssey Jazz Brunch and Second Line Parade tickets 14 Odyssey Sponsor Party tickets 14 Odyssey Ball tickets with premier dinner seating 20 Odyssey Ball After Party tickets Plus more... call for details! $25,000 | Sargent 10 Odyssey Jazz Brunch and Second Line Parade tickets 10 Odyssey Sponsor Party tickets 10 Odyssey Ball tickets with premier dinner seating 10 Odyssey Ball After Party tickets Plus more... call for details!
$10,000 | Pollock 6 Odyssey Jazz Brunch and Second Line Parade tickets 6 Odyssey Sponsor Party tickets 6 Odyssey Ball tickets with premier dinner seating 6 Odyssey Ball After Party tickets Plus more... call for details! $5,000 | Warhol 2 Odyssey Jazz Brunch and Second Line Parade tickets 4 Odyssey Sponsor Party tickets 4 Odyssey Ball tickets with premier dinner seating 4 Odyssey Ball After Party tickets Plus more... call for details!
TICKET LEVELS $1,000 | Patron Ticket 1 Odyssey Ball ticket with premier seating 1 Odyssey Ball After Party ticket $750 | Patron Ticket 1 Odyssey Ball ticket 1 Odyssey Ball After Party ticket $150 | Young Fellows Ticket 1 Odyssey Ball ticket 1 Odyssey Ball After Party ticket $75 | After Party Ticket 1 Odyssey Ball After Party ticket For additional sponsorship details and complete benefits listing, please contact Brooke Minto at bminto@noma.org or (504) 658-4107, or Kristen Jochem at kjochem@noma.org or (504) 658-4121.
Arts Quarterly New Orleans Museum of Art
A RT IN BLOOM: N EW OR LE A NS BY DE SIGN
Patron and Preview Party
Lectures and Luncheon
FOR THE
Thursday, March 20, 2015
NOM A EG G H U N T
9:30 a.m. Sara Ruffin Costello will moderate the topic of “Art in the Garden – creating original outdoor rooms with sculpture, ornament and landscaping.” Lee Ledbetter, Markham Roberts and Neil Odenwald will participate in the panel discussion.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 28, 2015 for the NOMA Egg Hunt in the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. This annual celebration of springtime is co-chaired by Heather Reznik and Elizabeth Wood. Bring the entire family for a fun-filled day featuring egg hunts, a petting zoo, spacewalks, face painting, crafts activities and more! Pleasea contact (504) 6584121 or visit noma.org for more information or to purchase tickets.
10:45 a.m. Bronson Van Wyck will give a brief history of his career, inspiration for parties, visual examples of his work, the story of Arrowhead Farms and development of the provisions, and give a demonstration of a spring floral arrangement. We are also serving one of Bronson’s signature cocktails as our specialty cocktail at the Patron Party.
RO M A N A LO K H IN
On March 18-22, 2015, the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Garden Study Club of New Orleans will present Art in Bloom, presented by IBERIABANK. Co-chairs Catherine Favrot and Betsy Laborde have planned a fiveday celebration will showcase over seventy-five exhibitors who will create spectacular floral designs throughout the museum, based off works of art in NOMA’s galleries. Enjoy fine cuisine and a silent auction at the Patron and Preview Party on March 18, and be among the first to view the colorful creations. Then join us on March 19 for the Lectures and Luncheon, featuring a lauded group of design enthusiasts: Sara Ruffin Costello, Neil Odenwald, Lee Ledbetter, Markham Roberts, and Bronson Van Wyck. Proceeds from Art in Bloom events benefit the exhibitions and educational projects at NOMA and the community projects of the Garden Study Club. To purchase tickets to any of the events, check noma.org or call (504) 658-4121.
S AV E THE DATE
Following the lectures Enjoy a Saks Fifth Avenue fashion show and catered lunch at the Pavilion of the Two Sisters.
Wednesday March 18, 2015 6-10 p.m.
Study for Design, 2013-14, Nicole Charbonnet, mixed media on canvas, 40x30, courtesy Arthur Roger Gallery
www.noma.org
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2015 BOARD OF TRUSTEES
NATIONAL TRUSTEES
SUPPORT ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Julie George President
Joseph Baillio
The New Orleans Museum of Art is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Public programs of NOMA are supported in part by grants from the Azby Museum Fund, Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, the Charitable Lead Annuity Trust under the Will of Louis Feil, Lois and Lloyd Hawkins Jr. Foundation, the Helis Foundation, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Foundation, Ruby K. Worner Charitable Trust, and the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council, administered through the Arts Council of New Orleans.
Mrs. Carmel Cohen
Sydney J. Besthoff III Vice-President
Mrs. Mason Granger
Mike Siegel Vice-President
Herbert Kaufman, MD
Jerry Heymann
Brent Wood Vice-President
Mrs. James Pierce
Herschel L. Abbott Jr. Secretary
Mrs. Billie Milam Weisman
Suzanne Thomas Treasurer
HONOR ARY LIFE MEMBERS
Donna Perret Rosen At-Large Tommy Coleman At-Large
Debra B. Shriver
H. Russell Albright, MD Mrs. Jack R. Aron Mrs. Edgar L. Chase Jr. Isidore Cohn Jr., MD
MEMBERS
Prescott N. Dunbar
Justin T. Augustine III
S. Stewart Farnet
Gail Catharine Bertuzzi
Sandra Draughn Freeman
Dr. Siddharth Bhansali
Kurt A. Gitter, MD
Robin Burgess
Mrs. Erik Johnsen
Daryl Byrd
Richard W. Levy, MD
Scott Cowen
Mr. J. Thomas Lewis
ART DIRECTOR
Maurice Cox
Mrs. Paula L. Maher
Aisha Champagne
Joni Diaz
Mrs. J. Frederick Muller
PRINTING
Margo DuBos
Mrs. Robert Nims
DocuMart
Stephanie Feoli
Mrs. Charles S. Reily Jr.
Penny Francis
R. Randolph Richmond Jr.
Tina Freeman
Mrs. Frederick M. Stafford
Susan G. Guidry
Harry C. Stahel
Robert C. Hinckley
Mrs. Harold H. Stream
Mayor Mitch J. Landrieu
Mrs. James L. Taylor
Dennis Lauscha
Mrs. John N. Weinstock
Mrs. Michael Moffitt Janice Parmalee Britton Sanderford Jolie Shelton Kitty Duncan Sherrill
Arts Quarterly New Orleans Museum of Art EDITOR
Taylor Murrow
Arts Quarterly (ISSN 0740-9214) is published by the New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA 70124 Š 2015, New Orleans Museum of Art. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or reprinted without permission of the publisher.
Right SEE ARTICLE ON PAGE 5 IN FOCUS: BUDDHIST ART FROM THE SIXTH CENTURY
Inside Cover SEE ARTICLE ON PAGE 8 ONE OBJECT, TWO VOICES: PAINTING, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND PORTRAITURE IN COLONIAL LIMA, PERU
Michael Smith
Front Cover
Ms. Alexandra Stafford
SEE ARTICLE ON PAGE 11 KONGO ACROSS THE WATERS
Susu Stall Robert M. Steeg Frank Stewart Robert Taylor Melanee Gaudin Usdin
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Back Cover SEE ARTICLE ON PAGE 6 JOSEPHINE SACABO: SALUTATIONS
Leda and The Swan (detail), 2014, wet collodion tintype, New Orleans Museum of Art, Promised gift of the artist and A Gallery for Fine Photography
Arts Quarterly New Orleans Museum of Art
Arts Quarterly New Orleans Museum of Art P.O. Box 19123 New Orleans, LA 70179-0123 Follow us!
CALENDAR OF EVENTS January/February/March 2015
UPCOMING EVENTS
EXHIBITIONS
January 2015 2 Friday
10 Saturday
19 Monday
26 Monday
Friday Nights at NOMA
Yoga in the Sculpture Garden 8-9 a.m.
Film In Remembrance, 1 p.m. Film Tavis Smiley Reports: MLK: A Call to
Tai Chi/Chi Kung 6-7 p.m.
ART ON THE SPOT 5-8 p.m. MUSIC The Ramblin’ Letters,
Studio KIDS! Destination:
5:30-8:30 p.m.
Italy, “Golden Garb,” 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Conscience, Deconstructing One of His Greatest Speeches, 3 p.m.
27 Tuesday
FILM Artists of the 20th Century: Joan
StoryQuest “City,” 11:30 a.m.
Tai Chi/Chi Kung 6-7 p.m.
Baby Arts Play! at NOMA 1 p.m.
12 Monday
23 Friday
30 Friday
Tai Chi/Chi Kung 6-7 p.m.
Friday Nights at NOMA
Friday Nights at NOMA
ART ON THE SPOT 5-8 p.m.
ART ON THE SPOT 5-8 p.m.
MUSIC Daria Dzurik and the Hip Drops,
5:30-8:30 p.m.
MUSIC New Orleans Sax Quartet, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
PROSPECT.3 LECTURE
FILM Edgar Degas: Of Dandies, Ballerinas,
Miro, 7:30 p.m.
3 Saturday Yoga in the Sculpture Garden 8-9 a.m.
16 Friday
9 Friday
Friday Nights at NOMA ART ON THE SPOT 5-8 p.m.
and Women Ironing, 6:30 p.m.
Friday Nights at NOMA
with curator Franklin Sirmans, 6 p.m.
MUSIC Sarah Quintana, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
FILM The Impressionists: Degas, 7 p.m.
ART ON THE SPOT 5-8 p.m.
FILM Chuck Close: A Portrait in Progress,
FILM Artists of the 20th Century:
7:30 p.m.
MUSIC Marc Stone, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Gauguin, 7:30 p.m.
TOUR Docent-guided public tour, 6 p.m. FILM Artists of the 20th Century:
Salvador Dali, 7:30 p.m.
17 Saturday
24 Saturday
1
1
31 Saturday Pilates in the Sculpture Garden
Pilates in the Sculpture Garden
8-9 a.m.
Yoga in the Sculpture Garden
8-9 a.m.
Studio KIDS! Destination: Mexico,
8-9 a.m.
StoryQuest 11:30 a.m. Family Day all day Family Art Workshop 2-3 p.m.
“Clay Creatures,” 10 a.m.-12 p.m. 2 2
February 2015 2 Monday
10 Tuesday
21 Saturday
27 Friday
Tai Chi/Chi Kung 6-7 p.m.
Baby Arts Play! at NOMA 1 p.m.
Pilates in the Sculpture Garden 8-9 a.m.
Friday Nights at NOMA: Opening of KONGO Across the Waters
3 Tuesday
13 Friday
Studio KIDS! Destination:
ART ON THE SPOT 5-8 p.m.
Baby Arts Play! at NOMA 1 p.m.
No Friday Nights at NOMA
China, “Guardians of the Galleries,” 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
MUSIC Bamboula 2000, 5-8 p.m.
StoryQuest “Treasure,” 11:30 a.m.
Museum for Central Africa (RMCA Tervuren), 6 p.m.
6 Friday
14 Saturday
Friday Nights at NOMA
Yoga in the Sculpture Garden
ART ON THE SPOT 5-8 p.m.
8-9 a.m.
MUSIC TBD, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
22 Sunday Family Art Workshop 2-3 p.m.
LECTURE Hein Vanhee, curator, Royal
23 Monday
Tai Chi/Chi Kung 6-7 p.m.
Tai Chi/Chi Kung 6-7 p.m.
New Guinea, “Raise Your Shield,” 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
7 Saturday
20 Friday
24 Tuesday
Yoga in the Sculpture Garden
Friday Nights at NOMA
Baby Arts Play! at NOMA 1 p.m.
8-9 a.m.
3 3
Pilates in the Sculpture Garden
16 Monday
(remarks given by Russell Lord given at 6:30 p.m.)
2
28 Saturday 8-9 a.m.
FILM Watermark by Ed Burtynsky, 7 p.m.
2
3
3
Studio KIDS! Destination: Papua
StoryQuest “Backyard,” 11:30 a.m.
ART ON THE SPOT 5-8 p.m. MUSIC Dave Jordan, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
9 Monday
FILM Against The Odds: The Artists
of the Harlem Renaissance, 7:30 p.m.
Tai Chi/Chi Kung 6-7 p.m.
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March 2015 2 Monday
10 Tuesday
15 Sunday
23 Monday
Tai Chi/Chi Kung 6-7 p.m.
Baby Arts Play! at NOMA 1 p.m.
India Fest All day
Tai Chi/Chi Kung 6-7 p.m.
3 Tuesday
11 Wednesday
16 Monday
24 Tuesday
Baby Arts Play! at NOMA 1 p.m.
Lecture with Jerry Uelsmann, 6 p.m.
Tai Chi/Chi Kung 6-7 p.m.
Baby Arts Play! at NOMA 1 p.m.
6 Friday
13 Friday
17 Tuesday
27 Friday
Friday Nights at NOMA
Friday Nights at NOMA
Baby Arts Play! at NOMA 1 p.m.
Friday Nights at NOMA
ART ON THE SPOT 5-8 p.m.
ART ON THE SPOT 5-8 p.m.
DONNA PERRET ROSEN LECTURE TBD
MUSIC Margie Perez, 5:30-8:30 p.m. LECTURE Curators Susan Cooksey and
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Saturday
Robin Poynor from the Harn Museum of Art on KONGO Across the Waters, 6 p.m.
Yoga in the Sculpture Garden 8-9 a.m.
Studio KIDS! Destination: Russia, “Royal Russia,” 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
StoryQuest “France,” 11:30 a.m.
9
Monday
Tai Chi/Chi Kung 6-7 p.m
14
Saturday
ART ON THE SPOT 5-8 p.m.
20 Friday Friday Nights at NOMA ART ON THE SPOT 5-8 p.m.
MUSIC Erin Demastes, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Exhibition Schedule
FILM Mona Lisa is Missing, 7 p.m
Degas’ Little Dancer Aged Fourteen (1)
MUSIC Cathy Anderson, 5:30-8:30 p.m. TOUR Docent-guided tour, TBD
Yoga in the Sculpture Garden
October 17, 2014 – March 15, 2015, Templeman Galleries
8-9 a.m.
Prospect.3: Notes for Now (3)
21 Saturday
8-9 a.m.
8-9 a.m.
Tai Chi/Chi Kung 6-7 p.m.
22 Sunday
31 Tuesday
Family Art Workshop 2-3 p.m.
Baby Arts Play! at NOMA 1 p.m.
“The Great Ganesha,” 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
StoryQuest “Line,” 11:30 a.m.
October 10, 2014 – March 1, 2015, Stafford Gallery
28 Saturday
KONGO Across the Waters Symposium Time TBA Yoga in the Sculpture Garden Educator Appreciation Day All day Studio KIDS! Destination: India,
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Yoga in the Sculpture Garden
30 Monday
Photo-Unrealism (2)
October 25, 2014 – January 25, 2015
Photorealism: The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Collection (4) November 8, 2014 – January 25, 2015, Ella West Freeman Galleries
KONGO Across the Waters (5) February 27 – May 25, 2015, Ella West Freeman Galleries
Museum Hours Museum Highlights Tours
Sculpture Garden Tours
Every Sunday at 2 p.m., NOMA’s docents lead informative and engaging tours of the museum’s permanent collection and special exhibitions. Tours are included with museum admission.
Every Saturday at 2 p.m., NOMA’s docents will give free tours of the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden.
Event schedule subject to change. Please check www.noma.org for updates.
Tuesday-Thursday | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday | 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. For more details | visit www.noma.org or call 504.658.4100