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ARTSQUARTERLY VOLUME XXXII ISSUE 1

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2010

An Enduring Legacy: NOMA Bids a Fond Farewell to Jackie Sullivan

BY CAROLINE GOYETTE Arts Quarterly Editor

Jacqueline L. Sullivan.

Photograph by Judy Cooper

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NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

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FROM

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DIRECTOR

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ow does one say goodbye to an essential and loyal staff member, trusted colleague, and dear friend after thirty-seven years of working together to strengthen and expand a great institution? Reluctantly, sadly, gratefully, and with enormous best wishes for her future happiness. That is how I felt on December 31, when Jackie Sullivan retired as Deputy Director after nearly four decades of service to the New Orleans Museum of Art. I do not exaggerate when I say that NOMA could not have achieved the success that it has without the tremendous and consistent hard work and expertise of Jackie Sullivan. She was the first person I hired as the new director in March 1973 and I have always said it was the smartest thing I ever did. In fact, she officially began work at the Museum one month earlier than I did, so she has always had the position of seniority. In both the everyday routine of running the Museum and the major institution-altering events, Jackie has been my full partner— from Treasures of Tutankhamun and other blockbuster exhibitions, to the expansion of the building and the opening of the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, to, most important of all, the rescue of the Museum after Katrina and four years of rebuilding. For thirty-seven years, she has made my job easy, taking on most of the managerial duties—accounting, budgeting, personnel, volunteers, Museum Shop, Cafe, and so forth—so that I could concentrate on the artistic and fund-raising side of the Museum’s operation. We have had a near-perfect combination of talents and skills. What wonderful careers we have both enjoyed!

As a great executive, Jackie has anticipated the Museum’s future needs and she has assembled a strong team to succeed her. Of course, the Museum had to hire four new persons just to cover her routine duties.

Our longtime Comptroller Gail Asprodites has been promoted to Assistant Director for Administration and Finance. Working with her, either promoted or newly hired, are Karl Oelkers as Facilities Manager, Susan Hayne, Human Resources Manager, Bernard Mitchell, Chief of Security, and Ty Smithweck, Comptroller. All of the NOMA staff will miss their daily contact with Jackie but she will continue to inspire us.

With Jackie gone, I will not be far behind. Some months ago, I informed our Board of Trustees that I would retire at the end of 2011, our centennial year. The Board has formed a Search Committee and hired a professional executive search firm to assist in finding candidates with the right experience and skills to lead NOMA forward. I will then overlap with my successor for the centennial year, insuring a smooth transition.

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ARTSQUARTERLY VOLUME XXXII ISSUE 1

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NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2010

An Enduring Legacy: NOMA Bids a Fond Farewell to Jackie Sullivanu Caroline Goyette

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Parallel Universe: Quintron and Miss Pussycat Live at City Park Miranda Lash

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NOMA Celebrates ¡Sí Cuba!: Museum Participates in a Citywide Influx of Cuban Culture with Two Exhibitions Miranda Lash

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A MOST WELCOME ADDITION: Fabergé’s Figure of the Thoroughbred Persimmon Comes to the Hodges Family Collection John Webster Keefe

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Grateful Labors Wayne Amedee

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Studio Salons Virginia Panno

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NVC Represents NOMA at Volunteer Conference

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Fall for Art Virginia Panno

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Love Was in the Air at NVC Garden Party Laura Carman

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Disney Magic at the Forty-Fourth Odyssey Ball Virginia Panno

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Art in Bloom: A Green Orleans Virginia Panno

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From NOMA to the North Shore

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Besthoff Sculpture Garden To Reopen Pamela Buckman

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NOMA Notables Susan Hayne

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NOMA’s Education Department: Helping Dreams Come True Alice Yelen and John d’Addario

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Ralph Brennan Reopens Courtyard Café at NOMA Grace Wilson

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A Look Inside Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio

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Circles and Fellows of the New Orleans Museum of Art

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Join the Circles and Upgrade Your Support of NOMA

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Corporate Membership

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The Art of Business: Corporate Membership in the New Orleans Museum of Art

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Contributions

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New Members

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Library Happenings

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NOMA Education: Programs & Activities

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Visit NOMA for a Unique Shopping Experience

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Museum Shop Featured Artists

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Program Sponsors

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Museum News

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NOMA Exhibition Schedule

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NOMA Calendar of Events

*Articles appearing in any issue of Arts Quarterly do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the staff or the board of trustees of the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Editor: Caroline Goyette

SUPPORT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Art Director: Aisha Champagne Advertising Manager: Karron Lane Printing: Roberson Printing

The programs of the New Orleans Museum of Art are supported by a grant from the Louisiana State Arts Council through the Louisiana Division of the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Arts Quarterly (ISSN 0740-9214) is published by the New Orleans Museum of Art, P.O. Box 19123, New Orleans, LA 70179-0123. 504-658-4123. Advertising 504-610-1279 or 504-658-4123. © 2009, New Orleans Museum of Art. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or reprinted without permission of the publisher.

Free admission for Louisiana residents is sponsored by The Helis Foundation and the members of the New Orleans Museum of Art. The Museum is open Wednesday, noon to 8 p.m., Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Besthoff Sculpture Garden is closed for renovations. For information on upcoming exhibitions and events at NOMA, please call 504-658-4100 or visit our website at www.noma.org.

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

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An Enduring Legacy: NOMA Bids a Fond Farewell to Jackie Sullivan

BY CAROLINE GOYETTE Arts Quarterly Editor

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n 1973, the New Orleans Museum of Art hired an energetic young girl, fresh out of school, named Jacqueline Louise Sullivan. Since that day, the Museum has never been the same.

“Jackie was John Bullard’s first appointment as new director at the Museum, and I always say she was his most important acquisition,” says William Fagaly, curator of African Art. “She has gone beyond the call of duty and dedicated her life to the betterment and success of this institution.”

In her thirty-seven years of service, Jackie Sullivan, NOMA’s Deputy Director, has guided the Museum through periods of great change and challenge.

International exhibitions, the renovation and expansion of the Museum, the launch of the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, and the devastation and recovery of the Museum after Hurricane Katrina are just a few of the tasks with which she has been faced during her tenure—all of which she has executed with devotion and a determination to succeed. On the eve of her retirement from NOMA at the end of 2009, staff and trustees describe her enduring legacy.

Mid-City Girl Growing up on St. Peter Street in Mid-City, Jackie Sullivan was the fourth of seven children—five boys and two girls. The early seeds of her managerial talents emerged at a young age; when Jackie was seven, her father died and she stepped up to help her mother care for their large, close-knit family. “I could take care of those boys when I was seven. I could follow instructions,” she recalls.

A student at St. Anthony Grammar School and Sacred Heart High School on Canal Street, Jackie went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in accounting at Louisiana State University in New Orleans. Her love of numbers ran in the family; her mother was a bookkeeper, and two brothers, like Jackie, are certified public accountants.

Working her way through school, she spent her college years as an employee at Mr. Wedding Cake, the beloved bakery formerly located at Elysian Fields and Filmore.

The owner, Lawrence Aiavolasiti, knew a capable employee when he saw one, and entrusted Jackie with a wide range of responsibilities. “At the bakery, I learned to do anything and everything. I would pay his bills, keep records, price merchandise, deal with the public,” she says. Jackie’s early experiences in multitasking and dealing with diverse groups of people would reap dividends in her later professional career.

One of only two women to graduate in accounting in her class from LSU-New Orleans, Jackie was hired at the New Orleans Museum of Art on March 1, 1973. The Museum had gone without an accountant for more than a year, so she immediately set to work reconstructing the books and financial statements so they’d be ready for John Bullard when he arrived to officially assume the position of director. Yet, her sense of initiative wasn’t limited to the financial realm. “I love accounting and financial data and I’m quick with it. In 1973, there were no computers, so you had to be. But if I ever had any spare time, I always looked for something else to do,” she remembers.

Jackie met her first big challenge in 1976, when NOMA was selected to host The Treasures of Tutankhamun, an internationally touring exhibition larger and more logistically complicated than any show the Museum had previously mounted. In preparation, John Bullard sent Jackie to spend a week at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., to observe the operations of its staff. She worked extensively on Tutankhamun, developing and administering the exhibition budget as a member of the Financial Oversight Committee, among other duties. An overwhelming success, the exhibition brought in more than 800,000 visitors, elevating NOMA’s national stature and boosting the Museum’s membership, staff, and managerial needs.

“It was very exciting. You knew the world was changing around you,” Jackie recalls.

Climbing the Ranks

Jackie Sullivan with the gold mask of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun at the Press Preview at NOMA, September 1977.

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Jackie’s leadership talents did not go unnoticed at the Museum, and she quickly climbed the ranks, taking on the positions of Senior Accountant, Assistant Director for Administration and, finally, Deputy Director of the Museum.

As her responsibilities grew, so did the magnitude of the projects she oversaw. In addition to coordinating several more blockbuster exhibitions, Jackie managed the complicated removal of asbestos from the Museum in the late 1980s and early ’90s. She coordinated the expansion and renovation of the Museum, an ambitious $23 million project that added 55,000 square feet to the existing building and required fourteen years of extensive planning. Jackie also played a vital role in coordinating the creation of the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, a five-acre sculpture garden adjacent to the Museum that opened in 2003.

John Bullard has said you only have to look at the hard statistics to see how far NOMA has come during Jackie’s tenure. “When we were both hired in early 1973, the Museum had 28 employees, an operating budget of

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

Jackie Sullivan and long-time NOMA Trustee Sunny (Mrs. P. Roussel) Norman at a party at Commander’s Palace, 1998.

$416,987, and an endowment of $160,197. In December 2009, we had 55 employees (95 pre-Katrina), a budget of $6,750,000, and an endowment of $30 million ($35 million pre-recession). NOMA’s tremendous growth is due to the contributions of many, many persons— trustees, staff, volunteers, members—but even among this outstanding group, Jackie Sullivan stands out for her loyalty, dedication and ceaseless work.”

Despite her extensive professional obligations, Jackie continued to develop her managerial talents through training and education. She graduated from the prestigious University of California at Berkeley Museum Management Institute in 1983; the Loyola University College of Business Administration Management Development Program in 1993; and the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute in 2002. Through it all, she also maintained her certification as a public accountant.

Her dedication to her job has acquired near legendary status. “She is at the Museum around the clock. Her energy is boundless. There isn’t an assignment you throw her way that she doesn’t do to perfection,” says Stewart Farnet, Chairman of the Building and Grounds Committee, NOMA Board of Trustees. “She never questions or complains about the time she puts in,” adds Gail Asprodites, Museum Comptroller. “If some facet of operations has gone off track, she will do whatever it takes to get it right.” Despite Jackie’s promotion to the upper management ranks, no job is beneath her, says Alice Yelen, Assistant Director for Education. “Jackie will do any job that needs to be done, from delivering mail to the post office to determining the overall financial plan of the Museum.”

Meanwhile, Jackie’s ability to orchestrate and juggle complex projects has won the admiration of many. “The first time I saw Jackie in action was for the Monet show, which was a very logistically complex show,” says Lisa Rotondo-McCord, Assistant Director for Art and Curator for Asian Art. “How she could put all of these different wheels in motion and make them come together to make a successful exhibition—it was amazing.” (Monet: Late

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Jackie Sullivan and her siblings. Back row, left to right: Brothers Justin, John, Jimmy, Jay, Jack. Front row: Jackie and sister Jan, August 2000.

Paintings of Giverny from the Musée Marmottan opened at NOMA on January 7, 1995).

Times of Trouble Museums offer the public an enriching, entertaining experience, and that’s part of what Jackie has most enjoyed about her time at NOMA. “Working at the Museum is a great opportunity to deal with the happier side of life. Because unhappy happens and you’re just standing there.” Yet, when trouble does strike, many say “standing there” is the last thing Jackie does. Over the years, she’s become the go-to person at NOMA in difficult times.

“After every storm, after any disaster that befalls somebody, she’s the one everyone calls,” says RotondoMcCord. “Because she’s so level-headed. Other people might lose their heads, but she’s very good at prioritizing, very clear-sighted about what needs to be done and when and how.”

Yelen remembers seeing a photograph of Jackie on the front page of The New York Times in the early months after Katrina. “Reading the newspaper from a faraway city, as many of us did that day, the image of Jackie, standing stalwart in NOMA’s Great Hall, gave me a great sense of peace. If we [could have chosen] one person to commit herself to taking care of the Museum, amidst an otherwise crumbling city, it would be Jackie.”

In fact, in the days before the hurricane, Jackie was already dealing with an incredible loss: the death of her brother, for whom she had cared for many months. “You think you will not have the strength or fortitude to do anything,” she says of the days after his death. And yet, in the wake of Katrina, she sprang into action. Evacuated to Gonzales, Louisiana, she maintained continual contact with the handful of staff members and their families who had remained in the museum building, as well as the director and trustees, who were scattered across the state and the country. After a treacherous journey—which, Fagaly says, earned her the nickname “Rambo Jackie”— Sullivan finally made it back to the Museum the Sunday

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Jackie Sullivan and NOMA Trustee S. Stewart Farnet, who chaired the Besthoff Sculpture Garden Construction Committee, on the bridge in the garden, November 2003.

Jackie Sullivan in a helicopter over New Orleans with a group of retired New York police officers on their way to secure NOMA after Katrina, Monday, September 5, 2005.

after the storm.

With no electricity, no generator, and water in the basement art storage area, Jackie set to work securing the Museum. “Had she not been there the Museum would certainly have lost art,” says Farnet. “The floodwater was slowly rising in the basement. Three days later, when I made it back, she had already begun whipping everything into shape.”

Fagaly, who also returned to New Orleans to assist at the Museum, remembers driving through the Central Business District with Jackie in the weeks after the flood.

“She saw some men cleaning up and stopped the car and got out and asked who they were.” Commissioned by the Federal Reserve, the cleanup crew told her they were overwhelmed with work. Yet, Jackie wouldn’t take no for an answer. “Miraculously, Jackie convinced them they had to come and work for us, and she got them out here right away,” Fagaly says. “That tells you volumes about how effective she is about getting things done.”

Another telling moment came when Jackie got a phone call from Bob Becker, CEO of City Park, in the weeks after Katrina. At the time, the city was completely shut down and monitored by National Guard checkpoints; Sullivan and Fagaly had special permits to access the Museum. “Jackie, would you let me in?” Fagaly recalls Becker asking. Jackie asked what he meant. “I’m trying to get into City Park and the National Guard said, ‘Miss Sullivan told us not to let anyone in.’”

On December 1, 2006, the Besthoff Sculpture Garden was the first museum site to reopen in post-Katrina New Orleans. NOMA followed on March 1, reopening three days a week, and extending its hours to five days a week on June 1. In recognition of her outstanding efforts to preserve the Museum, Jackie was decorated by the French government as a chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters of France.

The conclusion to Jackie’s unrelenting efforts to restore the Museum to its pre-Katrina status came

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recently, when FEMA agreed not only to reimburse NOMA for cleanup and other expenditures, but to repair a crack in the slab of the building that left the Museum susceptible to dangerous flooding. She secured their cooperation on this final matter with her customary, resolute style: “I locked 14 people in a room and said, ‘We are not leaving until we resolve this issue,’” she says with a smile.

A Lasting Legacy Beyond Jackie’s take-charge personality—so crucial to her leadership success—colleagues describe a woman who is quietly devoted to caring for others. “She is a great humanitarian,” says Fagaly. From NOMA volunteers, to elderly friends of her mother’s from the old neighborhood, to members of her own family, Jackie has dedicated herself for years to tending to people in need.

“Quietly, without fanfare, Jackie has come forth to take care of volunteers [and others] in times of crisis and even pending death in the absence of nearby family,” notes Yelen. “She takes it upon herself to do those necessary jobs that others wouldn’t think to do, not only for the Museum community, but for the community at large,” adds Rotondo-McCord.

Jackie sees her efforts as rooted in her upbringing.

From an early age, she took care of her siblings, and “you just extend it,” she says. “I think we are compelled to take care of one another.” This past fall, her humanitarian work was recognized by the Family Service of Greater New Orleans, which honored her as one of Ten Outstanding Persons for 2009.

Looking back on her thirty-seven years at NOMA, Jackie’s enthusiasm over the wide-ranging demands of her job is palpable. “Every day here has been great.

Every day, I’ve gotten to do something different,” she says. From working with volunteers to building and facilitating a first-rate staff to navigating the Museum’s relationship with the city, NOMA has presented her with

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

the variety of challenges upon which she thrives. She feels deep appreciation for the opportunities she’s been given by Director John Bullard and others. “Working with John has been a joy, as has working with each of the new board presidents and the trustees,” she says. “I’ve learned so much from them.”

Her proudest accomplishments, she says, are her

work on the Museum expansion and the Sculpture Garden. “When you stand up on the roof of the Museum and look out over the Sculpture Garden, you think, ‘This is going to be here for all of time.’” It’s an enduring and fitting contribution to her beloved neighborhood of MidCity, to the Museum, and to the entire city of New Orleans, which she has worked so tirelessly to serve. ■

Jackie Sullivan, at left, arrives by helicopter with private security force, in the meadow adjacent to NOMA, on Monday, September 5, 2005.

At the residence of the French Consul in New Orleans on the occasion of Jackie Sullivan, Bill Fagaly and Françoise B. Richardson receiving the Order of Arts and Letters. From left to right: French Consul General Pierre Lebovics, NOMA Director John Bullard, NOMA Trustee Françoise Billion Richardson, NOMA Curator of African Art Bill Fagaly, Jackie Sullivan, and Perpetual Secretary of the Institute of Fine Arts of France Arnaud d’Hauterives, December 2006.

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Parallel Universe: Quintron and Miss Pussycat Live at City Park

BY MIRANDA LASH Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art

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n January 29, the New Orleans Museum of Art will kick off the 2010 contemporary exhibition schedule with a celebration of New Orleans artists Quintron and Miss Pussycat. Widely known for multimedia performances in music clubs and alternative art spaces over the past fifteen years, Quintron and Miss Pussycat have inspired audiences around the world with their innovative approach to puppetry and organ-based music.

Parallel Universe: Quintron and Miss Pussycat Live at City Park will be the artists’ first museum exhibition. In addition to past work, Miss Pussycat will debut a new music video, and an original music album by Quintron will be recorded entirely on-site at the New Orleans Museum of Art. The exhibition will begin with a vibrant and comprehensive display of Miss Pussycat’s puppetry, a “parallel universe” the artist creates and channels within her set designs and performances. Hundreds of her puppets will take over the first gallery, spanning the length of Miss Pussycat’s career. Arranged in miniature landscapes, her handmade puppets fuse the surreal and fantastical with a dose of whimsy. Describing the puppets as “portals to the spirit world,” the artist explains that the ritual of making a puppet show allows the puppets to assume a life of their own. Her versatile working method as a puppeteer ranges from swiftly arranging puppet shows for rock concert stages, to painstakingly directing videos with large support crews and arranging prerecorded soundtracks. Miss Pussycat’s presentation will include the premiere of a new video episode of the puppet series Trixie and the Treetrunks.

Quintron’s contribution to Parallel Universe will consist of two components: an interactive display of his patented DRUM BUDDY sound machines, and a commitment to undertake the recording of a new album

Panacea Theriac (Miss Pussycat) Photograph by Jonathan Traviesa

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in a gallery space. The artist will install his entire recording studio in NOMA’s contemporary galleries, surrounded by works of art culled from the Museum’s collection. Offering his services as a temporary employee of NOMA, Quintron will clock in five days a week, from Wednesday to Sunday during normal business hours, to work on the album.

Having visited NOMA’s art storage numerous times since early 2009, Quintron has carefully chosen a selection of paintings, primarily portraits from the last few centuries, to be displayed around his electric organ and recording table. The artist will draw inspiration from these masterpieces and from the unique and unfamiliar experience of recording in front of an audience of museum visitors. Members of the public will be invited to enter the recording studio and observe the artist at work.

During his final week of recording, from Wednesday, April 21 to Sunday, April 25, Quintron will not leave the confines of City Park for five consecutive days. Adding the final touches to his album by day, the artist will explore the wilds of the 1,300-acre urban park by night.

At midnight he will rest in his sleeping tent, housed in the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden.

A gallery located adjacent to Quintron’s recording studio will focus on the development of Quintron’s patented instrument the DRUM BUDDY, a light-activated analog synthesizer. Based on the principal of lightsensing circuits, the DRUM BUDDY is capable of uniquely replicating kick, snare, bass, organ, and record-scratching sounds. On display will be early prototypes dating from the mid-1990s, specimens from each of Quintron’s production runs, as well as several new DRUM BUDDIES with added features. The public will have the opportunity to create music on a DRUM BUDDY that has been specially designed for museum use.

Quintron Photograph by Aubrey Edwards

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

Photograph of the Spirit World by Miss Pussycat

To assist Quintron in documenting his recording process, NOMA is pleased to be collaborating with the organization Open Sound New Orleans, a community media project led by Jacob Brancasi and Heather Booth.

On a weekly basis Quintron will send audio updates (ambient and musical “snapshots” rather than finished recordings) to Open Sound, which can then be accessed online, through the free website: www.opensoundneworleans.com.

About Quintron and Miss Pussycat Separate masters of their respective realms, yet eternally each other’s assistant, the artists have been touring together as Quintron and Miss Pussycat since 1995. Together they manage the nightclub, The Spellcaster Lodge, in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward.

Panacea Theriac, otherwise known as Miss Pussycat, is a New Orleans-based puppeteer. Born in Antlers, Oklahoma, she began learning puppetry at the Christian Puppet Youth Ministry at the First Baptist Church of Antlers. In 1993 she moved to New Orleans and assisted in founding the influential night club “Pussycat Caverns.”

For the past fifteen years she has traveled internationally conducting puppet shows in night clubs and art galleries.

She is the president of Rhinestone Records and produces vinyl LPs of her puppet band, Flossie and the Unicorns.

Her three full-length puppet movies, North Pole Nutrias (2002), Electric Swamp (2005), and most recently Trixie and the Treetrunks (commissioned by Vice magazine in

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2007), have featured the voices of numerous New Orleans musical, political, and literary celebrities, including Sheriff Harry Lee, seafood entrepreneur Al Scramuzza, Antoinette K-Doe, and Andrei Codrescu.

Quintron has been making genre-defying noise and "Swamp-Tech" dance music in New Orleans for over fifteen years. His ten full-length albums have the soul of New Orleans R&B filtered through a cache of self-made electronic instruments. He has also released experimental soundscapes based on inner-city field recordings of frogs and neighborhood ambiance. Quintron regards his most significant creation to be his patented instrument called the DRUM BUDDY; notable DRUM BUDDY clients include performers Nels Cline of Wilco, Laurie Anderson, and Mr. Dibbs. ■

Parallel Universe: Quintron and Miss Pussycat Live at City Park is on view in the second floor Frederick R. Weisman Galleries from January 30 to May 2, 2010.

A reception will celebrate the opening of Parallel Universe and prepare the public for Quintron’s first week of recording sessions on Friday, January 29, 2010, 5:30-9 p.m.

A film screening will be hosted by Panacea Theriac (Miss Pussycat), featuring puppet films followed by Q & A, on Wednesday, March 31, 2010, 6-8 p.m.

A listening party commemorating the completion of Quintron’s latest album recorded on site will take place on Wednesday, April 28, 2010, 6-8 p.m.

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NOMA Celebrates ¡Sí Cuba!

Museum Participates in a Citywide Influx of Cuban Culture with Two Exhibitions

BY MIRANDA LASH Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art

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his January the New Orleans Museum of Art is proud to participate in “¡Sí Cuba!,” a citywide presentation of arts, music, and culture related to Cuba which will take place in New Orleans from January through the spring of 2010. ¡Sí Cuba! is a collaborative venture between museums, universities, galleries, and other arts organizations in New Orleans, co-organized by NOMA, Newcomb Art Gallery, and the Stone Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane University.

NOMA’s participation in ¡Sí Cuba! includes two exhibitions: Luis Cruz Azaceta: Swimming to Havana, a solo exhibition of paintings, and Polaridad Complementaria: Recent Works from Cuba, a traveling show organized by the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam, Havana. Polaridad Complementaria will be co-presented at the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Newcomb Art Gallery at Tulane University.

Luis Cruz Azaceta: Swimming to Havana The solo exhibition Luis Cruz Azaceta will feature a suite of new paintings, all from 2009. The phrase “Swimming to Havana” proposes the impossible. Both whimsical and irreverent, it suggests both a joke and an act of desperation. No unassisted human is capable of traversing ninety miles across the Caribbean Sea from Florida to Cuba. Nevertheless, it is a journey that has taken place countless times in the minds of Cubans wishing to reach the United States and Cuban immigrants dreaming of returning home. In his suite of new paintings, Azaceta invites viewers to undertake their own imaginative journeys through his imagery. These paintings explore the idea of “crossing over” in myriad ways: between abstraction and figuration, between geometric and organic forms, between Cuban and American culture, and between the historically linked cities of New Orleans and Havana.

Throughout his career Azaceta has insisted on constant change in his art. His lack of regard for stylistic categorizations has given him license over the years to move freely between the realms of abstraction and figuration. As an artist, Azaceta has been known to defy easy cultural and artistic categorizations. Though he has often exhibited with other Cuban and Latin American artists, his subject matter has consistently looked toward global issues: AIDS, dictatorships, and urban violence.

Since the 1970s Azaceta has painted himself into his pictures, yet his self-portraits function as vehicles for expressing universal elements of the human condition.

Azaceta began as a student at the School of Visual Art in New York from 1966 to 1969, working in the geometric style of Frank Stella and Victor Vasarely.

During a transformative trip to Europe in the early 1970s, he absorbed the old masters, spending hours in Madrid’s Prado Museum learning from the work of Francisco Goya. This watershed experience convinced Azaceta of the importance of including social and political issues in his art. His disturbing self-portraits and urban dystopias led to his recognition by critics as one of the key proponents of a neo-expressionist style in the 1980s. Yet despite the success of his expressionist paintings, Azaceta’s stylistic restlessness brought him back to abstraction in the early 1990s with his “Broken Realities” series, and later in 2005 with his series “Museum Plans,” which explores the idea of the museum as a container for ideas and perception. Following Hurricane Katrina, he also embarked on a series of photo collages and assemblage sculptures dealing with the city’s trauma.

Consistent with his ongoing desire to break with conventions, in his exhibition Swimming to Havana, Azaceta inserts an element of transgression into each painting. Large abstract landscapes are broken by the appearance of tiny figures. Bold blocks of color are compromised by thin white veins and anatomical references. The themes of displacement and restlessness are apparent in works such as Alien, where Azaceta appears as a suited figure (an unauthorized immigrant perhaps) oddly situated in an abstract environment. In Man Looking for a Hole and Swimming to Havana, a tiny Azaceta struggles in watery bathtubs and labyrinthine sewers. Each work exemplifies Azaceta’s desire to draw his viewers in with color and form, and throw his viewers off balance with disturbing insinuations and themes. Employing the same duality as the concept of “swimming to Havana,” the work urges us both to laugh and to cry.

About the Artist Born in Havana, Cuba in 1942, Luis Cruz Azaceta immigrated to New York at age eighteen. For the past seventeen years (since 1992) he has lived in New Orleans. Azaceta’s work has been exhibited at major

Luis Cruz Azaceta Cuban American, born 1942 Green Fugue, 2009 Acrylic, charcoal, shellac on canvas 94 x 144 inches Courtesy of the Artist and Arthur Roger Gallery

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NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Museum Of Modern Art, New York, and the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C. He is the recipient of many grants including the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Grant and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts.

Ludmila Velasco, Russian Cuban, born 1969, and Nelson Arellano, German Cuban, born 1969 Untitled, from the series “Absolut Revolution”/ sin título, de la serie “Absolut Revolution,” 2002 Manipulated photograph 16 x 20 inches Courtesy of the Artist and El Centro Wifredo Lam, Havana, Cuba

Luis Cruz Azaceta: Swimming to Havana is on view in NOMA’s Great Hall through March 28, 2010.

Polaridad Complementaria: Recent Works from Cuba Polaridad Complementaria is a major group exhibition, co-presented at NOMA and the Newcomb Art Gallery, offering audiences the opportunity to become acquainted with the island’s current artistic production.

The participants are mainly young artists who have attained international acknowledgement. The majority have taken part in fairs and biennials abroad. All have exhibited in Europe and Latin America and several in the United States. The exhibition is curated by Jorge Fernandez Torres, director of the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam and Margarita Sánchez Prieto, curator at the Wifredo Lam. Polaridad Complementaria: Recent Works from Cuba was developed by National Council of the Fine Arts and the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam, Havana, and toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, D.C. Below is a selection of artists presented at NOMA as part of Polaridad Complementaria: Abel Barroso (born 1971, Pinar del Río, Cuba) Abel Barroso combines printmaking, sculpture, and installation, depicting often comical caricatures of Cuban culture. They are light-hearted yet thought-provoking works that engage in human interaction and issues relating to materialism and distribution of wealth. Barroso studied at the Instituto Superior de Arte (1995) and the Escuela National de Artes Plásticas (1990) in Havana where he currently resides. His sculptures and prints can be found in collections in Canada, Cuba, Germany, and the United States.

Luis Enrique Camejo (born 1971, Pinar del Río, Cuba) Luis Enrique Camejo is an alumni and professor of painting at Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana. When describing his work, he states, “I depict life passing too fast, trying to catch the uncatchable, the artificial light, the images that stay in our minds as ghosts of an indifferent and strange reality.”

Liudmila Velasco (born 1969, Moscow, Russia) & Nelson Ramírez Arellano (born 1969, Berlin, Germany) A husband and wife team, Liudmila Velasco and Nelson Ramírez Arellano have lived in Cuba since the 1970s. They both began their careers as teachers of art and photography in Havana before coming together under the artist name Liudmila & Nelson. Their video and photography work combines clips and layers of imagery to compare old Havana with the present, asking their audiences to predict the future of Havana. n

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Abel Barroso Cuban, born 1971 Returning Home/Volver a Casa, 2007 Three-dimensional xilograph 4 x 23-10/16 x 15-2/16 inches Courtesy of the Artist and El Centro Wifredo Lam, Havana, Cuba

Polaridad Complementaria: Recent Works from Cuba is on view in NOMA’s second floor modern and contemporary galleries and at the Newcomb Art Gallery at Tulane University from January 16 through March 14, 2010. ¡Sí Cuba! Events at NOMA: A reception celebrating both ¡Sí Cuba! exhibitions will take place on Saturday, January 16, 2010 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

A two-day symposium on contemporary Cuban art, hosted by Newcomb Art Gallery, New Orleans Museum of Art, and the Stone Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane University, will take place Thursday, January 28 and Friday, January 29, 2010. ¡Sí Cuba! Events at Tulane (all Events will take place in the Freeman Auditorium at Tulane University.)

A lecture by artist Tonel will take place on Friday, January 29, at 2 p.m.

A panel with speakers Ricardo Viera, Holly Block, Sandy Levinson, Daniel Cameron, and artist Tonel will take place Friday, January 29, from 3 to 5 p.m.

A lecture on Cuban art and globalization by Miranda Lash, curator at NOMA, will take place on February 3 at 6 p.m.

A lecture on the art of Luis Cruz Azaceta by Alejandro Anreus, professor of art history at William Patterson University, New Jersey, will take place on March 24 at 6 p.m.

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14

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

A MOST WELCOME ADDITION: Fabergé’s Figure of the Thoroughbred Persimmon Comes to the Hodges Family Collection

BY JOHN WEBSTER KEEFE The RosaMary Foundation Curator of the Decorative Arts

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he collection of miniature hardstone animals commissioned from the House of Fabergé by King Edward VII of England (r. 1901-1910) in 1906 as a present for his Danish-born wife, Queen Alexandra, is today well-known to Fabergé collectors and indeed forms the keystone group by which such Fabergé creations are judged and attributed. Far less well-known is the group of seven figures of Edward VII’s favorite and most successful racehorse, Persimmon, ordered by the King in 1908. One of the Persimmon figures was crafted of silver, and an additional six were made of bronze. The silver example remains in the English Royal Collection, and one of the bronze figures has recently joined the Hodges Family Collection of Fabergé at the Museum.

Persimmon was the King’s greatest success on the track, winning both the Derby and the St. Leger race in 1896. He followed these triumphs by winning the Ascot Gold Cup and the Eclipse Stakes in 1897. These victories created great excitement in the Royal Family, particularly since some of Persimmon’s wins were extremely close; the Derby victory of 1896 was secured only by a head.

He narrowly won the 1896 Derby over Baron Leopold de Rothschild’s notable steed, St. Frusquin. Because of these close wins Persimmon was also a favorite of those attending such races and was awarded enthusiastic ovations and cheers by them.

Persimmon was one of the Sandringham animals modelled in the original 1906-1907 commission. It is thought that his modeler was Boris Frödman-Cluzel, (Russian, 1874-ca. 1953), a St. Petersburg-born sculptor who was at that time a member of the Fabergé team sent

FIGURE OF A HORSE: Persimmon, 1908 Peter Carl Fabergé (Russian, 1846-1920), creator; Boris Frödman-Cluzel (Russian, 1874-ca. 1953), sculptor; Henrik Immanuel Wigström (Finnish, 1862-1923), workmaster Bronze: cast, chased and patinated Ht. 6 in.; Max. W 6-1/4 in.; Max. D. 5-7/8 This rare equine figure of King Edward VII’s favorite and most successful racer, Persimmon, was one of six commissioned from Fabergé by the King in 1908 and purchased at the London branch of the House of Fabergé on December 21, 1908. The King probably intended the bronze figures as Christmas presents for his fellow racing enthusiasts.

To date, only this bronze of the six has reappeared.

Photograph by Judy Cooper.

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to England to model the animals of the Sandringham estate. Although the work of Frödman-Cluzel is today little known, he was sufficiently talented as a young man to attract the attention of Peter Carl Fabergé as well as that of the Swedish royal family for whom he executed a bronze bust of King Gustavus Adolphus V (1858-1950) in 1923. Judging from his extant works, Frödman-Cluzel was also interested in sculpture featuring dancers. He apparently fled Russia following the cataclysm of the Revolution and took up residence in Paris, which had a large and famous Russian emigré population. He was active in Parisian artistic circles, exhibiting at the annual Salon des Indépendants from 1927 until about 1937.

Earlier, Frödman-Cluzel had also prepared the model from which the silver model of Persimmon was made in 1908 by Fabergé’s noted chief workmaster Henrik Immanuel Wigström (Finnish, 1862- 1923). Edward VII purchased this silver horse from Fabergé’s London branch in November 1908, and found it so attractive that he ordered six additional copies of it in bronze as gifts to his fellow racing enthusiasts. With the exception of the present example, none of the bronze horses has yet resurfaced.

Persimmon was eventually retired to stud at Sandringham where he himself had been bred. There he was a four-time champion sire and remained a favorite of the King. Persimmon’s brilliant life was cut short by a fall in his box in 1908 which fractured his pelvis. None of the heroic efforts to save him was successful and he was finally put down. The sorrowing monarch commissioned a full-scale bronze of Persimmon from the English sculptor Adrian Jones (1845-1938) and placed it on the lawn of the Sandringham stud, where it still stands.

Edward VII also enshrined a photograph of Persimmon in an enamelled Fabergé frame in the King’s racing colours. This frame remains in the Royal Collection.

Edward VII’s commission of the initial silver equine figure set something of a fashion within his circle.

Impressed with his silver representation of Persimmon, the King persuaded Baroness Leopold de Rothschild to have Fabergé create a similar figure of her husband’s notable racehorse, St. Frusquin, whom Persimmon had put into second place at the 1896 Derby. Leopold, Baron de Rothschild (English, 1845-1917) was a close friend of King Edward VII, and the two men shared a keen interest in horse breeding and racing. De Rothschild had used part of his fortune to establish the renowned Southcourt Stud in Bedfordshire. He was also a knowledgeable collector of art, specializing in the fields of seventeenthcentury painting and eighteenth-century Parisian furniture. Baron de Rothschild was delighted with his Fabergé silver horse, and he too ordered replicas in bronze from the House of Fabergé and presented them as gifts to his friends.1 This latest addition to the Hodges Family Collection is a great rarity in the oeuvre of Fabergé and is distinguished by its large size and lively interpretation of a celebrated racer of the day. Because Fabergé animalier work in bronze and silver is so rare, this equine figure provides a fascinating glimpse into a little-known aspect of the great artist-jeweller’s production. ■ Notes 1. Leopold de Rothschild ordered from six to twelve of the St. Frusquin figure from the House of Fabergé.

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Grateful Labors

BY WAYNE AMEDEE Artist

Photographs by Mark Smith

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y sculpture project sited in City Park’s Big Lake Trail and Meadow, which the Trust for Public Land has developed, had its inception about two years ago. I was working on a proposal for a large-scale public sculpture and was seeking a way to bring it to fruition. While scouting in City Park for a site, I consulted NOMA Director John Bullard. He advised me that he thought the location I had in mind could not be utilized.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) was renovating the area that included the site as a special post-Katrina rebuilding project. Not to be dissuaded, I contacted the local director of the TPL, Larry Schmidt, and told him about my proposal. When I showed Schmidt the model, he became very excited about the project, and we determined to collaborate to see it through as a gift to City Park. The sculpture, Grateful Labors, would commemorate and honor those who helped to rebuild the city.

I have been making sculpture since the early 1970s.

One of the most important early exhibitions of my sculpture was a 1981 group show of New Orleans artists mounted at the Sculpture Center in New York. The pieces I was making then were of cheesecloth and polyester resin, but the formal genesis for Grateful Labors can be found in the cantilevered wood constructions that I made and hung as projections from walls. In the process of constructing these works, I had lots of leftover cut pieces of wood, which I felt I could not discard. I expected they might provoke a surprising creative response: artists have ways of recycling things and creating things from “nothing.” For a while these remnants of sawed-off hardwood sat around the studio “creating” an abundance of clutter, which was not the

“creativity” I had hoped they would stimulate! Eventually, I began to assemble these pieces in different arrangements of color and shape and to attach them to the walls of my studio. I scrubbed and brushed color onto their surfaces, making them look burnished in some cases. The results were very satisfying to me, and I continued to construct them and to show them in galleries. About two years ago, I experimented with removing them from the walls and placing them on flat surfaces. That is when, with the encouragement of an artist friend, I began to envision them as small-scale models of much larger, perhaps public pieces. In fact, Grateful Labors fulfills the recommendation an art critic made several years ago, in an article about my work, that the wall pieces should be expanded to a larger scale.

However, it was not until I installed Grateful Labors that I recalled his suggestion.

I treated the surfaces of the components of Grateful Labors as I had the smaller-scale pieces constructed in my studio; I scrubbed them and laid on the paint to create surfaces that are slick and shiny and rich with color. Creating those surfaces was one of the most satisfying aspects of the fabrication of the piece, since the aluminum components accepted the automotive paint beautifully (my anticipation is that the colors will last). I envisioned each multifaceted geometric shape as a separate canvas and the ensemble as a suite of paintings.

I gave the piece the title Grateful Labors, which is drawn from the Book of Psalms, in an effort to pay tribute to all of the individuals who have contributed to the ongoing recovery of our city post-Katrina. For me, the titling of my works is part and parcel of the creative endeavor. Although my work is generally nonrepresentational, the titles of my pieces have often had

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

autobiographical resonance, profoundly meaningful for me, if somewhat mysterious to others. For example, the piece that I showed in 1981 at the Sculpture Center bore the title Dancin’ 8-5-0, and it was about my parents’ love of fun, especially their love of dancing, which they sometimes did at the family home, the address of which was 850. A piece that I showed in the Contemporary Arts Center exhibition Louisiana Major Works 1980 was titled Winding Sheets, and it also referred to my parents, in this case to their tragic deaths, just a matter of hours apart, rather than to their fun-filled lives. The title referenced both the fabric used to wrap corpses before burial and the fabric that I wrapped around a stationary jig before coating it with polyester resin for the pieces I was making at the time. Poetry has often inspired my titles, and I turn to such sources as W.H. Auden and the Book of Psalms. For the donation to City Park, the latter seemed especially appropriate, since together we have come through a disaster of biblical proportions.

ARTS QUARTERLY

Grateful Labors consists of two individual components, one red and one green, to represent the sometimes halting progress that has characterized rebuilding in the city. It could not have been realized without the help of many friends. The fabrication and construction were done by the sculptor David Borgerding, and his artisan/artist assistants Christian Van Campen, Kate Betts, and Arlyn Jimenez. They were all quite professional and expert in their approach and very calm and harmonious in their problem solving, for which I am very happy and very pleased. In the previous year, Borgerding fabricated a large-scale aluminum sculpture that I donated to the Sculpture Garden at Loyola University of New Orleans. That piece is titled New Morning, which refers to a new start, a new beginning, after the catastrophe of Katrina. As Grateful Labors sits in City Park, I am hopeful that it will be enjoyed by many for years to come, and I am honored to have given this sculpture to the city and to City Park. n

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Studio Salons

BY VIRGINIA PANNO NVC Correspondent

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he NOMA Volunteer Committee (NVC) offers its members visits to some of the finest private art collections, art studios, and art galleries in the New Orleans area. These delightful afternoons combine art appreciation and education with a personal touch. On September 15, 2009, NVC members experienced such an occasion when Studio Salon Chairs Mimi Schlesinger and Betty Kern orchestrated a visit to the lovely Old Metairie home and studio of NVC member and artist Julie Silvers.

Julie co-chaired the Masterpiece Motorcade fundraiser in 2002 with her husband, Dr. David Silvers. An abstract

painter and ceramicist, Julie’s work can be seen locally at the Soren Christensen Gallery.

Julie played tour guide to the lucky Studio Salon participants of this sold-out event. Her beautiful home was filled with her own works and those of her mother, well-known painter Susan Wittenberg, as well as other Louisiana contemporary artists. The ladies and gentlemen in attendance heard firsthand about the creative process and artistic evolution of this delightful and generous member of the NVC and visited with Julie over delicious refreshments supplied by the chairs of the event. n

Studio Salon Co-Chairs Mimi Schlesinger and Betty Kern flank artist Julie Silvers in her home studio.

NVC Represents NOMA at Volunteer Conference

BY VIRGINIA PANNO NVC Correspondent

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he 20th Triennial Conference of VCAM (Volunteer Committees of Art Museums) was held in Kansas City, Missouri from October 8-10, 2009. Three members of the NVC Steering Committee represented NOMA at the conference: Anne Gauthier, NVC’s 2010 Chair, Kimberly Zibilich, NVC’s Chair-Elect for 2011, and Julie George, NVC Chair in 2002. Kristin Jochem, NOMA’s Senior Development Associate for NVC, also attended.

VCAM, founded in Toronto in 1952, is the only association established for and run by art museum volunteers, and its purpose is mutual education through communication. VCAM members include art museums in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The 2009 Triennial was hosted by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, a fabulous museum situated on the grounds of the Kansas City Sculpture Park. Known for its collections of American, European, Asian, American Indian, and Ancient art, and its new architectural awardwinning Bloch Building, the Nelson-Atkins was an inspiring setting for the conference.

Informative sessions about recruiting volunteers, creating and marketing art museum cookbooks, community outreach innovations, fundraising ideas, and attracting “Generation Y—the next generation of museum volunteers” were held. Speakers including Nelson-Atkins Director/CEO Mark Wilson, Tom Bloch, former CEO of H&R Block, and special guest “Harry Truman” entertained and engaged the delegates. Other highlights included museum and city tours and spectacular dinner parties in private homes.

At the conference, the NVC’s own Julie George was elected Director of VCAM Region 3, which includes Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Mexico. (The NVC’s Genie England is a past president of VCAM!) A good time was had by all, and our delegates returned brimming with new ideas. n

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

Fall for Art

BY VIRGINIA PANNO NVC Correspondent

ARTS QUARTERLY

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he New Orleans Museum of Art was pleased to take part in “Fall for Art,” an evening of gallery openings in Covington sponsored in part by the St. Tammany Art Association.

Held at the Brunner Gallery on October 10, the NOMA event featured an exclusive, sneak preview of the exhibition, William Woodward: An American Impressionist in New Orleans, which opened at the Museum the following week (through February 28). Ten of the artist’s works were on display from NOMA’s permanent collection.

The event took place as part of NOMA’s North Shore outreach initiative. The Museum recently formed a special organization called NOMANS (New Orleans Museum of Art on the North Shore) just for North Shore members. Sherry Snyder, co-chair of the group, was delighted with the evening’s success. “The interest in the Woodward exhibition is another clear signal that NOMA is welcome on the North Shore. We were very happy to welcome new members who joined that night!”

Covington Mayor Candace Watkins gave a delighted introduction of E. John Bullard, the Montine McDaniel Freeman Director of NOMA, who spoke at the event.

Also in attendance were gallery owners Rick and Susan Brunner; NOMA Assistant Director of Art Lisa RotondoMcCord, who co-curated the Woodward exhibition; Carol Hall, NVC-NOMANS liaison; and Elizabeth Maitre, NOMA Membership liaison. n

William Woodward, American, 1859-1939; Old Mattress Factory, 1904; Oil crayon drawing on cardboard; New Orleans Museum of Art: Gift of Edgar Stern Family Fund, 1961.17

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Love Was in the Air at NVC Garden Party

BY LAURA CARMAN NVC Publications Co-Chair

Photographs by Judy Cooper

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OVE was in the air on the humid night of September 25, even if at the last minute, it turned out to be air-conditioned air instead of en plein air. Hundreds of small torches glittered like candles along the rain-slicked Lelong Avenue leading to the Great Hall, welcoming over a thousand guests. The kick-off Patron Party was a great opportunity to mix and mingle while enjoying the sounds of Joe Simon’s Jazz before the large Garden Party crowd arrived.

The move inside did not prevent the LOVE in the Garden party from being one of the most fun, casual events in town, thanks to Co-Chairs Grace Kaynor and Jennifer Rowland and their active committee. In fact, the Great Hall was put to good use as a dance floor, and was appreciated by twenty-somethings on up. At the Garden Party, dancing continued to the sounds of Deacon John’s classic New Orleans band. Young people were spotted jitterbugging (yes, they know how!) and older partygoers demonstrating anything from the twist to the fox trot. A seat on the balcony provided a perfect view of folks of

LOVE IN THE GARDEN 2009 SPONSORS SILVER Mrs. Lester Kabacoff Diane and Hughes Walmsley BRONZE Cragmar Construction East Jefferson General Hospital JoAnn Flom Greenberg Anne Gauthier The Lupin Foundation MG & PL Maher Foundation Jeri Nims Foundation Claire and Steven Stull CONTRIBUTOR Gail and John Bertuzzi Sydney and Walda Besthoff The Brown Family Stephanie and Joseph Bruno Judge Christopher and Kerry Bruno Alva and Edgar Chase Bernice and Don Daigle Adrian and Sally Duplantier Kay and Tim Favrot Stephanie and Ludovico Feoli Michele and Chip Forstall Dr. and Mrs. Larry Forster Friend of NOMA Janet and Jimmy Frischhertz Adrea Heebe and Dominic Russo Allison Kendrick Paul J. Leaman, Jr. Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin + Hubbard Kay B. Lyons Mr. and Mrs. Adam Marcus Cammie and Charles Mayer Kay McArdle Mignon Faget Mrs. Ellis Mintz Brenda and Michael Moffitt Mr. and Mrs. Dick H. Piner Sally E. Richards

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varied ages and dress, mixing and mingling and having a great time.

So much dancing creates an appetite, but not to worry! Thirty-five restaurants offered delectable treats including crabmeat-avocado salad on toastettes, paella, smoky barbeque, seared tuna, creamiest pralines, rice pudding, and pastries, to name but a few. To complement the elegant food, numerous open bars and sponsor stands allowed guests to squeeze a lemon and concoct their own potent, refreshing Gin Collins, great fuel for those dancing feet.

At 8:15 p.m., honors were paid to local artists chosen for their contributions to the city’s art scene: Maurice Alvarado; Raine Bedsole; Willie Birch; Thomas Bruno; Viorel Hodre; Martin Payton; Arthur Silverman; Frances Swigart Steg; Allison Stewart; and Tim Trapolin.

As the band played its finale, “Love Train,” a conga line of dancers chugged though the Great Hall, and the love of NOMA and partying New Orleans style was evident. n

Françoise Richardson Mr. and Mrs. George Rodrigue Brian Schneider Co. Jolie & Robert Shelton Silverman Studios Matilda Stream Jackie Sullivan BENEFACTOR Gail and Nick Asprodites Leslie Bertucci & Dan Ness Dr. and Mrs. Patrick Breaux Buzzy and Joey Brown Christy and Kia Brown Louisette and George Brown E. John Bullard Caroline and Murray Calhoun J. Scott Chotin, Jr. Judy and Tom David Jean and Edward Dragon Cherise and Bart Farris Darlene and José Fernandez Annette and Julio Figueroa Jim and Diamon Howell/Jim Howell Photography Eugenie Jones Huger Harold B. Judell Grace and Sandy Kaynor Lisa Kirschman Dr. and Mrs. Steven D. Kraus Sally and Jay Lapeyre Courtney and Ted LeClerq Rene and Paul Masinter Kenneth McAshan Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Nelson Virginia and Jack Panno Mr. and Mrs. Norvin Pellerin Perez, APC Michele Prokop Jennifer and John Rowland Elizabeth and John Ryan Mimi and Claude Schlesinger Robyn and Andrew Schwarz Liz and Poco Sloss Alexander Stafford and Raymond Rathle

Elizabeth Woods Kimberly and Keith Zibilich HONORED ARTISTS Maurice Alvarado Raine Bedsole Willie Birch Thomas Bruno Viorel Hodre Martin Payton Arthur Silverman Frances Swigart Steg Allison Stewart Tim Trapolin Libations and Cuisine Acme Oyster House Boucherie Bon Ton Cafe Café Adelaide Café Degas Chops Bistro & Martini Bar Crescent City Brewhouse Del Porto Delachaise Elizabeth’s Fausto’s Bistro Galatoire’s Restaurant The Grill Room at Windsor Court Hotel Highlights Catering Mandina’s Maximo’s The Melting Pot MiLa Palate of New Orleans Partysist PF Chang’s China Bistro Ralph’s on the Park Republic National Distributing Co. Southern Hospitality Squeal Bar-B-Q Tomatillo’s Mexican Joint Venezia Zea Rotisserie & Grill

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

Left to right: Co-Chairs Grace Kaynor and Jennifer Rowland

Left to right: Valerie Marcus, Sydney Besthoff, Walda Besthoff, Adam Marcus

Leah Chase and artist Willie Birch

Artists, left to right: Allison Stewart, Art Silverman, Tim Trapolin, Frances Swigart Steg, Willie Birch, Martin Payton, Raine Bedsole, Thomas Bruno (kneeling), Viorel Hodre, Maurice Alvarado

Dancing in the Great Hall

Artist Maurice Alvarado, Diane Walmsley, John Bullard introducing artists

Left to right: Louisette Brown, George Dunbar, Jackie Sullivan

Hughes Walmsley, Diane Walmsley, NVC Chair

Steve Hansel, Dana Hansel, Tim Trapolin

ARTS QUARTERLY

Left to right: Michelle Sullivan, Jack Sullivan, Jackie Sullivan, Justin Sullivan, Gwen Sullivan

21

Disney Magic at the FortyFourth Odyssey Ball

BY VIRGINIA PANNO NVC Reporter Photographs by Judy Cooper

Outside at the Museum

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he red carpet was rolled out for guests of the Forty-Fourth Odyssey Ball on the evening of Friday, November 13, 2009. Court musicians heralded the arrival of patrons with a fanfare of trumpets, while spotlights cast a rosy glow upon the façade of the New Orleans Museum of Art. The Disney magic had begun!

Odyssey Ball marked the official unveiling of Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio, an exhibition of more than six hundred original artworks that shaped such animated classics as Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and the recently released The Princess and the Frog, an animated film set in New Orleans during the 1920s Jazz Age. Entering the draped and crystal-curtained Great Hall, adornments by CHL Linens, eyes were drawn to the Great Staircase, detailed with a fairy tale castle motif and mysterious clock on the landing. Intrigue to follow at midnight!

Odyssey Ball Co-Chairs Lori and Kevin Frischhertz and Charlotte and Marc Hebert, NOMA Director E. John Bullard, and NVC Chair Diane Walmsley and husband, Hughes, greeted guests on behalf of the NOMA Board of Trustees and the NOMA Volunteer Committee. Jazz trumpeter Jeremy Davenport and his fellow musicians entertained patrons in the Great Hall along with Terrance Simien, the Grammy award-winning zydeco artist featured on The Princess and the Frog soundtrack. The movie’s writers/directors, Ron Clements and John Musker, were in attendance, as was its producer, Peter Del Vecho, and its art director, Ian Gooding. Another very special guest was John Lasseter, Academy Awardwinning animator and director and chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. At a press conference earlier in the day, Lasseter expressed his excitement over the partnership with NOMA and called the exhibition “just spectacular.”

Monica and Stephen Gele and Denise and Bill Galloway, Decorations Co-Chairs, certainly set the stage for the fairy tale theme, down to the sparkling glass slippers atop the table centerpieces!

Auction Co-Chairs Melissa and Sam Scandaliato and Christian and Jamie Ellingsworth amassed an outstanding array of art, jewels, and antique treasures that kept the auction rooms at maximum capacity. Ruth Winston of New Orleans Auction Galleries, Inc. led the spirited live auction. Warren Roesch was the elated high bidder on the NOMA Rooftop Party for 20.

The tempting tables of Palate Caterers added to the magic of the evening. Ball-goers could nibble seafood and sushi delights from Ariel’s Under the Sea Café or visit Cinderella’s Royal Feast for the meat and potatoes nourishment every Prince Charming needs. The Princess and the Frog Bayou Buffet offered gumbo and frog legs to keep things hopping! Desserts were the star with crepes and tarts and truffles, oh my! Servers passed trays of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, conjuring up fragrant memories of bedtime stories past. True Love’s Kiss-tini and the more ominous Poison Appletini were the beverages of choice.

Vieux Carre, the royal orchestra for the evening, kept the dance floor in the Great Hall filled, while other guests struck a royal pose in the tented Beauty and the Beast Ballroom for photographer Wendy Black.

Odyssey ball-goers were thrilled to be among the first to enter the storybook setting of Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio.

The themed rooms showcased the evolution of Disney classics from initial sketches or paintings to the finished films. Onlookers were especially delighted with the stunning New Orleans visuals lovingly represented in the hand-drawn animation for The Princess and the Frog.

As the mysterious clock situated on NOMA’s Great Staircase struck midnight, there was a stir! A real-life Cinderella, portrayed by Emily Frischhertz, raced down the steps and out into the night, where a beautiful white carriage glowed in the moonlight. Could there be a Disney ball without a fairy tale ending?

Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio will be on view in the Ella West Freeman Gallery through March 14, 2010. n

Dancing in the Great Hall

Morris and Cathy Bart

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NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

Left to right: Ralph Lupin, Phyllis Taylor and John Bullard Odyssey Ball Co-Chairs Marc and Charlotte Hebert and Lori and Kevin Frischhertz

Steve and Dana Hansel

The Walt Disney Studio crew. Front row: Susan Rogers, Monica Lago-Kaytis, Tami Clements, Jane Del Vecho, Nancy Lasseter, Gale Musker, Grace MacDougall, Shanda Williamson, Ann Le Cam, Ian Gooding, Joseph Hamilton.

Back Row: Doug Rogers, Andrew Millstein, Ron Clements, Peter Del Vecho, John Lasseter, John Musker, Tom MacDougall

Odyssey Ball gratefully acknowledges the following: THE ODYSSEY BALL underwritten by the Lupin Foundation 2009 Patrons The Princess and the Frog Frischhertz Electric Company Goldring Family Foundation John Burton Harter Charitable Foundation Morris G. and Paula L. Maher Foundation Jolie and Robert Shelton Walt Disney Company The Little Mermaid Dorsey & Company Inc. Entergy New Orleans Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Garvey HRI Properties Iberia Bank Gloria S. Kabacoff Herb and Maija Kaufman Lexus of New Orleans Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Patrick Bertie Deming Smith Phyllis Taylor Dr. and Mrs. R. Dean Yount Snow White A Friend of NOMA E. John Bullard III Mr. and Mrs. Frank M. Caponetto Charlotte and Marc Hebert Subhash and Neela Kulkarni Mr. and Mrs. Charles Buck Mayer

Diane and Hughes Walmsley

Kay McArdle Mr. David and Dr. Pillie Morrison Mr. and Mrs. William D. Norman, Jr. Howard and Joy Osofsky Mr. and Mrs. James J. Reiss, Jr. Diane and Hughes Walmsley Mrs. Joel Weinstock Sleeping Beauty Mr. and Mrs. Morris Bart Sydney and Walda Besthoff Boes Iron Works Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Ralph O. Brennan Dr. Mark Carbon and Mr. Claus Grassel Edgar and Alva Chase Chevron Dr. and Mrs. Isidore Cohn, Jr. Marie Louise de la Vergne Eskew + Dumez + Ripple Kay and Tim Favrot Ashley and Tim Francis Julie and Ted George JoAnn Flom Greenberg Susan and Jimmy Gundlach Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Hansel Steve and Honorable Karen Herman Mr. and Mrs. Fred Heebe Mr. and Mrs. Hunter Pierson, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Reese Regions Bank Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Reily Francoise B. Richardson Mandy and Clint Romig Brian Schneider Co. Jacki and Brian Schneider Simon, Peragine, Smith and Redfearn, LLP Sherry and Charles Snyder

Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Stahel Dr. and Mrs. Richard L. Strub Mr. and Mrs. James Lyle Taylor Janis van Meerveld and Charles Cerise Mrs. Henry H. Weldon

Emily Frischhertz as Cinderella, running out at the stroke of midnight

***Cinderella Patrons listed below missed the Odyssey Ball Program deadline*** Lee Alexander and Peggy Thompson Sarah Bordelon Susan and Ronald Carazo Mr. Leonard J. Cline Mr. Alan Cutler and Ms. Eileen Day Mr. and Mrs. Donald P. Mitchell Carlos Muniz Marguerite and David Salley Neal Auction Craig Waugaman Alva and Edgar Chase

Left to right: John and Gail Bertuzzi, Ashley and Tim Francis

ARTS QUARTERLY

23

Art in Bloom: A Green Orleans

BY VIRGINIA PANNO NVC Reporter

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he Twenty-Second Annual Art in Bloom will be held March 24-28, 2010 at the New Orleans Museum of Art with the environmental theme, “A Green Orleans.”

This joint project of the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Garden Study Club of New Orleans showcases selected paintings throughout the Museum, and interprets them in floral fantasies by guest designers. NOMA’s Karen Gundlach and Elly Lane of the Garden Study Club are the co-chairs of this eco-friendly springtime event.

Featured categories of Art in Bloom 2010 include: Garden Clubs, Artists, Exterior and Creative Designers, Bonsai/Ikebana, Professional Designers and Young Artists. Among those participating in the 2010 Movers and Shakers category will be: Edible Schoolyard NOLA (the Samuel J. Green Charter School), South Coast Solar, Global Green, and Groundwork New Orleans, in keeping with the green theme.

Proceeds from Art in Bloom benefit educational projects and exhibitions at NOMA and the many community projects of the Garden Study Club, including the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, City Park’s Botanical Gardens, the Beauregard-Keyes House and Garden, and the Project Lazarus House Garden.

The five-day A Green Orleans celebration kicks off with the Patron and Preview Party on Wednesday, March 24. Party Chairs Leah Englehardt, Leila Gamard, Lise Kuhn, Frances Fayard, and Sallee Benjamin are hard at work planning a spectacular opening night. Auction Chairs Elaine Gleason, Fifi Laughlin, Lander Dunbar, and Murphy Dunn report that guest artist Nicole Charbonnet has created a painting exclusively for Art in Bloom. The work will grace the invitation’s cover and will be the featured item at the live auction to take place at the preview party. Over one thousand guests are expected to be in attendance.

On Thursday, March 25, Speakers Chairs Catherine Favrot and Gwathmey Gomila are pleased to announce a stellar lineup of speakers for the annual lecture series.

Starting off the morning will be the New Orleans design

Nicole Charbonnet, For Eugenie (After Durer No. 7), 60x60 in.

The painting will be part of the live auction at the Art in Bloom Patron and Preview Party.

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team from Spruce Eco-Studio doing a “Green Intervention.” The team will offer timely hints for living green and incorporating eco-friendly practices into our homes and lifestyles.

The featured speaker at the second Thursday lecture will be Remco Van Vliet of Van Vliet and Trap, an event design company in New York. A third generation floral designer from Holland, Van Vliet and his brother Cas Trap worked for their father’s floral design company, which listed the Dutch Royal Family as one of its many high-profile clients.

Van Vliet came to New York in 1994 to work with his brother at Dutch Flower Line, one of New York’s most reputable flower importing companies. In 1997, Van Vliet and Trap was formed. Today Remco Van Vliet is the preferred floral designer for some of the most prestigious art institutions in New York City. He is the successor of legendary Metropolitan Museum of Art event designer Chris Giftos, a past Art in Bloom speaker. Van Vliet personally designs and arranges the grand arrangements in the Met’s Great Hall. Purchase your tickets early as a sell-out audience is expected to witness this uniquely talented master florist in action!

On Thursday afternoon, Susan Wormser, Anne Redd, and Jenny Williamson are planning a fabulous luncheon at the Pavilion of the Two Sisters in City Park. Saks Fifth Avenue returns to unveil the latest fashions.

“The Garden Study Club is delighted to present A Green Orleans,” enthuses Chairman Elly Lane. “This year's theme is a very fitting one for us. Over the years, we have made significant donations and have been recognized nationally in the fields of horticulture, civic improvement, and, most importantly, conservation. The club's primary goal is to protect and preserve the community’s natural resources. We are excited about Art in Bloom 2010 because it is truly what we are about.”

Art in Bloom will remain on view at the New Orleans Museum of Art through Sunday, March 28, 2010. For ticket information, visit www.noma.org or call the NVC office at (504) 658-4121. n

Art in Bloom speaker Remco Van Vliet

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

From NOMA to the North Shore

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he New Orleans Museum of Art has a special new membership group just for residents of St. Tammany Parish. NOMANS—New Orleans Museum of Art on the North Shore—have the opportunity to attend exhibitions and special events just for North Shore members, including many right in their own backyards.

As part of this initiative, each issue of Arts Quarterly will highlight upcoming exhibitions and events at partner North Shore arts organizations. Check back each quarter for an update on North Shore activities and in-depth articles on participating arts groups.

*All events are held at the organization address listed unless otherwise noted.*

Fish and Wildlife Headquarters, 61389 Hwy. 434, Lacombe.

A culminating artists’ reception and awards presentation will be held from 3-5 p.m. on March 21.

Sixty-five participating artists will display and sell their artwork. In addition, guests can tour the grounds of the headquarters, located on the wild and scenic Bayou Lacombe, and explore the new visitors center.

BAYOU LACOMBE ART CENTER 30414 Hwy. 190, Lacombe Saturday, March 6, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.: Workshop Featuring Lacombe Cultural Artisan Peter Cousin Peter Cousin will display his Choctaw Indian artwork and share his knowledge on traditions such as La Toussaint, the traditional French Louisiana ritual honoring the dead on All Saints Day. He will also share stories of his family's history dating back to 1700. In 2003, Mr. Cousin was designated by proclamation as a Heritage Keeper and was charged with the duty of sharing yesterday's oral history with the people of today. Many of his stories come from his childhood growing up as a Choctaw and Creole in the Lacombe area. Mr. Cousin will share his craft of making his own filé with sassafras leaves from a tree in his yard. He will also share the craftwork of his Native American heritage and its lore by demonstrating how he makes replicas of palmetto mosquito whisks and the pine tapers that were once used as torches.

Saturday, March 20, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, March 21, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Art in the Refuge, Members’ Annual Art Exhibit The Bayou Lacombe Art Center will hold their annual Members’ Art Exhibit, titled Art in the Refuge, at the U.S.

Francie Rich & John Hodge Exhibition

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LOUISIANA WATERCOLOR SOCIETY Sunday, March 7, 2-4 p.m.: Capitol Waters: Art at the Archives Opening Reception for Member Show. The exhibition will be on view March 1-30 at the Louisiana State Archives, 3851 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge. For more information, contact Jane Brown, President, (985) 7271105 or view the LWS website at: www.lwsart.org.

ST. TAMMANY ART ASSOCIATION 320 North Columbia St., Covington Saturday, January 9, 7-10 p.m.: Francie Rich & John Hodge Exhibition Opening Reception. The show, which runs through February 24, will feature gold leaf portraits by Francie Rich and pottery and mixed-media objects by John Hodge.

Saturday, March 13, 7-10 p.m.: Geaux Arts Ball Geaux Arts Ball is a live art exhibition featuring master paintings re-created by local high school art students and performed by high school drama students. Explore the “Hidden Symbolism in Art!” Join us for live music, food catered by Spii Glass Catering, an open bar, and a silent auction featuring artwork by local artists and other items. n

Lacombe Cultural Artisan Peter Cousin

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The Sydney and Walda Besthoff

Sculpture Garden Besthoff Sculpture Garden To Reopen

BY PAMELA BUCKMAN Sculpture Garden Manager

Photographs by Karl Oelkers

U

nder the leadership of NOMA Director John Bullard, the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden will soon be back to its original state as an oasis in City Park surrounded by art. After closing down the Sculpture Garden to the public in August of 2009 for major repairs as a result of Hurricane Katrina, we are anticipating substantial completion of the Hurricane Katrina Repair Project in late February 2010. The tentative formal reopening of the Sculpture Garden will be celebrated Saturday, March 20, 2010, with a special event to include a blessing and re-dedication as well as a full program of entertainment.

Four short months after New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, the Sculpture Garden reopened to the public in December 2005. This major effort would not have been possible without the direction of Jackie Sullivan, Deputy Director of the New Orleans Museum of Art. Her dedication, along with that of the Oregon National Guard and many NOMA volunteers’ hard work to cut up damaged trees, remove debris, and generally clean up, made it possible for the Sculpture Garden to open and provide a place of peace and respite for the recovering population of our city. The Sculpture Garden was the first museum site to reopen in the City of New Orleans after the storm. Jackie’s tireless efforts to maintain the integrity of the site were recognized with the awarding of a $250,000 Conservation Grant from the Getty Foundation for Live Oak tree restoration work as well as the addition of trees and

shrubs in flood-damaged areas of the Sculpture Garden.

Since the original opening of the Sculpture Garden in 2003, garden maintenance has been provided by volunteers from the general community, school groups, AmeriCorps, and visitors to New Orleans from around the country. Since the summer of 2008, we have been fortunate to have assistance from two wonderful community partners: White Dove Landscape Company of Covenant House of New Orleans and the Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff Marlin Gusman’s Community Service Program.

Covenant House has more than twenty years experience in providing shelter, education, training, and other employment services to youth between the ages of 16 and 24. The White Dove Company utilizes our Sculpture Garden to provide experiential employment training. Inmates from Sheriff Gusman’s program gain meaningful experiences in the garden and provide an excellent labor force. Everyone benefits from these opportunities.

After four years of persistent effort, the Museum and the city were finally able to convince FEMA to approve $2.7 million dollars for repair work to restore the Sculpture Garden to its former status, as it appeared before Hurricane Katrina. The monumental efforts of David Becnel, City of New Orleans Capital Projects Administrator, Bill Chrisman, Director of Capital Projects, and Cynthia Sylvain-Lear, Assistant CAO, paved the way for the project. During the summer of 2008, the City of New Orleans named Perez, A Professional Corporation,

LA Tree Co.: Shad Sona, Lamar Lucas, Lamar Heisser, James Williams, Jose Gordillo, Ed Avila

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Paul Gagliano, Louisiana Landscape Specialty, Inc., Project Supervisor

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

Ed Huxon, John Deeves, Frischhertz Electric Crew, by water feature

Herman “Tico” Alvarez Solano, Louisiana Landscape Specialty, Inc., pressure washing by entrance

Karri Maggio, Perez Project Manager

Forrante Gibson and Zachary Huhner, Louisiana Landscape Specialty, Inc., Irrigation Crew

David Becnel, City of New Orleans Capital Projects Administrator, and Sydney Besthoff, NOMA Trustee

as architects for the project. Under the leadership of Karri Maggio, Project Manager for Perez, Jackie Sullivan, and Stewart Farnet, Chairman of the Building and Grounds Committee, NOMA Board of Trustees, designs, plans, and specifications were developed to put the project out for public bid during the spring of 2009.

Let us also recognize the constant involvement and guidance of Sculpture Garden benefactors Sydney and Walda Besthoff. During the period since Hurricane Katrina, the Sculpture Garden has been the beneficiary of several new sculptures that you must see when we reopen this spring. Aristide Maillol’s Venus Without Arms, Luciano Fabro’s The Day Weights on My Night, V, Leslie Dill’s Standing Man with Radiating Words, Giacomo Manzu’s Large Seated Cardinal, and Jaume Plensa’s Overflow were supported by the Besthoff’s funds. George Rodrigue’s We Stand Together and Leandro Erlich’s Window and Ladder—Too Late for Help were supported

by NOMA funds. Mr. Besthoff has been actively involved in the bi-weekly review meetings with consultants and contractors that are happening during the repair process.

Louisiana Landscape Specialty, Inc. was awarded the bid of the FEMA-funded repairs to restore the Sculpture Garden to its former beauty and functioning. The scope of the work includes repairs to the irrigation and lighting systems. All the electrical wiring has been replaced in the existing conduit and the flooded transformers have been rebuilt. Damaged walkway pavers have been repaired to allow safe passage throughout the Sculpture Garden. The lagoon banks have been reinforced against future erosion with the addition of stones in erosion material and the planting of Louisiana Irises. The Volunteer and Restroom Pavilions have been refurbished with new roofing,

interior painting, and exterior pressure washing. The entire walking path and all cast stone structures have been cleaned as well as all bronze and stainless work on the bridges and handrails.

The Garden Study Club of New Orleans has generously donated a $10,000 gift towards the planting of colorful shrubs that were not funded by the FEMA project. You will see the addition of camellias and sasanquas to the original camellia gardens located in the Pine Grove. We will also be able to replace the wonderful mondo grass that surrounded Claes Oldenburg’s Safety Pin, Rona Pondick’s Monkeys, and Arnaldo Pomodoro’s Una Battaglia.

In conjunction with the Spring Garden Show at the City Park Botanical Garden scheduled for April 10-11, 2010, there are plans to celebrate the Louisiana Iris with the Annual Louisiana Iris Show, sponsored by the Greater New Orleans Iris Society and the Acadiana Chapter of the Society for Louisiana Irises. Look for updates about this activity on our website, www.noma.org, and in future publications.

In order to maintain the beauty of this magnificent Sculpture Garden, we will be creating a regular workforce of volunteers from the community, both young and mature, male and female. There are tasks for every skill set as well as the inexperienced!

With the reopening of the Sculpture Garden, there will be many exciting events for NOMA membership and the general community. As always, the Sculpture Garden is free to the public and open the same hours as NOMA. The future also holds plans to extend the rear side of the Sculpture Garden to meet the fabulous Great Lawn of City Park. n

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NOMA Notables

BY SUSAN HAYNE Human Resources Manager

Photographs by Judy Cooper

Staff Honors and Awards

O

ur own Jackie Sullivan, Deputy Director of NOMA, was honored by Family Service of Greater New Orleans on Wednesday, October 23, at a gala at the Botanical Gardens in City Park. The agency has provided support and assistance to New Orleans families for more than a century. Since its humble beginnings in 1896 as the Charity Organization Society, Family Service of Greater New Orleans has reached out to the community in creative ways, providing counseling for young mothers, those caught in a web of substance abuse, worried job seekers, former prisoners, single parents, and troubled veterans. The organization also assists employers in offering counseling services to their work forces.

Jackie has worked for NOMA for more than thirtyseven years, seeing it through many phases. From asbestos removal to expansion, Odyssey Balls to Art in Bloom galas, she has been front and center. She was instrumental in bringing the Museum back from the brink of near-destruction after Katrina and has exceeded the call of duty time and time again, caring for sick volunteers and many others. Her deep love for NOMA has driven her efforts to make the Museum a great place for everyone to enjoy.

Lisa Rotondo-McCord, Assistant Director for Art and Curator of Asian Art at NOMA, was one of twelve outstanding curators from art institutions across the United States chosen to participate in the 2010 fellowship program of the Center for Curatorial Leadership (CCL), a non-profit organization that trains curators for leadership positions.

Selected through a rigorous application process by a panel of leading museum directors, the Class of 2010 will begin the program on January 4 with instruction from the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University as well as top museum directors, administrators, and trustees from around the country.

Another one of our own, Miranda Lash, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, was featured in New Orleans Magazine’s annual “People to Watch” issue this past September. The recent show Skylar Fein: Youth

Jackie Sullivan

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Manifesto is just one example of Miranda’s hard work to bring compelling art to NOMA. Miranda’s next curatorial undertaking, Parallel Universe, will feature musician Quintron and performance artist Miss Pussycat and opens January 29, 2010.

New Hires Five important hires have taken place in the past few months. John d’Addario recently joined the NOMA staff as Associate Curator for Education. John received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Yale University and a Master’s degree in Art History from Columbia University. He has worked in the Education Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art coordinating all aspects of museum-based teacher programs for K-12.

John formerly worked in advertising, including online and interactive advertising and marketing. He has completed special projects for CNN and worked as a freelance photographer, writer, and interactive producer for clients such as Gambit Weekly, NOCCA, and the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. This past year, John was the Docent Coordinator for Prospect New Orleans, where he worked closely with guest curators to devise and implement docent training materials for public and private tours. In his spare time, John is an instructor at the University Of New Orleans, where he teaches the Introduction to Visual Arts core class to graduate students for the Department of Arts Administration.

Rounding out the Education Department, Sophie Hirabayashi joined the staff as Education Department Assistant. Sophie jumped right into her new responsibilities, working the phones to schedule school tours for the Disney exhibition as though she had been doing it for years. A graduate of Vassar College, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Art History, Sophie took a job in Paris after graduation with the communication department at the International Transport Forum, a branch of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The art world is not new to her, as both of her parents are well-known conservators. We are glad to have her as part of the NOMA family.

Lisa Rotondo-McCord

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

Another hire was made just for the Disney exhibition. We needed an overall supervisor to coordinate the numerous activities and staff associated with the show. Rebecca Thomason fit the bill perfectly, joining us after moving to New Orleans from Memphis, Tennessee and living here for less than a week. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Graphic Design from Mississippi State University and a Master’s in Visual Arts Management from Columbia College, Chicago. Among her duties, Rebecca ensures our new Disney staff—including two auditory supervisors, ten security attendants, and three cashiers— are well-informed and on-task. Her energy, organization, and work ethic have helped the exhibition run smoothly.

William “Ty” Smithweck joined NOMA as the new Comptroller in mid-December. He graduated from the University of Alabama in Accounting and is a certified public accountant. Most recently, Ty worked as the Business and Finance Manager for the Explore Center, a nationally recognized interactive science center in Mobile, Alabama. An integral part of the team that brought blockbuster exhibitions such as Mummy: The Inside Story and Our Body: The Universe Within to the Center, Ty developed business plans and budgets for the exhibitions. He was also responsible for all accounting functions, staffing, and customer service, as well as the

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maintenance of the 55,000-square-foot building.

Previously, Ty was employed by a health care firm as comptroller and served on the audit staff of a CPA firm.

He brings a wealth of knowledge and energy to the NOMA position.

We recently bid a fond farewell to Jim Mulvihill, NOMA’s former Director of Communications and Marketing, who is now working down the street at the Fairgrounds. Human Resources received over two hundred resumes for the position. Based on several great recommendations and her knowledge of the industry, we hired Grace Wilson. Grace graduated from Loyola University-New Orleans with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Public Relations in 2004 and comes to us from the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, where she was the Public Relations Manager. She previously worked for the State of Louisiana’s Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism as a Press and Communications Assistant.

Grace hit the ground running with a press conference for the opening of the Disney exhibition which was attended by more than sixty-six members of the media and tourism industry officials. She is a tireless worker and very involved in the New Orleans art scene.

Her enthusiasm and drive will help keep NOMA at the top. n

Miranda Lash

Sophie Hirabayashi

John d’Addario

Rebecca Thomason

Grace Wilson

Ty Smithweck

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NOMA’s Education Department: Helping Dreams Come True

BY ALICE YELEN Assistant Director for Education and

JOHN d’ADDARIO Associate Curator of Education

Photographs by Judy Cooper

I

f you’ve heard the rousing opening number from Disney’s new animated film, The Princess and the Frog, and are wondering whether dreams really do come true in New Orleans, all you have to do is stop by the New Orleans Museum of Art around mid-morning any Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. That’s when the first buses start pulling up to the front steps— from schools as far away as Monroe and Lafayette and as close as the other side of Bayou St. John—to drop off students for field trips to NOMA’s landmark exhibition, Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio. Watch the excitement in a secondgrader's eyes as she steps beneath the giant banners of Snow White and Princess Tiana that grace the entryway.

Walk through the galleries and see how the faces of a kindergarten class light up as a Museum docent shows them the original, three-dimensional animation models used to create Ariel from The Little Mermaid and Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Clearly, there’s some kind of magic happening in City Park these days.

Such dreams might have seemed improbable just a few short years ago, when the Museum’s staff and docent team were drastically reduced in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. However, thanks to the ongoing efforts of the current Education Department—including Assistant Director for Education Alice Yelen, Associate Curator for Education John d’Addario, Art Therapist Holly Wherry, and Education Assistant Sophie Hirabayashi—the Museum's educational mission of serving students, teachers, families, and members of the community at large is well on its way to being stronger than ever.

At the heart of that mission is the Museum’s dedicated team of docents. For Dreams Come True, 18 special exhibition docents recruited specifically for school tours have joined the 46 current active docents and 32 members of the 2009-2010 docents-in-training class. As of mid-December 2009, these docents had

already conducted Disney tours for thousands of K-3 students from the New Orleans area and beyond, with several thousand more scheduled for the coming months.

Over the course of the exhibition, generous support from the Walt Disney Studio will enable NOMA to offer a total of 12,000 public school students from Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, and St. Bernard parishes free admission and subsidized bus transportation to explore the art of Disney classics such as Snow White and Sleeping Beauty (not to mention soon-to-be-classics like the brand new The Princess and the Frog!). At the same time, dozens of private and parochial schools from across Louisiana and the Gulf South have also booked visits to the Museum to learn the significance of Walt Disney’s contribution to the uniquely American art form of animation. (Teachers may contact the Education Department at 504-658-4100 to check on the availability of remaining tour slots or to book a visit to Dreams Come True.)

In preparing the docents to conduct these tours, the Education Department couldn't have dreamt of a better team to lead its docent and educator training sessions this semester. In October and November, several comprehensive training workshops were held in which Disney’s own Lella Smith (Creative Director, Walt Disney Animation Research Library and Curator of Dreams Come True) and Melinda Johnson (Creative Consultant to Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment & Disney Educational Productions and Writer of the Dreams Come True Educator Guide, in conjunction with NOMA’s Education Department) joined Alice Yelen and John d’Addario to teach docents and educators all about the Dreams Come True exhibition. Topics for these workshops included the life and art of Walt Disney; the history of fairy tales; and an in-depth look at the process of creating an animated film. The Education Department also included segments on touring techniques and

NOMA docent Fran Lake introduces characters from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog to students from the Louise S. McGehee School

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NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

NOMA docent Pamela Rogers discusses the art of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty with students from Einstein Charter School

adapting information for different grade levels and curriculum requirements.

Much of the material presented at these workshops will carry over to the docents’ work as they prepare to resume tours of the NOMA permanent collection and other special exhibitions next spring. In January, the Education Department will begin reintroducing docents to the NOMA masterpieces that have recently been reinstalled following their post-Katrina tour of art institutions around the country. Later this spring, the department will hold several training sessions devoted to the special exhibition Beyond the Blues: Reflections of African America in the Fine Arts Collection of the Amistad Research Center.

To bring Dreams Come True into the classroom, nearly 200 teachers from schools all over the New Orleans metropolitan area attended a series of educator workshops at the Museum this fall. These sessions offered insightful perspectives on how classic fairy tales were transformed from written stories into modern animated parables by Walt Disney and his team of animators, and how the combination of memorable characters and “happily ever after” endings have become an important and enduring part of American popular culture over the past seventy years.

To further enhance students’ understanding and appreciation of the Dreams Come True exhibition, Disney Research Library educators and NOMA Education

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Department staff have developed a series of online and in-class resources to offer educators hands-on activities, lesson plans, and other materials designed to supplement core classroom curriculum. These materials have been developed in accordance with national teaching standards for all grade levels and include units on art, literature and storytelling, film, music, science, theatre, performing arts, and animation.

To complement the visual joys of this outstanding exhibition, the Education Department—with support from Jazz at Lincoln Center and Brian Ratner—will present a series of jazz music performances in NOMA's Great Hall. Featuring talented young New Orleans musicians, the series celebrates music as an important aspect of Disney storytelling at the same time that it champions the unique culture of our city ... where dreams do indeed come true every day. n Remaining tour slots can still be secured by calling NOMA’s Education Department at 504-658-4100. Please check NOMA’s website, www.noma.org, for updates on Jazz at Lincoln Center.

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Ralph Brennan Reopens Courtyard Café at NOMA

BY GRACE WILSON Director of Communications and Marketing Photographs by Judy Cooper

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I

n mid-November, the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group reopened the “Courtyard Café” for the first time since Hurricane Katrina as part of a fourmonth partnership with the New Orleans Museum of Art. The opening coincided with the Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio exhibition showing at NOMA through March 14, 2010. The 72-seat Courtyard Café offers food with a view, serving breakfast, lunch, and snack items during regular NOMA business hours of Wednesday, noon-8 p.m., and Thursday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

“We were thrilled to learn about the Disney exhibit at NOMA and flattered to be invited by NOMA to provide foodservice to the estimated 80,000 attendees of this blockbuster show,” said Ralph Brennan, owner of the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group. “The Café’s floor-toceiling picture windows and spectacular view of the live oaks, magnolia trees, and lagoons of City Park offer art fanatics the opportunity to relax and enjoy delicious food. We are proud to provide our snack, breakfast, and lunch items to them.”

NOMA approached the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group for this partnership not only due to their culinary prowess, but also for their experience with the Disney brand. For the last nine years, the Ralph Brennan

Restaurant Group has worked with the Walt Disney Company as an operating participant at the Disneyland® Resort in Southern California with its restaurant Jazz Kitchen which includes an adjacent quick service Jazz Kitchen Express. The group also includes French Quarter restaurants BACCO and Red Fish Grill as well as Ralph’s on the Park in Mid-City New Orleans.

“We are pleased to have one of New Orleans’ finest restaurateurs bring life back to our Courtyard Café,” said E. John Bullard, Director of the New Orleans Museum of Art. “The Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group is a great neighbor to City Park and the Museum, as well as a Disney affiliate. The partnership is a natural fit.”

Courtyard Café menu standouts include: turtle soup

by Ralph’s on the Park; alligator sausage and seafood gumbo by Red Fish Grill; roasted Gulf shrimp salad with lemon parmesan dressing by Bacco; turkey club sandwich with tarragon-dijon on sourdough; and a vegetable focaccia of grilled squash, zucchini, baby greens, tomatoes, avocado and rosemary aioli. A kid’s “Prince and Princess” menu includes peanut butter and jelly rolls and grilled cheese on Texas toast.

Starting January 6, children under 12 can receive free hot chocolate every Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. n

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

A Look Inside Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio On view through March 14, 2010 Photographs by Judy Cooper

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Circles and Fellows of the New Orleans Museum of Art

Mr. and Mrs. Peter R. Monrose, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Patrick Dr. and Mrs. James F. Pierce Mr. and Mrs. George Rodrigue Ms. Debra B. Shriver Mrs. Margaret B. Soniat and Mr. Joel J. Soniat Dr. and Mrs. Richard L. Strub Mr. and Mrs. St. Denis J. Villere

T

PATRON’S CIRCLE

he two most prestigious levels of annual giving in support of the New Orleans Museum of Art are the Circles and the Fellows. We invite you to consider upgrading your support of NOMA and joining the following Circles and Fellows. For information, please call 504-658-4107.

n

Circles CIRCLES

ircles

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE

Mrs. Jack R. Aron Mr. and Mrs. Sydney J. Besthoff III The Booth-Bricker Fund Mr. and Mrs. Ralph O. Brennan Collins C. Diboll Private Foundation Mr. and Mrs. David F. Edwards Mr. and Mrs. S. Stewart Farnet Dr. and Mrs. Ludovico S. Feoli Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Hansel Ms. Adrea D. Heebe and Mr. Dominick A. Russo, Jr. Helis Foundation Mr. Jerry Heymann Heymann-Wolf Foundation Mrs. Killian L. Huger, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. David A. Kerstein Mr. Paul J. Leaman, Jr. Mrs. Paula L. Maher Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Mayer Mrs. Robert Nims Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Reily, Jr. Mrs. Françoise B. Richardson Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin M. Rosen Mr. and Mrs. Robert Shelton Mrs. Patrick F. Taylor Zemurray Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. William D. Aaron, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Wayne F. Amedee Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Boh Mr. E. John Bullard III Mr. and Mrs. Mark Carey Mr. and Mrs. William K. Christovich Dr. and Mrs. Isidore Cohn, Jr. Mr. Leonard A. Davis Mr. and Mrs. Prescott N. Dunbar Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Favrot, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Francis Mr. Richard W. Freeman, Jr. Mrs. Sandra D. Freeman Mr. and Mrs. James J. Frischhertz Mr. and Mrs. Edward N. George Mrs. John D. Guthrie Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Heebe Ms. Allison Kendrick Mr. Henry M. Lambert and Mr. R. Carey Bond Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Lemann Dr. Edward D. Levy, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. J. Thomas Lewis Dr. and Mrs. E. Ralph Lupin Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Masinter Mr. Edward C. Mathes Ms. Kay McArdle Mr. and Mrs. R. King Milling Mrs. Ellis Mintz Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Moffitt Robert and Myrtis Nims Foundation Dr. Howard and Dr. Joy D. Osofsky Mr. and Mrs. R. Hunter Pierson, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. James J. Reiss, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Edward F. Renwick Mr. and Mrs. R. Randolph Richmond, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Brian A. Schneider Mr. and Mrs. Edward Shearer Mr. and Mrs. Lynes R. Sloss Mr. and Mrs. Bruce L. Soltis Mrs. Frederick M. Stafford Mrs. Harold H. Stream, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. James L. Taylor Mrs. John N. Weinstock Mrs. Henry H. Weldon Mr. and Mrs. Louis A. Wilson, Jr.

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. F. Macnaughton Ball, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. John D. Bertuzzi Ms. Tina Freeman and Mr. Philip Woollam Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence D. Garvey Mrs. Harry Greenberg Mrs. Charles W. Ireland Mr. and Mrs. Erik F. Johnsen

34

FELLOWS Mr. John Abajian and Mr. Scott R. Simmons Mrs. Adele L. Adatto Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth N. Adatto Mrs. Jimi Andersen Mrs. Jack R. Anderson

Mrs. H. W. Bailey Mr. and Mrs. William F. Banta Mrs. Howard T. Barnett Ms. Roberta P. Bartee Mr. and Mrs. Beauregard L. Bassich Mr. Robert M. Becnel and Ms. Diane K. Zink Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Benjamin, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. W. Mente Benjamin Mr. and Mrs. Dorian M. Bennett Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. Berenson Mrs. Marian Mayer Berkett Ms. Virginia Besthoff and Ms. Nancy Aronson Dr. Siddharth K. Bhansali Mr. and Mrs. Donald T. Bollinger Mrs. Jane Bories and Mr. Sam Corenswet Ms. Jean M. Bragg Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Brenner Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Bright, Jr. Mrs. Betty Graves Brown Mrs. B. Temple Brown, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Perry S. Brown Mr. and Mrs. William D. Brown Judge and Mrs. Christopher Bruno Mr. Fred Riddlemeyer and Ms. Debra Bryant Ms. Pamela R. Burck Mr. Harold H. Burns Mr. and Mrs. Joseph C. Canizaro Mr. and Mrs. Carlo Capomazza di Campolattaro Mr. James Carville and Ms. Mary Matalin Dr. and Mrs. Edgar L. Chase III Mr. and Mrs. William J. Chaucer, Jr. Dr. Victor P. Chisesi Mr. Stephen W. Clayton Mr. and Mrs. John Clemmer Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Coleman Mr. Barry J. Cooper and Mr. Stuart H. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Camille A. Cutrone Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Davis III John W. Deming and Bertie Murphy Deming Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Con G. Demmas Drs. Raja W. and Nina Dhurandhar Mrs. Albert S. Dittmann, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Clancy DuBos Dr. Clayton B. Edisen Dr. and Mrs. John Ollie Edmunds, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Epstein, Jr. Mrs. Eleanor T. Farnsworth Dr. and Mrs. K. Barton Farris Mr. and Mrs. D. Blair Favrot Mr. and Mrs. Edward Feinman Ms. Natalie Fielding Mrs. Julia Fishelson Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Fox Mr. and Mrs. Louis M. Freeman Mr. and Mrs. Richard S. Friedman Mr. and Mrs. Louis L. Frierson Mrs. Anne Gauthier Dr. and Mrs. Charles F. Genre Mrs. Dennis A. Georges Dr. Kurt Gitter and Mrs. Alice Rae Yelen Mrs. Luba B. Glade Mr. Roy A. Glapion Mrs. Louis A. Glazer Mr. and Mrs. Mason Granger Ms. Susan Talley and Mr. James C. Gulotta, Jr.

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

Mr. and Mrs. James O. Gundlach Mr. and Mrs. John W. Hall Mrs. H. Lloyd Hawkins, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. Heller Mr. and Mrs. Theo M. Heller Mrs. S. Herbert Hirsch Mrs. William H. Hodges Joan Von Kurnatowski Hooper and Julian Feibelman Mr. and Mrs. John C. Hope III Mr. Harry T. Howard III Mr. and Mrs. Arthur W. Huguley III Mr. Alex T. Hunt, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Marvin L. Jacobs Mr. and Mrs. Harold B. Judell Mrs. Arthur L. Jung, Jr. Mrs. Gloria S. Kabacoff Mrs. Morris Klinger Mr. and Mrs. John E. Koerner III Mr. and Mrs. John P. Laborde Dr. and Mrs. W. Wayne Lake, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Lane III Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Lapeyre, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. John H. Lawrence Rita Benson LeBlanc Mr. Victor C. Leglise, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Frank L. Levy Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Logan Mrs. Russell Long Dr. Cris Mandry Ms. Kathleen Manning Mr. and Mrs. Stephen D. Manshel Mr. and Mrs. Adam B. Marcus Mrs. Walter F. Marcus, Jr. Mrs. Shirley R. Masinter Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Mason

Join the Circles and Upgrade Your Support of NOMA

T

he Board of Trustees of the New Orleans Museum of Art cordially invites you to upgrade your support and become a member of the Patron’s Circle, Director’s Circle or President’s Circle.

These categories, our most prestigious levels of annual giving, are comprised of individuals who contribute $5,000, $10,000 or $20,000 each year in unrestricted funds.

NOMA is pleased to extend unique privileges including Fellows and Collector’s Society memberships to those who demonstrate their commitment at these levels. We are most grateful for your generous and continuing support.

ARTS QUARTERLY

Mr. and Mrs. John McCollam Mr. and Mrs. William McCollam, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Alvin S. Merlin Mr. and Mrs. Albert Mintz Mrs. Bernard D. Mintz Mr. and Mrs. Donald P. Mitchell Mrs. Louise Moffett Ms. Stephany S. Monteleone Mrs. George R. Montgomery Dr. and Mrs. Lee Roy Morgan, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Walter Morton Mrs. Andrée Moss Dr. and Mrs. Bert Myers Mrs. Elizabeth S. Nalty Mr. Max Nathan, Jr. Mrs. Isidore Newman II Mr. and Mrs. John B. Noland Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Norman, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. John L. Ochsner Mr. Roger H. Ogden Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. O’Krepki Dr. Sanford L. Pailet Mr. and Mrs. Norvin L. Pellerin Mrs. Ben J. Phillips Mr. and Mrs. Dick H. Piner, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Arthur C. Pulitzer Mr. and Mrs. Leon H. Rittenberg Mr. and Mrs. James C. Roddy Mr. Andre Rodrigue Mr. Jacques Rodrigue Mr. Arthur Roger Mrs. Carol H. Rosen Mr. and Mrs. Paul S. Rosenblum, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Louie J. Roussel III Mr. and Mrs. Hallam L. Ruark Mrs. Basil J. Rusovich, Jr.

President’s Circle Director’s Circle Patron’s Circle

$20,000 $10,000 $5,000

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES, PLUS: • Free admission to the Museum and Sculpture Garden at all times • Reciprocal membership in major art museums across the U.S. and Canada • Complimentary membership in NOMA’s Fellows and Collector’s Society • All Members’ Previews of special exhibitions • An opportunity to have a private tour with the director or curator of a collection or special exhibition • A special reception in a private collector’s home

Ms. Nadine C. Russell Miss Courtney-Anne Sarpy Mr. and Mrs. Richard Schornstein, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Selber, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. William H. Shane, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Lester Shapiro Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Siegel Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. Simmons Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Simmons Dr. and Mrs. Julian H. Sims Mrs. Evald L. Skau Mrs. Joe D. Smith, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Rodney R. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Snyder Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Stahel Mrs. Mary E. Stern Ms. Anne Reily Sutherlin Ms. Jude Swenson Dr. Nia K. Terezakis Ms. Catherine Burns Tremaine Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Van der Linden Mr. and Mrs. George G. Villere Mr. John E. Wade II Mr. and Mrs. R. Preston Wailes Dr. and Mrs. Cedric Walker Mr. Albert J. Ward, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Robert G. Weilbaecher Ambassador and Mrs. John G. Weinmann Mrs. Karolyn Kuntz Westervelt Mrs. Donald L. White Mrs. Nan S. Wier Mr. Robert J. A. Williams and Mrs. Norris Williams Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Young, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Young

• Invitations to attend behind-thescenes events with Museum curators • Advance announcements for special travel programs • Annual listing on Donor Wall as a member of the Circle group • Special recognition in Arts Quarterly _________________________________ These circles recognize cumulative giving in a calendar year, restricted to gifts of Annual Appeal and membership dues. Contributions to capital projects and special events do not apply. _________________________________ For further information on NOMA’s Circles, please call 504-658-4107. n

35

CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP

W

e are deeply grateful to the following member firms whose investment in the Museum makes it possible for NOMA to pay dividends in service to the public, to the business community, to the City of New Orleans, to the greater metropolitan area, and to the State of Louisiana.

GUARANTOR Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre Superior Energy Services, Inc. Whitney National Bank of New Orleans Willoughby Associates, Ltd.

PATRON Brian Schneider Company The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Foundation

MASTER

LEADER

CONTRIBUTOR

Boh Bros. Construction Co., L.L.C. Hotel Monteleone Laitram, L.L.C. New Orleans Silversmiths Rathborne Companies East, L.L.C. Republic National Distributing Company The Times-Picayune

A. L. Lowe Picture Framing Company Aquatic Gardens Coffee Roasters of New Orleans The Edgar Degas House Gulf Coast Bank Hirsch Investment Management, L.L.C. Mudbug Media, Inc. Sisung Securities Corporation Teri Galleries, Ltd.

ASSOCIATE

UNIVERSITY MEMBERS

Bolton Ford Bowie Lumber Associates M. S. Rau Antiques, L.L.C. Neal Auction Company, Inc. Royal Antiques, Ltd.

Dillard University Loyola University Our Lady of Holy Cross College Tulane University University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Christie’s Fine Art Auctioneers Dooky Chase’s Restaurant Energy Partners, Ltd. The Schon Charitable Foundation

36

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

THE ART OF BUSINESS CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP IN THE NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

BENEFITS TO YOUR COMPANY WHEN YOU INVEST IN THE PREEMINENT CULTURAL INSTITUTION OF OUR CITY CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP ❑ Please have NOMA’s Corporate Membership Director call. ❑ Please send me a brochure on Corporate Membership. ❑ Our check is enclosed in the amount of $_______________.

Please make check payable to: New Orleans Museum of Art. ❑ Please send an invoice in the amount of $______________.

Firm Name ____________________________ Contact Person ____________________________ Phone ____________________________ Address ____________________________ City/State/Zip ____________________________ Mail to: Corporate Membership New Orleans Museum of Art P.O. Box 19123 New Orleans, LA 70179-0123

ARTS QUARTERLY

When you take your place among the Corporate Members of the New Orleans Museum of Art, you are supporting the continuing excellence of the Gulf South’s finest institution for arts and arts education. NOMA is a force for economic development, contributing greatly to our city’s prominence as an international cultural center and visitor destination. The business and professional sectors have long recognized that the Museum makes our community a more desirable place for families and companies to locate.

BENEFITS FOR YOUR BUSINESS Your Corporate Membership provides world-class benefits to your employees and a positive image for your company. From unlimited family admission to NOMA, to the loan of fine art from NOMA’s permanent collection, to a Company Day for all your employees and their families, your Corporate Membership is a high-profile business asset and a great business decision.

The vitality and growth of the New Orleans Museum of Art is dependent, quite literally, on the companies we keep. Our Corporate Membership Program provides the opportunity for your business, whether large or small, to participate at the level most beneficial to you. We have streamlined the rate structure and improved benefits, so select your membership category today, and enjoy all the special privileges of Corporate Membership at NOMA.

CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES • Free family admission at all times (immediate family, including children and grandchildren 17 years and younger).

• Free subscription to Arts Quarterly.

• Invitations to Members-Only Previews throughout the year.

• Discount of 10% in the Museum Shop.

• First notices of Special Events at NOMA. • Opportunity to participate in Members’ Art Tours in America and abroad.

• Curatorial Opinion Service.

• Opportunity to participate in Volunteer Programs.

• Access to the Dreyfous Art Reference Library.

BENEFACTOR

• Limited use of a Museum space for a member’s business function at a mutually agreeable time.

• Your company’s name prominently displayed in the Museum.

• Family Membership privileges for eight designated officials with Reciprocal Membership at 39 participating museums.

• A complimentary invitation for one designated official to NOMA’s Holiday Party.

• Specially scheduled Corporate Day with recognition in the Museum and free admission for all employees and their families.

• A Speakers Bureau program at your place of business or at the Museum.

• 100 Museum passes.

• Curatorial consultation.

• One catalogue from NOMA’s inventory.

PATRON

$10,000 &

ABOVE

• Use of the Museum for a member’s business special event at a mutually agreeable time.

• Your company’s name prominently displayed in the Museum.

• A private viewing and guided tour of an exhibition for the executives of your firm.

• Family Membership privileges for ten designated officials with Reciprocal Membership at 39 participating museums.

• A complimentary invitation for one designated official to NOMA’s Holiday Party.

• Specially scheduled Corporate Day with recognition in the Museum and free admission for all employees and their families.

• A Speakers Bureau program at your place of business or at the Museum.

• 125 Museum passes.

• Curatorial consultation.

• One catalogue from the Museum’s inventory.

$5,000

• Family Membership privileges for six designated officials with Reciprocal Membership at 39 participating museums.

• A complimentary invitation for one designated official to NOMA’s Holiday Party.

• Specially scheduled Corporate Day with recognition in the Museum and free admission for all employees and their families.

• A Speakers Bureau program at your place of business or at the Museum.

• 75 Museum passes.

• Curatorial consultation.

• One catalogue from NOMA’s inventory.

MASTER

$2,500

• Family Membership privileges for five designated officials with Reciprocal Membership at 39 participating museums.

• A Speakers Bureau program for your employees at your place of business or at the Museum.

• 50 Museum passes.

• Curatorial consultation.

• One catalogue from NOMA’s inventory.

LEADER GUARANTOR

$7,500

$1,000

• Family Membership privileges for four designated officials with Reciprocal Membership at 39 participating museums.

• 25 Museum passes.

• Two posters from NOMA’s inventory.

ASSOCIATE

$500

• Family Membership privileges for three designated officials with Reciprocal Membership at 39 participating museums.

• 15 Museum passes.

• A poster from NOMA’s inventory.

CONTRIBUTOR

$250

• Family membership privileges for two designated officials of your firm with Reciprocal Membership at 39 participating museums.

• 10 Museum passes.

37

C

O N T R I B U T I O N

T

he New Orleans Museum of Art has established a number of special funds for gifts in honor of or in memory of friends or family members or to commemorate an event. Recipients or their families will be notified of the gift and will be acknowledged in Arts Quarterly.

For information on NOMA special funds, call (504) 658-4100. Donations for all funds should be mailed to the New Orleans Museum of Art, PO Box 19123, New Orleans, Louisiana 70179-0123. ■

LIBRARY FUND

PHOTOGRAPHY FUND

IN MEMORY OF

IN MEMORY OF

MRS. CONCHETTA FAURIES

BLAINE DERBIGNY

Christopher K. Ralston

Kimberly & Harry Rosenberg

IN MEMORY OF

IN MEMORY OF

AUGUST COPPOLA

JOSEPH MASELLI, SR.

Dorian Bennett

Kimberly & Harry Rosenberg

IN HONOR OF

MRS. JEAN HEID MEMORIAL FUND

S

JOHN BULLARD’S PROMOTION TO COMMANDER OF THE ORDER OF ARTS & LETTERS

IN HONOR OF DR. BERNARD “BERNIE” M. JAFFE’S BIRTHDAY

Scott Simmons & John Abajian

Kimberly & Harry Rosenberg

NVC FLOWER FUND

DREUX VAN HORN II FUND

FOR

Mrs. Jean Taylor Mr. & Mrs. Richard Ingolia Mrs. William H. Stewart Mary Nelson Guthrie Lizbeth A. Turner Helen Bernier Lil Samardzija

Danny & Sherril Johansen

THE

LOVE

OF

FLOWERS

The Garden Study Club New Orleans Town Gardeners

WAYS OF GIVING

T

he future of the New Orleans Museum of Art depends to a large degree on the foresight and generosity of today’s visionaries— our members—who are willing to consider new ways to make gifts.

Here are a few suggested methods of making a difference for NOMA:

GIFT OF CASH OR MARKETABLE SECURITIES Gifts may be restricted to a designated program or applied to NOMA’s general operating fund.

GIFT OF LIFE INSURANCE Name NOMA as policy owner and beneficiary and receive immediate tax deductions on your premium.

GIFT OF PROPERTY Gifts of real estate, boats, or artwork provide NOMA with marketable assets and may enable you to avoid capital gains taxes.

NAMED ENDOWMENT FUND The principal of a fund established in your name—or for someone you wish to honor or memorialize—is managed for growth, while the income from the fund supports Museum programs.

CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUST/CHARITABLE LEAD TRUST Provide NOMA or yourself with a steady income stream and, with a remainder trust, leave a significant future gift to NOMA. Both arrangements entitle you to considerable tax savings.

BEQUESTS Name NOMA as a beneficiary in your will and make a lasting contribution to the Museum.

For more information about any of these suggested methods of giving to NOMA, call (504) 658-4107.

38

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

NEW MEMBERS

T Hirscher and Mimi Abbott Ms. Jennifer Adams Mr. Larry Adcock Lee Alexander Sherlyn Alexander Harold Applewhite Robert Arceneaux and Jennifer Kennedy Jeffrey C. and Martha Arnold Michael G. Atwater Mr. and Mrs. Ashton Avegno, Jr. Jennifer Avegno Steven Bain and Aimee Bain P. B. Baldwin Betty P. Barnes Catherine Barrier Annette Barrios Mr. and Mrs. Richard Barton Veronique Batterman Mrs. Naomi Bender Charlene C. Bertrand Mr. Richard Bilich Laura Block Linda Bordelon David Borne Mr. and Mrs. Vince Bowers Adam and Anna Breaux Tracy Brenes Mr. Eugene E. Brezany Mr. Eugene Brian Harwood Brown Pamela Broyard Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Bryant Jonathan Burkett Mary Kay Burns Mr. Russell Butz Ms. Penelope Cabibi Ms. Josefina Carillo Katie Carr Muriel D. Cassibry Jeannette Chambon Mr. Victor H. Chou David Claiborne Ms. Rose Cohen Ms. Mary Coles Mary Lou Conrad Mr. and Mrs. Ray Cook Mrs. Sheila Cork Beth Cristina Dr. and Ms. Rob Cunningham Mrs. Carl F. Dahlberg, Jr. Erin Daigle Floyd Laurent Daigle Ms. Heidi Daniels Ms. Marie Daquin Frances Davis Mrs. Stephanie Dehoog Mr. Max Delrey Angelo Denisi Colleen Ducarpe Brian Duhe Derek Duplechin Michael Dupuis Mrs. Gretchen Elms Marie Erickson Marcella Escarfuller Daniel Falstad Mrs. Mary Faulkenberry Lauren Fisher Mrs. Lisa Fitzpatrick Mrs. Ella M. Flower Kirk J. Frady

ARTS QUARTERLY

he New Orleans Museum of Art is happy to welcome the following new members.

We are grateful for their support and generosity. n

James Freeman Buzzy and Barbara Gaiennie Dr. John Gallo and Mrs. Gallo Ms. Anita M. Garcia Carolyn Gardner Denise Gardner Lara Getz Ann Giardina Mr. Roy A. Glapion Debra Gonzales Andree Gooch Barry T. Gordon Lauren Granen Ms. Angie Green Mrs. Dianne Green Julian Green Samantha Guichet Annette Guillot Cecil A. Haskins Fred Hatfield and Anne Hatfield Elise Hatheway Ms. Debra Hebert Mr. and Mrs. Maurice C. Hebert, Jr. Tracy Henderson Mr. Kevin Henry Mr. Stephen J. Herman and Honorable Karen Herman Mr. Stephen Higuelos Mrs. Alice Holloway Charles W. Holman and Kathy A. Rush Dr. Cathy Honore Carol Hopson Bruce Housey Ms. Cheryl Huckaby Carmen Humphrey Ms. Elsie Hutto Elizabeth Jackson and Nick Tusa Ashley Jambon Stephanie Johanson Mr. Frank E. Johnson Justice B. Johnson Geraldine Jones-Page Mr. Conor Jordan Ms. Sheila Julien Ms. Jorinda Junius Jane Jurik Anna Justice Katherine Kelly MaPo Kinnord Joanne Kobrock Dr. Melanie Korndorffer Mr. and Mrs. John P. Labouisse III Scott and Barbie Landry David Langlois Wendell Le Gardeur Claire M. Leaman Caryl Lee Anthony and Lisa Legeaux David LeGrand and Roberta LeGrand Mr. and Mrs. Daniel LeHon Mr. and Mrs. Fred Lipps Mei Lu Ms. Catherine Lyons Mrs. Michelle Macneil Sherry Maitre Gail Maniscalco Ms. Kathleen Manning Summer McKnight Doug Meffert Michael Miles and Mimi Padgett Dee Miller

Laura Montgomery Jan Munson Ms. Dianne Musso Jasmine Navarre Ms. Mary Nguyen Mr. and Mrs. Frank Nodier Ms. Adelina Oliva George T. Oliver and Elden Spear Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence Omeallie Louis C. Passauer Robert Patterson John Pecorino Mr. Brian Pflueger Michael Phillips Dr. Demetrius Porche Ms. Yvonne Pratt Dr. John F. Prejean Alison Quayle and Alistair Ramsay Ms. Deborah Raney Dr. Karen Reichard John Reis III Kathryn Richardson Evangeline Robert Kathleen and Kearny Robert Rebecca Rodriguez Emily H. Rosen Pam Russell Mr. and Mrs. James R. Sanchez Mr. and Mrs. Ellis Schexnayder Ms. Mary N. Schiro Dr. Janet L. Schmid Marilyn Scott Mrs. Robin Scully Ms. Shannon Seuler Ms. Rhonda Sharkawy Mr. William Sharpton Amanda Sibley Rohini Singh Dawn Sisung Mr. Robert Spentz Jeremiah and Angela Sprague Catherine Stackel Cathy Storm Michael and Jen Suder Mr. Robert Swam Robert and Gail Swan Deborah Switzer Gretchen Thiberville Kirk Thibodeaux Mr. Allen Thomas and Mr. Gary French Lauren Thomas Taz Toogood and Gia Lovissa Eric Torres Ms. Sarah Turner Ms. Santilla Victorian Mr. Keith Villere Roger F. Villere Glen A. Vinet Ms. Karen Viola Debra Volpi Austen J. Ward Lauren Watson Beverly Wellmeyer Mr. Edward Welsch and Mrs. Patricia Quigley Welsch Lawrence Whitcomb Ms. Linda Wilson Mrs. Patricia Wilson-Brezany Jennifer Wood Mrs. Kelly Zimmermann

39

The Felix J. Dreyfous Library

Library Happenings Book Club Programs Join us for some great reads and a “chocolaty treat” in January, February, and March 2010. Call 504-658-4117 or email scork@noma.org to reserve a place at book club discussions and events, and to become a member of the book club.

JANUARY 2010 Land of the Firebird: The Beauty of Old Russia by Suzanne Massie. HeartTree Press, 1980. ISBN: 9780964418417. “[A] remarkable portrait of pre-revolutionary Russia as revealed by an enriching synthesis of its art, literature and history.” (From an annotation on Barnesandnoble.com) Friday, January 15, 12-1 p.m.

Book Discussion Group

FEBRUARY 2010 Loving Frank: A Novel by Nancy Horan. Ballantine, 2008. ISBN: 978-0345495006.

“Horan's ambitious first novel is a fictionalization of the life of Mamah Borthwick Cheney, best known as the woman who wrecked Frank Lloyd Wright's first marriage.

Despite the title, this is not a romance, but a portrayal of an independent, educated woman at odds with the restrictions of the early 20th century. … Horan puts considerable effort into recreating Frank's vibrant, overwhelming personality, but her primary interest is in Mamah, who pursued her intellectual interests and love for Frank at great personal cost.” (Publisher’s Weekly quoted at Amazon.com)

Thursday, February 11, 12-1 p.m.: Special Event— Valentine’s Day Chocolate Tasting Please bring samples of your favorite chocolate confection for the book club to taste and share. Making your own is highly encouraged! More details as the time approaches.

Friday, February 15, 12-1 p.m.

Book Discussion Group

MARCH 2010 Antoine’s Alphabet: Watteau and his World by Jed Perl. Knopf, 2008. ISBN: 9780307266620.

“Perl’s glittering, shardlike essays encompass everything from penetrating studies of individual pictures to meditations on ‘painting’s primal power.’” (The New Yorker quoted at Amazon.com) Wednesday, March 24, 12-1 p.m.

Book Discussion Group FIELD TRIP TO THE WILLIAMS RESEARCH CENTER On Thursday, October 8, 2009, the NOMA Book Club met at the Williams Research Center (part of the Historic New Orleans Collection) in the French Quarter. There were two reasons for the trip. One was to visit a place specifically mentioned in Restoration: A Novel by John Ed Bradley, the group’s October book selection. The other was to make book club members aware that such a wonderful resource exists in New Orleans.

Judith Bonner, senior curator, began our visit by “touring” us through the artwork on view at the Center.

Mrs. Bonner shared detailed information about the portraits and the history of the people represented. Sally Stassi, reference associate, and John Magill, historian/curator, then showed the group several important historical documents from the collection. The documents included the infamous proclamation against New Orleans women issued by “Spoons” Butler, historical maps, and early, illustrated books. We were then taken to view the reading room and review the resources there, including an artists’ file containing many records of local artists.

We followed the field trip with lunch at the Napoleon House, walking past K. Paul’s Kitchen (as a character in the novel did). Lunch was delicious and inexpensive and we had plenty of time to discuss all that we had seen. We also had a pleasant surprise: One of the pictures on the wall had been painted by LaVon Berthelot, a book club member. The kindness of the people at the Williams Research Center and the great atmosphere and food at the Napoleon House made for a wonderful trip for the book club.

Photograph by Aisha Champagne

40

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

THE LOUISIANA BOOK FESTIVAL, BATON ROUGE On Saturday, October 17, Sheila Cork (librarian), Anamaria Brandon (library intern), Beverly Hegre (book club member, library volunteer, and docent) and May Denstedt (book club member and docent) went to the Louisiana Book Festival in Baton Rouge. NOMA had a table there, and we went to promote the exhibition Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio (through March 14, 2010). The festival organizers estimate they had 23,000 visitors, many of whom passed by our table. Two hundred and fifteen people signed up for a chance to win one of the eight Disney exhibition catalogues that we were distributing that day.

The Book Festival is a “must do” for everyone who loves books. Programs included book discussions and signings, writing workshops, an author’s dinner, and cooking demonstrations by cookbook authors. There were plenty of activities for children, including a storytelling tent and a craft tent. There were programs in the State Museum, the State Library, and the Capitol building. I am looking forward to another great book club field trip next year.

The Louisiana Book Festival

Special Thanks … … To John Ed Bradley, author of Restoration: A Novel, October’s book club pick. John Ed was kind enough to come to our book discussion group and tell us about the creation of the book. He also answered questions and signed our copies. … To JoAnn Greenberg, book club member, whose friendship with John Ed made this wonderful program possible.

Surveys This fall, book club members, many NOMA staff members, and interns completed surveys about programming, services, and resources at the library.

Thank you to all who returned the surveys. Look for the results in the next issue of Arts Quarterly. Survey results will also be on view in the library. .

About the Library The Felix J. Dreyfous Library is located in the basement of the New Orleans Museum of Art. The library’s services and collection (20,000 books and 70+ periodicals) are available for use by members of NOMA. Members of the public, local students, and educators are also welcome. The library is staffed by a librarian, Sheila Cork, who holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science and has an extensive background in reference and research. In addition, the library is fortunate to have volunteers who help on a regular basis.

Use of the library is by appointment only during the librarian’s regular working hours, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.5 p.m. Call 504-658-4117 or email the librarian at scork@noma.org to make an appointment to use this valuable resource. n

ARTS QUARTERLY

Author John Ed Bradley discusses his book, Restoration: A Novel, with members of the NOMA book club.

41

NOMA EDUCATION: Lectures, Openings, and Walk-throughs

Saturday, January 16, 5:30-8 p.m.

Wednesday, February 3, 6 p.m.

Polaridad Complementaria: Recent Works from Cuba (Contemporary Galleries) and Luis Cruz Azaceta: Swimming to Havana (Great Hall) Opening reception for two Cuban exhibitions.

“Cuba—Still an Island?” Lecture on Cuban Art and Globalization (AT TULANE) Miranda Lash, NOMA’s curator of modern and contemporary art, will discuss recent breakthroughs and persistent obstacles in connecting Cuba artists and art institutions with the outside world. The lecture will take place at the Freeman Auditorium in the Woldenberg Art Center at Tulane University.

Thursday, January 28, 6 p.m. ¡Sí Cuba! Keynote Lecture (Stern Auditorium) Keynote lecture by Gerardo Mosquera, as part of the Collecting Cuban Art Symposium sponsored by Newcomb Art Gallery, New Orleans Museum of Art, the Tulane Cuban and Caribbean Studies Institute, and the Tulane Center for Scholars.

Gerardo Mosquera is a curator, critic, and art historian based in Havana. He is adjunct curator at the New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, and advisor at the Rijksakademie van Beeldenden Kunsten, Amsterdam. He is also a member of the advisory board of several art journals. Mosquera co-founded the Havana Biennial in 1984.

Friday, January 29, 5:30-9 p.m.

Parallel Universe: Quintron and Miss Pussycat Live at City Park (Frederick R. Weisman Galleries) An opening reception will commemorate the opening of Parallel Universe and prepare the public for Quintron’s first week of recording sessions.

Friday, February 26, 5:30-8:30 p.m.

River Royalty Lecture (NOMA) The Middle American Research Institute (MARI) and the Stone Center for Latin American Studies will kick off its seventh annual Tulane Maya Symposium and Workshop at NOMA. “River Royalty: Kings and Queens of El Perú-Waka’, An Ancient Maya Dynasty” will be the keynote lecture presented by David Freidel of the University of Washington at St. Louis. After the lecture there will be a viewing of a selection of pre-Columbian objects on loan to NOMA from MARI, installed on the third floor. A reception will follow in the Great Hall. The theme of the symposium is “Great River Cities of the Ancient Maya.” The symposium and workshop will be held on the Tulane campus from February 26-28. For more information, visit the website: http://www.tulane.edu/~mari/MayaSymposium2010.htm.

Wednesday, March 31, 6-8 p.m.

Miss Pussycat Film Screening (Stern Auditorium) Panacea Theriac (Miss Pussycat) hosts a screening of puppet films followed by a question-and-answer session.

From ¡Sí Cuba!: René Peña, Cuban, born 1957 Untitled, from the series Untitled Album, 2007 Digital print Courtesy of Havana Gallery

42

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

PROGRAMS & ACTIVITIES Disney Costume Contests

ARTS QUARTERLY

Make your own dreams come true and join us for weekly costume contests on Wednesday evenings during the run of the special exhibition, Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio.

All visitors who come to the Museum in Disneyinspired costumes on the following days will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of the Dreams Come True exhibition catalogue as well as dessert for their family at Ralph Brennan’s Courtyard CafÊ at NOMA. Come in any costume and get one entry in the drawing. Come in the costume of the week (listed at the right) and get two entries in the drawing!

Wednesday, January 6: Disney Villains Wednesday, January 13: Princes and Princesses Wednesday, January 20: Magical Characters Wednesday, January 27: Disney Sidekicks Wednesday, February 3: Disney Villains Wednesday, February 24: Princes and Princesses Wednesday, March 3: Magical Characters On Wednesday, March 10, join us for a special gala costume contest to mark the closing of the Dreams Come True exhibition. Come dressed in your best Disneyinspired finery, and our guest celebrity judge will choose a winner, who will receive a $100.00 gift certificate to the Museum Shop.

43

Visit NOMA for a Unique Shopping Experience

© Disney

© Disney

© Disney

Princess Tiana Doll ● $15.00

Glitter Princess Doll Assortment ● $15.00

Disney Princess T-Shirt ● $22.00

From Disney's new movie, The Princess and the Frog, Princess Tiana comes dressed in her bayou wedding dress with lots of shimmering details, tiara with veil, and matching necklace. Ages 3 and over.

The lovely and beloved princesses of Disney's favorite fairy tales are dressed in beautiful signature gowns with sparkling glitter detail and ombre shaded skirts. Each sold separately.

Ages 3 and over.

Disney exhibition T-shirt depicting four of the princesses from Disney’s classic fairy tales.

© Disney

© Disney

Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio by Lella Smith ● $19.95 This beautifully illustrated catalogue presents familiar fairy tales and the adaptations made by the Walt Disney Studio for the movies. The films span 80 years—from the early Silly Symphony shorts to the 2009 release of The Princess and the Frog.

© Disney

Tiana Figurine ● $150.00

Cinderella Figurine ● $150.00

Beautiful ceramic figurine of Princess Tiana.

Cinderella dancing with her ballgown.

© Disney

Disney Posters ● $8.00 Disney exhibition posters.

© Disney

Lighted 3-Dimensional Box “A Kiss Goodbye” ● $65.00

© Disney

Lighted 3-Dimensional Box “Beauty and the Beast” ● $80.00

Stop by the NOMA Museum Shop, call us at 504-658-4133, or shop online at www.noma.org/museumshop.

We Ship in the Continental U.S.

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NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

Museum Shop Featured Artists Come meet and mingle with our featured artists on the following dates.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2010, 2-5 p.m.

Tim Rogerson Growing up in Florida and North Carolina, artist Tim Rogerson was influenced by Disney from an early age. His father was employed

by Walt Disney World and was an avid Disney collector and supporter. Rogerson attended the prestigious Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, where he majored in illustration. “I was a very traditional art student and explored all works, from the old masters to modern art,” said Rogerson, who cites Degas and John Singer Sargent as influences.

Since graduating from Ringling in 2004, Rogerson has produced work for Disney Fine Art and SS Designs in Florida, among others.

He was also named an official artist of the 2006 U.S. Olympic Winter Team, creating a poster that emphasizes the peaceful, passionate nature of the games. “I want my paintings to celebrate life and stay fresh,” the artist has said. “My joy for painting comes from the challenge of creating something entirely new.”

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2010, 2-5 p.m.

Rodel Gonzalez Artist Rodel Gonzalez received his initiation into the art business at the hands of his father and grandfather. “Growing up, my father would always tell me not to be intimidated by the paint [and to] be 100 percent sure about my intentions on my first stroke at the canvas,” said the artist. Gonzelez majored in painting at the University of Santo Tomas and went on to earn a degree in Interior Design from the Philippines School of Interior Design. His work seeks beauty and grace in the commonplace.

Gonzalez was elated to contribute works to the Disney Fine Art Portfolio. “[It has been] such a treat because Disney was definitely part of my childhood,” the artist said. “[Each of] the Disney paintings involved such a strong concept that every brushstroke was a joyful anticipation of the finished product.”

SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 2010, 2-5 p.m.

John Rowe John Rowe’s paintings have appeared on movie posters, books, billboards, magazines, and advertisements throughout the country and around the world. Trained at the Art Center College of Design, Rowe’s celebrated Horse Series led to a commission from the publishers of Walter Farley’s The Black Stallion, who re-issued the classic series with twenty-four new paintings by Rowe on the covers.

Based in La Canada, California, where he lives with his wife and two children, Rowe has maintained a successful painting career for nearly twenty years. “Through my work, I hope to remind you and myself how truly wonderful, complex, and vivid life is. Whether we are looking into the eyes of someone we love, or struggling just to breathe, life is a priceless gift,” Rowe said.

ARTS QUARTERLY

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PROGRAM SPONSORS A

nnual operating support for NOMA’s exhibitions, the “Van Go,” free admission for Louisiana residents, family workshops, films, lectures, art classes, and numerous other special programs enjoyed by visitors from throughout the city, the state, the country, and, indeed, the world, are made possible through the generosity of our many sponsors. The New Orleans Museum of Art and its thousands of visitors are deeply grateful to these friends for their continued commitment. If you would like additional information on sponsorship, please contact the Museum’s Development Department, (504) 658-4100. ■

BECOME A NOMA SPONSOR

$99,999 – $50,000 CHEVRON: Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio Exhibition Support Handbook of School Programs Teachers’ Packets CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, EDWARD WISNER DONATION: Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio Exhibition Support LOUISIANA DIVISION OF THE ARTS: Institution Stabilization Arts in Education General Operating Support

$100,000 + THE AZBY FUND: General Operating Support Besthoff Sculpture Garden Operating Support Security Equipment FORD FOUNDATION: Planning and Exploration of New Orleans Audiences GETTY FOUNDATION: Conservation of the Besthoff Sculpture Garden THE HELIS FOUNDATION: Free Admission for Louisiana Residents 2009 THE PATRICK F. TAYLOR FOUNDATION: Taylor NOMA Scholars Program Education Department Support

THE LUPIN FOUNDATION: LOVE in the Garden 2009 Odyssey Ball 2009 SELLEY FOUNDATION: General Operating Support Art Storage Building Renovation SHERATON NEW ORLEANS HOTEL: Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio Exhibition Support WALT DISNEY STUDIO: Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio Exhibition Support

$34,999 - $20,000 GAIL AND JOHN BERTUZZI: Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio Exhibition Support CAPITAL ONE BANK: Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio Exhibition Support ELIZABETH HEEBE-RUSSO: Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio Exhibition Sponsor D. LEE HODGES SHERRI S. LOGAN: Objects of Desire: Fabergé from the Hodges Family Collection Exhibition Catalogue Support LAKESIDE SHOPPING CENTER AND THE FEIL ORGANIZATION: Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio Exhibition Support LUTHER AND ZITA TEMPLEMAN FUND: Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio Exhibition Support THE ROSAMARY FOUNDATION: Family Workshops Handbook of School Programs Annual Support

ZEMURRAY FOUNDATION: General Operating Support

46

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

$19,999 - $10,000

$9,999 - $5,000

DOWNMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION: NOMA Exhibitions

AT&T: Odyssey Ball 2009

ALLISON KENDRICK: Odyssey Ball 2009

FRIEND OF ODYSSEY BALL: Odyssey Ball 2009

BRUCE J. HEIM FOUNDATION: Art Therapy

FRISCHHERTZ ELECTRIC COMPANY: Odyssey Ball 2009

ENTERGY LOUISIANA: Educational Programs

MACY’S: Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio Exhibition Support

THE GPOA FOUNDATION: Educational Pre-Visit Video of African Art Collection

GAUTHIER FAMILY: Odyssey Ball 2009

MORRIS G. AND PAULA L. MAHER FOUNDATION: Odyssey Ball 2009 NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS: Curatorial Support RUBY K. WORNER CHARITABLE TRUST: Mid-Week in Mid-City MR. AND MRS. ROBERT SHELTON: Odyssey Ball 2009

MRS. JEAN R. HEID: Art Acquisition Fund CAROLINE IRELAND: Odyssey Ball 2009 J. ARON AND COMPANY, INC.: Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio Exhibition Support THE JOHN BURTON HARTER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION: Odyssey Ball 2009

MRS. JOHN MASCARO: Odyssey Ball 2009 MATHES BRIERRE ARCHITECTS: Odyssey Ball 2009 MRS. ELLIS MINTZ: Odyssey Ball 2009 JERI NIMS: Odyssey Ball 2009 MR. AND MRS. FRANK NORMAN: P. R. Norman Fund Art Acquisition WARREN ROESCH: Odyssey Ball 2009

JONES WALKER WAECHTER POITEVENT CARRERE & DENEGRE, LLP: Odyssey Ball 2009

ARTS QUARTERLY

47

MUSEUM NEWS MUSEUM NEWS MUSEUM BOARD OF TRUSTEES BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE NOMA’s Board of Trustees will meet Wednesday, January 20, Wednesday, February 24, and Wednesday, March 17, 2010.October 21

NVC NVC MEETING The first NVC general meeting of 2010 will take place on Monday, February 8 at 10:30 a.m. in the NOMA auditorium. Chair Anne Gauthier will announce the exciting details of NVC’s upcoming springtime events! Join Anne and her officers, Chair-Elect Kimberly Zibilich, Recording Secretary Mimi Schlesinger, Corresponding Secretary Dana Hansel, Treasurer Cammie Mayer, Vice-Chair of Activities Elizabeth Ryan, ViceChair of Membership Glendy Forster, Vice-Chair of Fundraising Joni Diaz, and Parliamentarian Pam Rogers.

New members will be introduced and plans for NOMA’s upcoming centennial celebration will be disclosed. As always, a delicious light lunch will follow.

Come and get acquainted with your fellow NVC members and our dynamic new officers on Monday, February 8, 2010.

SPECIAL THANKS Special thanks to Sqwincher and Kentwood for their generous donations to Museum functions for the year 2009, including the Fabergé Egg Hunt, Japan Fest, and Iris Festival, as well as for Sqwincher’s weekly provisions for NOMA volunteers.

SAVE THE DATE: FABERGÉ EGG HUNT Put a big paw print on your 2010 calendar for March 21 and save the date for the NVC’s annual Fabergé Egg Hunt, to be held in the newly reopened Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden.

Once again, the little ones will be treated to an event that has become a spring tradition, complete with bunnies, music, entertainers, and, of course, an egg hunt! This is a fun time not only for the kiddies, but for parents and

48

grandparents, too. Bring your camera! It’s the kind of event of which happy family memories (and fun photos) are made.

NVC HOME AND ART TOUR IS BACK! After a few years of post-Katrina absence, the very popular NVC Home and Art Tour will be returning this spring. Thanks to NVC CoChairs Carol Hall and JoAnn Christopher, owners of homes and art collections are currently being enlisted for this tour. This event will be of interest to aficionados of art, architecture and interior design and to all supporters of NOMA. Stay tuned as details develop! Call the NVC office (504) 658-4121 this spring for further details.

STAFF NEWS The personal collection of NOMA Decorative Arts Curator John W. Keefe is on display at the Meadows Museum of Art in Shreveport through January 31, 2010. Entitled FOR THE LOVE OF ART: Selections from the Collection of John Webster Keefe, the exhibition is part of the Meadows Museum’s Uniquely Louisiana series and features seventy paintings, drawings, and small sculpture from the Keefe collection. John presented a public lecture and conducted a docent training session in conjunction with the opening of the exhibition.

Last fall, John traveled to the Meadows Museum to assist collectors Jolie and Robert Shelton with the installation of Magnificent, Marvelous Martelé, which ran through early November. In connection with that exhibition, John conducted a docent training session on American Art Noueau silver and gave an illustrated public lecture, Martelé Silver at Gorham, 1896-1931.

Marilyn Dittmann has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. The AFP is the professional association of individuals responsible for generating philanthropic support for a wide variety of charitable organizations. n

SENIOR STAFF E. John Bullard, The Montine McDaniel Freeman Director Gail Asprodites, Assistant Director for Administration and Finance Marilyn Dittmann, Director of Development Lisa Rotondo-McCord, Assistant Director for Art/Curator of Asian Art Alice Rae Yelen, Assistant Director of Education Pamela Buckman, Sculpture Garden Manager Monika M. Cantin, Associate Collections Manager Aisha Champagne, Director of Publications and Design Sheila Cork, Librarian Diego Cortez, The Freeman Family Curator of Photography John d’Addario, Associate Curator of Education Sarah Davidson, Coordinator of Special Events Alice Dickinson, Associate Collections Manager William A. Fagaly, The Françoise Billion Richardson Curator of African Art Anthony V. Garma III, Exhibtion Installation Coordinator Caroline Goyette, Editor of Museum Publications Susan Hayne, Human Resources Manager Sophie Hirabayashi, Education Department Assistant Tao-nha Hoang, Chief Preparator Jennifer Ickes, Assistant Registrar Kristin Jochem, Development Associate for NVC John W. Keefe, The RosaMary Foundation Curator of The Decorative Arts Miranda Lash, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Elizabeth Levy, Membership Assistant Bernard Mitchell, Chief of Security Karl Oelkers, Facilities Manager George Roland, The Doris Zemurray Stone Curator of Prints and Drawings Ty Smithweck, Controller William Sooter, Preparator Paul Tarver, Registrar/Curator of Native American and Pre-Columbian Art Steve Thompson, Computer Coordinator Patricia Trautman, Museum Shop Manager Laura Wallis, Development Associate for Membership and Annual Appeal Holly M. Wherry, Art Therapist, Katrina Initiative Grace Wilson, Director of Communications and Marketing NOMA BOARD OF TRUSTEES Stephen A. Hansel, President Mrs. James J. Frischhertz, Vice-President Mrs. Charles B. Mayer, Vice-President William D. Aaron, Jr., Vice-President Michael Moffitt, Treasurer David F. Edwards, Secretary Mrs. Françoise B. Richardson, Assistant Treasurer Mrs. John Bertuzzi Sydney J. Besthoff III Mrs. Mark Carey Edgar L. Chase III Leonard Davis H. Mortimer Favrot, Jr. Mrs. Ludovico Feoli Timothy Francis James Gable Mrs. Anne Gauthier Roy A. Glapion Mrs. Edward N. George Lee Hampton

Ms. Adrea Heebe Ms. Allison Kendrick Subhash V. Kulkarni Henry Lambert Paul J. Leaman, Jr. E. Ralph Lupin, M.D. Paul Masinter Edward C. Mathes Kay McArdle Alvin Merlin, M.D. Councilmember Shelly Midura Mrs. R. King Milling Mrs. Michael Moffitt Mayor C. Ray Nagin Howard Osofsky Mrs. Robert J. Patrick Thomas Reese, Ph.D. Mrs. James J. Reiss, Jr. Mrs. George Rodrigue Bryan Schneider Mrs. Lynes R. Sloss Ms. Alexandra E. Stafford Mrs. Richard L. Strub Mrs. Patrick F. Taylor Louis A. Wilson, Jr.

HONORARY LIFE TRUSTEES H. Russell Albright, M.D. Mrs. Jack R. Aron Mrs. Edgar L. Chase, Jr. Isidore Cohn, Jr., M.D. Prescott N. Dunbar S. Stewart Farnet Sandra Draughn Freeman Kurt A. Gitter, M.D. Mrs. H. Lloyd Hawkins Mrs. Killian L. Huger Mrs. Erik Johnsen Richard W. Levy, M.D. J. Thomas Lewis

Mrs. Paula L. Maher Mrs. J. Frederick Muller, Jr. Mrs. Jeri Nims Mrs. Charles S. Reily, Jr. Mrs. Françoise Billion Richardson R. Randolph Richmond, Jr. Charles A. Snyder Mrs. Frederick M. Stafford Harry C. Stahel Mr. and Mrs. Moise S. Steeg, Jr. Mrs. Harold H. Stream Mrs. James Lyle Taylor Mrs. John N. Weinstock

NATIONAL TRUSTEES Joseph Baillio Mrs. Carmel Cohen Mrs. Mason Granger Jerry Heymann Herbert Kaufman, M.D.

Mrs. James Pierce Mrs. Robert Shelton Ms. Debra Shriever Mrs. Billie Weisman Mrs. Henry H. Weldon

NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

NOMA Exhibition Schedule

William Woodward, 1859-1939: American Impressionist in New Orleans A collaboration between THNOC and NOMA Louisiana Galleries Through February 28, 2010

Luiz Cruz Azaceta: Swimming to Havana Great Hall, first floor Through March 28, 2010

CROSSCURRENTS OF DESIGN: East to West and West to East in Ceramic Design Cameo Gallery Through April 11, 2010 © Disney

Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio Ella West Freeman Galleries Through March 14, 2010

Feathers, Fur and Flowers: The Natural World in Edoperiod Painting Japanese Galleries Through April 25, 2010

Dreams Come True showcases original artwork from legendary Disney animated films, including Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. The artworks, on loan from the Walt Disney Studio Animation Research Library, will be accompanied by film clips to demonstrate how individual sketches and paintings lead to a finished celluloid masterpiece. Organized by the Walt Disney Animation Research Library and the New Orleans Museum of Art, this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition coincides with the release of Disney’s newest animated feature, The Princess and the Frog, set in New Orleans during the 1920s Jazz Age.

Käthe Kollwitz: Graphics from the Jean Stein Collection Templeman Galleries Through March 14, 2010

Parallel Universe: Quintron and Miss Pussycat Live at City Park Frederick R. Weisman Galleries January 29 - May 2, 2010

Beyond the Blues: Reflections of African America in the Fine Arts Collection of the Amistad Research Center Ella West Freeman Galleries April 10 - July 11, 2010

Polaridad Complementaria: Recent Works from Cuba Second floor contemporary galleries and at the Newcomb Art Gallery January 16 - March 14, 2010

ARTS QUARTERLY

For further information on upcoming exhibitions and events at the New Orleans Museum of Art, call 504-658-4100, or visit our website at www.noma.org. n

49

NOMA Calendar of Events LEGEND: ! Disney Costume Contest " Exhibitions ■ Films/Music ❃ Lectures and Walk-Throughs ❂ Library Events ❖ Mid-Week in Mid-City

(Museum Hours on Wednesdays: 12 - 8 p.m.)

✖ Sculpture Garden Events ❁ Special Events

Monday

JANUARY 2010

Sunday

4

3

11

10

17

18

Thursday

Wednesday

Tuesday

Friday

Saturday

1

2

New Year’s Day: Museum Closed 5

!❖

6

!❖

13

!❖

20

!❖

27

7

9

8

Disney Costume Contest: (Theme) Disney Villains

12

14

Disney Costume Contest: (Theme) Princes and Princesses

19

❂

15

12-1 p.m.

Book Discussion Group (Library)

21

"

16

5:30-8 p.m.

Opening: Polaridad Complementaria and Swimming to Havana

22

23

29

30

Disney Costume Contest: (Theme) Magical Characters

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 25

24

31

26

Disney Costume Contest: (Theme) Disney Sidekicks

❃

28

6 p.m.

Keynote Lecture: ¡Sí Cuba!

(Stern Auditorium)

"

5:30-9 p.m.

Opening: Parallel Universe (Weisman Galleries)

Monday

Tuesday

1

2

FEBRUARY 2010

Sunday

7

14

❂

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

3

4

5

6

11

12

13

19

20

26

27

❃

6 p.m.

Lecture: “Cuba—Still an Island?”

On Cuban Art and Globalization (At Tulane University)

!❖

Disney Costume Contest: (Theme) Disney Villains

8

9

10

15

16

17

18

24

25

❂

12-1 p.m.

Valentine’s Day Chocolate Tasting (Library)

12-1 p.m.

Book Discussion Group (Library)

21

22

28

Mardi Gras Day: Museum Closed 23

!❖

❃

5:30-8 p.m.

River Royalty Lecture (Stern Auditorium)

Disney Costume Contest: (Theme) Princes and Princesses

"

Final Day: William Woodward 1859-1939 exhibition

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

1

2

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

3

4

5

6

!❖

Disney Costume Contest: (Theme) Magical Characters

8

9

10

11

12

13

15

16

17

18

19

20

22

23

MARCH 2010 7

14

"

Final Day: Dreams Come True and Kathë Kollwitz exhibitions

21

✖

Fabergé Easter Egg Hunt (Sculpture Garden)

28

❁

Art In Bloom

"

Final Day: Luiz Cruz Azaceta exhibition

29

❁

24

Art In Bloom

Art In Bloom

❂

12-1 p.m.

Book Discussion Group (Library)

30

■❖

❁

31

6-8 p.m.

Parallel Universe Film Screening (Stern Auditorium)

25

❁

Art In Bloom

26

❁

Art In Bloom

27

Post Office Box 19123 New Orleans, Louisiana 70179-0123

NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID NEW ORLEANS PERMIT #108