AQJulAugSept11

ArtsQuarterly

N EW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

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S E P T E M B E R 2 011 , V O L . 3 3 N o . 3

A Members’ Publication

DIRECTOR’S LETTER

From the Permanent Collection: Richard Clague, American, 1821-1873, Spring Hill, Alabama, 1872 (detail), oil on canvas, Ella West Freeman Foundation Matching Fund, 1971.2

I

write in the midst of a busy summer at NOMA,

only on the current show but on our efforts for the

full of landmark events and terrific turnouts from

future, in terms of the audience experience we are

the public. As I mentioned in my last column, the issue of how best to engage our audiences is

working to create at NOMA. Building on the success of Ancestors of Congo

foremost in our minds at the museum. The Besthoff

Square, we are pleased to once again highlight

Sculpture Garden at NOMA plays an important role

NOMA’s significant non-Western strengths with the

in our efforts toward this goal, offering an ideal

upcoming exhibition, The Elegant Image: Bronzes from

location to bring the community together to celebrate

the Indian Subcontinent. Featuring an outstanding

the arts. In the past few months alone, the Garden

selection of Indian bronzes collected by Dr. Siddharth

has played host to theatrical productions and film

Bhansali, the exhibition will be accompanied by

screenings, all playing out against the backdrop of

educational events drawing on the cultural resources

our impressive sculpture collection and the Garden’s

of the city’s Indian community. This issue’s article on

natural beauty. We are excited that the Garden has

the exhibition discusses the strengths of this

taken on this new role — in addition to a place for

renowned collection and the association of the works

inspiration and reflection, it has become a vibrant

with the three major religions of India.

center for cultural engagement.

The museum has seen great attendance for its

In closing, I’m pleased to announce two honors that have recently been bestowed on the museum.

one-of-a-kind events recently as well, including the

First, NOMA was voted “Best Art Museum in the

opening of Swoon’s Thalassa, a mixed media

South” by readers of AAA Southern Traveler and

installation created especially for NOMA. The work

spotlighted in the magazine’s July/August 2011

will be the first in a series of large-scale installations

issue. This is exciting news for NOMA as we

created for the Great Hall each summer, offering

continue to work to serve our out-of-state visitors

visitors a new way of encountering this iconic space.

and raise our profile in the region. In addition, Arts

As part of our efforts to provide our public with

Quarterly’s redesign was recently honored with two

a high-quality art experience, NOMA has been

Magnum Opus awards: a bronze category win for

experimenting with ways to make our exhibitions

most improved editorial, and a gold category win for

more inviting and accessible. For the installation of

most improved design. Judged by faculty members

the current show, Ancestors of Congo Square: African

at the esteemed Missouri School of Journalism as

Art in the New Orleans Museum of Art, we enlisted the

well as other professionals in the field, the awards

help of exhibition designer Dan Kershaw. Kershaw

reflect our efforts to offer our public a compelling

sat down for this issue of AQ with NOMA Director of

guide to happenings at the museum. I hope you

Communications and Marketing Grace Wilson to

enjoy this issue of Arts Quarterly—and use it to plan

discuss the behind-the-scenes process of putting an

your next trip to NOMA.

exhibition together. Their discussion sheds light not

Susan M M. Ta T Taylor ylor The Montine McDaniel Freeman Director

CONTENTS

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Feature B eh in d th e S c en es at N OMA: Installing Ancestors of Congo Square

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Exhibitions The Elegant Image: Bronzes from the Indian Subcontinent E . O . H o p p ĂŠ : Ta g o r e , C a l c u t t a , a n d S a n t i n i k e t a n

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Cent ennial N ews N O M A R em em bers : Wh en Andy Warhol Came to Town

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Exper iencing N OMA B ook Cl u b B rin g s A r t to Life

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N OMA and t he Community N O M A S u ppor ter H on ored at Annual Dinner

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Suppor ting N OM A

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Prof iles in Giving A Tribu te to F ran ç ois e B illion Richardson

FEATURE Behind the Scenes at NOMA: Installing Ancestors of Congo Square

African art curator Bill Fagaly in the opening gallery of Ancestors of Congo Square. Photograph by John d’Addario.

C

reating a museum exhibition involves far

DK: The opening of the show is where you really

more than hanging art on a wall. Months go

want a great, dramatic draw. I saw these posts and

into designing the layout, selecting the objects,

lintel of a ceremonial house [in NOMA’s third floor

choosing the colors, and deciding on the best way to

galleries]. [African art curator] Bill Fagaly showed

present information. For the installation of Ancestors

me several photographs of what the actual façade

of Congo Square, NOMA enlisted renowned exhibition

would look like. It was so dramatic to see almost a

designer Dan Kershaw to help bring the show to life.

grid of horizontal and vertical lattices that formed

Kershaw sat down recently with NOMA Director of

the structure of the front of the house. … It hit me

Communications and Marketing Grace Wilson to

that the nicest and simplest and cleanest way to

discuss the process of installing an exhibition and

[recreate it for the exhibition] would be to take one of

making it accessible and enjoyable for the public.

the photographs of the actual building that it was up against and create it in a translucent scrim that

GW: Tell me about the approach you took to

would form a perfect backdrop.

designing the show. I was struck by the opening gallery – it’s so different and dramatic.

GW: The point of the post and lintel in its native Africa was as a welcoming gate?

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installation] you’d be able to see it through the doorway, but ideally you are not permitted to enter through there. Most people kind of get the idea that it’s something you can look through but you can’t pass through.

GW: You don’t want people to walk through it because they wouldn’t be able to normally.

DK: Because it was forbidden for anyone but the king to pass through there.

GW: So even when these works are not in their native context, you still want people to be aware of the social rules and roles of the pieces.

DK: Absolutely. As much as possible I think an installation should try to show people a setting, an environment, … but it should invoke it in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the art. That’s not always the easiest thing to do.

GW: What I most appreciate about talking to curators is that they put all these antiquities, artifacts, and art works in a time and place in history.

DK: Bill was able to get enough photographs that we were able to give context. The gallery is peppered with beautiful color images showing people dancing in costumes or in some instances making them. And the videos we have populate the place with sounds, which is very important. I think hearing people chanting, or singing, or drumming in the background is a huge help in something like this because so much of African art is about context … about dance and Top: African art curator Bill Fagaly and exhibition designer Dan Kershaw confer during the installation of Ancestors of Congo Square. Bottom: Fagaly examines a work from the exhibition.

Photographs by Judy Cooper.

performance and sound and movement. Video usually has to be handled really delicately in an installation. It can’t be such an allure that people don’t look at the art and end up just looking at a TV screen. In this instance, it’s really essential that people have it, as a means to see these things in motion.

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FEAT UR E

DK: Well, not really, because as Bill explained it, only the king could go through that doorway. So, [in the

Left: Fagaly and Kershaw discuss the placement of objects in the exhibition. Photograph by Judy Cooper. Right: The completed installation.

Photograph by John d’Addario.

GW: Collaboration is obviously a huge part of your

drawing — a digital drawing. In the old days I used

work. When our director, Susan Taylor, initially

to draw them by hand.

asked you to design this exhibition, you began collaborating with African art curator Bill Fagaly

GW: The size of the room, where the walls are and

right afterwards?

what color they are, you think about all of these issues?

DK: Much of my work really is team playing.

Curators are the most knowledgeable people in the

DK: I think about all that. After we grouped the

world, generally, in their particular fields. And my

objects and saw the sections of the show emerging,

role is to help bring to life whatever their knowledge

Bill and I spoke more about colors and the particular

tells them about these works of art. I can look at them

look we wanted this show to have. We made the

from a layman’s point of view and I’ve done a huge

choice to have all the cases the same color

number of African shows in my life, but African art is

throughout the entire show, a grounded color. And

so large and so diverse that I can’t possibly know as

the gallery colors reflect the particular environment

much about any aspect of it as these curators do. So a

these objects were from.

lot of what I end up doing is listening. Inevitably it’s a process, a lot of back and forth. Bill and I looking at

GW: Would someone be able to walk into a show

stuff and him going, “You know this piece makes

and say “This is a Dan Kershaw design”?

sense with that other one, it helps to explain it …” or “This is a really major important object, it’s the only

DK: I hope not. My goal is not to have a particular

one of its kind in the world and we have to give it

personality that you can identify as my style. I think

some emphasis.”

that ideally I’m enough of a chameleon that what I’m doing reflects the show’s contents and not my

GW: And how do you design a show where the

own ego and my own aesthetic. So I’d like to believe

pieces are scattered around the place? Ideally, you

a person can identify that it’s well done, but in terms

have a catalogue of images to work from?

of looking like something else I’ve done, I really hope not. Every show has its own unique

DK: In an ideal world, I end up with a list of the

personality and the art should really define what

objects and images of them. I take the images and

that is. If I’m doing my job right, you never really

reduce them to a usable size and import them into a

notice that I was there.

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Just as I like people to look at a work of art before

What are your feelings about museums looking

they read the label, I feel that you should be looking

towards more interactive exhibitions?

at a work of art before you go to the interactive.

DK: There’s great use to be made of it as an

GW: Are there any national museum trends you can

informational tool. It’s particularly good in areas

point to?

where there’s a longer story to be told, a detailed and complex story that can’t really be explained in

DK: Well, I think it’s a national trend that everybody

something static like a text panel, or a photograph, or

feels “interaction” is a significant part of museums

a series of photographs.

of the future; that we all are going to have to do this.

But there’s also the possibility that if it’s not

And part of this extends to the museum’s online

handled discreetly, people will just be looking down

presence — that there should be a great depth to

at the interactive devices if they are hand held or

what you can dig into in the museum’s holdings;

walking through the galleries, stumbling into

that you should be able to navigate through that

something. … If it’s a stationary device [such as a

easily and [have it be] an experience that makes you

touch-screen kiosk], it has its own benefits. But again,

want to go to a museum. And come back.

unless it’s positioned in such a way that you’re going to first look at the art, I think it defeats the purpose.

Thanks to NOMA interns Elizabeth Soland and Ileana Feoli for their editorial assistance with this article.

M E E T NOMA’ S P R E PA R AT O R S INSTALLING

A MAJOR SHOW AT NOMA IS NO EASY FEAT. In a span of just a few weeks, our skillful preparators disassemble the previous show and begin the detailed process of putting up a new one. “I was completely wowed by the way they did everything,” said visiting exhibition designer Dan Kershaw. “During my three days on this trip, it was mind bending, the amount of work that got done.”

Tao-nha Hoang, Chief Preparator Known for his eye for detail, Tao-nha makes sure every label, every artwork is lined up and centered perfectly. “I’m the numbers man,” he says.

Tony Garma, Preparator Tony can rebuild and restore most anything. “I’m used to working more traditional pieces like plaster, but I’ve come into the twenty-first century.

I was stuck in the 1800s until I met Will, Todd, and Tao-nha.”

William Sooter, Exhibition Coordinator and Art Handler Tech-guru Will sees the bigger picture. His secret to speediness: “Get the ducks in a row on the front end of these fast-paced installs so it all runs as smoothly as possible.”

Counterclockwise from bottom: Tao-nha Hoang, William Sooter, Tony Garma, and Todd Rennie.

Photograph by John d’Addario.

Todd Rennie, Preparator Todd is passionate and always around to lend a hand. “For me, I wouldn’t want to be working in a museum if I wasn’t working directly with art. Being a preparator is one of the best jobs to have at the museum.”—Grace Wilson, Director of Communications and Marketing Arts

FEAT UR E

GW: Everyone uses the buzz word “interactive.”

EXHIBITIONS The Elegant Image: Bronzes from the Indian Subcontinent

A

n extraordinary exhibition illuminating the richness of over 1,500 years of Indian Buddhist,

Hindu, and Jain bronze production will have its premiere at NOMA late this summer. The works presented in The Elegant Image: Bronzes from the Indian Subcontinent have been collected over the course of several decades by Dr. Siddharth Bhansali, who has made New Orleans his home since the mid-1970s.

This renowned collection, from which select

examples have been borrowed for major national and international exhibitions, has never before been the focus of an exhibition or scholarly publication.

Focusing on over one hundred works from the Bhansali collection, The Elegant Image guest curator, eminent art historian Dr. Pratapaditya Pal, has created a revealing and in-depth consideration of the major traditions of bronze production throughout the subcontinent from 1,000 BCE to the seventeenth century. All of these works were created in the region that now is comprised of three sovereign states, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, although during the years when the bronzes were created, these political entities were unknown and the subcontinent witnessed the rise and fall of many different empires and kingdoms.

The works in the exhibition, with the exception of three prehistoric weapons, have sacred associations, having been made to serve one of the three major religions that originated in ancient India: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. The rich and diverse theology, iconography, and rituals of these faiths are embodied in representations of the Hindu pantheon as well as Buddhas and bodhisattvas, Jinas Left: Detail of an Attendant Goddess, Andhra Pradesh, circa 600, copper alloy, Collection of Dr. Siddharth Bhansali.

All photography by Judy Cooper.

A Male Adorant, Andhra Pradesh, Pallava period, 6th–7th century, copper alloy, Collection of Dr. Siddharth Bhansali

and Jain deities. The gods, goddesses, attendants, and

so many metal figures of this period and with such

saints of these religious traditions are depicted in a

variety. Bronzes from this period are rare, in part

rich array, displaying iconographic and stylistic

because metal images were easily melted down and

diversity and regional and historical variation.

re-used. Similarly, the collection is remarkably strong

With rare exceptions, most Indian bronzes

in its holdings of Kerala bronzes (tenth-seventeenth

created during this period are of modest dimension.

century), including some of the earliest known extant

Many of the Hindu works were created for personal

examples.

devotion in domestic altars, and small images of all

The New Orleans Museum of Art is proud to be

three religions were likely used for traveling shrines

the organizing institution for this extraordinary

or as pilgrims’ mementos. Buddhists and Jains

exhibition, and is grateful for the remarkable

commissioned images for personal devotion and also

scholarship of the project’s guest curator, Dr.

for communal well-being, the latter often dedicated

Pratapaditya Pal.

to temples and monasteries, which became

The Elegant Image: Bronzes from the Indian

depositories of sculptures of different periods and

Subcontinent will be on view August 5-October 23, 2011

styles.

and is accompanied by a catalogue of the same title,

The Bhansali collection contains numerous rare and noteworthy bronzes, including, in some

authored by Dr. Pal. On Saturday, August 6 at 1 p.m. in NOMA’s Stern

instances, the earliest metal representations of a deity

Auditorium, Dr. Pal will conduct a conversation with the

known, unique examples, or objects of great art

collector, Siddharth Bhansali, followed by a discussion of

historical importance. Among these strengths is an

the Hoppé exhibition (see page 8). Book-signings will

extraordinary group of Gupta bronzes (320-550 CE).

follow.

Few private or public collections anywhere can claim July August September 2011 ●

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*Kangxi era 1661-1722; Porcelain, with underglaze blue decoration; Bequest of Dorothy and Robert C. Hills, 2001.253.380. Photograph by Judy Cooper.

EXH IBIT IONS

E.O. Hoppé: Tagore, Calcutta, and Santiniketan

E.O. Hoppé, English, born Germany, 1878-1972, Rabindranath Tagore and Students, 1929, vintage gelatin silver print, Courtesy of the E.O. Hoppé Estate Collection

W

hen German-born British photographer E.O.

Hoppé made many of the poetic photographs

Hoppé (1878-1972) sailed for India in the fall

featured in the NOMA exhibition, E.O. Hoppé: Tagore,

of 1929, he was arguably the most famous

Calcutta, and Santiniketan. Curated by Dr.

photographer in the world. Hoppé began making

Pratapaditya Pal, distinguished scholar of Indian art

photographic art in the salons of the early twentieth

and culture, and photography curator and Hoppé

century, exhibiting along with his peers across the

historian, Graham Howe, these photographs show a

Atlantic, Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946) and Edward

British-ruled India in transition from an agrarian

Steichen (1879-1973). He soon became a highly

society to an industrialized nation. Hoppé’s unique

sought-after portraitist in both London and New

achievement in this work is the documentation of

York. After two decades of making strikingly

working people across a diversity of cultures,

Modernist portraits of important personalities in the

religions, and classes, showing an India divided

arts, literature, and politics, Hoppé was largely done

between tradition and modernity.

with the studio and turned his attention to making photographic art books about the people and topography of different countries.

In India, Hoppé visited the Nobel Prize-winning Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), a Bengali poet,

On view August 5-October 23, 2011, the exhibition is accompanied by the catalogue, E.O. Hoppé’s Santiniketan: Photographs from 1929, by Pratapaditya Pal and Graham Howe.

Dr. Pal and Dr. Howe will discuss the exhibition on

novelist, musician, painter, and playwright whom he

Saturday, August 6, at 2 p.m. in the Stern Auditorium.

had photographed in his London studio in 1920. At

The discussion will be followed by a book-signing. For

Tagore’s experimental university in Santiniketan,

additional programming related to the exhibition, please visit www.noma.org.

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R A B I N D R A N AT H T A G O R E : P O E T

who, in 1913, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Although best known in the West as a poet, Tagore wrote novels and plays, was an accomplished painter and musician, and an influential educational and social reformer.

Among his myriad achievements was the establishment of the experimental rural university Santiniketan in 1921, which reshaped Bengali literature, music, and its visual arts and crafts. The photographer E.O. Hoppé summarized Tagore’s vision of the

VISIONARY EXH IBIT IONS

2011 MARKS THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH of Rabindranath Tagore, the Bengali poet

AND

university: “The school was the materialization of the intense desire of [Tagore’s] childhood to escape from the prison of classroom walls and fetters of academic scholarship to the freedom of communion with nature and absorption of knowledge through her influence.” Modeled on the ashrams of ancient India, classes were held out of doors. Tagore’s university drew students from throughout India and the world who came to study with the famed Tagore and share in his educational vision. —Lisa Rotondo-McCord, Assistant Director for Art and Curator of Asian Art

Now on View: Thalassa, Rising from the Deep Miranda Lash, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art

T

his summer, visitors entering NOMA’s Great Hall will be greeted by Thalassa, a large-scale

installation by the internationally renowned artist Swoon. Thalassa depicts a monumental woman rising from the waters in a swirling crescendo of paper, aquatic creatures, and tentacles. At her opening night lecture, Swoon expressed her hope that the goddess would help visitors “define their relationship to nature and to the sea,” particularly in the wake of the 2010 Gulf oil spill.

Thalassa was the product of thousands of hours of work by Swoon, her assistants, and volunteers.

The piece was constructed over two weeks in an offsite facility before being transferred to the museum.

Despite its daunting size, Thalassa weighs under 300 pounds. The goddess’s torso is comprised of two hand-painted linocut prints (Swoon’s largest to-date), attached back-to-back and reinforced by thin sheets of plywood.

Thalassa. Photograph by Judy Cooper.

The tentacles in Thalassa are made from hundreds of pieces of paper, ranging from found

visits will be rewarded by the discovery of new

materials such as newspaper and bubble wrap, to

forms, including fantastical buildings, fish, seahorses,

elaborately cut stencil designs from the past ten years

seaweed, even butterflies. The work is on view

of Swoon’s work. Visitors able to make repeated

through September 25, 2011.

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CENTENNIAL NEWS NOMA Remembers: When Andy Warhol Came to Town William Fagaly, The Françoise Billion Richardson Curator of African Art

cute, young boyfriend, the interior decorator Jed Johnson; movie director Paul Morrissey; and Warhol superstar Jane Forth, with her raven hair and ruby red lips. For several days I was their chauffeur, social secretary, confidant, and tour guide.

Raid the Icebox was the brainchild of John and Dominique de Menil of the Menil Collection in Houston. It was planned to be the first of several exhibitions featuring well known artists serving as guest curators at various American art museums.

Andy’s approach was most unorthodox, as one can imagine. Chain-link racks were built in tightly packed rows in the galleries and works hung on them. Other groups of paintings were stacked on the floor “cheek to jowl” and secured by sandbags holding them in place. Meanwhile, storage cupboards filled with rows and rows of fashionable women’s shoes from throughout the ages emphasized Andy’s interest in repetition.

In keeping with the nature of the exhibition, we planned the museum preview to be just as unconventional. At midnight, the loading dock doors in the basement and at the rear of the museum were opened to admit the many who had paid to come Andy Warhol signing Campbell’s soup cans in the gallery of the exhibition at NOMA. Photograph courtesy of the Times-Picayune.

meet the Pop master and his posse. The hip crowds were ushered upstairs to the exhibition, where they were received by the artist himself. What an evening!

In honor of NOMA’s centennial year, enjoy this blast

Hundreds of excited patrons were having a ball … all

from the past. The following excerpt from African art

except the special guest. Word got back to me that

curator William Fagaly’s memoir-in-progress details Pop

Andy wanted to go back to the hotel and watch old

art king Andy Warhol’s visit to the museum.

movies on TV. Reluctantly, we accommodated his

M

wishes, and I returned him to the Royal Sonesta. The

y most extensive visit with Andy Warhol

party, however, went on into the wee hours of the

occurred in early 1970 when he came to New

morning.

Orleans for the opening of Raid the Icebox I, an

During his two- or three-day stay, invitations

exhibition he curated. Accompanying him to the city

came fast and furious. Andy always wanted to know

were several members of his entourage, including his

whose house we were going to, who they were. By

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he intended to publish transcriptions of the tapes in a

fully briefed on who and what to expect. When we

book titled B as a follow-up to one already published

left, he would say, “Who was that crazy lady?” or

from earlier tapes titled A. I thought my goose was

“Tell me about ...” Of course, I filled him in on all the

cooked, and I told [NOMA donor] Sunny Norman I

unabridged, uncensored details. It totally slipped my

would be run out of town. Sunny responded, “Bill,

mind that he had a small tape recorder operating

don’t worry. We’ll all have to leave town!” Thank

every waking hour, and all of my gossipy

God, he never did get around to publishing that

information was being recorded! Not only that, but

second volume, but maybe some day someone will!

W H AT

IS

POP ART? POP

ART MAKES THE TONGUE-IN-CHEEK

suggestion that art is like every other marketed and mass-produced consumer product. Centered on consumerism and materialism, it breaks down the barrier between commercial art and fine art. The movement burst onto the New York art scene in the 1960s with Andy Warhol leading the way. Pulling from his background as a successful

commercial artist, Warhol created print series of Campbell’s soup cans and Coca-Cola bottles that turned commonplace objects into icons, as well as celebrity portraits that turned popular icons into replications. His works often used strong, flatly applied colors in simple compositions – much like print advertisements. – Hillary Lowry, Curatorial Intern

Left: Andy Warhol, American, 1928-1987, Portrait of Marilyn Monroe, 1969, silkscreen on paper, Gift of Tina Freeman, 81.336.18

Centennial Sponsors Director’s Dialogue Series, January-November 2011

100/4/100: Gifts for the Second Century—Celebrating

J.P. Morgan, Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann L.L.C.,

the Centennial of the New Orleans Museum of Art,

Postlethwaite & Netterville C.P.A., and Adler’s

November 12, 2011-February 19, 2012 Eugenie and Joseph Jones Family Foundation, Jones,

Copley to Warhol: 200 Years of American Art

Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere and Denegre,

Celebrating the Centennial of the New Orleans

and Canal Barge Company

Museum of Art, February-December 2011 Chevron with additional support from State

Centennial Birthday Party, December 16-18, 2011

Advisory Council Members

Lakeside Shopping Center and the Feil Family Foundation

Art in Bloom, March 14, 2012 Whitney Bank

Centennial Year Public Relations and Marketing Sponsors

Fabergé Egg Hunt, March 24, 2012

The Sheraton New Orleans Hotel and New Orleans

Catherine Burns Tremaine

Tourism and Marketing Corporation

July August September 2011 ●

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CENT ENNIA L NEW S

the time we arrived at our destination, he had been

EXPERIENCING NOMA Book Club Brings Art to Life Elizabeth Soland, Communications Department Intern

Book club members listen to author John Ed Bradley discuss his work, Restoration: A Novel. Photograph by Judy Cooper.

N

OMA provides many opportunities for visitors to get to know its works of art,

In addition to meetings at the museum, the group engages in hands-on learning in the

including gallery walk-throughs and docent tours.

community through field trips related to the reading.

The NOMA book club offers yet another perspective

When book club members read Dancing with Degas,

on art and the artistic process, further enriching

for example, the group took a field trip to the Degas

patrons’ experiences of the museum.

House followed by lunch at Café Degas on

Led by librarian Sheila Cork, the book club

Esplanade. By combining book discussions with

selects works of fiction and non-fiction related to art,

glimpses of the artist’s life in New Orleans, the group

art museums, or NOMA’s exhibitions. At monthly

better understood the historical culture that helped

meetings, the group discusses the current reading,

produce the artist’s work.

sharing interpretations and often enjoying curatorial

Founded by Cork in 2008, the book club was

programs specially designed for that month’s book

formed with a great deal of input from the

selection. In addition, Cork explains, “We’ll do walks

community. “I knew I wanted to do programming,

through the galleries … sometimes to find four or

but the book club was one idea among many,” Cork

five paintings or artworks by [the featured artist].”

says. “I held a planning meeting where

Degas, John Singer Sargent, and Richmond Barthé

representatives from all of NOMA’s stakeholders

have all been subjects of recent book club

discussed the ideas I presented. Their input was

discussions.

invaluable and I think that’s why the group has worked so well.”

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discussed at the monthly meetings, which take place

NEXT UP

AT

EXPER IENCING NOMA

Book club members suggest the books to be

BOOK CLUB

at lunchtime. Members are welcome to come early, bring their lunch and chat with friends before the discussion begins. One book is covered per month.

Members are completely free to pick and choose which books or events to participate in. “There are people who come all the time, there are people who come only if it’s something they are really interested in, and others who come only on field trips or for curatorial programs,” Cork says.

To become a member of NOMA’s book club, email Cork at scork@noma.org or call (504) 658-4117.

Members receive regular emails with information about upcoming books and events.

July: The Masque of Africa

by V. S. Naipaul July 7, 12 p.m.: Curatorial Program July 13, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; 7-8 p.m.: Discussion Groups July 15, 5-7 p.m.: African art books on view August: The Murder of King Tut

by James Patterson Aug. 19, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Discussion Group September: The Lacuna

by Barbara Kingsolver Sept. 22, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Discussion Group

ART Play Comes to NOMA Brad J. Caldwell, Public Events Coordinator question, “What is art?”emerges as a central theme of this comedic play.

ART will be held in the Stern Auditorium every Friday evening at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. during the month of August. The cast includes A.J. Allegra, James Bartelle, Jason Kirkpatrick, Richard Alexander Pomes, Michael Aaron Santos, and Alex Martinez Wallace in rotating parts and is directed by Kate Kuen. Tickets go on sale online on July 1, 2011.

General admission is $16. Members and university students receive half price at $8. Tickets can be purchased online only at http://noma.eventbrite.com/.

On August 19 and 26 at 7 p.m., as a part of our One white painting. One friendship. One of them has to go.

regularly scheduled Where Y’ART!? programming, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Miranda Lash will hold a special discussion before the show

F

ollowing the success of this spring’s popular

focusing on selected pieces from NOMA’s modern

production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the

art collection. Also, Café NOMA will be open. Come

NOLA Project returns to NOMA in August

out early and enjoy a nice meal and some

performing Yasmina Reza’s ART. As three friends

refreshments before ART!

debate the purchase of a white painting with white stripes for several thousand dollars, the age-old July August September 2011 ●

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Stay tuned for details on future collaborations between NOMA and the NOLA Project.

Arts

13

NOMA

AND THE

COMMUNITY

NOMA Supporter Honored at Annual Dinner

Anne Reily Sutherlin, Louis Freeman, Banana Reily, and Susan M. Taylor. Photograph by Judy Cooper.

A

highlight of NOMA’s annual Fellows Dinner,

members of the Circle group at the President level. In

held this year in late March, is the presentation

addition, she helped organize the campaign to raise

of the Isaac Delgado Memorial Award. Since 1975,

funds to purchase Degas’s Portrait of Estelle Musson,

the director of NOMA has had the honor of

funded a Sculpture Garden base, and was a major

presenting this award to a person whose

donor to the Katrina Recover Campaign. With

contributions have had an enduring impact on the

abundant grace and humility, Banana has been an

museum. This year, we were pleased to give the

excellent spokesperson and a constant supporter of

award to Banana Reily for her distinguished service

the museum. We are grateful for Banana’s unceasing

and extraordinary support of NOMA. During her time with the museum, Ms. Reily has organized and funded numerous events and projects

dedication to NOMA and were proud to give her this award.

The annual Fellows dinner honors the museum’s

that have been of lasting importance to NOMA. She

Circle and Fellow members, who are vital to

was one of the organizers of the first Odyssey Ball

NOMA’s financial well-being. Circle and Fellow

held forty-five years ago, and has been a major

donors contribute approximately $1 million to

patron every year since its inception. She has been a

support NOMA’s operations annually. The Fellows

longtime trustee, is one of the founding members of

Dinner is our way of saying thank you for their

the Fellows, and in 2005 became one of the first

continued support.

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July August September 2011 ●

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Mari De Pedro, who works with oil, canvas, and natural and found objects; and Ayo Scott, who writes of his calling to pursue art, “I choose the hardest way to make an easy living because words often fail me ... and only putting a brush to a surface makes me feel like I’m truly communicating.” The artists will be honored at a ceremony during LOVE in the Garden and their work will be projected on the Sculpture Garden walls for all party-goers to enjoy.

The beloved annual event, to be held Friday, September 23, features cuisine from some of New Orleans’s finest restaurants and caterers, an open bar, and dancing under the stars in the lush environs of the Besthoff Sculpture Garden. The Patron Party with n keeping with recent tradition, this year’s LOVE

I

music by the Mike Krobin Band begins at 7 p.m. The

in the Garden will honor local artists who have

General Party gets underway at 8 p.m. when Mixed

played a vital role in our community. The 2011

Nuts takes center stage. Annie Flettrich and Jennifer

honorees include: Kathleen Loe, whose work

Shelnutt are this year’s co-chairs. Attire is dressy

engages with her visceral experiences of the Deep

casual. In the event of rain, the celebration will be

South; Julie Silvers, whose ceramic work features

held in the Great Hall inside the museum. To

primitive figures and evocative totems; Andy Brott,

purchase tickets or to become a sponsor, visit

an Arts and Crafts sculptor whose company,

www.noma.org or call (504) 658-4121. —Virginia

BrottWorks, creates mixed media glass installations;

Panno, NVC Correspondent

TERRIFIC TURNOUTS! THANKS TO OUR PUBLIC FOR TURNING OUT IN FULL FORCE FOR NOMA events this summer, from exhibitions to movies to plays in the Garden. Keep supporting us and we’ll keep working to provide firstrate art experiences for the entire family.

By the numbers … ●

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Read My Pins exhibition opening: 1,129 attendants King Kong screening (left): 1,003 attendants Swoon exhibition opening: 1,049 attendants A Midsummer Night’s Dream (four shows): over 1,600 attendants

NOMA A ND T H E COMMUNIT Y

LOVE in the Garden Pays Tribute to Local Artists

SUPPORTING NOMA UPGRADE YOUR SUPPORT

OF

NOMA

President’s Circle: $20,000 Director’s Circle: $10,000 The NOMA Board of Trustees cordially invites you to join the Circles, the museum’s most prestigious membership group.

Patron’s Circle: $5,000 For more information, please call (504) 658-4107.

Circles of the New Orleans Museum of Art We appreciate the generous and continuing support of our Circle members.

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. John D. Bertuzzi Mr. and Mrs. Sydney J. Besthoff III Mr. and Mrs. Ralph O. Brennan Collins C. Diboll Private Foundation Mr. and Mrs. David F. Edwards Dr. and Mrs. Ludovico Feoli Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Hansel Ms. Adrea D. Heebe and Mr. Dominick A. Russo, Jr. Helis Foundation Mr. and Mrs. David A. Kerstein Mr. Paul J. Leaman, Jr. Mrs. Paula L. Maher Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Mayer Mrs. Robert Nims Mrs. Charles S. Reily, Jr. Mrs. Françoise B. Richardson Jolie and Robert Shelton Mrs. Patrick F. Taylor Zemurray Foundation

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE Mrs. Jack R. Aron Mr. and Mrs. F. Macnaughton Ball, Jr. The Booth-Bricker Fund Mrs. Lawrence D. Garvey Mrs. JoAnn Flom Greenberg Mr. Jerry Heymann Mr. and Mrs. Erik F. Johnsen Mr. and Mrs. Peter R. Monrose, Jr.

16 Arts

Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Patrick Mr. and Mrs. George Rodrigue Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Rodriguez, Jr. Ms. Debra B. Shriver Margaret B. and Joel J. Soniat Dr. and Mrs. Richard L. Strub

PATRON’S CIRCLE Mrs. Adele L. Adatto Dr. Ronald G. Amedee and Dr. Elisabeth H. Rareshide Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Boh Mr. E. John Bullard III Mr. and Mrs. Mark Carey Dr. and Mrs. Isidore Cohn, Jr. Mrs. John J. Colomb, Jr. Mr. Leonard A. Davis Mr. and Mrs. Prescott N. Dunbar Ms. Mignon Faget Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Favrot, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Francis Mr. and Mrs. James J. Frischhertz Mr. and Mrs. Edward N. George Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Heebe Mrs. Gloria S. Kabacoff Ms. Allison Kendrick Mr. Henry M. Lambert and Mr. R. Carey Bond Mr. and Mrs. H. Merritt Lane III 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. Andrew Orestano Dr. Howard and Dr. Joy D. Osofsky Dr. and Mrs. James F. Pierce Mr. and Mrs. James J. Reiss, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Edward F. Renwick Mr. and Mrs. R. Randolph Richmond, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin M. Rosen Mr. and Mrs. Brian A. Schneider Mr. and Mrs. Edward Shearer Mr. and Mrs. Lynes R. Sloss Mr. and Mrs. Bruce L. Soltis Ms. E. Alexandra Stafford and Mr. Raymond M. Rathle, Jr. Mrs. Frederick M. Stafford Mrs. Harold H. Stream, Jr. Mr. Stephen Stumpf Mr. Hollis C. Taggart Mr. and Mrs. James L. Taylor Mr. and Mrs. David S. Thomas, Jr. Mrs. Hendrik Willem van Voorthuysen Mrs. John N. Weinstock Mrs. Henry H. Weldon

July August September 2011 ●

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Corporate Membership

NOMA’s exhibitions and special programs are made possible through the generosity of our sponsors. If you would like additional information on sponsorship, please contact the museum’s Development Department at (504) 658-4107.

The following corporate members make it possible for NOMA to serve the public.

$100,000+ Collins C. Diboll Foundation – Endowment Fund The Helis Foundation – Free Wednesdays for Louisiana Residents Save America’s Treasures – Permanent Collection Conservation Zemurray Foundation – General Operating Support – Endowment Fund $99,999 - $50,000 The Selley Foundation – Art Storage Building Renovation and Website Relaunch $49,999 - $20,000 Heebe-Russo Family – Odyssey Ball, 2010 Robert Lehman Foundation – Ancestors of Congo Square Catalogue Luce Foundation – Kuntz Galleries Renovation The Lupin Foundation – Odyssey Ball, 2010 National Endowment for the Arts – Art Storage Building Renovation The RosaMary Foundation – General Operating Support Patrick F. Taylor Foundation – Education Endowment

Andy Warhol Foundation – Curatorial Research Whitney National Bank –Art in Bloom Francis Rivers Lelong – Endowment Fund $19,999 - $10,000 Chevron – Odyssey Ball, 2011 Garden Study Club – Centennial Beautification Goldring Family Foundation – Odyssey Ball, 2010 John Burton Harter Foundation – Odyssey Ball, 2010 Louisiana Endowment for the Arts – General Operating Support Morris G. and Paula L. Maher Foundation – Odyssey Ball, 2010 Jolie and Robert Shelton – Odyssey Ball, 2010 Mrs. Frederick M. Stafford – Odyssey Ball, 2010 Ruby K. Woerner Foundation – Programming Dathel and Tommy Coleman – Art in Bloom Georges Enterprises – Art in Bloom Entergy – Art in Bloom Eugenie and Joseph Jones Family Foundation – Art in Bloom

GUARANTOR The Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group PATRON Chrestia Staub Pierce The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Foundation MASTER Christie’s Fine Art Auctioneers Dooky Chase’s Restaurant The Schon Charitable Foundation LEADER Boh Bros. Construction Co., L.L.C. Bolton Ford Hotel Monteleone Laitram, L.L.C. New Orleans Silversmiths Rathborne Companies East, L.L.C. The Times-Picayune ASSOCIATE Bowie Lumber Associates M. S. Rau Antiques, L.L.C. Neal Auction Company, Inc. CONTRIBUTOR A. L. Lowe Picture Framing Company As You Like It Silver Shop Coffee Roasters of New Orleans Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company Hirsch Investment Management, L.L.C. Kentwood Spring Water, Inc. Mignon Faget, Ltd. Sisung Securities Corporation Wirthmore Antiques, Ltd.

N OMA L A u N C h E S C O N t E M P O r A ry A r t A F F i N i t y G r O u P THE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

Nic Nicosia, American, born 1951, Untitled (Sam!), 1986, silver dye bleach print, Gift of Arthur Roger in honor of William A. Fagaly, 2001.315

IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE the

launch this fall of the Contemporaries, NOMA’s first new affinity group. We invite you to become a member and enjoy this unique opportunity to expand your appreciation of contemporary art through social events and educational programs with living artists. Miranda Lash, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, will guide group members through an entertaining series of art courses, lectures, and travel opportunities. In addition, NOMA Director Susan M. Taylor will host special member events with visiting national and international contemporary artists.

Become a Contemporaries member today! Meet others who share your passion and deepen your understanding of contemporary art. For more information, call (504) 658-4107 or email: mdittmann@noma.org.

S UPPORT ING NOMA

Program Sponsors

S UPPORT ING NOMA

Spring Events Flourish at NOMA

N

OMA was in full bloom from March 30 through April 3, 2011, as the museum and the

On April 9, 2011, NOMA hosted the sixth annual Fabergé Egg Hunt in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden.

Garden Study Club of New Orleans presented the

In absolutely perfect weather, hundreds of excited

twenty-third annual Art in Bloom. Nearly 4,000

children scampered through the Garden in search of

people attended the five-day celebration featuring art

hidden Elmer’s candy eggs. Attended by over 1,000

and floral displays, educational programs, and social

people, the fun-filled event also featured a petting

events. A true feast for all senses, this year’s popular

zoo, arts and crafts activities, spacewalks, face

springtime event had the added charm of paying

painting, balloon making and, of course, a visit from

tribute to NOMA’s centennial.

the Elmer’s Easter Bunny. Thanks to Catherine Burns Tremaine for underwriting the event.

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Art in Bloom: 1. Kimberly Zibilich and E. Ralph E. Lupin; 2. John Georges, Art in Bloom Co-Chair Dathel Georges, Claire Koch, and Lander Dunbar; 3. Susan Wormser, Mirella Reilly, Art in Bloom Co-Chair Kim Abramson, Kara French; 4. Director Susan M. Taylor, John and Betty Hope, Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne; 5. Tiffany Adler; 6. Banana Reily, Lynne McMillan, Sandra Freeman; 7. Bill Goldring, Trixie Minx, and Fred Holley. Photography by Judy Cooper.

S UPPORT ING NOMA

8

9

Fabergé Egg Hunt: 8. Sarah Abott, Fabergé Egg Hunt Co-Chairs Angel Junius and Petra Guste, Kimberly Zibilich; 9.Fabergé Egg Hunt underwriter Catherine Burns Tremaine and Director Emeritus E. John Bullard. Photography by Roman Alokhin.

July August September 2011 ●

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Arts

19

PROFILES IN GIVING A Tribute to Françoise Billion Richardson peoples of Nigeria in honor of E. John Bullard’s twentieth anniversary as director of the museum. In the late ‘90s, Mrs. Richardson established the Françoise B. Richardson Curator of African Art position and provided funding for the Françoise B. Richardson African Art Purchase Endowment, which has allowed the museum to purchase more than sixty-five works of art for the African art collection.

In addition, she named NOMA’s African art gallery in honor of her parents, Sadie and Olivier Billion.

Mrs. Richardson joined NOMA’s Board of Trustees in 1992 and served as board president from 1993-1994. In 1996, she received the Isaac Delgado Memorial Award for her tremendous dedication and service to the museum. On many occasions, she has graciously opened her home on behalf of NOMA for Photograph by Judy Cooper.

T

visiting artists, art collectors, and other important guests and in 1995, she played an integral role in the

he New Orleans Museum of Art would not be

success of NOMA’s Monet exhibition. For her work

what it is today without the commitment and

in bringing French culture to New Orleans and in

generosity of individuals such as Mrs. Françoise

recognition of her own French heritage, Mrs.

Billion Richardson. The tremendous impact she has

Richardson has been decorated with the Ordre des

had on the museum can be felt in every corner and

Arts et des Lettres from the French government.

on every floor of the building.

Françoise was born in France to a Frenchman

Possessed of great wit and charm, Mrs. Richardson has always been a modest person, never

named Olivier Billion and his wife, Sadie Dowman

seeking credit for the important work she has done

Billion, of New Orleans. After the beginning of World

for the New Orleans Museum of Art. We are grateful

War II, the Billion family moved to New Orleans,

for her loyalty and generous spirit and we are proud

where they became actively involved in the life of the

to call her a dear friend of the museum.

New Orleans Museum of Art. In 1959, Sadie Billion and her sister Virginia Koch named the Dowman Gallery in honor of their father, Robert Henry Dowman.

As an adult, Mrs. Richardson became an avid collector of African art, and a tireless supporter of NOMA’s African art collection. Over the years, she has donated many stunning pieces to our collection,

CH A R ITA BL E G IFT S to NOMA Make a lasting contribution to the museum with a gift of cash, stock, real estate, or other assets. Such gifts may allow for significant tax savings. For more information, please call (504) 658-4107.

including a headdress mask of the Oron Ibibio

20 Arts

July August September 2011 ●

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Arts P. O. Box 19123 New Orleans, LA 70179-0123

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

Board of TRUSTEES Mrs. Charles B. Mayer, President Mrs. James J. Frischhertz, Vice-President E. Ralph Lupin, M.D., Vice-President Phyllis M. Taylor, Vice-President Timothy Francis, Treasurer Michael D. Moffitt, Secretary William D. Aaron, Jr. Mrs. John Bertuzzi Sydney Besthoff III Dr. Siddharth Bhansali Mrs. Mark Carey Edgar L. Chase III Mr. Tommy Coleman Leonard Davis David F. Edwards H. M. “Tim” Favrot, Jr. Mrs. Ludovico Feoli Julie Livaudais George Susan G. Guidry, Councilmember District “A” Terence Hall Lee Hampton

Stephen A. Hansel Adrea D. Heebe Ms. Allison Kendrick Subhash Kulkarni Henry Lambert Mayor Mitch Landrieu Mrs. Merritt Lane Paul J. Masinter Ms. Kay McArdle Alvin Merlin, M.D. Mrs. R. King Milling Mrs. Michael D. Moffitt Howard J. Osofsky, M.D., Ph.D. Mrs. Robert J. Patrick Mrs. James J. Reiss, Jr. Mrs. George Rodrigue Donna P. Rosen Brian Schneider Mrs. Jolie L. Shelton Mrs. Lynes Sloss E. Alexandra Stafford Mrs. Richard L. Strub Mr. Robert Taylor Mr. Brent Wood Mrs. Kimberly Zibilich

Honor ar y L if e 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 Huger Mrs. Erik Johnsen Richard W. Levy, M.D. J. Thomas Lewis

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

SUPPORT ACKNOWLEDGMENT The programs of the New Orleans Museum of Art are supported by grants from the Louisiana State Arts Council through the Louisiana Division of the Arts, the Arts Council of New Orleans, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

MUSEUM HOURS The museum is open Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed Monday and all legal holidays.

The Besthoff Sculpture Garden is open every day, 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., except Fridays, when it is open until 8:45 p.m. For information on upcoming exhibitions and events at NOMA, please call (504) 658-4100 or visit our website at www.noma.org.

Caroline Goyette Aisha Champagne P R I N T I N G : DocuMart EDITOR:

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

Mrs. James Pierce Ms. Debra B. Shriver Mrs. Billie Milam Weisman Mrs. Henry H. Weldon

ART DIRECTOR:

Arts Quarterly (ISSN 0740-9214) is published by the New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA 70124. © 2011, New Orleans Museum of Art. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or reprinted without permission of the publisher.