Dear NOMA family and friends,
Today we mourn the loss of Sydney Besthoff, NOMA’s most generous philanthropist who, with his beloved wife Walda, created the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. Their unwavering vision and commitment distinguishes New Orleans from any other city in the country with one of the most important sculpture gardens in the world. His contributions can only be surpassed by the extraordinary legacy Sydney and Walda partnered to build together through their exceptional record of dedication to supporting New Orleans arts and culture.
A successful New Orleans business executive and philanthropist, Sydney’s vision allowed for the establishment of the Contemporary Arts Center in 1976. He was the first ever recipient of the City of New Orleans Arts Award in 1980, and was recognized with a Louisiana Humanities Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. In 2004, Sydney won NOMA’s Isaac Delgado Award, given to a distinguished individual or organization whose long-term service, support, and dedication to the museum set precedents for the institution. Also in 2004, Sydney was recognized by the International Sculpture Center, and in 2018, as part of The Times-Picayune/nola.com’s “300 for 300” series in celebration of New Orleans’ tricentennial. Sydney was celebrated as one of the 300 people who have “made New Orleans, New Orleans.”
Sydney’s long relationship with NOMA began in 1992 when he was first appointed to the Board of Trustees. Not long after that, he began conversations with then NOMA Director John Bullard, and others, about the possibility of what was to become the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. Opened to the public in 2003, and expanded in 2019, the Besthoff Sculpture Garden has received world-wide acclaim and is regularly mentioned as one of the most definitive sites for outdoor sculpture in a natural landscape. The collection continues to grow, now featuring more than 90 works, representing the extraordinary range of Sydney’s and Walda’s taste and keen eye.
Sydney’s vision, passion, and dedication to the arts are unparalleled. With Walda, Sydney’s goal was to create a new way for NOMA to expand and broaden its audience, while creating ways for New Orleanians to experience art in a relaxed and informal setting. It is a demonstration of this desire to share their passion that they wanted the Garden to be free and open to the people of the city of New Orleans.
Through my time working with him, I have been fortunate to enjoy a meaningful partnership and friendship. Less than a year after I arrived at NOMA in 2010, Sydney, Walda, and I began a conversation around expanding the Besthoff Sculpture Garden. I clearly remember the day where he asked me to write down the artists with whom I would like to work, and then he showed me his list too. There were so many artists we each included on both lists, and off we went on an incredible journey. We all shared a joy for seeing art in public, outdoor spaces. In fact, the reputation of the Garden is one of the primary reasons I came to New Orleans. I have never worked with anyone more focused on realizing the full magnitude of such an important project.
Some of my fondest memories of Sydney and Walda are walking in Chelsea together—going from gallery to gallery, pacing ourselves so that we could make the most of our time and then talking about what we had seen over a quick lunch so we could get back to the galleries. He loved the chase. He often found works that weren’t readily available on the market and made the deal. Private dealers, auctions, and galleries were all part of the hunt. It was thrilling—the pursuit of important work, striving for excellence and quality.
The excitement was even more palpable when the works arrived at the garden loaded on a flatbed truck, ready for the installation. Sydney and Walda were always the first to arrive, warmly greeting the crane operators from American Machinery. We would stand by watching as the works soared above us, landing exactly on the proposed site. Just two weeks ago, on February 11, 2022, Sydney supervised the installation of Wangechi Mutu’s Crocodylus. It was a perfect day, with the sun shining in a cloudless, blue sky. We stood and watched as Crocodylus swung over the fence and gently landed on the site near the pavilion. It was Sydney’s last outing, and so memorable. Perfect in its own way. A distinguished collector who celebrated a distinguished artist with not one, but two works for the garden.
At his ninetieth birthday party in 2017, which took place in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, NOMA announced the establishment of the Sydney Besthoff Legacy Award. Known as “The Sydney,” the lifetime achievement award honors outstanding contributions and distinguished philanthropy in the arts. This award recognizes and honors individuals who, throughout their lifetime, have demonstrated outstanding devotion to visual arts and provided significant impact to the New Orleans Museum of Art and the city of New Orleans. Fittingly, Sydney was the first ever recipient of the Sydney Besthoff Legacy Award. And what a legacy he created. There are no words to express how much he will be missed and how much I will miss him.
Sincerely,
Susan M. Taylor
Montine McDaniel Freeman Director
