This Letter from the Director is featured in the Spring 2026 relaunch issue of the NOMA member magazine. To gain access to the full Spring 2026 and future issues, learn more about becoming a NOMA member here.
Our NOMA magazine is back—and we are delighted to share our news with you in this format once again. On these pages, we offer the latest news, in-depth stories, and behind-the-scenes insights into our work, while looking ahead to exciting initiatives and ambitious plans for NOMA’s future. We hope you enjoy this renewed publication, created to bring the museum closer to you.
This issue reflects the many dimensions of our work, highlighting the importance of the museum’s deep connections to community, to new partnerships, to enduring collaborations, and to the legacies that fulfill our mission as a center for the arts in New Orleans.
We are especially honored to share the extraordinary legacy of Thomas Lemann. Tommy believed in the power of art to educate, inspire, and connect communities. He guided many organizations and foundations to consider their roles in the cultural landscape of New Orleans. A true philanthropist, he bequeathed his remarkable Sèvres collection to NOMA. The resulting exhibition, now on view, celebrates his passion for collecting and ensures that these works will be preserved, studied, and shared for generations of New Orleanians to come. His collection was shaped by both intellect and passion – guided by scholarship and a personal vision. When you visited Tommy— and were greeted with his familiar “hello kiddo”— you knew an engaging conversation would follow, and often include a viewing of his Sèvres collection. While we can’t replicate his environment, we can share this priceless collection with all of you.
Kurt and Alice Gitter also made an extraordinary impact this year by strengthening NOMA’s distinguished Zen painting collection with a gift of five paintings by Hakuin. The addition of these works further secures NOMA’s standing as one of the leading public collections of Hakuin paintings in the United States. The Gitters’ curiosity, discernment, and longstanding commitment to NOMA is reflected in these most recent gifts. We are delighted to share that the Japanese gallery has been named in their honor in recognition of the transformative gifts they made over 50 years.
Such commitment to community and partnership is a theme that recurs throughout this issue. Our collaboration with the Villa Albertine brought French artist Nicolas Floc’h to Louisiana and the exhibition Fleuves-Océan, Mississippi Watershed to NOMA, while our partnership with the Congo Square Preservation Society resulted in the Elders Sacred Talks Series, made possible through the generous support of E.A. Michelson Philanthropy. The Hayward Oubre retrospective, featured in these pages, grew from a partnership with the Birmingham Museum of Art. Through these relationships, we continue to connect what is distinctly NOMA and New Orleans to the larger issues and opportunities in the museum field at large.
This magazine is an extension of our own commitment to community. We paused publication during the uncertainty of the pandemic, prioritizing sustainability during an unprecedented period. More recently, national funding adjustments created further challenges for cultural institutions, compelling us to adapt, refine, and enhance how to best fulfill our mission.
We invite you to join us as we continue bringing the very best of the arts and our partnerships to all who care about this museum. The renewed NOMA magazine is an important opportunity to communicate the museum’s commitment to community and cultural leadership. Thank you for allowing us to share this new chapter with you.
Susan M. Taylor
The Montine McDaniel Freeman Director