Art and nature in harmony
NOMA is committed to the health and safety of our community. Please see safety guidelines below.
Admission is free. Donations are appreciated.
Open seven days a week
Summer Hours (April–September) 10 am–6 pm | Winter Hours (October–March) 10 am–5 pm
Wheelchairs may be used throughout our barrier-free property and are available upon request.
Image: Elyn Zimmerman’s Mississippi Meanders bridge is illuminated at dusk.
The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden occupies approximately eleven acres in City Park adjacent to the museum. Atypical of most sculpture gardens, this garden is located within a mature existing landscape of pines, magnolias, and live oaks surrounding two lagoons. The garden design creates outdoor viewing spaces within this picturesque landscape. Originally conceived in 2003, the Sculpture Garden doubled in size in 2019 and has grown to include more than 90 sculptures. READ MORE
Sydney and Walda Besthoff are the namesake visionary founders behind a world-renowned sculpture garden for New Orleans.
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Architects, landscape architects, lighting designers, and arborists were among the contractors who made it all possible.
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See highlights of the Sculpture Garden in a virtual tour produced in partnership with the Google Arts & Culture Initiative.
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You can play a role in the historic expansion of the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden by making a gift to support the project.
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Relive the excitement of the grand opening of the Besthoff Sculpture Garden expansion in May 2019.
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Bronze
Pablo Casals’s Obelisk, a towering accumulation of welded bronze cellos, dominates the waters of a lagoon in the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. Standing over twenty feet tall, the Obelisk, built in homage to the world-renowned Spanish-Puerto Rican cellist and human rights activist Pablo Casals, is an imposing example of monumental sculpture by French-born artist Arman.
The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art offers detailed entries on 64 artworks in the original 2003 garden, as well as a bibliography and overview of the garden’s founding. 192 pages, hardcover. Edited by Miranda Lash. $49.95
This year’s cohort of Creative Assembly residents at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) includes eight artists from various disciplines. Launched in 2021, NOMA’s Creative Assembly residency promotes community engagement by welcoming artists to collaborate throughout the year with the museum’s permanent collection, special exhibitions, and programs.
“We are thrilled to see this year’s Creative Assembly Cohort hit the ground running, finding inspiration in NOMA’s collection and exhibitions,” said Susan M. Taylor, The Montine McDaniel Freeman Director of NOMA. “As one of the largest fine arts museums in the Gulf South, we are honored to serve as a space for discovery and innovation for the artists who are defining our current moment.”
Members of the 2024–25 Creative Assembly Cohort are:
Poet Andy Young (@andyyoungpoet)
Dancer and choreographer Caleb Dowden (@__sheba)
Filmmaker and visual artist Carl Harrison Jr. (@carl_harrisonjr)
Musician, spoken word artist, and harpist Cassie Watson Francillon (@cassandharp)
Painter, drawer, and ceramic artist Horton Humble (@hortonhumble)
Clay, metal, and fibers artist Jer’Lisa Devezin (@_jerlisa_)
Collage artist LaVonna Varnado-Brown (@arijino.artistry)
Poet Nikkisha K. Napoleon
OPENING SOON 
"New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations"
On view at NOMA starting April 4, the exhibition spotlights the work of four contemporary artists working in cities across West Africa: Chief Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa, Sheku “Goldenfinger” Fofanah, David Sanou, and Hervé Youmbi.
The first presentation of its kind, "New African Masquerades" offers a rare look into contemporary West African masquerade by contextualizing the works of individual artists within a range of social, economic, and religious practices and examining their networks of viewership and exchange.
Made from materials including wood, cloth and fabrics, sequins, feathers, gourds, raffia, and cowry shells, the ensembles on view represent a wide variety of masquerade practices and societies.
Organized in partnership with the Musée des Civilisations noires (@mcndakar) in Dakar, Senegal, the exhibition will be also be presented in a parallel form for African audiences—marking the first time an exhibition will be presented in such a way in North America and Africa.
Click the link in our bio to learn more.
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Hervé Youmbi, "Tso Scream Mask" and "Tso Scream Leopard Mask
at the Nka’a Kossié society succession ceremony at Fondati Chieftaincy, Saturday, December 3, 2022. Photo by Hervé Youmbi. Courtesy of the artist and Axis Gallery, New York, New York, and West Orange, New Jersey.
Happy hump day! 
Camels, which evolved in North America before migrating to Asia and Africa, were domesticated over 3,000 years ago and became essential to human civilization.
By the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE), they powered trade along the Silk Road, linking China to Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.
More than being transport animals, camels symbolize endurance, prosperity, and cross-cultural exchange, carrying materials, ideas, and artistic traditions across vast landscapes.
This 7th-century funerary figure reflects this history, embodying movement and connectivity. The robustly sculpted camel strides forward, heavily laden with saddlebags, flasks, and bolsters, symbolizing commerce and human interaction.
The rider, clad in foreign attire distinct from traditional Chinese dress—a thick-collared jacket, pantaloons, and leather boots—sits comfortably on a fringed fur rug, his chubby cheeks and contented smile hinting at the prosperity of Silk Road travelers.
Click the link in our bio to learn more about this work in NOMA`s permanent collection from Simeneh Gebremariam, Curatorial and Programs Assistant.
—: "Bactrian Camel with Rider Holding a Small Animal," Tang Dynasty, 7th Century. Gray earthenware, molded, carved, and applied with traces of cold-painted color. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. R. Randolph Richmond, Jr. 2009.61.a, b.
: Third floor, Chinese art
Introducing the speakers for this year`s Art in Bloom Presented by First Horizon Bank lecture series:
@mieketenhave is an interiors stylist, design writer, and creative consultant. With extensive experience as a magazine editor, including roles as Home Editor for Vogue and Design Editor at Large for Elle Decor, she translates her editorial insights into creative direction for interior designers, architects, and home brands. Ten Have is involved in producing photo shoots and visual content, along with written materials for a diverse array of design clients. She regularly contributes to Architectural Digest and House & Garden (UK) and has authored several books.
Susan Crater and Eliza Crater Harris of @sisterparishdesign, a renowned American textile and wallcovering brand with a rich heritage. Established in 1933 by the esteemed interior designer Sister Parish, it remains a family-run business, now in its fourth generation, led by CEO Susan Crater and her daughter, Creative Director Eliza Crater Harris. Their goal is to inspire and educate both designers and enthusiasts to create homes that emphasize authenticity, comfort, and connection, all while honoring a commitment to historically inspired design that shapes great American houses.
Tickets for this popular annual program are limited. Click the link in our bio to get yours and learn more about Art in Bloom, which provides critical resources for both NOMA’s educational initiatives and exhibitions and the Garden Study Club of New Orleans’s community grants program.
Have you every wondered what soundtrack is running through a musician`s mind during a museum visit? 
On March 19, at 6 pm, celebrated musician Dr. Michael White kicks off a new series of Musical Encounters—talks featuring conversations with musicians about their creative processes, followed by a short, intimate performance inspired by a work on view at the museum.
White is an accomplished, multi-faceted New Orleans-based clarinetist, bandleader, composer, musicologist, jazz historian, and educator widely regarded as one of the leading authorities and culture-bearers of traditional New Orleans jazz music. He has performed in over two dozen foreign countries, played on over 50 recordings, received countless awards, made multiple national television appearances, and been featured in major media publications.
Included with museum admission, which is free for Louisiana residents every Wednesday courtesy of The Helis Foundation’s Art for All initiative.
Click the link in our bio for more information.
Register now for summer camp at NOMA! 
Campers will embark on an exciting summer adventure, exploring 5,000 years of art through our permanent collection, special exhibitions, and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden.
With an interdisciplinary approach to creative thinking and art-making, campers will engage in a variety of artistic mediums and activities, including drawing, painting, movement, sculpture, and more.
Each camp session is unique, yet all are centered on the joy of art exploration, creation, and fun.
Session 1: June 16–19
Session 2: June 23–27
Session 3: July 7–11
Session 4: July 14–18
Click the link in our bio to secure your spot today.
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: @iamashleylorraine
We’re making continual changes to bring all of our engaging digital offerings to the forefront of our website. We invite you to keep coming back for new content and exciting updates!
Discover artworks, collections, and stories in a digital format from NOMA like never before.
