The NOMA Book Club meets monthly to discuss fiction and nonfiction books related to art in NOMA’s collection and exhibitions. It is an informal group open to anyone on a month-to-month basis. You do not have to attend every meeting or read every book! In addition to monthly book discussions, the Book Club meets periodically for curatorial programs related to the book selections. Books are selected in advance and planned for the entire year according to the exhibition schedule. Participants are expected to procure their own copy of the selected titles. Meetings are held in person or via Zoom, determined at the beginning of each month. All meetings begin at 12 pm.

For more information on the NOMA Book Club please contact NOMA’s Curator of Education, Tracy Kennan, at tkennan@noma.org or (504) 658-4113.

REGISTER NOW

JULY

Estelle: A Novel by Linda Stewart Henley
She Writes Press, 2021, ISBN: 1631527916

Estelle, named for Edgar Degas’s cousin and sister-in-law, tells the story of the French Impressionist’s five-month visit with his Creole relatives in New Orleans in 1872-73. The artist arrives without paints or ambition and Estelle is worried. Despite problems of her own, she encourages him and he eventually paints several family portraits, one of which assures his fame. A century later, Anne Gautier struggles to start a career as an artist in New Orleans while restoring an old house she inherited. From an old journal she learns about Estelle, Edgar, and her Creole ancestors. A portrait of Estelle causes trouble, and Anne is forced to confront truths about people she knows as she establishes her life in the 1970s. This historical fiction novel includes history, romance, family saga, mystery, art, and a touch of humor as events unfold.

MEET THE AUTHOR | THURSDAY, JULY 8, 12 pm with Linda Stewart Henley

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP | THURSDAY, JULY 22, 12 pm

Education and outreach initiatives at NOMA are supported in part by the Zemurray Foundation; the Lois and Lloyd Hawkins Jr. Foundation; The Helis Foundation; The Gayle and Tom Benson Foundation; The City of New Orleans; IBERIABANK; The Wagner Foundation; Janice Parmelee and Bill Hammack; the Diversifying Art Museum Leadership Initiative, funded by the Walton Family Foundation and the Ford Foundation; Sara and David Kelso; Patrick F. Taylor Foundation;  Dr. Scott S. Cowen; The RosaMary Foundation; The Azby Fund; the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, a Federal agency; The Collins C. Diboll Private Foundation; Burkenroad Foundation; Marian Dreux Van Horn Education Endowment; The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation;  Ruby K. Worner Trust through the PNC Charitable Trusts Grant Review Committee; The Harry T. Howard III Foundation; New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, Inc.; Harvey and Marie Orth; The Bruce J. Heim Foundation; and Mrs. Bennett A. Molter, Jr. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.