Every week, NOMA hosts gallery talks in the museum and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden led by curators, artists, and other special guests. These lively, participatory conversations provide a moment to take a close look at one work—or a selection of works—currently on view.

This week, join Erika Witt, Director and Chief Curator of Southern University at New Orleans Museum of Art, for a gallery talk on works in the exhibition New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations.

Witt will lead two iterations of this gallery talk: the first from 12:30-1:00 PM, and the second from 6:00-6:30 pm the same evening.

Included with museum admission, which is free for Louisiana residents every Wednesday courtesy of The Helis Foundation’s Art for All initiative. When you arrive at NOMA, check in at the admissions desk for directions to the appropriate location.

About Erika Witt

Erika Witt is the Director and Chief Curator of the Southern University at New Orleans Museum of Art (SUNOMA) and serves as an adjunct professor in SUNO’s Master of Arts in Museum Studies program. She specializes in traditional African art and Egyptology, with a focus on preserving and interpreting African material culture within museums and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Erika’s work emphasizes the importance of accessibility, representation, and cultural continuity across academic and museum settings. Her mission is to make museums and global heritage inclusive and accessible—particularly for communities historically excluded from institutional narratives. Through exhibitions, public programming, and academic engagement, her curatorial practice foregrounds representation, cultural stewardship, and diasporic storytelling.