NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART AND LCMC HEALTH ANNOUNCE GRANT TO SUPPORT THE MUSEUM’S CREATIVE AGING PROGRAMS
A partnership with LCMC Health will help fund NOMA’s Art Thrives programming for ages 55 and older. As part of the partnership, NOMA and LCMC Health will collaborate on benefits for hospital staff and patients, including expanded programmatic offerings for older adults in New Orleans.

NEW ORLEANS – Today, the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) and LCMC Health announced a new partnership in support of the museum’s Art Thrives creative aging initiative for ages 55 and older.

LCMC Health’s partnership helps support and expand Art Thrives programming over the next two years.  NOMA’s Art Thrives program creates opportunities for older adults to learn new skills while building community and having fun in the process.

“We are delighted that our partnership with LCMC Health will expand Art Thrives programming, a cornerstone of our efforts to leverage the transformational power of the arts to alter the narrative around expressing creativity as we age,” said Dr. Redell Hearn, Chief Educator at NOMA. “The museum’s mission is to inspire lifelong learning through the arts, and creative experiences designed specifically for adults are a crucial part of this work.”

As part of the new partnership the institutions will collaborate on public programming for patients, medical professionals, and staff.

“LCMC Health is proud to partner with NOMA and provide support and resources for this incredible program,” said Dawn Zell Wright, Chief Human Resources Officer at LCMC Health. “The more experienced generations in our community have preserved so much of New Orleans’ unique history and traditions, and we’re pleased to play a role in this continued preservation and community-building. We believe in creating a culture of wellness that extends past the hospital walls and into our community.”

NOMA launched Art Thrives in 2022 with generous support from E.A. Michelson Philanthropy’s Vitality Arts Project for Art Museums. The museum was one of nine prominent museums selected that year to better serve older adults and actively combat ageism. Earlier this year, E.A. Michelson Philanthropy awarded the museum a $75,000 Envisioning Museum Facilities for Older Visitors planning grant to sustain and grow the initiative.

Part of a larger “creative aging” movement across the country, Art Thrives provides the opportunity for older audiences to learn new creative skills and build community through active art-making. Upcoming courses and workshops are scheduled for early 2025 and will be announced on noma.org.

In 2023, NOMA’s Art Thrives initiative expanded to include the Elders Sacred Talk Series, in collaboration with the Congo Square Preservation Society, providing program attendees of all ages the opportunity to learn firsthand from prolific elder New Orleanians about the impact they have had on the city. The next Elders Sacred Talk Series program with Big Chief Joseph Pierre “Monk” Boudreaux and artist and activist Willie Birch is on Wednesday, October 23, at 6 pm—free with museum admission. Future programs in the series are on Wednesdays, November 20, and December 18. Museum admission is free for Louisiana residents every Wednesday courtesy of The Helis Foundation.

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Media Contacts

Charlie Tatum
Director of Marketing and Communications
New Orleans Museum of Art
ctatum@noma.org
504.658.4103

LaDana Williams
Senior Director, Marketing & Public Relations
LCMC Health
ladana.williams@lcmchealth.org
504.914.6004

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About NOMA and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden

The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) and its Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden are home to innovative exhibitions, installations, educational programs, and research. Exploring human creativity across time, cultures, and disciplines, the global scope of the museum’s initiatives open a vibrant dialogue with the history and culture of New Orleans. The museum stewards a collection of nearly 50,000 works, with exceptional holdings in African art, photography, decorative arts, and Japanese art, as well as strengths in American and French art, and an expanding collection highlighting contemporary artists. The museum’s exhibitions and dynamic learning and engagement offerings serve as a forum for visitors to engage with diverse perspectives, share cultural experiences, and foster a life of learning at all ages.

About LCMC Health

Established in 2009, LCMC Health is a Louisiana-based, not-for-profit hospital system serving the healthcare needs of the Gulf Coast region. LCMC Health currently manages Children’s Hospital New Orleans, East Jefferson General Hospital, Lakeside Hospital, Lakeview Hospital, New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, Tulane Medical Center, University Medical Center New Orleans, and West Jefferson Medical Center.