October Programs and Events at the New Orleans Museum of Art
Upcoming programs at NOMA include a museum-wide festival celebrating Japanese art and culture; a program offering after-hours access to Sand, Ash, Heat: Glass at the New Orleans Museum of Art; and a poetry showcase in partnership with the New Orleans Public Library.
NEW ORLEANS – Below is a calendar of upcoming programs and events organized by the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA):
Wednesday, October 2, 12:30 and 6:00 pm: Hispanic Heritage Month Gallery Talks with Curator Orlando Hernández Ying
Orlando Hernández Ying, NOMA’s Lapis Curator of the Arts of the Americas, leads gallery talks in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Throughout the month, the museum has been offering talks sharing highlights from the museum’s collection of ancient American art inspired by the theme: “Maize, Cacao, and Agave: The Art of Divine Food and Beverage.”
Free with museum admission. Louisiana residents receive free admission on Wednesdays courtesy of The Helis Foundation’s Art for All initiative.
https://noma.org/events/category/talks-and-tours/gallery-talks/
Friday, October 4, 5–9 pm: An Evening Exploring Sand, Ash, Heat: Glass at the New Orleans Museum of Art
Visitors enjoy after-hours access to the museum during an evening celebration of Sand, Ash, Heat: Glass at the New Orleans Museum of Art. The museum is offering gallery talks by catalogue contributors Zella Palmer, Chair and Director of the Dillard University Ray Charles Program in African-American Material Culture, and chromatography chemist Alex Sanchez; a screening of a glass art film; an art-making activity inspired by the exhibition; a DJ set in the Great Hall; and a book signing with Mel Buchanan, NOMA’s RosaMary Curator of Decorative Arts and Design. Café NOMA offers a specialty cocktail inspired by the exhibition. Attendees receive 10% off and members receive 20% off of the exhibition catalogue at the NOMA Museum Shop during this special event.
Free with advance registration.
https://noma.org/event/sah-catalogue-signing/
Wednesday, October 9, 12:30 and 6:00 pm: Gallery Talks with Curator Mel Buchanan
Mel Buchanan, RosaMary Curator of Decorative Arts and Design, leads two conversations about the exhibition Sand, Ash, Heat: Glass at the New Orleans Museum of Art, which presents nearly 300 objects representing over 4,000 years of world history through the medium of glass.
Free with museum admission. Louisiana residents receive free admission on Wednesdays courtesy of The Helis Foundation’s Art for All initiative.
https://noma.org/events/category/talks-and-tours/gallery-talks/
Wednesday, October 9, 5–7 pm: Creative Writing Poetry Showcase with Creative Assembly Artist Daniel Fitzpatrick
Celebrate the power of words during a poetry showcase hosted by Creative Assembly Cohort member Daniel Fitzpatrick. Attendees will immerse themselves in the inspiring verses crafted during Fitzpatrick’s September poetry workshops, which took place at New Orleans Public Library branches across the city. Each poem is a reflection of the vibrant neighborhoods of New Orleans, capturing the essence of our unique community.
Free and open to the public.
https://noma.org/event/creative-writing-showcase-daniel-fitzpatrick/
Monday, October 14, 9 am–6 pm: Member Sale at the NOMA Museum Shop
The NOMA Museum Shop hosts its annual member sale to kick off the holiday shopping season. Museum members save 20% on all regularly priced items and get first access to 70% markdowns in the NOMA Museum Shop. Some exclusions apply.
Museum memberships start at $75 for the year.
https://noma.org/event/member-sale-2024/
Thursday, October 17, 12–1 pm: Book Club Discussion on Glass: Sand, Ash, Heat
NOMA’s book club meets monthly to discuss fiction and non-fiction books related to art in the museum’s collection and exhibitions. This month’s selection is the catalogue Glass: Sand, Ash, Heat which features contributions from scholars across disciplines looking at the history of glass.
Free and open to the public. Participants are expected to procure their own books.
https://noma.org/event/book-club-october-2024/
Sunday, October 20, 2 pm: Created to Create with Creative Assembly Artist Simone Immanuel (In-Person and Virtual)
A talk show hosted by NOMA Creative Assembly artist Simone Immanuel, Created to Create is designed to foster honest conversations about creativity with local Black artists in New Orleans. For this program, audience members are invited to watch a live taping hosted by Immanuel in NOMA’s Lapis Center for the Arts. This episode will feature celebrity chef, host, and social media influencer Jo Jackson, as well as fellow NOMA Creative Assembly member and hip-hop artist Kr3wcial. Together they will discuss entrepreneurship, social media influence, and the power of technology in artistry.
Free and open to the public. A livestream option will also be available.
Wednesday, October 23, 6 pm: Elders Sacred Talk Series
Each program in the Elders Sacred Talk Series, produced in partnership with the Congo Square Preservation Society, spotlights prolific elder New Orleanians, celebrating the lives they lead while providing the opportunity for visitors to learn firsthand about the impact they’ve had on our city.
The series is part of NOMA’s Art Thrives initiative, which presents creative aging programs to support visitors ages 55 and up, including art-making workshops and platforms for older adults to share their experiences with audiences of all ages.
Free with museum admission. Louisiana residents receive free admission on Wednesdays courtesy of The Helis Foundation’s Art for All initiative.
Saturday, October 26, 10 am–4 pm: Japan Fest
Celebrate Japanese culture through art, performances, food, and more at Japan Fest, organized by NOMA, the Japan Club in New Orleans, and the Consulate General of Japan in Nashville. Sample Japanese cuisine, enjoy traditional dance groups, martial arts demonstrations, and tours throughout the day. Plus, visitors can shop a variety of vendors offering unique goods in a festive atmosphere. A beloved annual tradition at the museum and NOMA’s Besthoff Sculpture Garden, Japan Fest is the Gulf South’s largest festival dedicated to Japanese art and culture.
Admission is $10 for adults and free for visitors ages 19 and under. Tickets are $5 for NOMA members.
https://noma.org/event/japan-fest-2024/
Weekly Programs at NOMA
- Gallery Talks Every Wednesday
- Public Tours of the Museum Every Wednesday and Saturday at 2 pm
- Tai Chi in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden Every Monday at 6 pm
- Yoga in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden Every Saturday at 8 am
- Public Tours in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden Every Saturday and Sunday, 11 am
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Media Contacts
Charlie Tatum
Director of Marketing and Communications
New Orleans Museum of Art
ctatum@noma.org
504.658.4103
Ra’Jae’ Wolf
Marketing and Communications Associate
New Orleans Museum of Art
rwolf@noma.org
504.658.4106
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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. Recent exhibitions include Black Orpheus: Jacob Lawrence and the Mbari Club, Called to the Camera: Black American Studio Photographers, The Orléans Collection (an exhibition of forty European masterpieces from the collection of the city’s namesake, Philippe II, Duc d’Orléans), East of the Mississippi: Nineteenth Century America Landscape Photography, and Changing Course: Reflections on New Orleans Histories (seven contemporary art projects focusing on reimagining stories from the city’s past).
NOMA’s 12-acre Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden expands visitors’ experiences of the museum with one of the most notable sculpture gardens in the country. The Besthoff Sculpture Garden, free and open to the public seven days a week, has nearly 100 sculptures and outdoor works of art situated in a unique landscape featuring Spanish moss-laden live oaks and a sinuous lagoon surrounded by an expansive ecosystem of native plants. The works in the garden range from the 19th to the 21st centuries, with pieces by Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, Louise Bourgeois, Ida Kohlmeyer, Claes Oldenburg, Sean Scully, Maya Lin, Do Ho Suh, Ugo Rondinone, Wangechi Mutu, Hank Willis Thomas, and many others. The Besthoff Sculpture Garden features contemporary design elements—including a sculpture pavilion, an amphitheater, and an architecturally significant canal link bridge connecting the garden’s original 2003 footprint with a 2019 expansion. Its water management practices support the health and resiliency of New Orleans City Park and the surrounding environment. Throughout the year, NOMA hosts outdoor programs in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden including festivals, performances, wellness classes, tours, and more.