William A. Fagaly arrived at the Delgado Museum (now NOMA) to fill the position of registrar in August of 1966. In his 50 years at NOMA, Fagaly’s success is apparent in the museums’s galleries of African art, and in the international regard for the collection he helped to build. His capstone project, Ancestors of Congo Square: African Art in the New Orleans Museum of Art, served as a culmination of his professional curatorial career. Read More
NEW ORLEANS – Bill Fagaly, renowned curator, scholar, and author at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) passed away today. For 50 years, Bill worked at NOMA spearheading the establishment and development of the museum’s internationally acclaimed collection of African art. By far the longest serving member of NOMA’s staff, he leaves an extraordinary legacy. Read More
The silver stem cup in Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection is an embodiment of the transmission of art and culture along the Silk Road during the medieval period. This talk introduces how the seemingly ordinary shape of stem cups signified an innovation in the form of Chinese drinking vessels under the influence of Central and Western Asia. Dr. Zhang further addresses issues around materiality through an investigation of the production and perception of luxury silverware by Chinese and Nomads respectively. Read More
When chemists first successfully extracted aluminum from the earth in the 1850s, the raw element was as precious as gold. Today we take aluminum for granted, though it allows for nearly every facet of modern life through its use in architecture, industry, and transportation. From the nineteenth century until today, artists and designers have increasingly turned to aluminum because its unique properties–lightweight, strong, can be pressed thin, resistant to corrosion–allow for the exploration of new ideas through objects. Read More
In partnership with the Indian Arts Circle of New Orleans and in celebration of Buddha and Shiva, Lotus and Dragon: Masterworks from the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection at Asia Society, NOMA presents a performance of Bharatanatyam featuring Aparna Srinivasan and Sanjukta. Read More