New Orleans Museum of Art

Since one of us is still working, we appreciate museums that offer extended hours. The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) is open until 7pm on Wednesdays. As an added bonus, NOMA is a member of NARM, so we had free admission thanks to our membership with a museum at home in Tampa.

NOMA is at the southern end of New Orleans City Park. We started with a stroll through the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, which is free to the public. There’s a walking trail that winds through beautiful trees and mirror-like lagoons. But it’s not all peaceful; thought-provoking, contemporary works either beckon from across the water or lurk around corners to surprise you. If time permits, we’d love to visit this garden again.

Pablo Casal's Obelisk

Arman (Armand Pierre Fernandez), 1983

Corridor Pin, Blue

Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, 1999

Overflow

Jaume Plensa, 2005

Karma

Do Ho Suh, 2011

The museum has three levels with well-curated exhibits. There are many excellent works by some of our favorite European and American artists. We also enjoyed exhibits showcasing local painters and photographers, furniture, and Japanese art.

Mother and Child

Elizabeth Catlett, 1983

In 1940’s New Orleans, she defied segregation orders and arranged for her black students to visit the art museum.

My Backyard

Georgia O’Keefe, 1937

Angelique

Léopold Burthe, 1852

Burthe was a native New Orleanian who lived in Paris in the 1840’s and ‘50’s. This is a scene from an epic 16th century poem. Chivalrous knight Orlando rides a hippogriff to save Angelique from a sea monster.

Still Life with Candle (Nature Morte Avec Bougie)

Pablo Picasso, 1937

Painted the same year as Guernica, this serene still life was inspired by a passionate love affair.

Unique Forms of Continuity in Space

Umberto Boccioni, 1913

This is the largest and most impressive art museum we’ve seen outside of New York City, Chicago, or D.C. The sculpture garden is a gem - don’t miss it.