AQJulAugSept11

ArtsQuarterlyNEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART JULY � AUGUS T � SEPTEMBER 2011, VOL . 33 N o .3

A Membe r s ’ P ub l i c a t i on

Iwrite in the midst of a busy summer at NOMA,

full of landmark events and terrific turnouts from

the public. As I mentioned in my last column, the

issue of how best to engage our audiences is

foremost in our minds at the museum. The Besthoff

Sculpture Garden at NOMA plays an important role

in our efforts toward this goal, offering an ideal

location to bring the community together to celebrate

the arts. In the past few months alone, the Garden

has played host to theatrical productions and film

screenings, all playing out against the backdrop of

our impressive sculpture collection and the Garden’s

natural beauty. We are excited that the Garden has

taken on this new role — in addition to a place for

inspiration and reflection, it has become a vibrant

center for cultural engagement.

The museum has seen great attendance for its

one-of-a-kind events recently as well, including the

opening of Swoon’s Thalassa, a mixed media

installation created especially for NOMA. The work

will be the first in a series of large-scale installations

created for the Great Hall each summer, offering

visitors a new way of encountering this iconic space.

As part of our efforts to provide our public with

a high-quality art experience, NOMA has been

experimenting with ways to make our exhibitions

more inviting and accessible. For the installation of

the current show, Ancestors of Congo Square: African

Art in the New Orleans Museum of Art, we enlisted the

help of exhibition designer Dan Kershaw. Kershaw

sat down for this issue of AQ with NOMA Director of

Communications and Marketing Grace Wilson to

discuss the behind-the-scenes process of putting an

exhibition together. Their discussion sheds light not

only on the current show but on our efforts for the

future, in terms of the audience experience we are

working to create at NOMA.

Building on the success of Ancestors of Congo

Square, we are pleased to once again highlight

NOMA’s significant non-Western strengths with the

upcoming exhibition, The Elegant Image: Bronzes from

the Indian Subcontinent. Featuring an outstanding

selection of Indian bronzes collected by Dr. Siddharth

Bhansali, the exhibition will be accompanied by

educational events drawing on the cultural resources

of the city’s Indian community. This issue’s article on

the exhibition discusses the strengths of this

renowned collection and the association of the works

with the three major religions of India.

In closing, I’m pleased to announce two honors

that have recently been bestowed on the museum.

First, NOMA was voted “Best Art Museum in the

South” by readers of AAA Southern Traveler and

spotlighted in the magazine’s July/August 2011

issue. This is exciting news for NOMA as we

continue to work to serve our out-of-state visitors

and raise our profile in the region. In addition, Arts

Quarterly’s redesign was recently honored with two

Magnum Opus awards: a bronze category win for

most improved editorial, and a gold category win for

most improved design. Judged by faculty members

at the esteemed Missouri School of Journalism as

well as other professionals in the field, the awards

reflect our efforts to offer our public a compelling

guide to happenings at the museum. I hope you

enjoy this issue of Arts Quarterly—and use it to plan

your next trip to NOMA.

Susan M. TaylorThe Montine McDaniel Freeman Director

DIRECTOR’S LETTER

Susan M TaTaT ylor

From the Permanent Collection:Richard Clague, American, 1821-1873,Spring Hill, Alabama, 1872 (detail),oil on canvas, Ella West Freeman Foundation Matching Fund, 1971.2

CONTENTS

2 FeatureBehind the Scenes at NOMA: Ins ta l l ing Ances tors o f Congo Square

6 Exhibi t ionsThe E legant Image: Bronzes f rom the Indian Subcont inen t

E.O. Hoppé: Tagore, Calcu t ta, and Sant in ike tan

10 Centennial NewsNOMA Remembers: When Andy Warhol Came to Town

12 Exper iencing NOMABook Club Br ings Ar t to L i fe

14 NOMA and the CommunityNOMA Suppor ter Honored at Annual Dinner

16 Suppor t ing NOMA

20 Prof i les in GivingA Tr ibu te to Françoise Bi l l ion R ichardson

Arts��2 July � August � September 2011

FEATURE

Creating a museum exhibition involves far

more than hanging art on a wall. Months go

into designing the layout, selecting the objects,

choosing the colors, and deciding on the best way to

present information. For the installation of Ancestors

of Congo Square, NOMA enlisted renowned exhibition

designer Dan Kershaw to help bring the show to life.

Kershaw sat down recently with NOMA Director of

Communications and Marketing Grace Wilson to

discuss the process of installing an exhibition and

making it accessible and enjoyable for the public.

GW: Tell me about the approach you took to

designing the show. I was struck by the opening

gallery – it’s so different and dramatic.

DK: The opening of the show is where you really

want a great, dramatic draw. I saw these posts and

lintel of a ceremonial house [in NOMA’s third floor

galleries]. [African art curator] Bill Fagaly showed

me several photographs of what the actual façade

would look like. It was so dramatic to see almost a

grid of horizontal and vertical lattices that formed

the structure of the front of the house. … It hit me

that the nicest and simplest and cleanest way to

[recreate it for the exhibition] would be to take one of

the photographs of the actual building that it was up

against and create it in a translucent scrim that

would form a perfect backdrop.

GW: The point of the post and lintel in its native

Africa was as a welcoming gate?

Behind the Scenes at NOMA: Installing Ancestors of Congo Square

African art curator Bill Fagaly in the opening gallery of Ancestors of Congo Square. Photograph by John d’Addario.

Arts�� 3July � August � September 2011

DK: Well, not really, because as Bill explained it, only

the king could go through that doorway. So, [in the

installation] you’d be able to see it through the

doorway, but ideally you are not permitted to enter

through there. Most people kind of get the idea that

it’s something you can look through but you can’t

pass through.

GW: You don’t want people to walk through it

because they wouldn’t be able to normally.

DK: Because it was forbidden for anyone but the

king to pass through there.

GW: So even when these works are not in their

native context, you still want people to be aware of

the social rules and roles of the pieces.

DK: Absolutely. As much as possible I think an

installation should try to show people a setting, an

environment, … but it should invoke it in a way that

doesn’t overwhelm the art. That’s not always the

easiest thing to do.

GW: What I most appreciate about talking to curators

is that they put all these antiquities, artifacts, and art

works in a time and place in history.

DK: Bill was able to get enough photographs that we

were able to give context. The gallery is peppered

with beautiful color images showing people dancing

in costumes or in some instances making them. And

the videos we have populate the place with sounds,

which is very important. I think hearing people

chanting, or singing, or drumming in the background

is a huge help in something like this because so much

of African art is about context … about dance and

performance and sound and movement. Video

usually has to be handled really delicately in an

installation. It can’t be such an allure that people

don’t look at the art and end up just looking at a TV

screen. In this instance, it’s really essential that

people have it, as a means to see these things in

motion.

FEATU

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Top: African art curator Bill Fagaly and exhibition designer DanKershaw confer during the installation of Ancestors of CongoSquare. Bottom: Fagaly examines a work from the exhibition.Photographs by Judy Cooper.


GW: Collaboration is obviously a huge part of your

work. When our director, Susan Taylor, initially

asked you to design this exhibition, you began

collaborating with African art curator Bill Fagaly

right afterwards?

DK: Much of my work really is team playing.

Curators are the most knowledgeable people in the

world, generally, in their particular fields. And my

role is to help bring to life whatever their knowledge

tells them about these works of art. I can look at them

from a layman’s point of view and I’ve done a huge

number of African shows in my life, but African art is

so large and so diverse that I can’t possibly know as

much about any aspect of it as these curators do. So a

lot of what I end up doing is listening. Inevitably it’s

a process, a lot of back and forth. Bill and I looking at

stuff and him going, “You know this piece makes

sense with that other one, it helps to explain it …” or

“This is a really major important object, it’s the only

one of its kind in the world and we have to give it

some emphasis.”

GW: And how do you design a show where the

pieces are scattered around the place? Ideally, you

have a catalogue of images to work from?

DK: In an ideal world, I end up with a list of the

objects and images of them. I take the images and

reduce them to a usable size and import them into a

drawing — a digital drawing. In the old days I used

to draw them by hand.

GW: The size of the room, where the walls are and

what color they are, you think about all of these

issues?

DK: I think about all that. After we grouped the

objects and saw the sections of the show emerging,

Bill and I spoke more about colors and the particular

look we wanted this show to have. We made the

choice to have all the cases the same color

throughout the entire show, a grounded color. And

the gallery colors reflect the particular environment

these objects were from.

GW: Would someone be able to walk into a show

and say “This is a Dan Kershaw design”?

DK: I hope not. My goal is not to have a particular

personality that you can identify as my style. I think

that ideally I’m enough of a chameleon that what

I’m doing reflects the show’s contents and not my

own ego and my own aesthetic. So I’d like to believe

a person can identify that it’s well done, but in terms

of looking like something else I’ve done, I really

hope not. Every show has its own unique

personality and the art should really define what

that is. If I’m doing my job right, you never really

notice that I was there.

Left: Fagaly and Kershaw discuss the placement of objects in the exhibition. Photograph by Judy Cooper. Right: The completed installation. Photograph by John d’Addario.

Arts��

GW: Everyone uses the buzz word “interactive.”

What are your feelings about museums looking

towards more interactive exhibitions?

DK: There’s great use to be made of it as an

informational tool. It’s particularly good in areas

where there’s a longer story to be told, a detailed and

complex story that can’t really be explained in

something static like a text panel, or a photograph, or

a series of photographs.

But there’s also the possibility that if it’s not

handled discreetly, people will just be looking down

at the interactive devices if they are hand held or

walking through the galleries, stumbling into

something. … If it’s a stationary device [such as a

touch-screen kiosk], it has its own benefits. But again,

unless it’s positioned in such a way that you’re going

to first look at the art, I think it defeats the purpose.

Just as I like people to look at a work of art before

they read the label, I feel that you should be looking

at a work of art before you go to the interactive.

GW: Are there any national museum trends you can

point to?

DK: Well, I think it’s a national trend that everybody

feels “interaction” is a significant part of museums

of the future; that we all are going to have to do this.

And part of this extends to the museum’s online

presence — that there should be a great depth to

what you can dig into in the museum’s holdings;

that you should be able to navigate through that

easily and [have it be] an experience that makes you

want to go to a museum. And come back.

Thanks to NOMA interns Elizabeth Soland and

Ileana Feoli for their editorial assistance with this article.

FEATU

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INSTALLING A MAJOR SHOW AT NOMA IS NO EASY FEAT. In a span ofjust a few weeks, our skillful preparators disassemble the previousshow and begin the detailed process of putting up a new one. “I wascompletely wowed by the way they did everything,” said visitingexhibition designer Dan Kershaw. “During my three days on this trip, itwas mind bending, the amount of work that got done.”

Tao-nha Hoang, Chief PreparatorKnown for his eye for detail, Tao-nha makes sure every label, everyartwork is lined up and centered perfectly. “I’m the numbers man,” hesays.

Tony Garma, PreparatorTony can rebuild and restore most anything. “I’m used to working moretraditional pieces like plaster, but I’ve come into the twenty-first century.I was stuck in the 1800s until I met Will, Todd, and Tao-nha.”

William Sooter, Exhibition Coordinator and Art HandlerTech-guru Will sees the bigger picture. His secret to speediness: “Getthe ducks in a row on the front end of these fast-paced installs so it allruns as smoothly as possible.”

Todd Rennie, PreparatorTodd is passionate and always around to lend a hand. “For me, Iwouldn’t want to be working in a museum if I wasn’t working directlywith art. Being a preparator is one of the best jobs to have at themuseum.”—Grace Wilson, Director of Communications and Marketing

MEET NOMA’S PREPARATORS

Counterclockwise from bottom: Tao-nha Hoang, William Sooter, Tony Garma, and Todd Rennie.

Photograph by John d’Addario.

EXHIBIT IONS

An extraordinary exhibition illuminating the

richness of over 1,500 years of Indian Buddhist,

Hindu, and Jain bronze production will have its

premiere at NOMA late this summer. The works

presented in The Elegant Image: Bronzes from the Indian

Subcontinent have been collected over the course of

several decades by Dr. Siddharth Bhansali, who has

made New Orleans his home since the mid-1970s.

This renowned collection, from which select

examples have been borrowed for major national and

international exhibitions, has never before been the

focus of an exhibition or scholarly publication.

Focusing on over one hundred works from the

Bhansali collection, The Elegant Image guest curator,

eminent art historian Dr. Pratapaditya Pal, has

created a revealing and in-depth consideration of the

major traditions of bronze production throughout the

subcontinent from 1,000 BCE to the seventeenth

century. All of these works were created in the region

that now is comprised of three sovereign states,

India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, although during the

years when the bronzes were created, these political

entities were unknown and the subcontinent

witnessed the rise and fall of many different empires

and kingdoms.

The works in the exhibition, with the exception

of three prehistoric weapons, have sacred

associations, having been made to serve one of the

three major religions that originated in ancient India:

Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. The rich and

diverse theology, iconography, and rituals of these

faiths are embodied in representations of the Hindu

pantheon as well as Buddhas and bodhisattvas, Jinas

The Elegant Image: Bronzes from the Indian Subcontinent

Left: Detail of an Attendant Goddess, Andhra Pradesh, circa 600, copper alloy, Collection of Dr. Siddharth Bhansali.All photography by Judy Cooper.


and Jain deities. The gods, goddesses, attendants, and

saints of these religious traditions are depicted in a

rich array, displaying iconographic and stylistic

diversity and regional and historical variation.

With rare exceptions, most Indian bronzes

created during this period are of modest dimension.

Many of the Hindu works were created for personal

devotion in domestic altars, and small images of all

three religions were likely used for traveling shrines

or as pilgrims’ mementos. Buddhists and Jains

commissioned images for personal devotion and also

for communal well-being, the latter often dedicated

to temples and monasteries, which became

depositories of sculptures of different periods and

styles.

The Bhansali collection contains numerous rare

and noteworthy bronzes, including, in some

instances, the earliest metal representations of a deity

known, unique examples, or objects of great art

historical importance. Among these strengths is an

extraordinary group of Gupta bronzes (320-550 CE).

Few private or public collections anywhere can claim

so many metal figures of this period and with such

variety. Bronzes from this period are rare, in part

because metal images were easily melted down and

re-used. Similarly, the collection is remarkably strong

in its holdings of Kerala bronzes (tenth-seventeenth

century), including some of the earliest known extant

examples.

The New Orleans Museum of Art is proud to be

the organizing institution for this extraordinary

exhibition, and is grateful for the remarkable

scholarship of the project’s guest curator, Dr.

Pratapaditya Pal.

The Elegant Image: Bronzes from the Indian

Subcontinent will be on view August 5-October 23, 2011

and is accompanied by a catalogue of the same title,

authored by Dr. Pal.

On Saturday, August 6 at 1 p.m. in NOMA’s Stern

Auditorium, Dr. Pal will conduct a conversation with the

collector, Siddharth Bhansali, followed by a discussion of

the Hoppé exhibition (see page 8). Book-signings will

follow.

*Kangxi era 1661-1722; Porcelain, with underglaze blue decoration; Bequest of Dorothy and Robert C. Hills, 2001.253.380. Photograph by Judy Cooper.

A Male Adorant, Andhra Pradesh, Pallava period, 6th–7th century, copper alloy, Collection of Dr. Siddharth Bhansali


When German-born British photographer E.O.

Hoppé (1878-1972) sailed for India in the fall

of 1929, he was arguably the most famous

photographer in the world. Hoppé began making

photographic art in the salons of the early twentieth

century, exhibiting along with his peers across the

Atlantic, Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946) and Edward

Steichen (1879-1973). He soon became a highly

sought-after portraitist in both London and New

York. After two decades of making strikingly

Modernist portraits of important personalities in the

arts, literature, and politics, Hoppé was largely done

with the studio and turned his attention to making

photographic art books about the people and

topography of different countries.

In India, Hoppé visited the Nobel Prize-winning

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), a Bengali poet,

novelist, musician, painter, and playwright whom he

had photographed in his London studio in 1920. At

Tagore’s experimental university in Santiniketan,

Hoppé made many of the poetic photographs

featured in the NOMA exhibition, E.O. Hoppé: Tagore,

Calcutta, and Santiniketan. Curated by Dr.

Pratapaditya Pal, distinguished scholar of Indian art

and culture, and photography curator and Hoppé

historian, Graham Howe, these photographs show a

British-ruled India in transition from an agrarian

society to an industrialized nation. Hoppé’s unique

achievement in this work is the documentation of

working people across a diversity of cultures,

religions, and classes, showing an India divided

between tradition and modernity.

On view August 5-October 23, 2011, the exhibition is

accompanied by the catalogue, E.O. Hoppé’s

Santiniketan: Photographs from 1929, by Pratapaditya

Pal and Graham Howe.

Dr. Pal and Dr. Howe will discuss the exhibition on

Saturday, August 6, at 2 p.m. in the Stern Auditorium.

The discussion will be followed by a book-signing. For

additional programming related to the exhibition, please

visit www.noma.org.

E.O. Hoppé: Tagore, Calcutta, and Santiniketan

E.O. Hoppé, English, bornGermany, 1878-1972,Rabindranath Tagore andStudents, 1929, vintage gelatinsilver print, Courtesy of theE.O. Hoppé Estate Collection

EXH

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EXHIBITIO

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2011 MARKS THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THEBIRTH of Rabindranath Tagore, the Bengali poetwho, in 1913, was awarded the Nobel Prizefor Literature. Although best known in the Westas a poet, Tagore wrote novels and plays, wasan accomplished painter and musician, and aninfluential educational and social reformer.Among his myriad achievements was theestablishment of the experimental ruraluniversity Santiniketan in 1921, whichreshaped Bengali literature, music, and itsvisual arts and crafts. The photographer E.O.Hoppé summarized Tagore’s vision of the

RAB INDRANATH TAGORE: POET AND VIS IONARY

university: “The school was the materializationof the intense desire of [Tagore’s] childhood toescape from the prison of classroom walls andfetters of academic scholarship to the freedomof communion with nature and absorption ofknowledge through her influence.” Modeled onthe ashrams of ancient India, classes were heldout of doors. Tagore’s university drew studentsfrom throughout India and the world who cameto study with the famed Tagore and share in hiseducational vision. —Lisa Rotondo-McCord,Assistant Director for Art and Curator of AsianArt

Thalassa. Photograph by Judy Cooper.

Now on View: Thalassa, Rising from the DeepMiranda Lash, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art

This summer, visitors entering NOMA’s Great

Hall will be greeted by Thalassa, a large-scale

installation by the internationally renowned artist

Swoon. Thalassa depicts a monumental woman rising

from the waters in a swirling crescendo of paper,

aquatic creatures, and tentacles. At her opening night

lecture, Swoon expressed her hope that the goddess

would help visitors “define their relationship to

nature and to the sea,” particularly in the wake of the

2010 Gulf oil spill.

Thalassa was the product of thousands of hours

of work by Swoon, her assistants, and volunteers.

The piece was constructed over two weeks in an off-

site facility before being transferred to the museum.

Despite its daunting size, Thalassa weighs under 300

pounds. The goddess’s torso is comprised of two

hand-painted linocut prints (Swoon’s largest to-date),

attached back-to-back and reinforced by thin sheets

of plywood.

The tentacles in Thalassa are made from

hundreds of pieces of paper, ranging from found

materials such as newspaper and bubble wrap, to

elaborately cut stencil designs from the past ten years

of Swoon’s work. Visitors able to make repeated

visits will be rewarded by the discovery of new

forms, including fantastical buildings, fish, seahorses,

seaweed, even butterflies. The work is on view

through September 25, 2011.


CENTENNIAL NEWS

In honor of NOMA’s centennial year, enjoy this blast

from the past. The following excerpt from African art

curator William Fagaly’s memoir-in-progress details Pop

art king Andy Warhol’s visit to the museum.

My most extensive visit with Andy Warhol

occurred in early 1970 when he came to New

Orleans for the opening of Raid the Icebox I, an

exhibition he curated. Accompanying him to the city

were several members of his entourage, including his

cute, young boyfriend, the interior decorator Jed

Johnson; movie director Paul Morrissey; and Warhol

superstar Jane Forth, with her raven hair and ruby

red lips. For several days I was their chauffeur, social

secretary, confidant, and tour guide.

Raid the Icebox was the brainchild of John and

Dominique de Menil of the Menil Collection in

Houston. It was planned to be the first of several

exhibitions featuring well known artists serving as

guest curators at various American art museums.

Andy’s approach was most unorthodox, as one can

imagine. Chain-link racks were built in tightly

packed rows in the galleries and works hung on

them. Other groups of paintings were stacked on the

floor “cheek to jowl” and secured by sandbags

holding them in place. Meanwhile, storage

cupboards filled with rows and rows of fashionable

women’s shoes from throughout the ages

emphasized Andy’s interest in repetition.

In keeping with the nature of the exhibition, we

planned the museum preview to be just as

unconventional. At midnight, the loading dock doors

in the basement and at the rear of the museum were

opened to admit the many who had paid to come

meet the Pop master and his posse. The hip crowds

were ushered upstairs to the exhibition, where they

were received by the artist himself. What an evening!

Hundreds of excited patrons were having a ball … all

except the special guest. Word got back to me that

Andy wanted to go back to the hotel and watch old

movies on TV. Reluctantly, we accommodated his

wishes, and I returned him to the Royal Sonesta. The

party, however, went on into the wee hours of the

morning.

During his two- or three-day stay, invitations

came fast and furious. Andy always wanted to know

whose house we were going to, who they were. By

NOMA Remembers: When Andy Warhol Came to TownWilliam Fagaly, The Françoise Billion Richardson Curator of African Art

Andy Warhol signing Campbell’s soup cans in the gallery of theexhibition at NOMA. Photograph courtesy of the Times-Picayune.


Director’s Dialogue Series, January-November 2011

J.P. Morgan, Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann L.L.C.,

Postlethwaite & Netterville C.P.A., and Adler’s

Copley to Warhol: 200 Years of American Art

Celebrating the Centennial of the New Orleans

Museum of Art, February-December 2011

Chevron with additional support from State

Advisory Council Members

Art in Bloom, March 14, 2012

Whitney Bank

Fabergé Egg Hunt, March 24, 2012

Catherine Burns Tremaine

100/4/100: Gifts for the Second Century—Celebrating

the Centennial of the New Orleans Museum of Art,

November 12, 2011-February 19, 2012

Eugenie and Joseph Jones Family Foundation, Jones,

Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere and Denegre,

and Canal Barge Company

Centennial Birthday Party, December 16-18, 2011

Lakeside Shopping Center and the Feil Family

Foundation

Centennial Year Public Relations and Marketing

Sponsors

The Sheraton New Orleans Hotel and New Orleans

Tourism and Marketing Corporation

Centennial Sponsors

CEN

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the time we arrived at our destination, he had been

fully briefed on who and what to expect. When we

left, he would say, “Who was that crazy lady?” or

“Tell me about ...” Of course, I filled him in on all the

unabridged, uncensored details. It totally slipped my

mind that he had a small tape recorder operating

every waking hour, and all of my gossipy

information was being recorded! Not only that, but

he intended to publish transcriptions of the tapes in a

book titled B as a follow-up to one already published

from earlier tapes titled A. I thought my goose was

cooked, and I told [NOMA donor] Sunny Norman I

would be run out of town. Sunny responded, “Bill,

don’t worry. We’ll all have to leave town!” Thank

God, he never did get around to publishing that

second volume, but maybe some day someone will!

POP ART MAKES THE TONGUE-IN-CHEEKsuggestion that art is like every othermarketed and mass-producedconsumer product. Centered onconsumerism and materialism, itbreaks down the barrier betweencommercial art and fine art. Themovement burst onto the New York artscene in the 1960s with Andy Warholleading the way. Pulling from hisbackground as a successful

WHAT IS POP ART?

Left: Andy Warhol, American, 1928-1987, Portrait of Marilyn Monroe,1969, silkscreen on paper, Gift of Tina Freeman, 81.336.18

commercial artist, Warhol createdprint series of Campbell’s soup cansand Coca-Cola bottles that turnedcommonplace objects into icons, aswell as celebrity portraits that turnedpopular icons into replications. Hisworks often used strong, flatly appliedcolors in simple compositions – muchlike print advertisements. – HillaryLowry, Curatorial Intern


EXPERIENCING NOMA

NOMA provides many opportunities for

visitors to get to know its works of art,

including gallery walk-throughs and docent tours.

The NOMA book club offers yet another perspective

on art and the artistic process, further enriching

patrons’ experiences of the museum.

Led by librarian Sheila Cork, the book club

selects works of fiction and non-fiction related to art,

art museums, or NOMA’s exhibitions. At monthly

meetings, the group discusses the current reading,

sharing interpretations and often enjoying curatorial

programs specially designed for that month’s book

selection. In addition, Cork explains, “We’ll do walks

through the galleries … sometimes to find four or

five paintings or artworks by [the featured artist].”

Degas, John Singer Sargent, and Richmond Barthé

have all been subjects of recent book club

discussions.

In addition to meetings at the museum, the

group engages in hands-on learning in the

community through field trips related to the reading.

When book club members read Dancing with Degas,

for example, the group took a field trip to the Degas

House followed by lunch at Café Degas on

Esplanade. By combining book discussions with

glimpses of the artist’s life in New Orleans, the group

better understood the historical culture that helped

produce the artist’s work.

Founded by Cork in 2008, the book club was

formed with a great deal of input from the

community. “I knew I wanted to do programming,

but the book club was one idea among many,” Cork

says. “I held a planning meeting where

representatives from all of NOMA’s stakeholders

discussed the ideas I presented. Their input was

invaluable and I think that’s why the group has

worked so well.”

Book Club Brings Art to LifeElizabeth Soland, Communications Department Intern

Book club members listen to author John Ed Bradley discuss his work, Restoration: A Novel. Photograph by Judy Cooper.


Book club members suggest the books to be

discussed at the monthly meetings, which take place

at lunchtime. Members are welcome to come early,

bring their lunch and chat with friends before the

discussion begins. One book is covered per month.

Members are completely free to pick and choose

which books or events to participate in. “There are

people who come all the time, there are people who

come only if it’s something they are really interested

in, and others who come only on field trips or for

curatorial programs,” Cork says.

To become a member of NOMA’s book club,

email Cork at [email protected] or call (504) 658-4117.

Members receive regular emails with information

about upcoming books and events.

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One white painting. One friendship. One of them has to go.

NEXT UP AT BOOK CLUB

July: The Masque of Africa by V. S. Naipaul July 7, 12 p.m.: Curatorial ProgramJuly 13, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; 7-8 p.m.:

Discussion GroupsJuly 15, 5-7 p.m.: African art books on view

August: The Murder of King Tutby James PattersonAug. 19, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.:

Discussion Group

September: The Lacuna by Barbara KingsolverSept. 22, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.:

Discussion Group

ART Play Comes to NOMABrad J. Caldwell, Public Events Coordinator

Following the success of this spring’s popular

production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the

NOLA Project returns to NOMA in August

performing Yasmina Reza’s ART. As three friends

debate the purchase of a white painting with white

stripes for several thousand dollars, the age-old

question, “What is art?”emerges as a central theme of

this comedic play.

ART will be held in the Stern Auditorium every

Friday evening at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.

during the month of August. The cast includes A.J.

Allegra, James Bartelle, Jason Kirkpatrick, Richard

Alexander Pomes, Michael Aaron Santos, and Alex

Martinez Wallace in rotating parts and is directed by

Kate Kuen. Tickets go on sale online on July 1, 2011.

General admission is $16. Members and university

students receive half price at $8. Tickets can

be purchased online only at

http://noma.eventbrite.com/.

On August 19 and 26 at 7 p.m., as a part of our

regularly scheduled Where Y’ART!? programming,

Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Miranda

Lash will hold a special discussion before the show

focusing on selected pieces from NOMA’s modern

art collection. Also, Café NOMA will be open. Come

out early and enjoy a nice meal and some

refreshments before ART!

Stay tuned for details on future collaborations

between NOMA and the NOLA Project.


NOMA AND THE COMMUNITY

Ahighlight of NOMA’s annual Fellows Dinner,

held this year in late March, is the presentation

of the Isaac Delgado Memorial Award. Since 1975,

the director of NOMA has had the honor of

presenting this award to a person whose

contributions have had an enduring impact on the

museum. This year, we were pleased to give the

award to Banana Reily for her distinguished service

and extraordinary support of NOMA.

During her time with the museum, Ms. Reily has

organized and funded numerous events and projects

that have been of lasting importance to NOMA. She

was one of the organizers of the first Odyssey Ball

held forty-five years ago, and has been a major

patron every year since its inception. She has been a

longtime trustee, is one of the founding members of

the Fellows, and in 2005 became one of the first

members of the Circle group at the President level. In

addition, she helped organize the campaign to raise

funds to purchase Degas’s Portrait of Estelle Musson,

funded a Sculpture Garden base, and was a major

donor to the Katrina Recover Campaign. With

abundant grace and humility, Banana has been an

excellent spokesperson and a constant supporter of

the museum. We are grateful for Banana’s unceasing

dedication to NOMA and were proud to give her this

award.

The annual Fellows dinner honors the museum’s

Circle and Fellow members, who are vital to

NOMA’s financial well-being. Circle and Fellow

donors contribute approximately $1 million to

support NOMA’s operations annually. The Fellows

Dinner is our way of saying thank you for their

continued support.

NOMA Supporter Honored at Annual Dinner

Anne Reily Sutherlin, Louis Freeman, Banana Reily, and Susan M. Taylor. Photograph by Judy Cooper.

In keeping with recent tradition, this year’s LOVE

in the Garden will honor local artists who have

played a vital role in our community. The 2011

honorees include: Kathleen Loe, whose work

engages with her visceral experiences of the Deep

South; Julie Silvers, whose ceramic work features

primitive figures and evocative totems; Andy Brott,

an Arts and Crafts sculptor whose company,

BrottWorks, creates mixed media glass installations;

Mari De Pedro, who works with oil, canvas, and

natural and found objects; and Ayo Scott, who writes

of his calling to pursue art, “I choose the hardest way

to make an easy living because words often fail me ...

and only putting a brush to a surface makes me feel

like I’m truly communicating.” The artists will be

honored at a ceremony during LOVE in the Garden

and their work will be projected on the Sculpture

Garden walls for all party-goers to enjoy.

The beloved annual event, to be held Friday,

September 23, features cuisine from some of New

Orleans’s finest restaurants and caterers, an open bar,

and dancing under the stars in the lush environs of

the Besthoff Sculpture Garden. The Patron Party with

music by the Mike Krobin Band begins at 7 p.m. The

General Party gets underway at 8 p.m. when Mixed

Nuts takes center stage. Annie Flettrich and Jennifer

Shelnutt are this year’s co-chairs. Attire is dressy

casual. In the event of rain, the celebration will be

held in the Great Hall inside the museum. To

purchase tickets or to become a sponsor, visit

www.noma.org or call (504) 658-4121. —Virginia

Panno, NVC Correspondent

THANKS TO OUR PUBLIC FOR TURNING OUT IN FULLFORCE FOR NOMA events this summer, fromexhibitions to movies to plays in the Garden. Keepsupporting us and we’ll keep working to provide first-rate art experiences for the entire family.

By the numbers …

� Read My Pins exhibition opening: 1,129 attendants

� King Kong screening (left): 1,003 attendants� Swoon exhibition opening: 1,049 attendants� A Midsummer Night’s Dream (four shows): over

1,600 attendants

LOVE in the Garden Pays Tribute to Local Artists

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T ERR I F IC TURNOUTS!


SUPPORTING NOMA

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLEMr. and Mrs. John D. Bertuzzi

Mr. and Mrs. Sydney J. Besthoff III

Mr. and Mrs. Ralph O. Brennan

Collins C. Diboll Private Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. David F. Edwards

Dr. and Mrs. Ludovico Feoli

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Hansel

Ms. Adrea D. Heebe and Mr. Dominick

A. Russo, Jr.

Helis Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. David A. Kerstein

Mr. Paul J. Leaman, Jr.

Mrs. Paula L. Maher

Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Mayer

Mrs. Robert Nims

Mrs. Charles S. Reily, Jr.

Mrs. Françoise B. Richardson

Jolie and Robert Shelton

Mrs. Patrick F. Taylor

Zemurray Foundation

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLEMrs. Jack R. Aron

Mr. and Mrs. F. Macnaughton Ball, Jr.

The Booth-Bricker Fund

Mrs. Lawrence D. Garvey

Mrs. JoAnn Flom Greenberg

Mr. Jerry Heymann

Mr. and Mrs. Erik F. Johnsen

Mr. and Mrs. Peter R. Monrose, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Patrick

Mr. and Mrs. George Rodrigue

Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Rodriguez, Jr.

Ms. Debra B. Shriver

Margaret B. and Joel J. Soniat

Dr. and Mrs. Richard L. Strub

PATRON’S CIRCLEMrs. Adele L. Adatto

Dr. Ronald G. Amedee and Dr.

Elisabeth H. Rareshide

Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Boh

Mr. E. John Bullard III

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Carey

Dr. and Mrs. Isidore Cohn, Jr.

Mrs. John J. Colomb, Jr.

Mr. Leonard A. Davis

Mr. and Mrs. Prescott N. Dunbar

Ms. Mignon Faget

Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Favrot, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Francis

Mr. and Mrs. James J. Frischhertz

Mr. and Mrs. Edward N. George

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Heebe

Mrs. Gloria S. Kabacoff

Ms. Allison Kendrick

Mr. Henry M. Lambert and Mr. R.

Carey Bond

Mr. and Mrs. H. Merritt Lane III

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Lemann

Dr. Edward D. Levy, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. J. Thomas Lewis

Dr. and Mrs. E. Ralph Lupin

Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Masinter

Mr. Edward C. Mathes

Ms. Kay McArdle

Mr. and Mrs. R. King Milling

Mrs. Ellis Mintz

Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Moffitt

Robert and Myrtis Nims Foundation

Dr. Andrew Orestano

Dr. Howard and Dr. Joy D. Osofsky

Dr. and Mrs. James F. Pierce

Mr. and Mrs. James J. Reiss, Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. Edward F. Renwick

Mr. and Mrs. R. Randolph Richmond, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin M. Rosen

Mr. and Mrs. Brian A. Schneider

Mr. and Mrs. Edward Shearer

Mr. and Mrs. Lynes R. Sloss

Mr. and Mrs. Bruce L. Soltis

Ms. E. Alexandra Stafford and Mr.

Raymond M. Rathle, Jr.

Mrs. Frederick M. Stafford

Mrs. Harold H. Stream, Jr.

Mr. Stephen Stumpf

Mr. Hollis C. Taggart

Mr. and Mrs. James L. Taylor

Mr. and Mrs. David S. Thomas, Jr.

Mrs. Hendrik Willem van Voorthuysen

Mrs. John N. Weinstock

Mrs. Henry H. Weldon

We appreciate the generous and continuing support of our Circle members.

Circles of the New Orleans Museum of Art

The NOMA Board of Trustees cordially invites you to join the Circles, the museum’s most prestigious membership group.

President’s Circle: $20,000

Director’s Circle: $10,000

Patron’s Circle: $5,000

UPGRADE YOUR SUPPORT OF NOMA

For more information, please call (504) 658-4107.

$100,000+Collins C. Diboll Foundation

– Endowment FundThe Helis Foundation

– Free Wednesdays for LouisianaResidents

Save America’s Treasures– Permanent CollectionConservation

Zemurray Foundation– General Operating Support– Endowment Fund

$99,999 - $50,000The Selley Foundation

– Art Storage BuildingRenovation and Website Re-launch

$49,999 - $20,000 Heebe-Russo Family

– Odyssey Ball, 2010Robert Lehman Foundation

– Ancestors of Congo SquareCatalogue

Luce Foundation– Kuntz Galleries Renovation

The Lupin Foundation– Odyssey Ball, 2010

National Endowment for theArts – Art Storage Building

RenovationThe RosaMary Foundation

– General Operating SupportPatrick F. Taylor Foundation

– Education Endowment

Andy Warhol Foundation– Curatorial Research

Whitney National Bank–Art in Bloom

Francis Rivers Lelong– Endowment Fund

$19,999 - $10,000Chevron

– Odyssey Ball, 2011Garden Study Club

– Centennial BeautificationGoldring Family Foundation

– Odyssey Ball, 2010John Burton Harter Foundation

– Odyssey Ball, 2010Louisiana Endowment for

the Arts– General Operating Support

Morris G. and Paula L. MaherFoundation – Odyssey Ball, 2010

Jolie and Robert Shelton– Odyssey Ball, 2010

Mrs. Frederick M. Stafford– Odyssey Ball, 2010

Ruby K. Woerner Foundation– Programming

Dathel and Tommy Coleman – Art in Bloom

Georges Enterprises – Art in Bloom

Entergy– Art in Bloom

Eugenie and Joseph JonesFamily Foundation – Art in Bloom

NOMA’s exhibitions and special programs are made possiblethrough the generosity of our sponsors. If you would likeadditional information on sponsorship, please contact themuseum’s Development Department at (504) 658-4107.

Program Sponsors SUPPO

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GUARANTORThe Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group

PATRONChrestia Staub Pierce The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Foundation

MASTERChristie’s Fine Art AuctioneersDooky Chase’s RestaurantThe Schon Charitable Foundation

LEADERBoh Bros. Construction Co., L.L.C.Bolton FordHotel MonteleoneLaitram, L.L.C.New Orleans SilversmithsRathborne Companies East, L.L.C.The Times-Picayune

ASSOCIATEBowie Lumber AssociatesM. S. Rau Antiques, L.L.C. Neal Auction Company, Inc.

CONTRIBUTORA. L. Lowe Picture Framing Company As You Like It Silver ShopCoffee Roasters of New Orleans Gulf Coast Bank & Trust CompanyHirsch Investment Management, L.L.C. Kentwood Spring Water, Inc. Mignon Faget, Ltd. Sisung Securities Corporation Wirthmore Antiques, Ltd.

The following corporate members make itpossible for NOMA to serve the public.

Corporate Membership

THE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE thelaunch this fall of the Contemporaries, NOMA’s first new affinitygroup. We invite you to become a member and enjoy this uniqueopportunity to expand your appreciation of contemporary art throughsocial events and educational programs with living artists. MirandaLash, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, will guide groupmembers through an entertaining series of art courses, lectures, andtravel opportunities. In addition, NOMA Director Susan M. Taylor willhost special member events with visiting national and internationalcontemporary artists.

Become a Contemporaries member today! Meet others who shareyour passion and deepen your understanding of contemporary art. Formore information, call (504) 658-4107 or email:[email protected].

NOMA LAuNChES CONtEMPOrAry Art AFF iNit y GrOuP

Nic Nicosia, American, born 1951, Untitled (Sam!), 1986, silverdye bleach print, Gift of Arthur Roger in honor of William A. Fagaly,2001.315

Spring Events Flourish at NOMA

NOMA was in full bloom from March 30

through April 3, 2011, as the museum and the

Garden Study Club of New Orleans presented the

twenty-third annual Art in Bloom. Nearly 4,000

people attended the five-day celebration featuring art

and floral displays, educational programs, and social

events. A true feast for all senses, this year’s popular

springtime event had the added charm of paying

tribute to NOMA’s centennial.

On April 9, 2011, NOMA hosted the sixth annual

Fabergé Egg Hunt in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden.

In absolutely perfect weather, hundreds of excited

children scampered through the Garden in search of

hidden Elmer’s candy eggs. Attended by over 1,000

people, the fun-filled event also featured a petting

zoo, arts and crafts activities, spacewalks, face

painting, balloon making and, of course, a visit from

the Elmer’s Easter Bunny. Thanks to Catherine Burns

Tremaine for underwriting the event.

Art in Bloom: 1. Kimberly Zibilich and E. Ralph E. Lupin; 2. John Georges, Art in Bloom Co-Chair Dathel Georges, Claire Koch,and Lander Dunbar; 3. Susan Wormser, Mirella Reilly, Art in Bloom Co-Chair Kim Abramson, Kara French; 4. Director Susan M.Taylor, John and Betty Hope, Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne; 5. Tiffany Adler; 6. Banana Reily, Lynne McMillan, SandraFreeman; 7. Bill Goldring, Trixie Minx, and Fred Holley. Photography by Judy Cooper.

1 2 3

4

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Fabergé Egg Hunt: 8. Sarah Abott, Fabergé Egg Hunt Co-Chairs Angel Junius and Petra Guste, Kimberly Zibilich; 9.FabergéEgg Hunt underwriter Catherine Burns Tremaine and Director Emeritus E. John Bullard. Photography by Roman Alokhin.

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PROFILES IN GIVING

The New Orleans Museum of Art would not be

what it is today without the commitment and

generosity of individuals such as Mrs. Françoise

Billion Richardson. The tremendous impact she has

had on the museum can be felt in every corner and

on every floor of the building.

Françoise was born in France to a Frenchman

named Olivier Billion and his wife, Sadie Dowman

Billion, of New Orleans. After the beginning of World

War II, the Billion family moved to New Orleans,

where they became actively involved in the life of the

New Orleans Museum of Art. In 1959, Sadie Billion

and her sister Virginia Koch named the Dowman

Gallery in honor of their father, Robert Henry

Dowman.

As an adult, Mrs. Richardson became an avid

collector of African art, and a tireless supporter of

NOMA’s African art collection. Over the years, she

has donated many stunning pieces to our collection,

including a headdress mask of the Oron Ibibio

peoples of Nigeria in honor of E. John Bullard’s

twentieth anniversary as director of the museum. In

the late ‘90s, Mrs. Richardson established the

Françoise B. Richardson Curator of African Art

position and provided funding for the Françoise B.

Richardson African Art Purchase Endowment, which

has allowed the museum to purchase more than

sixty-five works of art for the African art collection.

In addition, she named NOMA’s African art gallery

in honor of her parents, Sadie and Olivier Billion.

Mrs. Richardson joined NOMA’s Board of

Trustees in 1992 and served as board president from

1993-1994. In 1996, she received the Isaac Delgado

Memorial Award for her tremendous dedication and

service to the museum. On many occasions, she has

graciously opened her home on behalf of NOMA for

visiting artists, art collectors, and other important

guests and in 1995, she played an integral role in the

success of NOMA’s Monet exhibition. For her work

in bringing French culture to New Orleans and in

recognition of her own French heritage, Mrs.

Richardson has been decorated with the Ordre des

Arts et des Lettres from the French government.

Possessed of great wit and charm, Mrs.

Richardson has always been a modest person, never

seeking credit for the important work she has done

for the New Orleans Museum of Art. We are grateful

for her loyalty and generous spirit and we are proud

to call her a dear friend of the museum.

A Tribute to Françoise Billion Richardson

CHARITABLE GIFTSto NOMA

Make a lasting contribution to the museum witha gift of cash, stock, real estate, or otherassets. Such gifts may allow for significant taxsavings. For more information, please call(504) 658-4107.

July � August � September 201120 Arts��

Photograph by Judy Cooper.

P. O. Box 19123New Orleans, LA 70179-0123

NON-PROFIT ORG.US POSTAGEPAID

NEWORLEANSPERMIT #108

Arts��

Board of TRUSTEES

National TRUSTEES

Stephen A. HanselAdrea D. HeebeMs. Allison KendrickSubhash KulkarniHenry LambertMayor Mitch LandrieuMrs. Merritt LanePaul J. MasinterMs. Kay McArdleAlvin Merlin, M.D.Mrs. R. King MillingMrs. Michael D. MoffittHoward J. Osofsky, M.D.,

Ph.D.Mrs. Robert J. PatrickMrs. James J. Reiss, Jr.Mrs. George RodrigueDonna P. RosenBrian SchneiderMrs. Jolie L. SheltonMrs. Lynes SlossE. Alexandra StaffordMrs. Richard L. StrubMr. Robert TaylorMr. Brent WoodMrs. Kimberly Zibilich

Mrs. Charles B. Mayer,President

Mrs. James J. Frischhertz, Vice-President

E. Ralph Lupin, M.D., Vice-President

Phyllis M. Taylor, Vice-President

Timothy Francis, Treasurer Michael D. Moffitt, Secretary William D. Aaron, Jr. Mrs. John BertuzziSydney Besthoff IIIDr. Siddharth BhansaliMrs. Mark CareyEdgar L. Chase IIIMr. Tommy ColemanLeonard DavisDavid F. EdwardsH. M. “Tim” Favrot, Jr.Mrs. Ludovico FeoliJulie Livaudais GeorgeSusan G. Guidry, Council-

member District “A”Terence HallLee Hampton

H. Russell Albright, M.D.Mrs. Jack R. AronMrs. Edgar L. Chase, Jr.Isidore Cohn, Jr., M.D.Prescott N. DunbarS. Stewart FarnetSandra Draughn FreemanKurt A. Gitter, M.D.Mrs. H. Lloyd HawkinsMrs. Killian HugerMrs. Erik JohnsenRichard W. Levy, M.D.J. Thomas Lewis

Mrs. Paula L. MaherMrs. Frederick Muller, Jr.Mrs. Robert NimsMrs. Charles S. Reily, Jr.Mrs. Françoise Billion

RichardsonR. Randolph Richmond, Jr.Mrs. Frederick M. StaffordHarry C. StahelMrs. Moise S. Steeg, Jr.Mrs. Harold H. StreamMrs. James L. TaylorMrs. John N. Weinstock

Joseph BaillioMrs. Carmel CohenMrs. Mason GrangerJerry HeymannHerbert Kaufman, M.D.

Mrs. James PierceMs. Debra B. ShriverMrs. Billie Milam WeismanMrs. Henry H. Weldon

ED ITOR: Caroline GoyetteART D IRECTOR: Aisha ChampagnePR INT ING: DocuMart

Arts Quarterly (ISSN 0740-9214) is published by the New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA 70124.

© 2011, New Orleans Museum of Art. All rightsreserved. No part of this magazine may bereproduced or reprinted without permission of thepublisher.

SUPPORT ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The programs of the New Orleans Museum of Art aresupported by grants from the Louisiana State ArtsCouncil through the Louisiana Division of the Arts,the Arts Council of New Orleans, the New OrleansJazz and Heritage Festival and Foundation, theNational Endowment for the Arts, and the AmericanRecovery and Reinvestment Act.

MUSEUM HOURS

The museum is open Tuesday through

Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.,

and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed Monday and all legal holidays.

The Besthoff Sculpture Garden is open every day,

10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., except Fridays, when it is open

until 8:45 p.m. For information on upcoming

exhibitions and events at NOMA, please call

(504) 658-4100 or visit our website at www.noma.org.

Honorar y L i fe TRUSTEES

Documents

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