Celebrating the Art of the American South

Ogden Museum of Southern Art and co-chairs Fern Watters and Kaye Courington invites you to O What a Night! Gala, the Museum’s signature fundraising event. The gala will be held on October 18, and features a live auction of artwork and a seated dinner amongst a community of artists and art enthusiasts, followed by live music and dancing. Your contribution to the O What a Night! Gala 2025 will provide critical funds for the Museum’s award-winning educational programs and dynamic exhibitions of art of the American South.

The 2025 O What a Night! Gala will honor Opus Award recipients: Dawn DeDeaux, an internationally acclaimed, New Orleans-based multimedia artist and Randy K. Haynie, a longstanding advocate and philanthropist for the arts in Louisiana. With our recent acquisitions of the historic Patrick F. Taylor Library and Stephen Goldring Hall, which house the Museum’s permanent collection, rotating exhibitions and educational programs, this year will truly be a memorable celebration.

What makes this event so special? The people and the art! People from all over the country will be able to bid on works of art in the silent auction and live auction. Year after year, art collectors look forward to viewing all of the beautiful works of art created by artists of the South.

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Ticket Opportunities

Benefactor Table – $10,000

  • 8 tickets to the Patron Party and auction preview on Thursday, October 16, 2025
  • 8 tickets to cocktails, silent auction and seated Gala dinner/ live auction with preferred placement on Saturday, October 18, 2025
  • Acknowledged on printed and digital materials
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Patron Host (Half Table) – $5,000

  • 4 tickets to the Patron Party and auction preview on Thursday, October 16, 2025
  • 4 tickets to cocktails, silent auction and seated Gala dinner/ live auction with preferred placement on Saturday, October 18, 2025
  • Acknowledged on printed and digital materials
purchase tickets

Patron Ticket – $1,300

  • 1 ticket to the Patron Party and auction preview on Thursday, October 16, 2025
  • 1 ticket to cocktails, silent auction and seated Gala dinner/ live auction on Saturday, October 18, 2025
  • Acknowledged on printed and digital materials
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Supporter Ticket – $700

  • 1 ticket to cocktails, silent auction and seated Gala dinner/ live auction on Saturday, October 18, 2025
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O What a Night! is made possible by the generous support of:

KAYE COURTINGTON
Patron Party Host

BEVERLY DALE
Patron Party Sponsor

MICHAEL MIMELES
Music Sponsor

ELEMENT
The Helis Foundation
Premium Parking
SAZERAC / Goldring Family Foundation
St. Charles Avenue
The Times-Picayune | nola.com

Benefactors

Coleman E. Adler II

Roger Ogden & Ken Barnes
Charles D. Urstadt & David Bernard

WWNO

Patron Hosts

Debra J. Fischman, Hancock Whitney Bank, Pan-American Life Insurance Group, Holly & Geoff Snodgrass, Jason Waguespack & Jeffery Morgan, Fern & Kevin Watters

Sponsorship Opportunities

O WHAT A NIGHT! TITLE SPONSOR: $50,000

  • Name recognition (“O What a Night! Gala Presented by Title Sponsor”) as Title Sponsor on all print and digital materials including 2,000 printed invitations and 400 event programs and catalogs
  • Name recognition on 400+ Gala dinner menu cards
  • Name and logo recognition on Gala’s step and repeat banner and on projection screens throughout the event
  • Logo recognition as title sponsor on Gala web page, with link to sponsor’s website (average of 30,000 pageviews per month)
  • Logo and name recognition via social media outlets (67,200+ followers)
  • Personal acknowledgment during Gala dinner and live announcement by auctioneer
  • Logo placement on table numbers
  • 24 tickets to the O What a Night! Gala Patron Party
  • 3 tables at the O What a Night! Gala with first row placement, which includes a dedicated service captain and an elevated wine selection (24 seats, $30,000 value)

PATRON PARTY SPONSOR: $30,000

  • Name recognition as Underwriter on all print and digital materials including 2,000 printed invitations and 400 event programs and catalogs
  • Name and logo recognition on Gala’s step and repeat banner and on projection screens throughout the event
  • Logo recognition as Patron Party sponsor on Gala web page, with link to sponsor’s website (average of 30,000 pageviews per month)
  • Personal acknowledgment during Gala dinner and live announcement by auctioneer
  • Logo and name recognition via social media outlets (67,200+ followers)
  • Name and logo recognition (“O What a Night! Patron Party Presented by Sponsor”) on signage at Patron Party
  • Logo placement on table numbers
  • Opportunity for branded materials at Patron Party
  • 16 tickets to the O What a Night! Gala Patron Party
  • 2 tables at the O What a Night! Gala with first row placement, which includes a service captain and an elevated wine selection (16 seats, $20,000 value)

LIVE AUCTION SPONSOR: $25,000

  • Name recognition as Live Auction Sponsor on all print and digital materials including 2,000 printed invitations and invitation inserts, as well as 400 event programs and catalogs
  • Name and logo recognition on Gala’s step and repeat banner and on projection screens throughout the event
  • Logo recognition as Underwriter on Gala web page, with link to sponsor’s website (average of 30,000 pageviews per month)
  • Logo and name recognition via social media outlets (67,200+ followers)
  • Personal acknowledgment during Gala dinner and live announcement by auctioneer
  • Logo placement on bidding paddles
  • 16 tickets to the O What a Night! Gala Patron Party
  • 2 tables at the O What a Night! Gala with first row placement, which includes a service captain and an elevated wine selection ( 16 seats, $20,000 value)

GALA TENT SPONSOR: $20,000

  • Name recognition as Sponsor on all print and digital materials including 2,000 printed invitations and 400 event programs and catalogs
  • Name and logo recognition on Gala’s step and repeat banner and on projection screens throughout the event
  • Name recognition as Sponsor on Gala web page (average of 30,000 pageviews per month)
  • Recognition signage at tent entrance
  • 8 tickets to the O What a Night! Gala Patron Party
  • 1 table at the O What a Night! Gala with premium placement, which includes a service captain and an elevated wine selection (8 seats)

DINNER SPONSOR: $15,000

  • Name recognition as Sponsor on all print and digital materials including 2,000 printed invitations and 400 event programs and catalogs
  • Name and logo recognition on Gala’s step and repeat banner and on projection screens throughout the event
  • Name recognition as Sponsor on Gala web page (average of 30,000 pageviews per month)
  • Name and logo recognition on 400 Gala dinner menu cards
  • 8 tickets to the O What a Night! Gala Patron Party
  • 1 table at the O What a Night! Gala with premium placement, which includes a service captain and an elevated wine selection (8 seats)

MUSIC SPONSOR: $10,000

  • Name recognition as Sponsor on all print and digital materials including 2,000 printed invitations and 400 event programs and catalogs
  • Sponsor acknowledgment during announcement of musical act
  • Name and logo recognition on projection screens throughout the event
  • Name recognition as Sponsor on Gala web page (average of 30,000 pageviews per month)
  • 4 tickets to the O What a Night! Gala Patron Party
  • Half table at the O What a Night! Gala with preferred placement, which includes a service captain and an elevated wine selection (4 seats)

DECOR SPONSOR: $10,000

  • Name recognition as Sponsor on all print and digital materials including 2,000 printed invitations and 400 event programs and catalogs
  • Sign recognition at tent and library entryways
  • Name recognition as Sponsor on Gala web page (average of 30,000 pageviews per month)
  • 4 tickets to the O What a Night! Gala Patron Party
  • Half table at the O What a Night! Gala with preferred placement, which includes a service captain and an elevated wine selection (4 seats)

INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THIS EVENT AS A SPONSOR? CONTACT US AT DEVELOPMENT@OGDENMUSEUM.ORG OR 504.539.9616.

PURCHASE TICKETS TO SEE THE SOUTH