FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2020
NEW ORLEANS ART MUSEUMS JOINTLY ANNOUNCE CLOSURE
The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) have decided to temporarily close our doors starting Monday, March 16, 2020 to aid in the prevention of the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
We are motivated to act together in accordance with instructions from our state and local government regarding one of the most effective measures for preventing the spread of the virus, which is social distancing. This joint decision was made with the safety of our community in mind—our staff, visitors, artists, volunteers, and the people of New Orleans. We look forward to reopening our respective institutions and welcoming back our public, staff and volunteers, all of whom are critically important to our success.
Please check the websites of our individual institutions for more detailed updates and information about alternative ways to engage with the museums during this closure.
www.noma.org
www.ogdenmuseum.org
www.cacno.org
We look forward to welcoming you back to NOMA, Ogden Museum and the CAC when our institutions reopen.
Susan Taylor, Montine McDaniel Freeman Director, New Orleans Museum of Art
William Pittman Andrews, Executive Director, Ogden Museum of Southern Art
George Scheer, Executive Director, Contemporary Arts Center
About NOMA and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden
The New Orleans Museum of Art, founded in 1910 by Isaac Delgado, houses more than 40,000 works of art encompassing 5,000 years of history. Works from the permanent collection, along with continuously changing special exhibitions, are on view in the museum’s 46 galleries. The adjoining Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden features work by more than 85 artists, including several 20th and 21st-century master sculptors. NOMA’s Besthoff Sculpture Garden is free and open to the public seven days a week: 10 AM to 5 PM. The New Orleans Museum of Art and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden are fully accessible to handicapped visitors and wheelchairs are available from the front desk. Museum admission is free on Wednesdays for Louisiana residents, courtesy of The Helis Foundation. Children 12 and under receive free admission. Teenagers (ages 13-19) receive free admission courtesy of The Helis Foundation. For more information about NOMA and to sign up for updates, visit www.noma.org.
About the Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Located in the vibrant Warehouse Arts District of downtown New Orleans, Louisiana since 1999, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art welcomes 85,000 visitors annually to experience and learn about the artists and art movements of the American South. It is home to a collection of more than four thousand works, making it the largest and most comprehensive repository dedicated to Southern art in the nation, with particular strength in the genres of Self-Taught art, Regionalism, photography and contemporary art. The Museum is further recognized for its original exhibitions, public events and educational programs, which examine the development of visual art alongside Southern traditions of music, literature and local craft. Museum admission is free on Thursdays for Louisiana residents, courtesy of The Helis Foundation. The Museum is located at 925 Camp Street, New Orleans Louisiana 70130. For more information, visit www.ogdenmuseum.org.
About the CAC
The Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) is a multidisciplinary arts center dedicated to the presentation, production, and promotion of the art of our time. Formed in 1976 by a passionate group of visual and performing artists when the movement to tear down the walls between visual and performing arts was active nationwide, the CAC expresses its mission by organizing world class curated exhibitions, performances, and public programs that educate and enlarge audiences for the arts while encouraging collaboration among diverse stakeholders composed of artists, institutions, communities, and supporters throughout the world.
Media Contacts:
Margaux Krane
Director of Brand and Communications
New Orleans Museum of Art
mkrane@noma.org
Melissa Kenyon
Director of Marketing and Experience
Ogden Museum of Southern Art
mkenyon@ogdenmuseum.org
Laura B. Tennyson
Associate Director of Communications
Contemporary Arts Center
LTennyson@cacno.org