NEW ORLEANS (June 4, 2020) – Ogden Museum of Southern Art will reopen its doors on Monday, June 15. Per Federal, State and City public health directives, Ogden Museum will follow the phased plan that reduces attendance and incorporates strict protocols to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To begin with, Ogden Museum will operate at reduced capacity and only 100 visitors will be permitted in the building at a time. To assist, Ogden Museum has implemented online timed ticketing for visitors and members, and encourages contactless pay. Online tickets are available for purchase at www.ogdenmuseum.org/visit. While online timed ticketing is highly encouraged, the Museum has a protocol to serve walk-up visitors.

“We are ready to reopen and thanks to much careful preparation, we can do so confidently,” says William Pittman Andrews, Ogden Museum Executive Director. “We are excited to welcome our community back to Ogden Museum and share our new exhibitions, Entwined: Ritual Wrapping and Binding in Contemporary Southern Art and Revelations: Recent Photography Acquisitions, along with the exhibitions we opened before our closure, Melvin Edwards: Crossroads, presented by The Helis Foundation and What Music is Within: Black Abstraction from the Permanent Collection.”

Andrews adds, “To express appreciation to the healthcare workers who continue to respond to community need, Ogden Museum is offering free one-year individual memberships to medical professionals.” This offer is valid through the end of the year and can be redeemed by contacting the Museum’s membership office at membership@ogdenmuseum.org.

“I am very excited to finally be able to share the powerful work of the 11 artists included in Entwined,” says Bradley Sumrall, Ogden Museum Curator of the Collection. “This exhibition explores not only the diverse ways in which wrapping and binding are used by these artists, but also shares the themes of healing, cleansing, ritual, identity, ecology, mythology and tradition. The messages of hope and healing conveyed through the works in this show are relevant, in many ways, to the painful context of our times.”

At this time, the Museum will not host group gatherings or in-person programming. Ogden Museum will continue to provide online opportunities through its virtual platform, Ogden Museum Online.

Prior to visiting Ogden Museum, visitors are encouraged to visit www.ogdenmuseum.org to purchase tickets and to read more about the Museum’s reopening protocols. Responses to frequently asked questions can be found on the Visit page.

For the health and safety of all, individuals who enter the building must wear a face covering. The CDC does not recommend that a child under the age of 2 wear a face covering. Ogden Museum will provide face coverings to those who don’t have their own.

Additional protocols to protect staff and visitors include:

• The Museum will maintain a rigorous cleaning schedule and will frequently sanitize high touch areas like door handles. 
• Visitors and staff will enter and exit through designated doors to ensure social distancing. 
• Social distancing will be strictly enforced with signage throughout the Museum. 
• Ogden Museum staff have access to masks and gloves. All Ogden Museum staff who engage the visiting public will wear masks and gloves.
• Plexiglass shields have been installed at the visitors services reception desk, the store counter and at the security podium. 
• Hand sanitation stations have been installed for staff and visitors.
• Ogden Museum will perform daily temperature checks with a touchless thermometer for all staff and contractors.

During its temporary closure, Ogden Museum remained committed to its staff. From home, the Museum team worked collaboratively to share the art and culture of the American South through dynamic online programming and engagement opportunities. This would not have been possible without the support of the organization’s Board of Trustees, faithful partners and generous donors. The public can support Ogden Museum as it reopens its doors with a donation to the Support Our South Fund.

For more information about Ogden Museum’s reopening plans and policies, please contact Melissa Kenyon, Director of Marketing & Experience, at mkenyon@ogdenmuseum.org. Plans and policies are subject to change based on new information and guidance from health officials.

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.