Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Art, Performances and Community Partners at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art on January 20

New Orleans (January 13, 2020) – On Monday, Jan. 20 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., the Ogden Museum of Southern Art will host a free admission day celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The day’s activities will focus on art and community, inspired by artists whose work investigates social justice, human rights and world peace. 

During this free admission day, visitors of all ages are invited to participate in a variety of art activities, enjoy live performances and connect with community partners.

From 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., families will be able to make crafts inspired by works on art currently on view at the Museum and social justice issues. Art activities include: 

  • Paper Sculpture Monuments Inspired by John Isiah Walton
    John Isiah Walton explores the status of Confederate monuments in New Orleans. Imagine a new monument for the city.
  • Civil Rights Leaders Portraits Inspired by Carol Joe Williams
    Learn more about those who contributed to the civil rights movement. Color their portraits in the iconic geometric style of Carol Joe Williams.
  • Mixed Media Assemblage Inspired by Rontherin Ratliff
    Rontherin Ratliff explores the lost of home with found objects. Depict your memories of home in this mixed media assemblage.
  • Dream Wall Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.
    Keep Martin Luther King Jr.’s message alive, contribute your dreams to the Dream Wall.
  •  Mini Protest Signs Inspired by the Civil Rights Movement
    “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
    The civil rights movement accomplished its goals through protest. Make a mini protest sign about something that is important to you.

Starting at 11 a.m. and taking place throughout the day until 4 p.m., guests will enjoy a performances, dialogue and entertainment by Dancing Grounds’ Elite Feet Dance Krewe, Welcoming Project, Artivism Dance Theatre, Bard Early College Poetry Club, New Orleans Youth Open Mic and DJ Heelturn. 

Community groups such as 826 New Orleans, After Class, Bike Easy, Community Works, Electric Girls, Evacuteer, Liberty’s Kitchen, Louisiana Books 2 Prisoners, Macaroni Kids, National Alliance on Mental Illness, New Orleans Parish Library and Young Audiences will also be on hand to provide resources and opportunities. 

The Ogden Museum has partnered with Louisiana Books 2 Prisoners to collect books for incarcerated people during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. Louisiana Books 2 Prisoners is a nonprofit whose mission is to encourage literacy, to make prison-life more endurable and to support incarcerated people’s interests to the best of their abilities. When guests bring in four paperback books on Jan. 20, they will get two free Museum admission passes. More information about the book drive can be found at ogdenmuseum.org.

We are excited for our 3rd annual Martin Luther King Day Celebration,” says Ellen Balkin, Ogden Museum Director of Education. “Not only does this event celebrate the life and legacy of the iconic civil rights leader, but also provides the New Orleans community an engaging and interactive opportunity to explore the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and those artists in our collection whose work reflects community service and social justice. Local organizations will also be on hand to provide information on other area community programs. We hope to see you at this exciting day of art, culture and community!

For more information regarding Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the Museum, please contact Samantha Scoggins at sscoggins@ogdenmuseum.org or 504.539.9604.

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. Among its recent exhibitions are Piercing the Inner Wall: The Art of Dusti Bongé (2019), New Southern Photography (2018-019), The Whole Drum Will Sound: Women in Southern Abstraction (2018), and Solidary & Solitary: The Joyner/Giuffrida Collection, presented by The Helis Foundation (2017-2018). 

The Ogden Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. with extended hours on Thursdays from 6 – 8 p.m. for Ogden After Hours. Admission is free to Museum Members and $13.50 for adults, $11 for seniors 65 and older, $6.75 for children ages 5-17 and free for children under 5. 

The Museum is located at 925 Camp Street, New Orleans Louisiana 70130. For more information visit ogdenmuseum.org or call 504.539.9650.