In celebration of International Sculpture Day, a series of worldwide events advancing the creation and understanding of sculpture, join us for a panel discussion on the art and influence of Ida Kohlmeyer.

On the morning of April 23, the Poydras Corridor Sculpture Exhibition presented by The Helis Foundation, the South’s leading rotating public art exhibition, will welcome home Box of Artificial Flowers #6, a sculpture by the late Ida Kohlmeyer. Following the installation, a panel discussion on the life and art of Ida Kohlmeyer will take place in the Ogden Museum’s Patrick F. Taylor Library at 12:30 p.m. Panelists include Xavier University’s Ron Bechet, Kohlmeyer’s daughter, Jane Lowentritt, long-time gallerist, Arthur Roger and Ogden Museum Executive Director, William Pittman Andrews. The panel will be moderated by Ogden Museum Curator of the Collection, Bradley Sumrall.

Light refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public. 

About Box of Artificial Flowers #6

At 17 feet tall and 14 feet wide, Box of Artificial Flowers #6 is the largest single sculpture Kohlmeyer created. Before being acquired nearly 35 years ago by a private collector in suburban Chicago, the sculpture was temporarily sited in the New Orleans Museum of Art’s (NOMA) iconic reflecting pool in front of the Museum as part of an exhibition organized by the Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kohlmeyer first exhibited her work at NOMA in 1957. The Helis Foundation purchased the sculpture from the private collector in mid-2018 and invested in the complete restoration of the piece by one of Kohlmeyer’s original studio assistants, G. Paul Lucas. Lucas, now based in Kansas City, worked with the artist from 1989 until her death in 1997 and restores two to three pieces of her work a year. After the restoration was completed, the sculpture was transported home to New Orleans, as part of The Helis Foundation Collection, to join the eighteen other sculptures on view along the Poydras Corridor.

About The Poydras Corridor Sculpture Exhibition presented by The Helis Foundation

The Poydras Corridor Sculpture Exhibition presented by The Helis Foundation was founded in 2013 as an initiative of non-profit organization, Sculpture for New Orleans, and has quickly become the South’s leading rotating public sculpture exhibition. Sculptor Michael Manjarris founded Sculpture for New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina with the mission of lifting the spirits of the people of New Orleans through public art and providing local and regional artists the opportunity to show in a public venue.

A unique example of a public-private partnership, Sculpture for New Orleans, The Helis Foundation, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and The City of New Orleans Department of Parks and Parkways work together to bring interesting and inspiring sculpture to the citizens of and visitors to New Orleans.

The Poydras Corridor Sculpture Exhibition presented by The Helis Foundation has installed 35 sculptures by artists of local and international acclaim on Poydras Street between Convention Center Boulevard and South Galvez. Prior to being installed on Poydras Street, the Design Advisory Committee of the City of New Orleans City Planning Commission reviews and approves the sculptures for content, location, and safety, exercising its authority to request adjustments when necessary. The Helis Foundation funds every aspect of the exhibition, including the recent installation of lighting along the sculpture pads.