Now Open at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and on view until January 13, 2019 is the exhibition, Newton Howard: Painter of the Sportsman’s Paradise. Curated by guest curator, Polly Rolman-Smith. The opening reception will take place on October 6, 2018 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
The title of the exhibition refers to the region’s abundant fishing resources and rich array of waterfowl, that earned Louisiana the nickname as “the Sportsman’s Paradise,” which Newton poignantly captured in these landscape paintings.
Newton Howard (1912-1984) was an avid duck hunter, fisherman and naturalist. Howard’s paintings evoke the calm solitude he found during countless hours of paddling through the marshes near Lafitte, Avery Island and in many other swampy settings of the region.
From these bayou excursions, Howard painted countless oil, acrylic and watercolor works, often in a minimalist style, which emphasized where the bayou waters met the horizon, broken only by a slow-moving shrimp trawler or the flutter of pintails taking off over the marsh.
This exhibition brings to view a portion of these works, from both private collections and institutions, and will portray the cherished locales within the Louisiana coastal marshes and waterways where Newton Howard felt most at home.
This exhibition is supported by major sponsors, Dr. & Mrs. Walter D. Cockerham and supporting sponsors, Dr. & Mrs. Glynne C. Couvillion and Laura & Sonny Shields
About Newton Howard
Newton Reeve Howard (1912-1984) was a New Orleans painter known for his serene landscapes of the marshes and bayous of South Louisiana. Most recognized by New Orleans residents as the architect of Monkey Hill, a beloved city landmark located in the Audubon Zoo.
Howard graduated from the Tulane University School of Architecture and was subsequently employed by the Federal Works Progress Administration to oversee improvements to the zoo during the Depression. After having difficulty finding work as an architect, Howard decided to embrace his childhood passion and studied painting at the Chicago Institute of Art. When he returned to New Orleans, he joined Fitzgerald Advertising where he served as the agency’s art director and designed regional and national campaigns for companies including Brown’s Dairy and Tabasco.
Described by those who knew him as a stoic gentleman who captivated many with a quiet charm and intellect, Newton Howard preferred his pirogue and the swamp over the social scene, where he spent much of his spare time hunting and fishing—and was never without a case of Dixie Beer.
At the base of the Mississippi Flyway, South Louisiana’s vast coastal marshes attract millions of migratory birds every fall and winter. Enthralled by their instinctive flight patterns, Newton Howard spent days paddling in his dugout pirogue, observing mallards, pintails and a variety of other ducks as they traversed the Louisiana skies over the marsh.
Perhaps among his favorite subject matter, Newton Howard’s paintings of waterfowl in-flight across the Louisiana marsh horizon represent some of his most dynamic and detailed works.
According to a 1984 Times-Picayune article on his passing, Newton Howard served as a radar officer aboard the aircraft carrier Chenango in the South Pacific during World War II. From his time during the war, Howard also created several paintings and drawings of the Pacific region, which were often watercolors.
About the Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Located in the vibrant Warehouse Arts District of downtown New Orleans, Louisiana, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art holds the largest and most comprehensive collection of Southern art and is recognized for its original exhibitions, public events and educational programs which examine the development of visual art alongside Southern traditions of music, literature and culinary heritage to provide a comprehensive story of the South. Established in 1999 and in Stephen Goldring Hall since 2003, the Museum welcomes almost 85,000 visitors annually, and attracts diverse audiences through its broad range of programming including exhibitions, lectures, film screenings and concerts which are all part of its mission to broaden the knowledge, understanding, interpretation and appreciation of the visual arts and culture of the American South.
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 Ogden Museum is free to Louisiana Residents on Thursdays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. courtesy of The Helis Foundation. The Helis Foundation is a Louisiana private foundation, established by the William Helis Family. The Art Funds of the Helis Foundation advance access to the arts for the community through contributions that sustain operations for, provide free admission to, acquire works of art and underwrite major exhibitions and projects of institutions within the Greater New Orleans area.
The Museum is closed Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Day.
The Museum is located at 925 Camp Street, New Orleans Louisiana 70130. For more information visit ogdenmuseum.org or call 504.539.9650.