Ogden Museum of Southern Art will present a series of permanent collection exhibitions this year, two of which are BUILT: Sculpture from the Collection (February 27 – July 25, 2021) and Preservative Force: Recent Acquisitions to the Collection (March 20 – August 22, 2021).

BUILT draws from Ogden Museum’s permanent collection to examine how Southern artists engage various mediums and practices to explore the power of sculptural form. Unlike painting and photography, sculpture engages three coordinates, existing in the same space as our bodies. Whether self-taught or academic, traditional or experimental – the artists in this exhibition engage scale, proportion, shape, form, space, color and texture to convey their vision in three dimensions.

BUILT features works by Lynda Benglis, Willie Birch, Clyde Connell, Jeffrey Cook, William Dunlap, Lin Emery, Lonnie Holley, Nene Humphrey, William Monaghan, Sherry Owens, Martin Payton, John T. Scott, Ersy Schwartz and Robert Tannen.

“BUILT will be the first exhibition drawn from the museum’s permanent collection that is focused solely upon sculptural artworks,” says Bradley Sumrall, Curator of the Collection at Ogden Museum. “This presents an opportunity to illustrate the depth and breadth of the museum’s collection of 3-dimensional art.”

Preservative Force brings together recently acquired works from a diverse group of artists working in various styles and media. By presenting a range of voices that have been added to the collection to tell the story of the American South, this exhibition encourages the viewer to examine the myriad ways artists use their own private languages to poetically express concepts of place, identity and aesthetics.

Preservative Force includes works by Willie Birch, Lynda Benglis, Mel Chin, Charles Delschau, George Dureau, Skylar Fein, Roy Ferdinand, William Hawkins, Horton Humble, Clementine Hunter, Ronald Locket, Hudson Marquez, Purvis Young, among others.

“This exhibition not only serves to showcase exciting new additions to the museum’s permanent collection, but also allows the visitor to explore the diversity of both background and vision among artists working in the American South,” says Bradley Sumrall, Curator of the Collection. “With an array of works over one hundred years and across style and medium, this exhibition illustrates the vast range of the museum’s collecting practices.”

“Preservative Force and Built are answers to the moment and this state of being we are all navigating during the pandemic, that is imperfect and unknown and causes us to feel uncertain,” says William Pittman Andrews, Executive Director. “Exhibiting works of art from the permanent collection that we often consider timeless, is a powerful signal. These works have all been gifts to the museum, and this is the best way to thank the artists, collectors and donors who have placed them in our trust.”

Ogden Museum acquired 143 works by 46 artists in 2020, and will present many of these acquisitions in 2021 exhibitions, offering a glimpse into the museum’s impressive permanent collection of over 4,000 works representative of the art of the American South.

The 2021 exhibitions at Ogden Museum presenting permanent collection works acquired in 2020 and recent years include:

Built: Sculpture from the Collection, February 27 – July 25, 2021

Preservative Force: Recent Acquisitions to the Collection, March 20 – August 22, 2021

Sheldon Scott: Portrait, number 1 man (day clean ta sun down), March 20 – August 22, 2021

Roland Freeman – Portfolio, March 27 – September 5, 2021

Revelations II: Recent Photography Acquisitions, March 27 – September 5 – 2021

ABOUT OGDEN MUSEUM OF SOUTHERN ART

Located in the vibrant Warehouse Arts District of downtown New Orleans, Louisiana since 2003, Ogden Museum of Southern Art presents the art and culture of the American South through dynamic exhibitions and engaging educational programming. It is home to a collection of more than 4,000 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. 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.