Description: The dazzling Ogden Museum of Southern Art opened Phase One of its collection in 2003 in the historic Warehouse Arts District. The Museum is home to the most comprehensive collection of southern art in the world. Showcasing art encompassing 15 southern states and the District of Columbia, the museum celebrates the art, history and culture of the American south. Named an affiliate of The Smithsonian Institution in 2001, it was the first museum in Louisiana to receive this prestigious designation — and did so while operating in a small temporary gallery in the Warehouse Arts District. Based upon the founding donation of more than 1,100 works from New Orleans businessman and philanthropist Roger H. Ogden’s collection of southern art, the Museum’s collection has grown to include more than 4,000 works donated from individuals and collectors from across the United States. This nationally respected collection includes paintings, watercolors, drawings, prints, photographs, sculpture, wood and craft and embodies the visual heritage and history of the south from 1733 to the present. Opening as Phase One of the larger museum complex in the Warehouse Arts District, The Ogden first unveiled its 20th- and 21st-century collection in the Goldring Hall, a 47,000-square-foot, five-story glass and steel structure dedicated to the memory of New Orleans philanthropist Stephen Goldring. The building features a magnificent four-story atrium, stunning galleries, a charming rooftop terrace, staff offices and the chic museum store and Center for Southern Craft and Design.
Goldring Hall features more than 25 galleries, presented in a chronological and thematic manner, with a large changing exhibition hall on the fifth floor that welcomes major national traveling exhibitions.  In addition to showcasing the visual art of the American south, the Ogden Museum celebrates the region’s unique culture, with educational programming for visitors of all ages and Ogden After Hours, a gallery opening and cocktail party held every Thursday evening in the Museum’s atrium and featuring live music performed by a southern musician.
Phase Two of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art is expected to open in 2010, and will showcase southern works of art from the 18th and 19th century. The adjoining Clementine Hunter Education Wing will celebrate the life and work of the beloved Louisiana self-taught artist, and will house the Museum’s educational facilities. The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is located at 925 Camp Street in the historic Warehouse Arts District. It is nine blocks from Canal Street. After visiting the Ogden, walk across the street to experience the stunning National World War II Museum and the outstanding Contemporary Arts Center. For more information on the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, call (504) 539-9600 or visit www.ogdenmuseum.org. |
