New Orleans Museum of Art facts for kids
Roy Lichtenstein's "Five Brushstrokes"
|
|
| Established | 1911 |
|---|---|
| Location | One Collins C. Diboll Circle, City Park, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA 70124 |
The New Orleans Museum of Art (or NOMA) is the oldest art museum in New Orleans. It is located inside City Park. You can find it near the end of the "Canal Street - City Park" streetcar line. The museum first opened in 1911 as the Delgado Museum of Art.
Discovering the Museum
The New Orleans Museum of Art, or NOMA, was started with money from a kind person named Isaac Delgado. He was a rich sugar broker and art collector. He wanted to give the people of New Orleans a special place for art.
In 1911, Isaac Delgado wrote to the City Park Board. He offered to build a museum if they gave him the land. He wanted a "fire proof building where works of art may be collected." The board agreed, and the museum opened on December 11, 1911. Isaac Delgado was too sick to attend the opening. He passed away soon after, in January 1912. His gift still helps people enjoy art today.
Over the years, the museum grew bigger. In the early 1970s, a new education wing was added. Then, in 1993, a huge expansion project happened. This made NOMA one of the top art museums in the country. It has shown many special and rare art exhibits.
NOMA is also home to the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. This is a large outdoor area behind the main building. It covers about 11.5 acres (about 4.6 hectares). Here, you can see over 90 modern and contemporary sculptures. They are placed among beautiful trees, lagoons, and walking paths.
The museum also has a shop where you can buy art-related items. There is an auditorium for movies, talks by artists, and other events. You can also grab a bite to eat at Café NOMA.
Even though City Park was badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, NOMA was mostly safe. The museum is built on higher ground. Only the basement had some flooding. Most of the art collection was not harmed by the storm.
Amazing Art Collections
.jpg)
NOMA's permanent collection has more than 40,000 art pieces. These artworks cover 5,000 years of history. You can see art from the Italian Renaissance to modern times.
The museum has many European and American artworks. These include famous artists like Degas, Monet, Renoir, and Picasso. You can also see art by Mary Cassatt and Georgia O'Keeffe. NOMA has a great collection of French art. This includes several important paintings by Edgar Degas. He painted them when he lived in New Orleans in the early 1870s.
You can also find art by local Louisiana artists. The museum has a large collection of art photography. It includes over 12,000 photos from the very beginning of photography until today.
Other collections include:
- Glass and ceramic art
- Tiny portrait paintings
- Native American art
- Art from Central America, both ancient and from the Spanish colonial period
- Chinese ceramics
- Japanese paintings
- Indian sculptures
- Folk art from Africa, Indonesia, and the South Pacific
Fun Events and Programs
NOMA often works with other museums in New Orleans. They create special art shows together. In the past, they have shown amazing things like:
- Treasures from Tutankhamun's tomb.
- Items from the time of Alexander the Great.
- Art about Mardi Gras and other festivals.
- Exhibits about the effects of Hurricane Katrina.
The museum offers many activities for visitors. You can take guided tours in groups. Teachers can attend special workshops. NOMA also has online guides for teachers. They even have a "pop-up museum" called NOMA+ that visits schools.
NOMA hosts many fun events. These include festivals, movie nights, and music programs. They also have lectures and wellness activities.
