Ogden Museum of Southern Art

The mission of The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, University of New Orleans, is to broaden the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the visual arts and culture of the American South through its permanent collections, changing exhibitions, educational programs, publications, research center, and its Goldring-Woldenberg Institute for the Advancement of Southern Art and Culture. To that end, the museum will collect, conserve, exhibit, study, and interpret the art of the South within the context of the region's history and culture.

Celebrating the art, history and culture of the American South, the dazzling Ogden Museum of Southern Art/University of New Orleans opened in 2003 in the historic Warehouse Arts District. The Museum is home to the largest and most comprehensive collection of Southern art in the world, showcasing art from 15 Southern states and the District of Columbia.

Named an affiliate of The Smithsonian Institution in 2001, it was the first museum in Louisiana to receive this prestigious designation.

Based upon the founding donation of more than 1,200 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 American South from 1733 to the present.

The Ogden first unveiled its 20th- and 21st-century collections 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 portion featuring changing 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, the Museum's acclaimed music series held Thursday evenings in the Museum's atrium, featuring live music performed by Southern musicians.

Currently, the adjoining Clementine Hunter Education Wing and Patrick F. Taylor Library are in the process of renovation, but are still used for exhibitions and special events, such as concerts. Ultimately, the Library, built in 1889 and was designed by architect H.H. Richardson, will showcase Southern works of art from the 18th and 19th centuries, while the Hunter Education Wing will celebrate the life and work of the beloved Louisiana self-taught artist, and will house the Museum's educational facilities.

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