Media Contact:
Ogden Museum of Southern Art
925 Camp Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
504‐539‐9609
pr@ogdenmuseum.org

 

NEW ORLEANS - August 7, 2014

 

"Self-Processing - Instant Photography"
October 4, 2014 - January 4, 2014
Opening Reception: Saturday October 4, 6PM - 9PM

Before the instantaneous gratification of digital photography there was instant film. Instant and Polaroid film made photography quick and accessible to all without having to rely on a darkroom or lab for film processing and printing. Self Processing - Instant Photography features a large and varied array of photographs shot with instant film. The exhibition will include photographs by Pinky Bass, Blake Boyd, Linda Burgess, Bill Dunlap, Michael McCraw, Anna Tomczak and more.

For Richard McCabe, Curator of Photography at the Ogden Museum, this topic has been a passion for years. "Polaroid or Instant photography has sometimes been thought of as lesser form of photography," says McCabe, "much like a drawing is sometimes considered less prestigious than painting, yet the Polaroid print is an incredible object on its own - it is a unique print, and the scale and color saturation make instant film so special."

 

"Self-Taught, Outsider and Visionary Art from the collection of Richard Gasperi"
October 4, 2014 - February 22, 2015
Opening Reception: Saturday October 4, 6PM - 9PM

Richard Gasperi opened Gasperi Gallery in the French Quarter in 1980. Eventually moving to Julia Street in the New Orleans Arts District, the gallery focused on self-taught art of the American South. With a strong passion for the genre and a deep respect for the artists creating this uniquely Southern vernacular art, Gasperi built a strong personal collection and was respected as a pioneering scholar. Consisting of more than 500 objects, the Gasperi Collection includes objects ranging from Native American basketry and Tramp Art furniture to icons of self-taught art such as ZB Armstrong, Eddie Arning, David Butler, Sam Doyle, Howard Finster, Clementine Hunter, Charles Hutson, Pappy Kitchens, Lanier Meaders, Sister Gertrude Morgan, B.F. Perkins, W.C. Rice, Royal Robertson, Nellie Mae Rowe, Earl Wayne Simmons, Mary T. Smith, Jimmy Lee Sudduth, James "Son" Thomas, Mose Tolliver and Luster Willis.

This exhibition will showcase the depth and breadth of the Gasperi Collection, and will include a portfolio of 26 previously unseen works on paper by Louisiana artist, Clementine Hunter, which will be published as Clementine Hunter: A Sketchbook in collaboration with UNO Press.

"This exhibition is a testament to a life well-lived through a passionate celebration and scholarship of Southern vernacular art and the creative spirit of those who make it," said Bradley Sumrall, Chief Curator of the Ogden Museum.

"The Ogden Museum is known as a proving ground for experimentation," says museum director William Andrews. "Both of the self-taught and the self-processing exhibitions promote artistic exploration that expands the boundaries of what can be considered art, which is at the core of the Museum mission."

 


Located in the vibrant Warehouse Arts District of downtown New Orleans, Louisiana, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art holds the largest 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 over 50,000 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 Wednesday through Monday from 10AM-5PM and also on Thursdays from 6-8PM for Ogden After Hours. Admission is free to Museum Members and $10 for adults, $8 to seniors 65 and older, $5 for children ages 5-17 and free for children under 5. The Ogden Museum is free to Louisiana Residents on Thursdays from 10AM-5PM courtesy of The Helis Foundation.

The Museum is closed Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the day following, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

The Museum is located at 925 Camp Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130. For more information visit ogdenmuseum.org or call 504-539-9650.

 

###