Media Contact:
Miriam Taylor
925 Camp Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
504‐539‐9631
mtaylor@ogdenmuseum.org
NEW ORLEANS, LA - At 6 o'clock in the evening on Thursday, September 22nd, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art will host a celebration of the life and work of George Dureau.
Timed with the release of Aperture Foundation's George Dureau, The Photographs the Ogden Museum has invited photography critic Philip Gefter, and Executive Director of Aperture Foundation, Chris Boot, to join the Ogden Museum's Curator of the Collection, Bradley Sumrall, on a panel discussing the significance of the work of George Dureau in the world of photography as well as in the world of Southern art.
George Dureau was a New Orleans artist who considered himself a "Classical-Romantic." A distinguished painter as well as an accomplished photographer his work most often depicted male nude models, many with obvious physical disabilities or forms of dwarfism. He received critical acclaim from the New York Times in 2012, following an exhibition of his photography in New York.
The Ogden Museum holds over a dozen of his pieces and many more are on display throughout the New Orleans area - including his bronze sculptures at the gates of City Park, the pediment sculpture for Harrah's Casino, and his newly restored mural from Gallier Hall, The Parade Paused, which will be on display at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art during this celebration.
Following the discussion there will be a book signing and cocktail reception. The celebration starts at 6 p.m. and is scheduled to run through 8 p.m. and will take place in the historic Patrick F. Taylor Library. This exhibition is sponsored by the John B. Harter Charitable Trust.
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"Finally, through the release of Aperture Foundation's George Dureau: The Photographs, Dureau is receiving the recognition he has long deserved -- as an influential master of the male nude in photography, as a pioneering gay voice in American art, and as an unflinching humanist with a classical sensibility." - Bradley Sumrall, Curator of the Collection at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art
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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 almost 80,000 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 $13.50 for adults, $11 for seniors 65 and older, $7.25 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 Helis Foundation is a Louisiana private foundation, established by the William Helis Family. The Art Funds of the Helis Foundation advance access to the arts for the community through contributions that sustain operations for, provide free admission to, acquire works of art, and underwrite major exhibitions and projects of institutions within the Greater New Orleans area.
The Museum is closed Martin Luther King Day, Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and day following, Christmas Day and New Years Day.
The Museum is located at 925 Camp Street, New Orleans Louisiana 70130. For more information visit ogdenmuseum.org or call 504-539-9650.