Must-See Museum Exhibits in New Orleans This May

With so much to do in New Orleans, many forget that the city’s art scene is just as vibrant as the food and music. Check out the highlighted exhibits below and search our calendar to find even more art in New Orleans. 

Queen Nefertari’s Egypt

Dates: March 18-July 17 

This spring at the New Orleans Museum of Art, journey into ancient Egypt by way of Queen Nefertari. Queen Nefertari, the royal wife of Pharaoh Ramesses II (reigned 1279–13 BCE), is linked to some of the most magnificent monuments of ancient Egypt. Now, artifacts found within her tomb are on display here in New Orleans for a limited time only. Learn more and purchase your tickets in advance here.  

Au Naturel: The Art of the Female Form 

Dates: March 26-May 28 

Representing desire, ideal beauty, original sin, and maternal fertility, the female nude is ubiquitous in the history of art. A new exhibition from M.S. Rau, Au Naturel: The Art of the Female Form, explores this prolific and ever-alluring subject through over four hundred years of fine art, contemplating the styles, artists, and themes that have defined and redefined the nude over the centuries. Learn more here.  

We Grew Here

Dates: March 19-May 14

In this new exhibit, New Orleans artist/muralist Kentrice Schexnayder's sheds light on the influence of Black Americans on the economy from the earliest days of our nation. As stated on the website, “This exhibit seeks to undo the negative connotations associated with Black people working in the cotton field and shed light on the legacy they left for future generations.” Catch the exhibit at Ashé Cultural Arts Center before it closes on May 14.

Backstage at “A Streetcar Named Desire” 

Dates: April 5-July 3 

Seventy-five years ago this year, Tennessee Williams's “A Streetcar Named Desire” premiered on Broadway. It hasn’t really left the stage ever since. Backstage at "Streetcar" combines selections from The Historic New Orleans Collection’s wide-ranging Tennessee Williams holdings—many of them seldom displayed—with loans from the Harry Ransom Center, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the New York Public Library, and Wesleyan University. Visitors can read director Elia Kazan's stage notes, listen to a rare recording of the original Broadway production, and more. Learn more here and plan to visit The Historic New Orleans Collection to view this exhibit.