New Orleans African American Museum

New Orleans African American Museum
The historic Meilleur-Goldthwaite House, currently the NOAAM

The New Orleans African American Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, is located in the historic Tremé neighborhood, the oldest surviving black community in the United States. The NOAAM of Art, Culture and History seeks to educate, preserve, interpret and promote the contributions that people of African descent have made to the development of New Orleans and Louisiana culture, as slaves and as free people of color[1] throughout slavery, and during Emancipation, Reconstruction and contemporary times.

The NOAAM property encompasses seven historical structures located on the site of a former plantation. The main large building, built of brick in 1828-1829, is the Meilleur-Goldthwaite House[2], the finest remaining Creole "maison de maître" or master house in the city[3]. It is a raised center-hall villa with a large dormer window, and it retains its outbuildings, original interior and much of the large lot on which it was built. In September 1991, the Villa Meilleur was purchased by the City of New Orleans, and under the Administration of Marc H. Morial, the Mayor's Division of Housing & Neighborhood Development, New Orleans Affordable Home ownership, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, this historic landmark was restored and has become the cornerstone of redevelopment in Tremé. Permanent and temporary exhibits spotlight contemporary artists in the main house and in the former slave cottages. Having undergone substantial roof and water damage during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the museum was restored and reopened in February 2008. Additional improvements to the remaining structures are currently underway under the new Executive Director Dr. Jonn Hankins.

One of the museum’s centerpieces is the “Louisiana-Congo: the Bertrand Donation,” a collection of African beadwork, costumes, masks, textiles and musical instruments. The 70-piece assortment of original African artwork is from the Democratic Republic of Congo. It illuminates the parallels between everyday life in the Congo and Louisiana folk culture. Other exhibits change regularly and highlight works of traditional African art to black influences and culture in modern life in New Orleans.[4].

In 2008, the NOAAM participated in Prospect New Orleans[5], the largest biennial of international contemporary art ever organized in the United States and the first to be held in New Orleans. It was curated by Dan Cameron, with exhibits by internationally celebrated artists Bradley McCallum & Jacqueline Tarry[6], William Kentridge, and Rico Gatson. In August 2008, the Museum hosted an exhibit of New York photographer John Rosenthal's Hurricane Katrina-related photographs.

In January 2011, the city awarded the museum a $3 million CDBG grant, to undertake renovation of existing properties: Villa Meilleur, Passebon Cottage (1843) and Passebon's servant quarters, and to acquire 1417-1419 Governor Nicholls Street to expand its footprint. The latter will be used to house administration, community events, and other support functions. The changes will enable the museum to collaborate more with area universities in" creative arts, museum studies, art, history, archiving and educational programming."[7]

The Museum is featured as a site on Louisiana's African-American Heritage Trail[8].

References

  1. ^ Raised to the Trade: Creole Building Arts of New Orleans, 2002, J.E. Hankins & S. Maclansky (Editors), New Orleans Museum of Art Publn., ISBN 978-0894940903
  2. ^ New Orleans Architecture Volume VI: Faubourg Tremé And The Bayou Road (New Orleans Architecture Series), 2003, by Toledano R., M.L. Christovich, R. Derbes, B. Swanson], Pelican Publishing, ISBN 978-1565548312.
  3. ^ New Orleans: A Cultural History (Cityscapes), 2006, by L. McKinney, Oxford University Press, ISBN::978-0195301366.
  4. ^ New Orleans Tourism Official Website
  5. ^ Official Website for Prospect New Orleans
  6. ^ McCallum & Jacqueline Tarry's exhibit at NOAAM during Prospect.1
  7. ^ "MAYOR LANDRIEU PRESENTS $3 MILLION CDBG GRANT TO NEW ORLEANS AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM FOR EXPANSION OF TREMÉ FACILITY", Louisiana Business Journal, 10 January 2011
  8. ^ Louisiana African-American Heritage Trail

External links

AmericaAfrica.png African American portal


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