RESOURCES

The Historic New Orleans Collection

The Historic New Orleans Collection was established in 1966 by General and Mrs. L. Kemper Williams, private collectors of Louisiana materials, to maintain and expand their collection and make it available to the public through research facilities and exhibitions. The Collection operates a museum accredited by the American Association of Museums in a complex of historic French Quarter buildings at 533 Royal Street. Facilities at Royal Street include the Williams Gallery for changing exhibitions, several permanent exhibition galleries illustrating the history of the city and state, the Williams Residence house museum, and a museum shop. The Williams Research Center, composed of curatorial, manuscripts, and library collections, is housed in a restored police and court building at 410 Chartres Street.

The Louisiana State Museum

New Orleans' most prominent heritage attraction is the Louisiana State Museum, a complex of national landmarks housing thousands of artifacts and works of art reflecting Louisiana's legacy of historic events and cultural diversity. The Museum operates five properties in the famous French Quarter: the Cabildo, Presbytere, 1850 House, Old U.S. Mint and Madame John's Legacy. Also the Wedell-Williams Memorial Aviation Museum in Patterson,the Old Courthouse in Natchitoches, and the E.D. White Historic Site in Thibodaux.

The New Orleans Arts District

The Arts District is comprised of museums, galleries, fine restaurants and residences. Situated between the French Quarter and the Garden District, the Arts District is easily reached by the St. Charles Streetcar and the Riverfront Streetcar.

The New Orleans Museum of Art

Opened in 1911 as the Isaac Delgado Museum of Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art has grown into an invaluable cultural, recreational and educational resource which serves the City of New Orleans and the Gulf South. Ranked in the top 25 percent of the nation's 140 largest and most important art museums, NOMA's mission is to preserve and present a representative survey of the finest art mankind has produced, from antiquity to the present — extraordinary art from every century and every culture. NOMA’s exhibitions and programs are designed to cultivate, promote and inspire appreciation and knowledge of the fine arts.

The Ogden Museum of Southern Art

By the early 1990s, Roger Ogden's collection was recognized by art historians and collectors as an outstanding collection of Southern Art. "With that recognition," Ogden explains, "I realized that the collection could not remain the responsibility of one individual or family, but that it should belong to the public, and that it was incumbent on me to make plans for its placement as a whole." Thanks to his vision and his generous contribution to the University of New Orleans Foundation, Roger Ogden's collection of 1200 works by some 400 artists will move to a new home, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art on New Orleans' famous Lee Circle. The Museum, which will be the cultural cornerstone of the University of New Orleans' Lee Circle Center for the Arts will open in Fall 2002.

The Preservation Resource Center

The Preservation Resource Center was founded in 1974 to promote the preservation of New Orleans' historic architecture by expanding the constituency that understands the economic, cultural and aesthetic importance of historic preservation, and by involving citizens in preservation projects and services that enhance living in New Orleans.

The Smithsonian

"The Smithsonian is committed to enlarging our shared understanding of the mosaic that is our national identity by providing authoritative experiences that connect us to our history and our heritage as Americans and to promoting innovation, research and discovery in science. These commitments have been central to the Smithsonian since its founding more than 155 years ago." - Lawrence M. Small, Secretary of the Smithsonian