FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Jim Mulvihill
504/658-4106
jmulvihill@noma.org

Anna Whitlow
504-949-3999
awhitlow@deveney.com

NOMA’s “MidWeek in MidCity” Helps with the Revival of MidCity
Film screenings, gallery talks and live music offer special incentive to visit

NEW ORLEANS–As a celebration of spring and to introduce NOMA to new audiences while celebrating its neighborhood surroundings, the New Orleans Museum of Art is now open every Wednesday from Noon until 8:00 p.m., and the adjacent Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden will be open until 8:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. NOMA and the Sculpture Garden also are open Thursday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Besides viewing its permanent collections and special exhibitions, NOMA is planning additional activities for visitors on Wednesday nights, including films, music and refreshments. In May these activities include:

May 7: Sketching in the Galleries
NOMA opens its galleries to create in the presence of the NOMA’s great works in both their permanent collection as well as the featured exhibitions.

May 14: Gallery Talk with Judith Bonner
Bonner, a Senior Curator at the Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC), will discuss New Orleans: A Sense of Place, a collaborative exhibition between the HNOC and NOMA.

May 21: Film screening and Q&A with Filmmaker: Pat Mire’s Dirty Rice
The debut feature film from award-winning Cajun documentary maker Pat Mire captures the raw essence of the rural Cajun community in South Louisiana through a tale of a man rediscovering his roots and reclaiming his heritage.

May 28: Film screening: Jared Arsement’s Paradise Faded: The Fight for Louisiana
A newly released documentary by Louisiana native Jared Arsement, Paradise Faded: The Fight for Louisiana is a compelling look at the causes, effects, and solutions to the loss of Louisiana’s Coastal Wetlands and the impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.

The purpose of the extended hours is not only to make NOMA available in the evening for students and those who work during the day, but to help promote the many fine restaurants, both old and new, in the MidCity area. After touring the Museum, visitors are encouraged to have dinner at an area restaurant. A list of MidCity participating restaurants will be available at NOMA.

During the exhibition Rodrigue’s Louisiana, on display through June 8, admission is $5.00 for adult Louisiana residents and $10 for non-resident adults. Visitors under 18 years are admitted free courtesy of The Helis Foundation. Museum Members are free at all times.

Among MidCity restaurants open for dinner are classic favorites like Crescent City Steak House, 1001 Broad Street (821-3271); Ralph’s on the Park, 900 City Park Avenue (488-1000); Cafe Degas, 3127 Esplanade (945-5635); Mandina’s, 3800 Canal Street (482-9197); Parkway Bakery and Tavern, 538 Hagan Street (482-3047); Venezia Restaurant, 134 North Carrollton Avenue (488-7991); and Angelo Brocato Ice Cream, 214 North Carrollton Avenue (486-1465). Also many new restaurants, including Cafe Minh, 4139 Canal Street (482-6266); and Little Tokyo, 310 North Carrollton Avenue (485-5658) add to the variety of the MidCity dining experience. Reservations are suggested.

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