A Legacy of Art and Culture
NOMA’s “Odyssey Ball” celebrates 51 years as a signature tradition of New Orleans’ culture.
Tommy Westervelt, NOMA Director Susan Taylor and Melanee and Steve Usdin
Commemorating New Orleans’ Tricentennial, the 51st “Odyssey Ball” highlighted the New Orleans Museum of Art and the “Odyssey Ball’s” integral place as a New Orleans tradition in the city’s cultural life and history. This year’s theme, “L’Odyssée: A Celebration 300 Years in the Making,” reflected this legacy with unmatched elegance.
“Odyssey 2017” featured NOMA’s fall exhibition, “East of the Mississippi: 19th-Century American Landscape Photography.” In association with NOMA, this landmark exhibition, co-organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, is the first to exclusively explore a vivid chapter of America’s photographic history – 19th-century American landscape photography made east of the Mississippi River. These photographs of the eastern half of the United States helped shape evolving mythologies of the American wilderness, revealed the impact of the Civil War on the physical landscape, and played an important role in industrialization and environmental preservation.
The evening began with a Patron Party, and continued with the gala late into the night. The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and DJ/Violinist Timothee Lovelock provided musical entertainment, while the LSU vs Alabama tailgate à la NOMA occurred in the Café NOMA courtyard. The Jep Epstein Trio performed in the NOMA Museum Shop courtyard. 1718 Events, Hyatt Regency New Orleans, catered the gala, with event design by Z Event Company.
The silent auction featured an online component, allowing art enthusiasts from all over to bid on the one-of-a-kind selection. Highlights included vacation and spa packages, airfare, a behind-the-scenes VIP experience with “NCIS: New Orleans” and art by George Dunbar, whose works and career were recently celebrated at NOMA titled “George Dunbar: Elements of Chance.”
Event at a Glance
What: 51st annual “Odyssey Ball,” benefiting the New Orleans Museum of Art
When: Saturday, November 4
Where: New Orleans Museum of Art
