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Pink lights illuminated the New Orleans Museum of Art for the 45th annual Odyssey Ball on November 13. The theme of the ball was Art Lives, and it honored art collectors who have donated pieces of their collections throughout the years, helping to create and maintain the museum’s exhibits.
The Odyssey Ball celebrated the centennial of NOMA. When the museum first opened, it was called the Isaac Delgado Museum of Art and had only 400 pieces, which were lent by local collectors. NOMA is now 13 times the size it was in 1910 and houses more than 35,000 works of art.
At the Odyssey Ball, Director Emeritus John Bullard presented NOMA’s newest exhibition: “Great Collectors/Great Patrons: The Making of the New Orleans Museum of Art, 1910-2010.” The exhibit showcases the history of the museum and pays tribute to the donors who helped to form its permanent collection, such as honorary chairman Mrs. Frederick Stafford. She and her late husband donated ancient and modern art from all over the world during NOMA’s early years.
The patrons at the Odyssey Ball saw Chris Burke & His New Orleans Music perform, and the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group served cuisine throughout the museum. At the ball, everyone’s toes tapped to BRW and the Fredy Omar Quartet. The most anticipated part of the evening was the live auction, which included a vacation to the Virgin Islands and a trip to New York City (with a private tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art). Illustrating NOMA’s history, the exhibit opened to the public on November 14.
