VISIT
NOM A Offers Free
r a l ei g h p. c o o p er
A dmission for Teens
Kaila Dardar, teen volunteer at NOMA
All teenagers now receive free admission to NOMA! Thanks to generous support from The Helis Foundation, students ages 13-19 are invited to sign in at NOMA’s front desk and collect their Teen Pass to access everything in NOMA’s galleries at no charge. NOMA’s goal is to create more opportunities for young people to interact with and inform the life of the museum, providing as many teens as possible with access to meaningful arts experiences. Kaila Dardar has volunteered at NOMA for over a year, and while she loves the museum, she thinks that more teenagers would be willing to visit with free admission: “My friends would definitely take an interest. Money is often an issue when making plans, and not everyone is a Taylor Scholar who can get in for free.”
Museum experiences can have a life-changing impact on teens, yet cost is one of the main barriers to teen participation in the arts. Launching the Teen Pass program in 2015 is a first step toward being more accessible for New Orleans’ youth. The museum is an inspiring, safe place for teens to visit with friends. NOMA’s popular Friday Nights at NOMA series offers live music, film screenings, Movies in the Garden, gallery talks, and more. Additionally, the museum offers a variety of ways teens can get involved, including volunteer opportunities for community service hours. Teens can volunteer to help with special events such as the NOMA Egg Hunt, and for educational programs like Studio KIDS! and Summer Art Camp. In the future, NOMA plans to initiate a Teen Advisory Board, where teen art enthusiasts will collaborate with museum staff to develop programs that encourage their peers to get involved with the arts at NOMA. Chloe Bishop, another teen volunteer at NOMA, says she’ll tell her friends to take advantage of free admission and visit. “I think free admission is a great idea. A lot of times I don’t think people my age are aware of what kind of exhibitions are here at NOMA, and we’re always looking for something to do. The last time I took a good look around, the Photorealism exhibition was up, and my friend and I both thought it was really cool. So I’ll tell people, ‘oh, there’s this really cool exhibit, and it’s different than you think it will be’… Maybe I’ll take a selfie in the sculpture garden and say ‘hey, look how cool this is!’”
Don’t forget to tag @noma1910 in your Twitter and Instagram posts!
www.noma.org
The Sculpture Garden Becomes Sherwood Forest in New Spring Production This May, NOMA and The NOLA Project present a one-of-a-kind production of Robin Hood: Thief, Brigand in the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. For this brand new production of the age-old tale by playwright Andrew Vaught, the infinitely transformable garden now becomes the English Sherwood Forest where the famed thief and his band of merry men rob from the rich, give to the poor, and find themselves embroiled in the most dastardly escape plan imaginable! Opening May 6 $20 | Adults $14 | NOMA and NOLA Project Members, Students, Kids 7-17 children 6 and under not admitted
Movies in the Garden Highlights Steven Spielberg As the summer blockbuster season approaches, NOMA is featuring the director who has been given credit for starting the trend—Steven Spielberg. NOMA kicked off the series with Raiders of the Lost Ark on March 20. Winner of three Academy Awards and three Golden Globes, Steven Spielberg is one of the most popular directors of all time. Whether Spielberg is taking audiences on an adventure with The Goonies, moving them with Schindler’s List, or making them jump out of their seats with Jaws, his films have become classics. Bring your blankets and folding chairs and relax under the stars in the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. Food trucks and a cash bar will be available. Before the movie starts, enjoy live music and art activities. April 10 E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial May 8 Jurassic Park
15