Local Arts Organizations Join to Host Second Annual CULTURE COLLISION

For one night only and under one roof, local arts lovers are invited to attend a celebration to kick off the 2010-2011 cultural season. Culture Collision 2 will be held on Wednesday, September 1, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the New Orleans Museum of Art, with an after-party in the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden from 8 to 10 p.m.

This unique event brings together New Orleans' cultural organizations for a one of a kind happy hour designed to encourage participation and involvement in the New Orleans art scene. Over 1,300 people turned out for last year's event, and due to that overwhelming success, this year's Culture Collision has been expanded to accommodate the crowds. Participating organizations will now have tables on the first and second floors of the great hall, and additional food and beverage providers will be located throughout the venue. In addition, the after-party in the Sculpture Garden will allow for additional networking opportunities once the great hall is closed.

Admission to the event is free to Louisiana residents, and attendees will have the opportunity to scope out upcoming events, take advantage of exclusive ticket promotions, and meet like-minded arts lovers. There will be performances by the acoustic duo, Courtyard Kings, and the after-party will feature the musical stylings of DJ Matty, favorite at local nightspots, including The Saint, Mimi's, and The Saturn Bar. Light fare will be provided by Café Degas, Eat NOLA, Matt and Naddie's, and Ralph's on the Park, and several cash bars will also be available. Giveaways courtesy of participating organizations will be ongoing throughout the evening.

Participants

· Amistad Research Center

· Ashé Cultural Arts Center

· Contemporary Arts Center

· Friends of the Cabildo

· The Historic New Orleans Collection

· Jefferson Performing Arts Society

· Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré

· Longue Vue House and Gardens

· Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

· Louisiana State Museum

· National World War II Museum

· Newcomb Art Gallery

· New Orleans Ballet Association

· New Orleans Film Society

· New Orleans Museum of Art

· New Orleans Opera Association

· New Orleans Photo Alliance

· NORD/Crescent City Lights Youth Theater

· Ogden Museum of Southern Art

· Southern Rep

· Tulane Theatre & Dance and the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane

· WWNO

 

The event is sponsored by WWNO and organized by the Arts Council of New Orleans, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, New Orleans Ballet Association, New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans Opera Association, Ogden Museum of Art and Southern Rep.

About the Organizations

Amistad Research Center
The Amistad Research Center is committed to collecting, preserving, and providing open access to original materials that reference the social and cultural histories of African Americans and other ethnic groups dating from the 18th century to the present. Amistad's primary purpose is to make resource materials for writing and rewriting history accessible to research scholars and students, giving equitable treatment to the contributions of ethnic minorities, particularly African Americans.

Arts Council of New Orleans
The Arts Council of New Orleans is a private, non-profit organization designated by the City of New Orleans as its official arts agency. Now in its 34th year, the Arts Council works in partnership with the City of New Orleans, community groups, local, state, and national governmental agencies, and other nonprofit arts organizations to meet the arts and cultural needs of the New Orleans community through a diversity of initiatives and services. The Arts Council serves as one of nine regional distributing agencies for Louisiana Division of the Arts funds and administers the Community Arts Grants and the Percent For Art program for the City of New Orleans.

Ashé Cultural Arts Center
Ashé Cultural Arts Center is an initiative of Efforts of Grace, Inc. Located in Central City New Orleans, Ashé Cultural Arts Center has established a successful practice of cultural art presentation and production, community development, artist support, and the creation of partnerships and collaborations that amplify the impact and reach of our outreach and support efforts.

Contemporary Arts Center
Since 1976 the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) has been home to artists' bold experiments in painting, theatre, music, performance art, video, dance, photography, sculpture, and more - all celebrating the art of now. More at: www.cacno.org.

Friends of the Cabildo
Since its incorporation in 1956, Friends of the Cabildo has grown into a large statewide membership organization that serves as a dynamic and motivating force in broadening and supporting the aims of the Louisiana State Museum. We provide daily, year-round walking tours of the French Quarter with well-trained, qualified volunteer guides for tourists and special groups. We host educational and cultural events such as the Spring Home Tour, Ghostly Galavant and Creole Christmas, which raise monies for the Museum and various projects of the Friends. We have also published a series of distinguished award-winning architectural books on the historic districts of the city of New Orleans.

Jefferson Performing Arts Society
Celebrating Thirty-Three Seasons of Fantastic Performances Throughout the New Orleans Metro Area and Beyond! For info on the 2010-2011 JPAS Season, tickets and more, visit www.jpas.org. Founded by Dennis G. Assaf and Hannah Cunningham in 1978, Jefferson Performing Arts Society is dedicated to the artistic and cultural enrichment of the Gulf South. The Jefferson Performing Arts Society is a non-profit professional arts organization whose mission is to promote arts performance, training and outreach by providing a diverse range of quality programs that entertain, educate and enrich the cultural and economic vitality of Jefferson Parish, Greater New Orleans and the Gulf South.

Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré
Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré continues its long history as a cultural icon in the New Orleans theatre and performing arts community. A launching place for young talent, a stalwart for local talent and a return stage for those who have gone on to further careers, Le Petit features a full season of new and traditional musical productions. In addition, Le Petit offers concerts, a daily film series and an eclectic mix of other productions on both its Main Stage and the smaller Muriel's Cabaret Theatre. Recently named "Favorite Live Theatre" by Gambit Weekly, New Orleans Magazine and The Times-Picayune's 2010 Reader's Choice Awards. Named "Favorite Live Theatre Venue" by Where Y'at magazine.

Longue Vue House & Gardens
Longue Vue House and Gardens is an 8-acre Country Place Era estate comprised of a Classical Revival-style mansion surrounded by eleven different gardens, including an interactive children's garden. The former home of philanthropists Edith and Edgar Stern, Longue Vue now serves as an educational and cultural resource. Longue Vue offers tours daily and holds events and exhibits that fulfill its mission "to preserve and use the historical and artistic legacy of Longue Vue and its creators to educate and inspire people to pursue beauty and civic responsibility in their lives." Longue Vue, a designated National Historic Landmark, is accredited by the American Association of Museums and included on the National Register of Historic Places. For more information, visit www.longuevue.com.

Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1991 by musicians from the former New Orleans Symphony, is the only musician-owned and collaboratively managed professional symphony in the United States. The members of the LPO are dedicated to creating live symphonic music and maintaining a resident full-time orchestra that serves as an integral part of the cultural and educational life of New Orleans and the Gulf South region. The LPO, led by Music Director, Carlos Miguel Prieto, performs a full 36 week concert season featuring an array of Classics, Casual Classics, Spotlight, Family, Education, and Outreach concerts. The members of the LPO are honored to be home-based in New Orleans and serving the Gulf South region.

 

Louisiana State Museum
Founded in 1906, The Louisiana State Museum collects, preserves and interprets Louisiana's rich cultural heritage from pre-historic times to the present through more than 450,000 objects and works of art. The Museum is part of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, which is overseen by Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu. For more information, please call 800.568.6968 or visit http://lsm.crt.state.la.us.

National WWII Museum
The National World War II Museum in New Orleans tells the story of the American Experience in the war that changed the world - why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today. Dedicated in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum and now designated by Congress as America's National World War II Museum, it celebrates the American Spirit, the teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifice of the men and women who fought on the battlefront and the Home Front. For more information, call 877-813-3329 or 504-528-1944 or visit www.nationalww2museum.org. Follow us on Twitter at WWIImuseum or visit our Facebook fan page.

Newcomb Art Gallery
The Newcomb Art Gallery is dedicated to enriching the cultural and intellectual life of the Tulane University and New Orleans communities and to sustaining the creative spirit of Newcomb College. Free and open to public, the gallery is located in the Woldenberg Art Center on the Tulane University uptown campus. For more information about the gallery, please visit www.newcombartgallery.tulane.edu

New Orleans Ballet Association
NOBA is the Central Gulf region's premiere presenting and service organization dedicated solely to the art of dance. NOBA's dynamic Main Stage season annually features a diverse array of world-class companies and artists. Each year NOBA provides concerts, classes, workshops and lectures to more than 25,000 area dance enthusiasts of all ages. In addition, NOBA's nationally recognized award-winning education programs provide the youth of our community access to quality arts programs with 3,000 free dance classes and workshops annually at ten sites throughout the Greater New Orleans area. Season subscriptions are currently on sale, and single tickets for NOBA events go on sale September 7. For more information on the upcoming season or to subscribe, call NOBA at 504-522-0996, Ext. 201 or visit www.nobadance.com.

New Orleans Film Society
The New Orleans Film Society (NOFS) was founded in 1989. 2010 marks the 21st Anniversary of the New Orleans Film Festival, which has grown into a major showcase of local, regional, national, and international films. In addition to the annual Film Festival each fall, the NOFS hosts special events throughout the year: the French Film Festival, the New Orleans International Children's Film Festival, and other events designed to benefit local film audiences, artists, and professionals. The NOFS also presents two monthly film series-one at the Contemporary Arts Center and one with the Porch 7th Ward Cultural Organization. Throughout the year, the NOFS reaches approximately 8,000 people through its programming. The New Orleans Film Society is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to engage, educate, and inspire through the art of film

 

New Orleans Museum of Art
The New Orleans Museum of Art, founded in 1910 by Isaac Delgado, houses more than 30,000 art objects encompassing 4,000 years of world art. Works from the Permanent Collection, along with continuously changing temporary exhibitions, are on view in the Museum's 46 galleries Wednesdays from noon to 8 p.m. and Thursdays to Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the adjacent Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, featuring work by 58 artists, including several of the 20th century's great master sculptors, is always free during public hours.

New Orleans Opera Association
The City of New Orleans is America's First City of Opera. The first documented production on the North American continent is André Ernest Grétry's Sylvain which was performed on May 22, 1796. The "modern" New Orleans Opera Association (NOOA) was founded in 1943. This, NOOA's 67th season, is the first full season with performances in the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The season is as follows: Puccini's Tosca - October 9 & 11, 2009; Gounod's Romeo and Juliet - November 20 & 22, 2009; The Verdi Requiem - January 22 & 24, 2010; Wagner's The Flying Dutchman - March 19 & 21, 2010. Tickets can be purchased online at www.neworleansopera.org or by calling the box office at (504) 529-3000 and range in price from $43 - $136.

New Orleans Photo Alliance
The New Orleans Photo Alliance encourages the understanding and appreciation of photography through exhibitions, opportunities and educational programs. The Alliance strives to be a cultural stimulus, which fosters economic and artistic growth while preserving the rich and diverse photographic culture of New Orleans and the southern region. The New Orleans Photo Alliance is comprised of a diverse group of photographers who joined forces in 2006 to create unity and opportunity for photographers in the Gulf South. It is an artist run 501(c)3 nonprofit which currently includes nearly 400 members from across Louisiana and throughout the United States. Since its inception, the Photo Alliance has sponsored numerous photographic exhibitions, workshops and educational programs, and coordinates PhotoNOLA, New Orleans' annual festival of photography.

NORD/Crescent City Lights Youth Theater
Each year, Crescent City Lights Youth Theater provides professional theater experiences for young people - ages 7 to 17 - in the Greater New Orleans area. The theater offers a forum for collaboration of artists, designers and playwrights and enriches the entire community with its professional quality stage productions and classes. Crescent City Lights instills an early appreciation of literature, art and the performing arts in tomorrow's artists and patrons.

Tulane Theatre & Dance and the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane
The Theatre Program offers two undergraduate degrees: the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Fine Arts. The BFA can be in either the design/technical area or in acting and candidates apply at the end of the sophomore year. No audition is required for admission into the B.A. program. Both programs offer opportunities to develop skills in acting, costume design, directing, lighting design, management, scene design, technical production, theatre history, theory, and criticism. Students are also offered a minor in Theatre. Advanced theatre students at Tulane may earn the Master of Fine Arts in Design or Technical Production. Students are accepted into this three-year Graduate Program every other year. The New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane is committed to reimagining, rebuilding and engaging The Gulf South region through the works and words of William Shakespeare. By an intermingling of artistic and educational programs, the festival seeks to create a center of entertainment and learning that speaks both through the greatest plays of the English language and one of the great cities of The United States.

Ogden Museum of Southern Art
The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is home to the largest and most comprehensive collection of Southern art in the world, and includes the Center for Southern Craft and Design. Artists in the collection include Benny Andrews, William Eggleston, Hunt Slonem, Ida Kohmeyer, George Ohr, Linda Benglis, among others. Every Thursday night, the Ogden hosts "Ogden After Hours," which presents Southern music in a variety of genres. The museum also has special art, literary, film and educational programs throughout the year.

Southern Rep
As New Orleans' premiere professional theatre, Southern Rep features world-premiere productions and the best of Broadway and off-Broadway. With Academy SRT, the Annual Backstage Bash, PlayLab, the Crosstown Reading Series, the New Play Bacchanal and Schmiggle Parties, Southern Rep is your ticket to dramatic fun. Now entering its 23rd season, Southern Rep's intimate 144-seat theatre is located on the third floor of The Shops at Canal Place.

The Historic New Orleans Collection
Founded in 1966, The Historic New Orleans Collection is a museum, research center and publisher dedicated to the preservation of the history and culture of New Orleans, Louisiana, and the surrounding Gulf Coast region. For more information about The Historic New Orleans Collection, visit www.hnoc.org or call (504) 523-4662.

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