Best Arts and Culture Places in River Ridge

"The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is dedicated to exploring the showcasing the visual arts and culture of the American South. Located next to Lee Circle in the Central Business District, the museum is associated with the University of New Orleans and features a collection of works from 1733 to the present by artists from or associated with fifteen southern American states, and the District of Columbia. The collection features over 4,000 works of all materials ranging from paintings, watercolors, drawings, and prints to photographs, sculpture, wood, and crafts, and notable artists include Benny Andrews, Ida Kohlmeyer, Walter Andrews, Hunt Slonem, Clementine Hunter, William Dunlap, and George Ohr."

"At this stately museum in City Park, you’ll experience New Orleans’ oldest fine arts institution, which opened in 1911 and showcased just nine works of art. Fast forward more than 100 years, and NOMA (1 Collins Diboll Circle; 504-658-4100) plays host to a permanent collection of nearly 40,000 objects that include photography, glass works, French and American art, Japanese and African works, and much more. Just outside, the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is home to over 60 sculptures by renowned artists from around the world."

"In the 1912 the sugar broker and art collector Isaac Delgado left New Orleans a sizeable grant to establish what would become the New Orleans Museum of Art. The main building went up soon after, to a design partly by Benjamin Morgan Harrod, New Orleans’s former chief engineer, while new wings and expansions followed in the early-1970s and 90s. The collection is huge, with more than 40,000 pieces from the Italian Renaissance to today."

"Behind the museum’s main building is a gated outdoor space in 11 acres of mature parkland enriched with more than 90 works of sculpture. The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden opened in 2003 and at the time of writing in 2019 had just doubled in size with an expansion that included 26 new works, mostly by 21st-century artists. On serpentine paths among pines, magnolias, camellias and live oaks draped with Spanish moss there are pieces by Henry Moore, Deborah Butterfield, Barbara Hepworth, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Robert Indiana, Gaston Lachaise and René Magritte, as well as contemporary sculptors like Katharina Fritsch, Hank Willis Thomas and Jeppe Hein."

"This five-acre sculpture garden is a park within City Park, and acts as an open-air annex to the wonderful New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA). 90 sculptures—mostly modern and abstract—are set among magnolias and live oaks, framed by bridges and reflecting pools, with world-renowned artists Henry Moore, Antoine Bourdelle, and Ossip Zadkine represented. The lake-set Virlane Tower by Kenneth Snelson is a favorite, as is the familiar Love, Red Blue sign by Robert Indiana, but it’s best to come without a map."

"The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is technically a part of the New Orleans Museum of Art, but it’s one of those places to visit that deserves its very own part of this listing since many come by just to visit the garden on its own. Right near the main NOMA building, an 11-acre expanse of garden stretches out, decorated with over 90 different sculptures. The gardens first opened in 2003 and have grown in size ever since it made its home in the rear of the Louisiana museum."

"The Contemporary Arts Center, housed in a large redbrick building that stands out in the relatively muted Central Business District, is one of the city’s most prestigious spaces for the full gamut of contemporary arts, including painting, film, theater, and music. Exhibits, which rotate every four to eight weeks, can include any visual art form, from photography to sculpture and painting. The featured works are well-curated—sometimes around themes, sometimes around individual contemporary artists."

"Visit the spacious art galleries of the Contemporary Arts Center to see some world-class fine art in the up-and-coming warehouse district in downtown New Orleans. There are different artist residences happening and constantly rotating and changing exhibits. The museum is famous for the events that it hosts with different performances and lectures."

"The CAC has free admission for Louisiana residents on Sundays courtesy of the Helis Foundation. The museum focuses on multi-disciplinary programming and rotating exhibits."

"If you like arts and culture, you might enjoy a trip to the New Orleans Museum of Arts aka NOMA. Here you’ll find art work from famous artists like Picasso, Joan Miro, Georgia O’ Keffe, and also some local Louisiana artists. The art exhibition are divided into arts from different regions of the world. NOMA has a nice cafe, a cute garden to enjoy a picnic and a lake behind to kayak."

"A stunning gallery in the French Quarter housing museum-quality pieces ranging from French furniture and impressionist paintings to Dresden porcelain. The 30,000-sq-ft showroom is in a 100-year-old landmark building, and one could spend an afternoon gazing at its walls, which bear such delights as an original Renoir oil portrait of his son and a recently discovered painting by Norman Rockwell. Not to be missed is the newly redecorated impressionist room, complete with original works by Monet, Van Gogh and even a Gauguin."

"Next up is the French Quarter's M.S. Rau, situated at 622 Royal St. With 4.5 stars out of 28 reviews on Yelp, the art gallery and jewelry spot, serving antiques and more, has proven to be a local favorite for those looking to indulge. If you're looking for more, we found these details about M.S."

"M.S. Rau Antiques has been a French Quarter landmark for almost 100 years earning the trust of discerning antiques collectors worldwide. Their 25,000 square foot gallery literally overflows with remarkable collections of fine art, exquisite jewelry ...[Learn more]"

"Good Children Gallery is a pioneer artist-run space in the St. Claude Arts District aimed at enhancing the cultural landscape of New Orleans. The space serves as a bellwether for artistic endeavors by exhibiting engaging work from local, national, and international artists."

"This is also where you can have a famous Café du Monde beignet covered in powdered sugar, have your tarot cards read at Hex, get a taste of voodoo culture at Voodoo Authentica, and shop for jewelry, clothing, and antiques all throughout the neighborhood. The Pharmacy Museum has quite an interesting tour – don’t let the name fool you!. It’s all about old school remedies and how they evolved through history, with a local twist."

"George Rodrigue, a native song of south Louisiana, was best known as the creator of the ‘Blue Dog’, perhaps the most recognizable symbol of Louisiana contemporary art. The dog, with its soulful yellow eyes, was first painted in 1984 for Bayou, a selection of Louisiana ghost stories released in conjunction with the 1984 World’s Fair, held in New Orleans. Rodrigue decided to paint a version of the Cajun loup garou, or werewolf, and in so doing created the ghostly visage of the Blue Dog."

"Born and raised in southwest Louisiana, “Cajun Country,” George Rodrigue preserved on his canvas what he feared was his dying heritage — including its land, people, traditions and mythology. It was a Cajun legend, the loup-garou, that spawned his most famous series, The Blue Dog."

"People hang around the doors of this modest Metairie institution, night after night, the way barbecue lovers flock to the newest and hottest joints in Texas, except that R&O has been around since the ’80’s, that’s how much people love it here, and why shouldn’t they—the roast beef po boys are some of the most distinctive in town, but there’s so much else to eat here, too—shrimp salads, eggplant parmesan lunch specials, thin crust pizza, the works. Fancy it’s not, unforgettable all the same."

"For good reason: They’re reasonably priced, filling and about as egalitarian as a local food can be. Fried seafood po’ boys get much of the love, but consider the unsung hero of po’ boy land: the roast beef po’ boy. Here in the first suburb west of New Orleans proper is R&Os, home of the finest roast beef po’ boy with gravy that can be."

"About Crawfish: Known as Crawdads and Crawlers, Crawfish (cray-fish) are one of the coolest things to eat in New Orleans. They are only in season from February-June otherwise they would be higher on our list. These mini-lobsters are delicious and you can literately buy them by the bucket full."

"But they had preconceived notions about what an alligator would taste like. They were so nervous but ate it anyway!. I think it was pretty good and on the salty side!"

"An Ultimate seafood platter includes fried shrimp, oysters, fish, Cajun-seasoned fries and a biscuit. Delivery available in the French Quarter and CBD."

"Crawfish is synonymous with the city of New Orleans so naturally consuming this insect of the ocean is a must in NOLA.There are quite a few really good places to get your crawfish fix however Bevi Seafood Co would have to be one of the best places for seafood. This neighborhood seafood market has locations in Mid-City and Metaire and offers live and boiled crawfish throughout crawfish season (December through June)."

"Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-7503; 4701 Airline Drive, Metairie, (504) 885-5003; www.beviseafoodco.com. A Smokey oyster po-boy features fried Louisiana oysters, smoked Gouda cheese and pastrami bacon."

"This cozy, brick-walled bar on North Rampart Street is revered for its craft cocktails featuring house-made ingredients. Bar Tonique opened in 2008 as the first free-standing craft cocktail bar in New Orleans, with the goal of serving great cocktails, carefully curated wines and craft beers in a friendly, unpretentious, neighborhood setting. The craft cocktail list includes everything from punches and slings to sours and blossoms."

"The line between dive bar and cocktail bar isn’t an easy one to navigate, but this cozy Rampart Street joint manages it with aplomb. It's a simple, square room with a central bar so that everyone can see each other, high ceilings, traditional wooden décor and a wealth of booze on the walls. The big draw is the menu of happy hour cocktails for $5 during the week."

"4641 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 779-2252: www.carrabbas.com. Shrimp and scallop spiedino features wood-grilled seafood topped with Italian breadcrumbs served with lemon butter and a side."

"1513 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130-4445Italian, American, PizzaLunch, Dinner, DrinksDelivery, Takeout, Seating, Street Parking, Television, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Accepts Discover, Table Service, Reservations, Free Wifi[email protected]+1 504-525-7437http://www.slicepizzeria.com/st-charles/"

"1513 St. Charles Ave., (504) 525-7437; www.slicepizzeria.com. A Wicked Garden pie is a white pizza topped with sun-dried tomatoes, caramelized onions and roasted garlic."

"Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing. This shopping center, which opened in March of 2015 at the intersection of South Claiborne Avenue and Toledano Street, is considered one of the highlights of the Central City neighborhood. It is a 115281-sq ft (10709-sq m) decent shopping mall with a huge free parking area."

"Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing. Are you looking for a mall with fewer crowds?. Cypress Plaza Shopping Center is relatively smaller and only houses a few shops, making the shopping experience here more relaxed."

"Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing. This shopping center is an L-shaped strip mall that comes with a huge parking area. It boasts a good number of stores to shop from, and the best part is that everything here is incredibly cheap."