Art Museum Receives Funds From FEMA 

Release Date: October 9, 2007
Release Number: 1603-729

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NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The New Orleans Museum of Art, located in City Park, is home to more than 40,000 pieces of art. Most of the facility suffered extensive damages from Hurricane Katrina. Funds obligated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will reimburse for work that includes both permanent repairs to the facility and repairs to and replacement of its various art collections.

One of the areas hardest hit by the storm’s floodwaters and strong winds was the museum’s Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, a five-acre area that contains 57 sculptures. Wind and rain waters caused the sculptures, worth more than $25 million, to collect salt and caustic grime, which threatened to permanently damage them. Moreover, one of the largest sculptures broke into pieces and fell into a nearby lagoon. Part of the funds obligated by FEMA will be used to reimburse the facility for work performed immediately after the disaster, in order to repair and preserve all of these sculptures.

Over 25,000 square feet of the museum’s basement was damaged due to the storm, and laborers worked 11-hour days for several weeks removing drywall, performing mold remediation services and rescuing the art work so precious to the museum’s collection. In addition, funding provided for repairs to the building, sculpture garden and replacement of lost contents. In all, nearly $3.3 million was obligated to the museum, so that current and future generations would be able to enjoy its irreplaceable collection.

“With the timely assistance of FEMA, the New Orleans Museum of Art was able to take immediate action to save its world-renown art collection, insuring its survival for future generations,” said Museum Director E. John Bullard.

When projects are obligated by FEMA through its supplemental Public Assistance grant, the funds are transferred to a Smartlink account. This allows the applicant to work with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness as quickly as possible to access the reimbursement monies. The state may require additional documentation from the applicant before disbursing the funds. Obligated funds may change over time as the project worksheet is a living grant that is often adjusted as bids come in and scope of work is aligned.

Over 46 different galleries are located at the museum, which contains over $300 million worth of art, including French, African and Japanese works. The art work encompasses many mediums, such as photography, glass and prints, and dates back to ancient times. The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden contains sculptures created by artists Louise Bourgeois, Antoine Bourdelle, Henry Moore, Joel Shapiro and others. Many of the master sculptors from the 20th century, as well as younger, more contemporary sculptors, are represented in this collection.

“The New Orleans Museum of Art is a major contributor to the city’s tourism industry and its economic recovery,” said Jim Stark, director of the Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office. “The fact that FEMA funds were used to reimburse for work so necessary to its recovery is a very good feeling. The citizens of New Orleans deserve this.”

The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government and certain private nonprofit organizations’ buildings and recreation centers, as well as roads, bridges and water and sewer plants. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund these projects and oversee their completion.

FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 09-Oct-2007 09:40:31