Where Art Meets Nature

An up-to-date survey of the stunning sculpture collection at the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA)

Situated on twelve lush, landscaped acres, the New Orleans Museum of Art’s Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is home to significant neoclassical, modern, and contemporary sculptures, ranging from the 19th to 21st centuries. 

Since its inception in 2003, the garden has grown to include 100 sculptures, donated by the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Foundation. One of the most globally renowned sculpture gardens, complete with a sculpture pavilion, an amphitheatre, and an architecturally significant canal link bridge, the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is free to the public. Throughout the year, NOMA hosts outdoor programs in the garden including festivals, performances, concerts, tours, and more.

A celebration of more than 20 years of the collection, this vibrant survey examines the history of the award-winning garden and profiles the magnificent artworks of one of the foremost sculpture gardens in the United States.

Artists featured in the book and the collection include Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, Louise Bourgeois, Fred Wilson, Ursula von Rydingsvard, Claes Oldenburg, George Segal, Frank Stella, Sean Scully, Maya Lin, Do Ho Suh, Ugo Rondinone, Wangechi Mutu, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Hank Willis Thomas, Robert Indiana, Frank Gehry, and many others. 

About the Author

Walda Besthoff, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, is a longstanding supporter of the arts and a local philanthropist. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Susan M. Taylor is The Montine McDaniel Freeman Director of the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Suzanne Turner is the principal of the research and design firm Suzanne Turner Associates, which specializes in historical and cultural landscapes and design and planning.