A Rare Glimpse: An exhibition at the New Orleans Museum of Art features two Renaissance masterpieces by the celebrated artist Paolo Veronese.
Two Renaissance masterpieces by the celebrated artist Paolo Veronese (1528–1588) — “St. Jerome in the Wilderness” and “St. Agatha Visited in Prison by St. Peter” — are currently on view at NOMA through Sept. 3. The exhibition, entitled Veronese in Murano, was organized by The Frick Collection in New York City in honor of the full restoration of the works by Venetian Heritage and with the generous support of BVLGARI.
In 1566, the Venetian priest Francesco Degli Arbori commissioned the two paintings for a small chapel that he had built just outside the church and convent of Santa Maria degli Angeli. The priest chose Saint Jerome as a model because the saint had translated the Bible into Latin, and Saint Agatha for her exemplary piety as an early Christian martyr.
The nuns of Santa Maria degli Angeli moved the two canvases from the chapel to the main church in 1667 in order to protect them from and from the humidity of the chapel and the risk of theft. By the early nineteenth century, the two paintings had been transported to another church in Murano, San Pietro Martire. “St. Jerome in the Wilderness” has been exhibited outside the church only once, in 1939, while “St. Agatha Visited in Prison by St. Peter” has not left the church since it was installed in the early nineteenth century.
Due to their remote location, the paintings have previously been difficult to access and study. This exhibition marks the first time the restored masterworks have been exhibited outside of Italy since their creation 450 years ago. They were first exhibited at The Frick Collection in New York, and NOMA is the second and final venue for the paintings before they return to Murano.
“Because these works had never left the small island of Murano until their recent renovation, there is certainly mystery surrounding them,” says Vanessa Schmid, NOMA’s senior research curator for European art. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to showcase Veronese’s vibrant style and theatricality.” 1 Collins Diboll Circle, (504) 658-4100, noma.org
Museum for Music: The New Orleans Jazz Museum is planning a major expansion.
Currently home to the largest and comprehensive collection of its kind in the world, the New Orleans Jazz Museum will soon have even more space devoted to the sounds of jazz. The museum currently houses an impressive archive of records, including 12,000 photographs from the early days of jazz, instruments of legendary musicians — such as Fats Domino’s piano and Louis Armstrong’s coronet — and thousands of original records, posters, sheet music and tapes. In addition to jazz artifacts, the museum hosts live performances with appearances by artists such Allen Toussaint, Deacon John, Trombone Shorty and the Avett Brothers.
With the help of Louisiana’s Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, there are currently plans to expand the museum by an additional 8,000 square feet. The new exhibition space will hold state-of-the-art, interactive technology; listening stations; and immersive experiences detailing the history of jazz. Other planned additions include an education wing and 26,000 square feet of special purpose space for exhibitions, research archives, a music library and more. 400 Esplanade Ave., (504) 568-6993, nolajazzmuseum.org
Boogie Fever: Sam Smith includes New Orleans on his 2018 arena tour.
Singer/songwriter Sam Smith, who won four Grammy Awards after releasing his album In The Lonely Hour (Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album, and his single “Stay With Me” won awards for both Record and Song of the Year), will be playing at the Smoothie King Center July 17 at 8 p.m. The concert coincides with his sophomore album, The Thrill Of It All (released Nov. 3 on Capitol Records). So, if you didn’t catch Smith when he performed on Saturday Night Live last October — or even if you did — this is a perfect opportunity to experience his new music firsthand.
The arena tour kicked off June 18 with a concert at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto and also includes shows at the Toyota Center in Houston (July 18), the American Airlines Center in Dallas (July 20) and the Frank Erwin Center in Austin (July 21).
Smith once again works alongside close friend and long-time collaborator Jimmy Napes on The Thrill Of It All, plus Timbaland, Malay, Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd and Stargate. He also collaborates with the unsigned artist YEBBA on the song “No Peace.” Meanwhile, “Too Good At Goodbyes,” the album’s first single, is a global smash, hitting No. 1 on the U.K. and Global Spotify Charts and topping the U.K. and U.S. iTunes charts. Here in the U.S., it debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart. Tickets are $32 on ticketmaster.com. samsmithworld.com