Photography by Richard Sexton
Sydney & Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden
New Orleans, Louisiana
Adjacent to the New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park, a five-acre sculpture garden was designed in collaboration with landscape architect Brian Sawyer of New York. Housing sixty outdoor sculptures in a setting shaped by a lagoon and a central organizing axis, the garden’s abstracted architectural geometries and consistent use of cast stone, bronze and stainless steel provide a restrained backdrop for works by artists such as Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Louise Bourgeois and Anish Kapoor. Sculptures are thoughtfully positioned beneath live oaks and within pine groves, while discreet bridges and terraces blend seamlessly into the natural landscape.
“The garden combines architectural elements and works of art in a landscape that continues to be completely in character with City Park.”
John Klingman, New in New Orleans Architecture
“With majestic old-growth trees and lush foliage, the site, itself sculpted into an exhibition area by Lee Ledbetter Architects and landscape designer Sawyer Berson Architects, provides an idyllic setting that seamlessly embraces the artwork.”
“Sculpture Garden”, Illuminate: The Art of Lighting Design
“For me, the (Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture) garden was rather intense… there are many layers to the design: the architecture, the paths, the integration with water, with greenery, and the various kinds of staging. Sometimes it’s dramatic.”
Robert Preece, “Collecting New Orleans Style”, Sculpture
Besthoff Sculpture Garden
New Orleans, Louisiana
Adjacent to the New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park, a five-acre sculpture garden was designed in collaboration with landscape architect Brian Sawyer of New York. Housing sixty outdoor sculptures in a setting shaped by a lagoon and a central organizing axis, the garden’s abstracted architectural geometries and consistent use of cast stone, bronze and stainless steel provide a restrained backdrop for works by artists such as Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Louise Bourgeois and Anish Kapoor. Sculptures are thoughtfully positioned beneath live oaks and within pine groves, while discreet bridges and terraces blend seamlessly into the natural landscape.
“With majestic old-growth trees and lush foliage, the site, itself sculpted into an exhibition area by Lee Ledbetter Architects and landscape designer Sawyer Berson Architects, provides an idyllic setting that seamlessly embraces the artwork.”
“Sculpture Garden”, Illuminate
“The garden combines architectural elements and works of art in a landscape that continues to be completely in character with City Park.”
John Klingman, New in New Orleans Architecture
“For me, the (Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture) garden was rather intense… there are many layers to the design: the architecture, the paths, the integration with water, with greenery, and the various kinds of staging. Sometimes it’s dramatic.”
Robert Preece, Sculpture
