The New Orleans Jazz Museum will celebrate the completion of a six-month-long process to modernize its third floor Performance Center. The extensive renovation was made possible by a $5 million capital matching grant through the Herb Alpert Foundation. Renovations to the Museum’s performance center will provide guests with an immersive music experience via the most current ATMOS surround sound system. This upgrade provides exceptional audio equipment and allows engineers to master and restore, in-house, many musical media already in the collection.
Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser will join Acting State Museum Director Becky Mackie, Jazz Museum Director Greg Lambousy, Chamber officials at a Press Conference and Ribbon Cutting to culminate the completion of the project. Representatives of Trapolin-Peer, Architects, Ryan Gootee General Contractors, LLC, and AOS Interior Environments will also participate. A concert featuring the NOLA Jazz Museum Band with Detroit Brooks will follow.
“We are grateful to the Herb Alpert Foundation for its generous support. The New Orleans Jazz Museum has positioned itself at the forefront of development in music education, cultural exchange and community outreach,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser in a press release. “Completion of Phase One of the expansion marks a new chapter in our efforts to promote Louisiana culture to visitors from around the country and abroad.”
“The Herb Alpert Foundation has been a strong supporter of the New Orleans Jazz Museum for several years. From early planning to presenting sponsorships for the annual Improvisations Gala and many educational initiatives, Herb Alpert has been a leader and advocate for nurturing creativity and highlighting its importance in the current artistic and cultural landscape,” said New Orleans Jazz Museum Director Greg Lambousy.
The matching grant will also enable the museum to attract additional donors to complete the Herb Alpert Foundation Education Wing and provide for additional renovations to the museum entrance and lobby, as well as landscaping enhancements to the grounds on the Esplanade Avenue side of the Museum through a partnership with the LSU Agricultural Center and Louisiana Master Gardeners.
As part of the Herb Alpert Foundation Education Wing, the Ruth U. Fertel Jazz Lab, the Education Lab, and the Digital Audio Workstation Lab facilities will each undergo world- class transformations. Several of these new facilities are still available for donor recognition as the Museum’s Capital Campaign continues. When completed, this top-notch educational wing and recording studio will be home to the Museum’s ongoing recording technologies, music business, and apprentice programs. The core of the Museum’s programming is in educational outreach to students of all ages. The Jazz Museum provides educational outreach with high school and university students, educators, and visitors through interactive exhibits, online programming, professional classes and instrument lessons, student performances, and teacher training. The Museum brings together musicians, students, and educators, all working together to share the history of Jazz and to secure its future growth and development.
“Supporting Jazz through education and public engagement is a priority for the Herb Alpert Foundation. Working in partnership with Louisiana’s iconic New Orleans Jazz Museum allows us to nurture and inspire jazz artists and build engaged and appreciative audiences so that this powerful art form will be alive and well for the benefit of future generations,” said Rona Sebastian, President of the Herb Alpert Foundation.
The event will take place on Wednesday, March 12 at 2 p.m. at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, 400 Esplanade Ave. Tours of the new state-of-the-art center will be offered following the ribbon cutting.
