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SUNOMA

SUNOMA | About

Welcome to the Southern University at New Orleans Museum of Art

Art: Our Ancestral Voice.
 A New Era of Art & History

Southern University at New Orleans Museum of Art (SUNOMA) is the cultural heartbeat of Southern University at New Orleans. Established in 2022, SUNOMA serves as a sacred and scholarly space dedicated to the preservation, presentation, and interpretation of African and African Diasporic art and culture. The museum originated as an extension of the Leonard S. Washington Memorial Library in partnership with the Center for African and African American Studies and the Master of Arts in Museum Studies program.

While our core collection highlights traditional and contemporary African art, SUNOMA is also home to important works from Oceania and Mesoamerica, demonstrating a shared humanity expressed through artistic practice. Our galleries reflect the vibrant heritage of global cultures and are grounded in SUNO’s longstanding legacy of cultural stewardship, which dates back to African art acquisitions as early as 1969.

SUNOMA is committed to fostering access, inclusion, and education through exhibitions, programming, and community engagement. We believe that museums are not just spaces for viewing art; they are spaces for honoring ancestors, activating scholarship, and nurturing transformative conversations.

Whether you’re a SUNO student, a visiting scholar, or a first-time guest, SUNOMA is a place for reflection, dialogue, and discovery. We invite you to engage with our collections, connect with our programs, and become part of the unfolding story of SUNOMA.

 

 

 

 

SUNOMA's Mission

The Southern University at New Orleans Museum of Art (SUNOMA) is a teaching museum committed to cultural preservation, educational excellence, and community enrichment. In alignment with SUNO’s mission to foster intellectual growth and social responsibility, SUNOMA supports learning across generations by providing meaningful access to traditional and contemporary African art, African American art rooted in New Orleans’ cultural legacy, and Oceanic and Mesoamerican collections.

 

As an academic museum, SUNOMA integrates museum-based learning into the classroom and campus life, engaging students, faculty, and community members in research, exhibitions, and public programs. Through this work, the museum cultivates pride, critical thinking, and global awareness, uplifts the voices of historically underrepresented people, and honors the sacredness of cultural objects as vessels of knowledge, identity, and resilience. Positioning art as a vital tool for learning, healing, and empowerment.

 

SUNOMA IS A SACRED SPACE

The Southern University at New Orleans Museum of Art is more than a gallery. It is a space of memory, scholarship, reverence, and cultural stewardship.

 

Many of the objects on view were created for ceremonial, spiritual, ancestral, and communal purposes. They carry histories that extend beyond aesthetics — into identity, resistance, and survival.

 

As you enter this space, we invite you to:

  • Move with care and intentionality
  • Speak with respect
  • Engage with openness
  • Honor the cultures represented

 

This museum is built on the belief that preservation is service.

 

Welcome to a space where art is honored, stories endure, and knowledge is shared.

SUNOMA’s Logo 

Prestige Panel

Kuba Artist

Democratic Republic of the Congo

19th – 20th Century

Donated by Dr. Ngoloshang Morgan Mbeky

 

 

SUNOMA’s logo is inspired by a Prestige Panel, a textile produced by Kuba artists in the central Democratic Republic of the Congo.  Known as a prestige panel, this textile is crafted by both men and women: men weave it from raffia and bark fiber, and women embroider and paint it with designs and motifs that carry special names for the owner. 

Prestige panels were worn on ceremonial occasions, used as currency, and displayed as symbols of wealth and status. 

 

 

Dr. Ngoloshang Morgan Mbeky, Prince of the Kuba Kingdom, donated this item to Southern University at New Orleans.

 

 

Galleries and Collections

 

Spanning over 15,000 square feet, our SUNOMA comprises four distinct galleries, each thoughtfully curated to showcase diverse artistic treasures. These galleries serve as windows into regional, national, and international art worlds, offering a captivating journey through various cultures and perspectives.

SUNOMA art collections are displayed in partnership with the Master of Arts in Museum Studies, Center for African and African American Studies, and the Leonard S. Washington Memorial Library.  The collections include various mixed media, artwork, and artifacts from over 40 African people groups.

Among the captivating exhibits, you'll discover a collection of over 2,500 traditional African artifacts from 30 countries across West, Central, East, and Southern Africa.   Artifacts from the Democratic Republic of the Congo form the largest and most integral part of the university's permanent collection. These artifacts provide a fascinating glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of these regions, allowing visitors to explore and appreciate the artistic legacies that have shaped their histories.

Step into our galleries and immerse yourself in a tapestry of creativity where art's past, present, and future converge to create an unforgettable experience.  

 

“We are so proud to have a state-of-the-art museum to feature our African art collection, considered one of the most influential collections among universities. The museum is an essential resource and research center for our students, the City of New Orleans, and beyond."

Dr. James H. Ammons, Jr. 

Chancellor