When Hurricane Katrina struck on August 28, 2005, the urban fabric of New Orleans was devastated, including a large number of its arts organizations and historic sites. Along with the physical damage to collections and structures caused by the storm, organizations were faced with the fact that post-Katrina New Orleans would be a very different place, one with a changed demographic and far less tourism, and thus business as usual was not going to be possible. The Getty Foundation was among the first institutions to step in and help, establishing a special fund to revitalize the city’s cultural institutions as they recovered from the impact of the hurricane.

The Foundation's Fund for New Orleans provided support in two categories: transition planning grants to strengthen cultural organizations as they responded to the changed environment for the arts in New Orleans, and conservation grants to assess the condition of damaged buildings and vulnerable collections and develop prioritized plans for their preservation. Projects ranged from an archeological dig at the Cathedral's St. Anthony's Garden, which unearthed evidence dating back to the city's founding in 1718 and provided a basis for a new conservation plan, to audience surveys of the New Orleans Cultural Coalition—a group of seven arts organizations that came together to analyze the city's past and present arts audiences as they developed new post-Katrina programming and business plans.

In all, 22 grants totaling $2.9 million were awarded to museums and arts organizations of all sizes, from the city's landmark museums to historic house museums and community arts organizations. Getty staff will continue to evaluate the new models of collaboration developed by New Orleans cultural institutions and to share the results with the larger museum community.

August 13, 2008: Getty Foundation Marks Third Anniversary of Katrina with Final Round of Grants to New Orleans Arts Institutions

September 24, 2007: The Getty Foundation Supports the Ongoing Recovery of New Orleans Cultural Institutions

October 12, 2006: Getty Foundation Awards Grants to New Orleans Cultural Institutions

February 8, 2006: The Getty Foundation to Help Revitalize New Orleans Cultural Institutions

2008

Louisiana Museum Foundation, New Orleans. For conservation of the collections of the Louisiana State Museum. $200,000

Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, Louisiana. For the implementation of the Contemporary Arts Center's transition plan. $125,000

Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, Louisiana. For collaborative audience development and outreach initiatives for seven New Orleans arts organizations. $170,000

Longue Vue House and Gardens Corporation, New Orleans, Louisiana. For the implementation of Longue Vue's transition plan. $175,000

U.S. Biennial Inc., New York. For marketing and outreach activities related to the United States biennial Prospect.1 New Orleans. $150,000

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, Inc., Louisiana. For a conservation survey of the foundation's archives. $25,000

Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, New Orleans. For "Roadmap to Recovery," a series of programs and services for Louisiana museums following Hurricane Katrina. $80,000

Cathedral of Saint Louis King of France, New Orleans, Louisiana. For the development of a conservation plan for St. Anthony's Garden. $130,000

2007

Southern University at New Orleans, Louisiana. For conservation treatment of the collection in the Center for African and African American Studies. $100,000

New Orleans Botanical Garden Foundation, Louisiana. For transition planning for the New Orleans Botanical Garden. $120,000

National Trust for Historic Preservation, Washington, DC. For a recovery campaign in New Orleans. $100,000

The Woman's Exchange, New Orleans, Louisiana. For transition planning for the Hermann-Grima and Gallier Historic Houses. $79,000

New Orleans Museum of Art, Louisiana. For the implementation of a conservation plan for the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. $250,000

2006

The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, Louisiana. For transition planning. $180,000

Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art, Biloxi, Mississippi. For a conservation survey. $68,000

Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund, New Orleans, Louisiana. For a conservation survey at the Newcomb Art Gallery. $15,000

Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, Louisiana. For transition planning. $150,000

Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, Louisiana. For a collaborative transition planning project for New Orleans arts organizations. $250,000

Longue Vue House and Gardens Corporation, New Orleans, Louisiana. For transition planning and the development of a conservation plan for Longue Vue House and Gardens. $200,000

Louisiana Landmarks Society, New Orleans. For the preparation of a conservation plan for the Pitot House. $75,000

Louisiana Museum Foundation, New Orleans. For transition planning for the Louisiana State Museum. $220,000

2005

National Trust for Historic Preservation, Washington, DC. For an assessment of damage to historic structures in the Gulf Coast region affected by Hurricane Katrina. $100,000