If you have a preconceived notion of the South, then the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans has a lot to show you.

Upon entering, it seems pretty much like any other museum. It’s cold and clean. A sculpture dominates one corner of the first floor and a large painting hangs on the wall. Neither seem to fit what you might think of as “Southern art.” The second floor shatters stereotypes. The Ogden has an impressive collection of glass art that ranges from simple vases to post-modern compositions. It’s at this point that I kind of woke up and realized that any stereotypes where things that I had created myself. Georgia, after all, is home to the Savannah College of Art and Design, one of the most prestigious art schools in the country. Why wouldn’t a museum focusing on Southern art have a wide range of interesting styles?

The museum’s permanent collection is not nearly as large as the space that it makes for exhibitions. That’s a good thing, because the exhibitions were amazing.

A small exhibition focusing on the George Andrews, Benny Andrews, and Nene Humphrey showed how individuals from within the same family can approach art from perspectives that differ dramatically. Placing the artwork of these three family members side by side showed how different their individual styles really are. There’s no mistaking one for the others.

The most impressive exhibition at the Ogden was “Where They At,” a collection of photographs, music, and artifacts from the New Orleans Hip-Hop and Bounce scenes. The exhibit focused on the photographs of Aubrey Edwards and the writing of journalist Alison Fensterstock. The photographs were saturated with colors, showing every detail of performers who once dominated the scene in New Orleans. I found myself drawn to the descriptions of each artist, many of which included quotes directly from the individuals. It showed how greatly the scene varied during the 70s, 80s, and 90s. The exhibit also included numerous iPods and iPads loaded with music from the scene. Some of it was incredibly hokey. Just pitiful attempts at commercial success. Others were simply incredible, defying any boundaries by creating a sound that struggled over the New Orleans fascination with jazz to forge something original and new.

It’s impossible to visit the Ogden Museum of Southern Art without discussing one painting in the permanent collection: Clyde Broadway’s “Trinity – Elvis, Jesus and Robert E. Lee.” It comes as close to a Southern stereotype as you can imagine, but it’s nearly impossible for me to determine whether Broadway is serious or just kidding around. My immediate response was to laugh. Then I couldn’t help but wonder whether Broadway was depicting his own feelings or a representation of Southern culture that focuses on these three iconic figures. Either way, it’s hilarious, sad, and absolutely impossible not to take a picture of regardless of the museum’s camera policy.

(Image via: This is Not the Wall)