Renowned collection of Southern art set for campus exhibition

Art in the American South 1733-1989: Selections from the Roger Houston Ogden Collection will be on exhibition in the McComas Hall Gallery of Art.

The collection's public grand opening is set for April 8, 7-9 p.m., in the gallery. In addition, Ogden will present a lecture that same day, 2-3:30 p.m., in the Bettersworth Auditorium of Giles Hall.

Approximately 100 paintings, prints, and photographs by more than 60 prominent American and European artists will be featured in the exhibit. A fully illustrated, color catalog written by Mississippi State art professor Paul Grootkerk will accompany the exhibition.

Ogden, a New Orleans businessman, is a graduate of Louisiana State University and the Tulane University School of Law. Following his graduation from Tulane, he practiced law in New Orleans for several years before co-founding The Maurin-Ogden Cos.

While at LSU, Ogden first began collecting 19th century and early 20th century Louisiana art. His Southern artwork is now considered one of the finest collections in the country.

The exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Mississippi State alumnus Andrew Brooks Campagna. Funding was provided by the Mississippi State Sanderson Fund for Excellence through the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

For information on guided or group tours, contact Grootkerk, Karin Murray, or Lisa Hale at the Department of Art, 325-6900, or the McComas Hall Gallery of Art, 325-2954, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., weekdays.