NEW ORLEANS.- Robert Coleman "Cole" Pratt, Jr. (1955-2008), a loyal friend and longtime supporter of the New Orleans Museum of Art, passed away unexpectedly on April 19. A native of Mississippi, Cole was well known for the Magazine Street gallery he opened in Uptown New Orleans fifteen years ago. Cole's manner and professionalism endeared him to his many clients, artists and friends. He was a true servant of the arts with a business sense as sharp as his wit. As the charming face of the gallery, Cole did more than sell fine art; he imparted constant encouragement and guidance to his artists and shared with his clients his many secrets to fine art collecting. His comfortable and honest attitude fostered an open dialogue about art, whether his audience was a beginning collector or a world-renowned patron of the arts.

In 1994 Cole brought in Erika Olinger to serve as his gallery director; the two immediately became fast friends as well as successful business partners. The Cole Pratt Gallery began featuring the works of many artists with ties to New Orleans and the South. While continuing their original focus of representing Southern artists, Cole and Erika continued to branch out to nationally and even internationally known painters, sculptors and photographers, establishing the gallery's place in the contemporary art realm.

Perhaps one of the most successful aspects of the gallery is that it represents a vast and varied selection of styles, mediums and subjects. From classic plein air landscapes done by Phil Sandusky to abstract illusionism by Richard Johnson, Cole Pratt Gallery caters to diverse tastes. Moreover, Cole and Erika have been known to challenge their clients to try unexpected pieces and to step out of their own bounds. As a result their clients continue to discover an unanticipated passion for new kinds of art.

Cole clearly wished the gallery to continue after his death and made suitable arrangements for Erika to carry on the gallery's legacy. The business will continue as Cole Pratt Gallery, and its 2008 exhibition schedule continues uninterrupted. Its mission, the representation of outstanding Southern artists, remains in place.

The New Orleans Museum of Art will present a memorial exhibition of artists Cole Pratt fostered. Entitled A Tribute to Cole Pratt: His Gallery's First Fifteen Years, 1993-2008, the show will feature works by the gallery's artists, past and present. The twenty-nine artists are Leslie Addison, Wayne Amedee, Randy Aspordites, Lea Barton, James Beaman, Robert Berguson, Barbara Brainard, Andrew Bucci, Marie Bukowski, Denyce Celentano, Aaron Collier, Christine Cozic, Judy Cooper, Susan Downing-White, Carolyn Evans, Miriam Hirsch, Richard Johnson, Robert Lansden, Gary Martin, Dale Newkirk, Katie Rafferty, Sylvaine Sancton, Phil Sandusky, Karen Stastny, Paul Tarver, Glennray Tutor, Hasmig Vartanian, Evert Witte, and Carlos Zervigon. A number of these artists are represented in NOMA's permanent collection, and these works are included in the exhibition, while the remaining works have been lent by the artists and several private collectors.