As many New Orleanians battle the late-summer heat, the New Orleans Museum of Art remains among the coolest places to visit. The fine arts museum is the city’s foremost destination for American and international pieces.

August is Museum Month in the city of New Orleans. For 31 days, those with memberships to the many participating local museums can enter participating institutions free of charge. With such a breadth of observable content, the NOMA keeps visitors engaged.

I had the great fortune of spending an afternoon at the museum for the first time earlier this week. Why I had not visited the building earlier — I couldn’t tell you. I was impressed by the amount of artwork delegated to each wing.

The ground floor features a variety of excellent displays of European paintings, namely that of the Italian Baroque, Dutch and Northern European Renaissance styles. The widespread utilization of Catholic imagery resonated with me, considering Louisiana’s intertwined history with the religion.

But perhaps the standout of the floor was the gallery dedicated to John Scott’s “Blues Poem for the Urban Landscape.” This exhibition sprawls along the walls of the lobby, showcasing the late New Orleans artist’s interpretation of the city he grew up in. Each print is crammed with symbolic markers of the city – churches, houses, storefronts – all built by African Americans. It stands as an ode to New Orleans, one where the light is focused on those who remain the lifeblood of the city.

The second floor is the most expansive of the three-tiered museum. On this level, one can marvel at exhibitions dedicated to feminine contributions to the surrealist movement known as “Double Space,” relics of the prohibition era in the South known as“Rebellious Spirits,and political change in late-twentieth century China known as “Come! Come! Come!.”

The second floor is also home to “Afropolitan,” an exhibit with pieces from Elias Sime, Theophilus Nii Anum Sowah and Toyin Ojih Odutolam, among others.  The works showcase the artists balancing their identity as both Africans and metropolitans in an ever-globalizing world. Each installation allows their creator to expound their experiences without interpretation from the European mind.

The third-floor features rooms dedicated to Japanese and African art. On Aug. 21, a portion of the floor host a showing of “Katrina Babies,” the 2022 documentary that follows those who were born during the worst natural disaster in New Orleans history.

While Museum Month is ending, there is always a reason to visit this trove of artistic excellence.