Apr 1, 2024: Rodrigue’s iconic portrait of Governor Huey P. Long, “The Kingfish” (1979), prompted a surprising reaction from the artist when reunited with the large canvas during a career-spanning exhibition of his work at the New Orleans Museum of Art in 2008. Best known for his paintings of Blue Dogs and Cajun folklife, Rodrigue stood before “The Kingfish” and exclaimed, as though realizing for the first time in his life… “I guess I am a Portrait Artist after all!”
In this short film, join Wendy Rodrigue at the Hilliard Art Museum for a closer look at Rodrigue’s historical masterpiece. Filmed by Douglas Magnus for the Life & Legacy Foundation, this video is the second of six in a special series surrounding this important exhibition.
Organized and curated by the Hilliard Art Museum, Sitting with George Rodrigue continues through July 13, 2024.
Also on view, George Rodrigue: Painting for Myself, a collection of 40 paintings at the Bayou Teche Museum in Rodrigue’s hometown of New Iberia, Louisiana. Curated by Dana Holland-Beickert for the Life & Legacy Foundation, exhibition continues through May 20, 2024.