Thousands Inspired by Rodrigue!

During five weeks and 4,931 miles on the road, we celebrated George Rodrigue and ART this spring throughout Alabama and Louisiana, completing the biggest Life & Legacy Tour yet. A true recap would require an epic novel, so for now enjoy a glimpse below, or follow the links throughout for more on this extraordinary human-to-human, art and storytelling experience.

Spring 2024 included 70 in person presentations! We shared this joyous Rodrigue-inspired art journey with 4500 children and 34 schools, plus countless folks reached through public exhibitions!

In Alabama, we enjoyed dynamic partnerships with Baldwin County Public Schools, the Carnegie Visual Arts Center, Singing River Trail, the Alabama State Council on the Arts, and the Alabama Center for the Arts.

In Louisiana, this special programming was made possible because of partnerships with the Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts, the J.B. Lafargue Special Education Center, and the Bayou Teche Museum.

The tour also included multiple community lectures, plus museum tours for supporters and families, as well as in depth docent trainings for staff and volunteers.

Museum exhibitions this spring, organized by the Life & Legacy Foundation, included The River is the Road: Paintings by George Rodrigue at the Carnegie Visual Arts Center in Decatur, Alabama, and George Rodrigue: Painting for Myself at the Bayou Teche Museum in Rodrigue’s hometown of New Iberia, Louisiana.

The Life & Legacy Foundation was also pleased to support, with paintings and research, the exhibition Sitting with George Rodrigue at the Hilliard Art Museum. For this exhibition, I loaned two paintings from my private collection, plus multiple works from the George Rodrigue Family Trust.

In addition, my current husband, Douglas Magnus, and I collaborated on a series of educational videos spotlighting artworks within the Hilliard’s Rodrigue exhibition. Click the painting titles below to watch.

These “Rodrigue Video Narratives” seek to educate, illuminate, and spark curiosity. Explore the full library, now with 40 short films, here.

Behind the scenes, the tour and exhibition logistics are enormous. My gratitude abounds to teachers, parents, and supporters. And especially my team! Extending thanks and respect to L&L’s Outreach Coordinator Heather Wolfe Parker and Curator of Exhibitions Dana Holland-Beickert. Together, they comprise the organizational and curatorial muscle of these tours and exhibitions. They give up weekends, evenings, and weeks at a time for the Life & Legacy Foundation, often joining me on the road for extended periods. When you see them, hug them and thank them!

Extending my gratitude, respect, and friendship to Amy Walker Plunkett of Baldwin County Public Schools; Kim Mitchell, Alison Belcher, Jessica Emrick, Felicia Beasley, Leslie Caudle, Jenny Shaver, and everyone at the Carnegie Visual Arts Center; Ed “Tiger” Verdin of the Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts; Morgan Kee of the J.B. Lafargue Special Education Center – Resource Center; Tyquencia Vessel of the Dufrocq Ducks and Nita Mitchell of the Louisiana Art & Science Museum; Marcia Burns Patout and Ana Bellomy of the Bayou Teche Museum. I look forward to working with you all again!

Thank you for additional support to Baldwin County Public Schools, the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the Alabama Center for the Arts, Singing River Trail, and the J.B. Lafargue Special Education Center.

And thank you to the folks who housed and fed us, including The Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Alabama; Arlington Home in Franklin, Louisiana; the Johnson Family in Baton Rouge; The Bayou Chateau in New Iberia; and Janice Macomber in Abbeville!

Finally, my personal, heartfelt, and infinite gratitude extends to the quiet GIANT supporters, including Marguerite Knight Erwin of Thibodaux, Marsha Ercegovic of Decatur, Becky Collins of New Iberia, Camille Gauthier of New Orleans, and, always, my amazing husband, Doug Magnus!

Coming Summer/Fall 2024

The Masur Museum in Monroe, Louisiana, hosts George Rodrigue: The River is the Road, an exhibition organized by the Life & Legacy Foundation, on view May 23 – October 19, 2024. Events include a reception, lecture, and education outreach with area schools. I look forward to seeing you again soon, Monroe!

Detailed schedule posting soon. Learn more.

Join me this summer and fall for all-new offerings in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in partnership with Santa Fe Community College Continuing Eduction, with additional support by the Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado. Learn more.

Stay tuned for 2024 exhibitions and outreach in New Mexico, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Check our schedule for the latest.

In 2017, I established the Life & Legacy Foundation, because I believe, as did my late husband, George Rodrigue (1944-2013), in the importance of active, in person engagement through storytelling and the arts.  This interaction nurtures creative thinking, promotes honest dialogue, encourages respect for diverse opinions, and establishes imagination as the key to it all.   

George often noted, “In art, the more personal you are, the better you become.” I confess that even for me, after some 800 presentations in the past seven years, and countless lectures during George’s lifetime, the journey within each gathering is, always, unexpected. I learn something new from each of you! And I am immensely grateful for your participation, encouragement, and support as we navigate this mysterious and wonderful existence together.

Finally, there’s nothing better than feedback from folks we meet along the way. Visit here for reactions from children, teachers, museums and more.

I encourage each of you to embrace and nurture your personal expression, whatever it may be!

Enjoy life!

Wendy