In 1968 attorney and former Louisiana State Senator and U.S. Representative Jimmy Domengeaux* (1907-1988) of Lafayette founded the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, known as CODOFIL. Impressed with the initiative, Louisiana Governor John McKeithen pushed through a bill that granted the organization the necessary state credentials. (pictured: In 1912 Louisiana Governor HallContinue reading “Cora’s Restaurant and CODOFIL”
Author Archives:
Rembrandt: A Memory
In the summer of 2005, George Rodrigue and I visited Amsterdam. Rembrandt’s house was recently opened to the public. Because he declared bankruptcy, a detailed list exists of his 1656 belongings, enabling today’s historians to replace every furnishing, fossil, and vase from his vast collections. Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) was an art rock star, bothContinue reading “Rembrandt: A Memory”
The Truth, I Swear
My sister talked me into posting “15 facts that people might not know” recently on my family facebook page. The reactions ranged from surprise to confessions to fun. Emboldened, and as a little something different on this blog, I post them again here, along with a few photos (click to enlarge). 1-I was bornContinue reading “The Truth, I Swear”
The Lone Artist
“The artist is involved with art as a way of life.”* George Rodrigue and I discuss often the definition of art. We study the roles of craft, commercialism, high and low art, concluding always that there is no definitive answer, but that the fun —indeed the tradition— lies in the debates. Ideally, art reflects theContinue reading “The Lone Artist”
An Exhibition from the Other Side
This month, the State Library of Louisiana premieres an exhibition based on a new Rodrigue book, The Other Side of the Painting, on view through February 2014. Unable to attend the November 2ndopening in Baton Rouge, George Rodrigue and I relied on curator Marney Robinson, who astonished us with her ability to fully utilize aContinue reading “An Exhibition from the Other Side”
Rodrigue Honored Tonight
On October 26, 2013, George Rodrigue receives in New Orleans the prestigious Opus Award from the Ogden Museum of Southern Art during their annual gala, O What a Night!. Unable to attend the event, we asked Jacques Rodrigue, his fiancé Mallory Page Chastant, and André Rodrigue to accept the award on George’s behalf, and toContinue reading “Rodrigue Honored Tonight”
The Right Thing
“I hate the right thing to do…” …grumbled my young cousin, her back to me as she descended the stairs. This was several years ago in New Orleans, and I had just pushed her towards something that seemed terribly important at the time. Her reaction to my vague reasoning reverberates like my own adolescent reactionContinue reading “The Right Thing”
Introducing… The Other Side
From the Introduction to The Other Side of the Painting by Wendy Rodrigue, published October 2013 by UL Press– My mom, an artist, talked me into my first Art History class, a sweeping journey from cave paintings to the start of the Renaissance. Previously, I avoided it, thinking I preferred self-discovery through my mother’s books. YetContinue reading “Introducing… The Other Side”
Spinning Wisdom
‘Round about, round about, Lo and behold! Reel away, reel away, Straw into gold!’* All my life, I’ve been drawn to women older and wiser. I like to imagine my grandmothers, although long gone, as young girls, and I stare hard into the faces of friends, some now in their 80s, sure thatContinue reading “Spinning Wisdom”
Louisiana’s Natural Beauty: An Art Contest with the Audubon Institute
The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA) announces its fifth annual Art Contest, a partnership with the Audubon Nature Institute. This statewide opportunity for scholarships and other awards benefits Louisiana’s high school juniors and seniors, all eligible for entry, regardless of grades or college plans. “As a student at Catholic High School in NewContinue reading “Louisiana’s Natural Beauty: An Art Contest with the Audubon Institute”