Past school visits and presentations
Spring 2023 Recap
May 2023: Celebrating “Louisiana Day” in Metairie, LA, and a special presentation in Santa Fe, New Mexico
May 12: Metairie, Louisiana
Wendy Rodrigue brought her Life & Legacy Tour to St. Catherine of Siena School In Metairie, Louisiana, sharing George Rodrigue’s story and original paintings, as part of the historic school’s “Louisiana Day!”
Each child received a Blue Dog poster from the George Rodrigue Family Trust as “lagniappe” to take home. Thank you to teacher Shanna Barnett and the awesome students of St. Catherine’s! Also, special thanks to our volunteers, Marney Robinson and Douglas Shiell.
Enjoy this special glimpse of this wonderful day at St. Catherine’s!
May 17: Santa Fe, New Mexico
What a joy to visit with Santa Fe’s young artists and gardeners at the base of George Rodrigue’s magnificent sculpture, on the beautiful grounds of the Acequia Madre House. Thank you to Jordan Young of the Women’s International Study Center, and especially to the delightful, curious, and engaging students of the Acequia Madre Elementary School!
And thank you to Brandon Vella for the wonderful photos:
February 2023: Sharing George Rodrigue during the month of love.
“Portraits” dominated this tour, and it resonated more than we could have imagined. After an hour in discussion together, students often chose to stay after class and look closer at these magnificent personal expressions by George Rodrigue and Douglas Magnus. If one is open to it, art in any form can be powerful and transformative. We’re more excited than ever to continue and expand this dynamic programming!
Sending a huge thank you to the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation, which sponsored and organized the first ambitious week of 9 presentations in Okaloosa County schools. This partnership makes magic happen, and we’re full of gratitude!
The tour continued the following week in Decatur, Alabama, with 3 presentations in area schools, and an evening event at the Carnegie Visual Arts Center. With gratitude to the Carnegie Visual Arts Center, the Alabama State Council on the Arts, and the River Clay Foundation for organizing and sponsoring these days of outreach.
Last, but not least, a stop in Midland, Texas, where Wendy shared the Life & Art of George Rodrigue with students at Greenwood Elementary. The Life & Legacy Tour inspires through the arts, but in truth the children are the real gift!
2022
During 2022, Wendy brought her inspiring programming to 24 schools and 65 classes in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. This unique art-and-storytelling experience included original Rodrigue paintings from her collection, as well as special guest artists, such as Katherine Klimitas and Wendy’s current husband, Douglas Magnus. Tours in 2022 were made possible through partnerships with the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation, Baldwin County Public Schools, a generous sponsorship by Henry and Pat Shane of Kenner, Louisiana, the Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education, and many private donors.
KENNER, LOUISIANA
Discovery Health Sciences Academy
April 20 – April 25, 2022
Sponsored by Henry and Pat Shane*
Loyola Campus: 3837 Loyola Drive, Kenner, LA
Maine Campus: 2504 Maine Avenue, Metairie, LA
- Wed. 4/20 (High School, Loyola Campus)
9:40 – 11:10 Grades 8-12
1:00 – 2:30 Grades 8-12
- Thurs. 4/21 (High School, Loyola Campus)
9:00 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
6 classes, Grades 8-12
Special guest: Artist Katherine Klimitas
Presentation times: 9-9:50, 9:50-10:45, 10:45-11:40, 11:40-12:30, 1:30-2:20, 2:20-3:15
- Fri. 4/22 (Lower School, Maine Campus)
3 classes, Grades pre-K – 4th grade
10-11, 11-12, 12-1
- Sat. 4/23
2:00 p.m., Discovery Heart Gallery (High School, Loyola Campus)
Gallery Talk with Wendy Rodrigue, highlighting her Life & Legacy experience with students at Discovery, as well as a discussion of George Rodrigue’s artworks, newly installed in the school. Open to the public.
9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Discovery Fine Arts Festival, including music and dance performances combined with a school-wide Art Exhibition in the Discovery Heart Gallery.
- Mon. 4/25 (Lower School – Maine Campus)
3 classes, Grades pre-K – 4th grade
10-11, 11-12, 12-1
*A very special THANK YOU to Henry and Pat Shane for their generous sponsorship of this special week at Kenner Discovery!
FLORIDA PANHANDLE
February 14-18 All events in partnership with the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation
Monday, February 14
– 9:20am West Defuniak Elementary 4th Grade
– 11:45am Freeport Elementary
Tuesday, February 15
– 9:45am Paxton School 1st Grade PHOTOS HERE
– 12:10pm Maude Saunders Elementary (DeFuniak Springs) 4th Grade
– 1:05pm Maude Saunders Elementary 5th Grade
Wednesday, February 16
– 11:35am Butler Elementary (Santa Rosa Beach) 5th Grade
– 12:25pm Butler Elementary Kindergarten
– 1:25pm Butler Elementary 3rd Grade
PHOTOS HERE
Thursday, February 17
– 9am Seaside School 5th-6th Grades
– 10am Seaside School 7th-8th Grades
– SPECIAL EVENT! 6:00 p.m. Bijoux Restaurant + Spirits, Miramar Beach, FL LEARN MORE
Friday, February 18
– 1pm Mossy Head School PHOTOS HERE
BALDWIN COUNTY, ALABAMA
Monday, February 21
– 9-11am Fairhope High
– 1-3pm Fairhope High
PHOTOS HERE
Tuesday, February 22
– 9-11am Daphne Middle
– 1-3pm Daphne High
PHOTOS HERE
Wednesday, February 23
– 9-11am Spanish Fort High
– 1-3pm Spanish Fort Middle
PHOTOS HERE
Thursday, February 24
– 9-11am Elberta Middle
– 1-3pm Bay Minnette Middle
PHOTOS HERE
Friday, February 25
– 9-11am Robertsdale High (Robertsdale)
– 1-3pm Central Baldwin Middle (Loxley)
PHOTOS HERE
Fall 2022
LOUISVILLE, MISSISSIPPI
Nanih Waiya Attendance Center
November 15
9:45 (3rd-5th grades)
10:50 (6th-8th grades)
MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI
November 15
Mississippi Children’s Museum 3:30-4:40
Dinner with Blue Dog and Friends
Weidmann’s Restaurant 7-9:00 pm
November 16
– Northeast High School 8-9:30
– Northeast High School pre K campus 10-10:30
– Crestwood Elementary School 11:30-1:30
OCEAN SPRINGS, MISSISSIPPI
St. Martin Gifted Center
November 17
SEE INTERVIEW WITH WENDY FROM WLOX
Singing River Art Association (Pascagoula, MS)
Tour of Rodrigue-inspired Student Artworks and a Meet and Greet with Wendy Rodrigue
November 17
2021
Thursday, Oct. 28, 10:00 a.m. CST
Listen Live! Wendy Rodrigue discusses her upcoming return to George Rodrigue’s hometown of New Iberia, Louisiana and his alma mater, Catholic High, her 100th school! Enjoy “Positively Iberia” with Marti Harrell for the Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce on KANE 107.5 and 1240-AM. WATCH NOW!
NEW ORLEANS
November 8 Trinity Episcopal School
PHOTOS HERE
ACADIA PARISH
November 10 Church Point High School
PHOTOS HERE
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
November 11 Guest Speaker, St. James Place Retirement Community learn more
PHOTOS HERE
November 12 Saint Jude Catholic School
PHOTOS HERE
OCEAN SPRINGS, MISSISSIPPI
November 15 St. Martin Gifted Center
PHOTOS HERE
NEW IBERIA, LOUISIANA
November 17 and 18 Catholic High School
PHOTOS HERE
November 18 Fountain at City Hall, 6pm
Wendy Rodrigue will be Mistress of Ceremonies at “A Taste of Main”, in downtown New Iberia. Wendy will be making a very special announcement!
November 19 North Lewis Elementary
PHOTOS HERE
FLORIDA PANHANDLE
May 10-12 All events in partnership with the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation, and sponsored by the St. Joe Foundation
Read the story here!
OKLAHOMA
June 8 Sponsored by the Oklahoma A+ Schools Institute “Not Your Average Conference” at the University of Central Oklahoma, Wendy Rodrigue presents a workshop featuring original paintings by her late husband, artist George Rodrigue.
See photos and more!
2020
FLORIDA PANHANDLE
February 18-20 All events in partnership with the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation
Feb 18 Emerald Coast Autism Center at Northwest Florida State College, Niceville, FL
Feb 19 MKAF 25th anniversary celebration, Love for the Arts Guild Luncheon, keynote speaker, Emerald Grande, Destin, FL
Feb 20 Seaside Neighborhood School, Seaside, FL
Feb 20 The Children’s Neighborhood at ‘Children in Crisis, Inc.’, Fort Walton Beach, FL
A selection of schools visited in 2018-2019
-Ursuline Academy
-Kenner Discovery
-Mooringsport Elementary
-Lincoln Preparatory
-Armstrong Middle School
-The Dufrocq School
-Youth Village, Inc.
-Stuart Hall School for Boys
-Our Lady of Perpetual Help
-Catholic High
-Loranger Elementary
-River Charter School
-St. Martin’s Episcopal
-Palm Beach Public
-Holy Angels
-Kenwood Elementary
-OLPH School
-Northwoods Fine Arts Academy
-The Greene School
-Lycée Français de la Nouvelle Orléans
-Lusher Charter Elementary
-Wilkerson Intermediate
-Plew Elementary
-Courtney Christian School
-River Middle School
-Freedom Elementary
