Works of the world-famous artist George Rodrigue are coming to New Iberia’s Bayou Teche Museum in an exhibit titled, “Rodrigue Comes Home: Under Iberia’s Live Oaks with George Rodrigue and his Blue Dog,” in partnership with the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts, IberiaBank and the Community Foundation of Acadiana.
“The way this exhibit is unlike previous ones is that some of the art has never been seen before, because they are from the private collections of local residents, as well as those of Randy Haynie, the Paul & Lulu Hilliard Art Museum in Lafayette, Governor Kathleen Blanco and the George Rodrigue Foundation,” said Marcia Patout director of the Bayou Teche Museum. “A lot of locals started calling and saying, ‘Oh, we’ve got something he painted for us,’ and ‘He painted the oak trees in my yard’.”
Rodrigue was born and raised in New Iberia, graduated from Catholic High and studied art at the University of Southwest Louisiana (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) and the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. His most famous series, the “Blue Dog,” is inspired by the French legend of the loup-garou (werewolf).
It’s been a year since Rodrigue passed away on December 14, 2013 from a cancer related illness. His final resting place is the Holy Family Cemetery in New Iberia.
The memorial exhibit honoring Rodrigue’s life and work will be on display for three months at the Bayou Teche Museum starting on January 14 during the museum’s annual gala, “A Night at the Museum.”
The art will include some never before seen works along with Rodrigue’s classic Blue Dog paintings. The one constant will be the iconic Iberia Parish oak trees. Every painting will have at least one.
The George Rodrigue exhibit is funded through the Community Foundation of Acadiana’s Iberia Parish Tourism Community Development Fund and a generous sponsor contribution from IberiaBank.
“We are very thankful to the George Rodrigue Foundation, Community Foundation of Acadiana, IberiaBank, and the Bayou Teche Museum for bringing this unique exhibit to New Iberia,” said Fran Thibodeaux, executive director of the Iberia Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Mr. Rodrigue’s art began here and as a community we are honored to welcome his art back to the town where his incredible journey began.”
Bayou Teche Museum
131 E. Main Street
New Iberia, LA 70560
337 606 5977