UPDATE!
Rodrigue: The Sanders Collection opens at Rodrigue Studio, Lafayette on October 10
1434 S College Rd.
Lafayette, LA
ON VIEW IN NEW ORLEANS FROM AUGUST 8 – OCTOBER 4
Artist George Rodrigue’s family presents a new exhibition highlighting the relationship between artist and collector
Located at 730 Royal Street (behind St. Louis Cathedral)
As George Rodrigue’s greatest collector, Houston businessman Don Sanders has accumulated roughly 100 original works by the artist, including paintings, sculpture, photography, installations, and unique gifts. Following the tremendous success of Rodrigue: Houston, a two-month Spring 2015 exhibition in Houston, Texas that saw nearly 10,000 visitors and 1,000 area school children, the Rodrigue Family joins Sanders in presenting a similar exhibition in New Orleans, highlighting select pieces from this important private collection. These include…
Don Sanders and George Rodrigue
*Cajun and Blue Dog paintings such as The Yellow Rolls of Jolie Blonde (1989) and a circular “Mandala” series of Blue Dogs (2002), on view for the first time in New Orleans.
*Rare paintings of cats, including Bayou Blue Cat (1994) and Cat Tie (2010). Rodrigue donated Cat Tie to Friends for Life Animal Shelter in Houston, Texas, where it raised $180,000 at auction, finding its way later into Sanders’ collection.
*Rascal (2009), a beagle painted for the cover of author Ken Wells’ coming-of-age novel, also called Rascal (2010, Knopf Books for Young Readers).
“God Bless America”, George Rodrigue, 2001
*God Bless America (2001) and We Will Rise Again (2005), on public view for the first time since the 2008 Rodrigue retrospective at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Prints from these paintings raised $1.2 million for humanitarian relief following 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.
Over time, Rodrigue and Sanders developed a great and genuine friendship. “I don’t know how you measure friendship,” reflects Sanders, “but George was one of my dearest and most treasured friends. He was like my psychiatrist. I spoke with him nearly every day and always felt better at the end of the conversation.”
A new book, Rodrigue: The Sanders Collection (221 pages, 100 full-color illustrations), accompanies this exhibition and features a Foreword by baseball legend, Nolan Ryan, a mutual friend to both Sanders and Rodrigue.
We Will Rise Again, George Rodrigue, 2005
WHAT: “Rodrigue: Selections from the Don Sanders Collection,” featuring 24 rarely seen original artworks painted by George Rodrigue between 1980 and 2013.
WHEN: Opens Saturday, August 8th during Dirty Linen Night, 6-9 p.m. Exhibition continues through October 4th 2015. Open Mon-Sat, 10-6; Sundays 12-5. Free.
WHERE: Rodrigue Studio, 730 Royal Street, New Orleans
WHY: George Rodrigue’s family shares his artistic legacy with periodic thematic exhibitions of original artwork, borrowed from private collections and Rodrigue’s personal archives.