The Beaucoup section visited the Hilliard Art Museum. The museum included two galleries, “Sitting with George Rodrigue” and “EVERY|WHERE: BEILI LIU.” Here are the writer’s thoughts.
Kay Padilla
Allons Editor
When my parents used to live in New Orleans I would see the Blue Dog murals on the Sheraton Hotel on Canal Street. As a child, the dogs were very intriguing because they were colorful and weird looking. I liked being able to learn more about George Rodrigue and the history behind his famous dog.
I am very familiar with Acadiana history but I did not know that the Blue Dog had deep ties to the Acadiana area specifically. The paintings in “Sitting with George Rodrigue” had a very dark color scheme, but I understood that they were depicting dark and sad historical happenings.
The next exhibit, “EVERY|WHERE: BEILI LIU”, reminded me of walking across bayous and waterways and seeing the sediment marks that the waves would leave behind. It reminded me of home and I could have sworn I smelled a shrimp factory somewhere.
Nyria Mustiful
Allons Writer
Once again, the exhibits at the Hilliard Art Museum have evoked a superb amount of emotion from me. This time, the emotions were akin to curiosity and nostalgia. The “Sitting With George Rodrigue” exhibit emitted a sense of home and history. There were so many paintings of local legends and past experiences.
My favorite was “House Mother’s Azaleas.” I found it clever that the painting depicted a matriarch sitting next to an azalea bush, as the flowers symbolize womanhood, temperance and caring for yourself and others.
The “Every|Where” exhibit by Beili Liu was incredibly thought provoking. The use of different materials, such as resin and cloth, together in the pieces added dimension and clarity. My favorite piece in this exhibit was definitely “Shore to Shore: From the Mississippi to the Arctic Ocean.” The piece is essentially a collection of photographs, but what makes it cool is the type of technology used to take the photos and how they’re all connected.
The piece uses cyanotype, a form of photography that is camera-less.
The images are created through the chemical reaction of iron salts in the paper with exposure to UV light and a water rinse. All the photographs together showcased the amount of wasteful materials we as humans leave in nature’s water resources. It made me ponder how much cleaner the water could be if we made an effort to be more considerate of the earth.
Overall, my experience at the Hilliard Art Museum this time was amazing yet again and I’m already excited for my next visit!
Marie Ducote
Allons Writer
Growing up in Louisiana the Blue Dog is one of those images I remember vividly being everywhere. It was very interesting getting a chance to see the other works of George Rodrigue and learn more about the legacy he left behind.
I liked that the exhibit had a mixture of the Blue Dog paintings, but also featured his paintings of the Acadians. While walking through the exhibit I noticed how versatile, but recognizable Rodrigue style is.
There was humor to the paintings, especially the ones featuring pop culture figures (my favorite was the painting featuring the Blues Brothers). I was glad to see people in the exhibit appreciating the art.
The series of paintings I found the most eye-catching were documenting the expulsions of the Acadians by the British from Nova Scotia and their eventual settling down in Louisiana.
It was an interesting experince seeing all the paintings in one place. I hope to visit the exhibit again and discover new things.
Bruce Tete
News Writer
In my time as a reporter for The Vermilion I’ve found UL Lafayette to be a place that hides some of its treasures. The Hilliard is definitely one of those treasures. As a writer, I’ve always found visual art to be a wonderful source of inspiration. Writing can be a somewhat immaterial act so it’s really helpful to see tangible visual art.
Anytime I leave an art museum I always feel I’m leaving ideas for new stories, places, and gods so I feel really fortunate to have an active art museum within walking distance. The George Rodrigue exhibit was especially inspiring, the pieces on the journey of Acadians really spoke to me as someone of Cajun descent.
Their exile from Acadia is something that is so far in the past that I think we don’t often think about how heartbreaking it must have been to be ripped from your home and rejected by every place you went. It feels really lucky that the Acadians were able to find a place to call home and clearly both they and Louisiana are better for it.
