SATURDAY: Family Event at Children's Museum of St. Tammany

Now open! After a decade of planning, the Children's Museum of St. Tammany opened its doors on January 20.

Don't miss the family fun this Saturday! The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts will be at the newly-opened Children's Museum of St. Tammany in Mandeville, LA, for a special book reading and creative activity inspired by the artwork of George
Rodrigue.

Saturday, March 31, 2018

2:00 PM

Children's Museum of St. Tammany

21404 Koop Drive

Mandeville, LA 70471

Free with Museum Admission

Jacques Rodrigue reads Are You Blue Dog's Friend? to students.

GRFA's Executive Director Jacques Rodrigue will read Why Is Blue Dog Blue? and Are You Blue Dog's Friend?, George Rodrigue's two beloved children's books. After the stories, guests will participate in an art making activity inspired by Rodrigue's Blue Dog series.

A young visitor to at the Museum works on a creative project. (Photo courtesy of Children's Museum of St. Tammany)

We hope you and your family will join us for a creative afternoon at a wonderful new museum dedicated to inspiring children!

2018 Art Contest Winners Share $45,250 in Scholarships!

Congratulations to the 16 winning students! Over 650 high school juniors and seniors from across Louisiana entered the 2018 Scholarship Art Contest by submitting original works of art for the theme "Monsters, Myths, and Legends." On Saturday, March 24th, GRFA awarded $45,250 in college scholarships to 10 seniors and 6 juniors!

The 16 finalists at the 2018 Scholarship Awards Luncheon in New Orleans.

(Left to right) 1st Place Junior Lauren Diaz, GRFA Executive Director Jacques Rodrigue, and 1st Place Senior Alexandra Hinkle

 

Click Here to View Photos 

and the Winners

Community Leaders & Arts Professionals Judge Art Contest

For the past two weeks, final round judges for the 2018 Art Contest have come to the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts in New Orleans to see and score the 16 finalists' pieces. These community leaders and arts professionals have determined how the finalists will place for the Art Contest.

Judges score the student artwork at the Rodrigue Foundation.

We will announce which scholarships each student has won at the Scholarship Awards Luncheon on Saturday, March 24th in New Orleans. If you'd like to join us for this special celebration, tickets can be purchased here.

Marcela Correa (Arts District of New Orleans) and Matthew Weldon Showman (Jonathan Ferrara Gallery) score pieces by senior finalists.

Thank you to the following individuals for serving as final round judges in the 2018 Art Contest: 

Laura Ashley

Partner, Jones Walker LLC

Alex Beard

The Alex Beard Studio

Nadine Blake

Designer, Nadine Blake

Jordan Blanton

Co-Owner, LeMieux Galleries

Ellen Buckley

Director of Fundraising Events, National World War II Museum

Martine Chaisson

Martine Chaisson Gallery

Marcela Correa

Director, Arts District New Orleans

Marilyn Dittmann

Associate Director of Philanthropy, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

Robyn Dunn Schwarz

Matthew Clayton Brown

Dathel Georges

The Advocate

Wayne Hardaway

SLS Arts

David Harouni

Harouni Gallery

T.G. Harrington

Filmmaker

Nicelle Harrington

Filmmaker

Jane Scott Hodges

Founder & Owner, Leontine Linens

Jelena James

Director of Fine Art Consignments, New Orleans Auction Galleries

Phil King

SLS Arts

Paul Leaman

New Orleans Silversmiths

Ashley Longshore

Ashley Longshore Gallery

Meg Miles

Executive Director, YAYA

Barbara Motley

Louisiana State Arts Council

Biff Motley

Motley & Associates

Nicole Ockmond

Musician/Owner Emovere Recordings

Mallory Page

Mallory Page Studio

Brian Piper

Curatorial Fellow in Photography, New Orleans Museum of Art

Raiza Pitre

Cox Communications

Jim Qualls

Gallery Director, The Alex Beard Studio

Monica Ramirez-Montagut

Director, Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane University

Miranda Restovic

President & Executive Director, Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities

Kathy Rodriguez

Instructor, Department of Fine Arts, University of New Orleans

Christa Schwartz

Domain Companies

Sam Seelig

SLS Arts

Kristin Shannon

General Manager, Orpheum Theater

Matthew Weldon Showman

Gallery Director, Jonathan Ferrara Gallery

Alphonse Smith

Director, Place + Civic Design, Arts Council New Orleans

Gary Solomon, Jr.

Solomon Group

Emery Sonnier

Link Stryjewski Foundation

Bradley Sumrall

Curator, Ogden Museum of Southern Art

Jennifer Van Vrancken

Councilwoman, Jefferson Parish

Kyle Wedberg

President/CEO, NOCCA

Christy Wood

Co-Owner/Gallery Director LeMieux Galleries

Click Here to View All Finalists

Wendy Rodrigue Continues Life and Legacy Tour

A grand welcome for Wendy Rodrigue at River Oaks in Monroe, LA, during the first part of the Life and Legacy Tour.

This week Wendy Rodrigue will resume the George Rodrigue Life and Legacy Tour with twelve extended stops, primarily focused on schools in Louisiana. It all began last fall as a way of sharing George's life and art (and image!) with students at arts integrated schools throughout the state. Louisiana A+ Schools, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is a whole-school teaching method in which every subject is taught through the visual or performing arts.

Speaking to students at Ridge Elementary School in Duson, LA. This school is one of 18 LAA+ Schools across the state.

Wendy shares, "I'm always grateful for opportunities to share George with others, and I couldn't resist expanding the tour when possible to include schools outside of the LAA+ network. It's a wonderful experience ---as exciting for me as for the students--- many of them exposed for the first time ever to original Rodrigue paintings, which I carry with me in George's truck ---the same truck he and I traveled in for years, visiting schools across the country."

Students at The Dufrocq School enjoy a presentation featuring original works of art by George Rodrigue.

The Life and Legacy Tour continues across Louisiana schools, and this time will encompass schools within and outside of the LAA+ Network. Below are Wendy Rodrigue's upcoming stops. To follow the latest news from Wendy Rodrigue and read her extensive writing about the life and artwork of George Rodrigue, visit her website Musings of an Artist's Wife.

Life and Legacy Tour Schedule

(Events in BOLD are open to the public.)

March 15
St. Helena Learning Center and St. Helena Arts and Technology Academy (both LAA+ Schools) in Greensburg, LA

March 20
St. Peter School in Covington, LA

March 21
Ascension Episcopal School in Youngsville/Lafayette, LA

March 22
Most Blessed Sacrament School in Baton Rouge, LA

March 23
Singing River Academy (Gauthier, MS) at Rodrigue Studio in New Orleans

March 24
George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts Scholarship Art Contest Awards Luncheon in New Orleans. Details and tickets here.

March 24
New exhibition Rodrigue's Swirling Vision: The Sun, Cosmos, and Hurricanes opens at Rodrigue Studio in New Orleans, 6-8 PM, FREE and open to the public. Learn more.

March 26
Epiphany Day School (an LAA+ School) in New Iberia, LA

March 27
LSU Continuing Education, OLLI Felicianas Chapter, First Baptist Church, St. Francisville, 10 AM - 12 PM. FREE. Learn more.

Family Event at Children's Museum of St. Tammany

Now open! After a decade of planning, the Children's Museum of St. Tammany opened its doors on January 20.

Recently opened in Mandeville, Louisiana, the Children's Museum of St. Tammany is a dynamic place for children and families to explore, play, and learn. The Museum's Executive Director Amy Fresh shares, "The Children's Museum of St. Tammany provides an interactive learning environment allowing children of all ages to express their imaginations through creativity and play."

The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts is excited to announce that we will be at the Museum on Saturday, March 31, 2018, for a special book reading and art making family event.

Saturday, March 31, 2018

2:00 PM

Children's Museum of St. Tammany

21404 Koop Drive

Mandeville, LA 70471

Free with Museum Admission

Jacques Rodrigue reads Are You Blue Dog's Friend? to students.

GRFA's Executive Director Jacques Rodrigue will read Why Is Blue Dog Blue? and Are You Blue Dog's Friend?, George Rodrigue's two beloved children's books. After the stories, guests will participate in an art making activity inspired by Rodrigue's Blue Dog series.

A young visitor to at the Museum works on a creative project. (Photo courtesy of Children's Museum of St. Tammany)

We hope you and your family will join us for a creative afternoon at a wonderful new museum dedicated to inspiring children!