Reinstalling the Permanent Collection at the LSU Museum of Art
Thousands of square feet of Louisiana art come together for a single multi-gallery exhibit
The LSU Museum of Art came into being in 1959 and has been open at its current location in the Shaw Center for the Arts since 2005, but the museum’s reinstallation of its permanent collection may be one of its most ambitious undertakings yet. This dramatic re-envisioning of the LSU MOA’s extensive assets, entitled Art of Louisiana: Views into the Collection, encompasses over 6,000 square feet and includes some items that have not been made available for display for years. The unique exhibit entices visitors to explore beyond the attraction of the individual pieces (though many are quite impressive), showcasing divergent categories of artwork and how they fit into the vital context of Louisiana history and the art world as a whole.
For the exhibit’s initial March 2016 unveiling, the galleries were put together by five guest curators, all experts in their respective fields. Though the different galleries draw visitors through a varied span of periods, subjects, and artistic materials, current curator Courtney Taylor notes that they are “not intended to be either comprehensive or chronological,” but concentrations of themed highlights, “the best of what [the museum] has to offer.”
“The exhibition is eclectic—it's past, it's present. It's made of these highlights, but it drives through a whole range of topics.”
Even a casual afternoon stroll through just a part of this rich series is enjoyable. But the real fascination is discovering the thread that leads you from a silver tea tray to a muddy bayou landscape or from a delicate Newcomb vase to a photo shot by a recent LSU alumnus. (Luckily, the museum is happy to supply informative guides and captions to help along the way.) Permanent doesn’t mean static, either! Pieces may be rotated to emphasize different themes, tie in with new exhibits, or simply to expose visitors to different parts of the collection. Locals and visitors alike should take the opportunity to explore this downtown jewel and see what there is to discover.