Brandon V. Lewis, courtesy of LASM.
“they had a good policy”, 2022 by Brandon V. Lewis, currently on exhibit at the Louisiana Art and Science Museum as part of the exhibition "Healing Power of Jazz".
The LSU Museum of Art
Open since 1962, first in the University’s Memorial Tower, the LSU Museum of Art has occupied the transformative Shaw Center for the Arts since it opened in downtown Baton Rouge in 2005. Today, it occupies 13,000 square feet of space dedicated solely to exhibiting world-class painting, sculpture, decorative arts, photography, and other mediums. These include the museum’s permanent collection of over 6,500 objects, which features artifacts of Chinese jade and one of the most comprehensive public collections of Louisiana art in existence, with works by regional legends such as Clementine Hunter, Conrad Albrizio, and Marie Persac. Many of these Louisiana works are permanently displayed in the 6,000 square foot gallery exhibition titled Art in Louisiana: Views into the Collection.
The rest of the museum is dedicated to high-caliber traveling exhibitions. In recent years, these have included shows featuring Warhol prints, a collection of works by the most esteemed contemporary Black American artists of the twentieth century, and exhibitions by featured Southern artists such as Louisiana’s own Letitia Huckaby.
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Courtesy of the Studio Art Quilt Association and LSUMOA.
"Bang," 2023 by Mary Tyler. Cotton, computer-generated-fractal-image. Photographed by Myron Gauger. On exhibit as part of the exhibition "Fierce Planets: Work from the Studio Art Quilt Associates," at the LSU Museum of Art through July 28, 2024.
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Courtesy of the artist, and LSU MOA
"Cupola with Clouds and Ocean," 2020. Chromogenic color print. By Roland Miller and Paolo Nespoli. On display at the LSU Museum of Art as part of the exhibition "Interior Space: Photographs by Roland Miller & Paolo Nespoli," on display through July 28, 2024.
The museum hosts opening and closing receptions around its traveling exhibitions, often bringing renowned artists in to engage directly with the community; in addition to a variety of regular programming (panels, tours, lectures) organized thematically around current exhibitions, often partnering with local organizations in multi-disciplinary explorations of art. A dedicated interactive learning area in the galleries, as well as family programming (crafts, music, and storytelling) on the first Thursday and Sunday of the month, provide a portal for small children to engage directly with the arts at little or no cost.
Currently on exhibit at the LSU Museum of Art:
Interior Space: Photographs by Roland Miller & Paolo Nespoli / Fierce Planets: Work from the Studio Art Quilt Associates
This spring the LSU Museum of Art brings the infinite vastness of space much closer to home with their two new exhibitions, Interior Space and Fierce Planets: Work from the Studio Art Quilt Associates. Interior Space showcases stunning photographs of the International Space Station captured by Ronald Miller, while Fierce Planets features fiber art inspired by planetary science.
One Stitch at a Time: Southern Vernacular Quilts
Unravel the intricate tapestry of Southern quilting legacies in One Stitch at a Time, an exhibition highlighting vernacular quilts from Doug McCraw and the Hilliard Art Museum's collections at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. On display at the LSU Museum of Art, the exhibit will feature various styles like Gee's Bend quilters and narrative quilts by renowned artists, each thread telling a unique story.
Learn more about the museum’s offerings at lsumoa.org.
The Louisiana Art & Science Museum
The Louisiana Art & Science Museum (LASM), which opened in the 1970s in a circa-1925 historic railroad depot on the Mississippi River’s banks, explores the intersections of art and science. In addition to permanent features like the Ancient Egypt Gallery (featuring a Ptolemaic-era mummy) and the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, the museum has exhibited hundreds of works that lend themselves to scientific investigation and discourse. Featured shows over the last decade have included studies of color and sound, exhibits of astrophotography, and artistic expressions of our current climate crisis.
LASM is one of the city’s most beloved resources for families, offering an abundance of programming for art and science lovers of all ages. In addition to exhibition-specific lectures, artist meet and greets, and demonstrations, the museum offers regular educational activities for children, including storytimes and craft events held every first and third Saturday of the month. The museum also has a dedicated space, the Discovery Depot, where tykes can engage with art and science through imaginative play during regular museum hours.
Currently on exhibit at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum:
Second Nature: Artworks by Chase Mullen
Chase Mullen's intricate renderings of the natural world of Louisiana are on display in LASM's Soupçon gallery. Melding ecological accuracy with surrealism against the stark background of white panels, Mullen's work emphasizes the beauty of nature and invites the viewer to reflect on the impact humans have on animals and the environment.
To Be Seen, To Be Heard, To Be Valued
As the opening exhibition in LASM's new STEAM Gallery—which will be devoted to local student artists—To Be Seen, To Be Heard, To Be Valued showcases the work of student artists in East Baton Rouge Parish.
Improvisation: The Art and Healing Power of Jazz
This exhibition in The Republic Finance Gallery not only celebrates the history of jazz music, but its positive impact on humanity. Artwork by Claudia Hayden, Herman Leonard, Brandon Lewis, and Chuck Stewart was curated for its distinctive impressions of the genre, as well as the ways it highlights jazz's therapeutic properties.
Pinpointing the Stars
For twenty years, the Louisiana Art & Science Museum's Irene W. Pennington Planetarium has expanded the world for visitors of all ages and backgrounds, right from its stead on the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge. Through this remarkable technology, we've all received unique access to celestial events, the seasonal night sky, and parts of our universe experienced as never before. Displays and artifacts pulled from the museum's permanent collection make up this special exhibition.
Artistry and Accuracy: Botanical Illustrations by Margaret Stones
Australian botanical illustrator Margaret Stones is known for her beautiful and acutely-detailed illustrations of flora from across the world, including a series of Louisiana's flowers and plants. The Louisiana Art & Science Museum is presenting these drawings of Louisiana wildlife, which effortlessly bridge biology with fine art, in the Catwalk Gallery. The exhibition is made possible by Cary Saurage through the Alma Lee, Norman, and Cary Saurage Fund of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. The Baton Rouge Rotary Club donated Margaret Stones' work, and Ann Connelly Fine Art provided framing. lasm.org.
Learn more about the museum’s offerings at lasm.org.
"There seems to be a growing appetite for arts programming and an increasing awareness of the quality of artists working in Louisiana's capital city. It (admittedly) isn't as robust as other places in our state, but that also comes with some advantages. It might be a little less daunting for artists or art lovers to get engaged with spaces and events and, conversely, also presents a great opportunity to make an impact. That said, you can absolutely go to an opening reception for a show in Baton Rouge and see a diverse crowd of 600+ and get a sense that there's something special happening here."
—Jason Andreasen, President/CEO at Baton Rouge Gallery
Capitol Park Museum
Opened in 2006 in the Capitol Area neighborhood of downtown Baton Rouge as part of the Louisiana State Museum system, the Capitol Park Museum’s thematic range reaches beyond fine art and into Louisiana history, industry, and culture as a whole. These areas, of course, frequently intersect with the arts, presenting opportunities for fascinating exhibitions such as a 2019 documentary photo project on the descendents of Canary Islanders in Louisiana and beyond, or Mitoloji Latannyèr/Mythologies Louisianaises—an artistic exploration of French, Creole, and Tunica languages in Louisiana, featuring over forty paintings, images, sculptures, and stories—which is currently on display through the end of the year.
In addition to historical lectures and panels, the Capitol Park Museum frequently hosts film screenings, artist discussions, and workshops in association with its exhibitions.
Currently on exhibit at the Capitol Park Museum:
Mitoloji Latannyèr/Mythologies Louisianaises
In one of the largest public explorations of Louisiana's rich multilingual, multicultural intersections ever—this new exhibition at the Capitol Park Museum features over forty paintings, images, sculptures, and stories with accompanying texts in Louisiana and International French, Kouri-Vini, English, and even Tunica. Mitoloji Latannyèr/Mythologies Louisianaises is curated by Jonathan "radbwa faroush" Mayers, who collaborated with dozens of Louisiana artists and writers to delve into their cultures' relationships with environmental devastation, social justice, and folklore.
Learn more about the museum’s offerings at louisianastatemuseum.org/museum/capitol-park-museum.
West Baton Rouge Museum
A quick jaunt across the river brings you to this Port Allen treasure, founded in 1968 to preserve the history and cultural heritage of the surrounding region. In addition to exhibitions and programming with an emphasis on local history, the West Baton Rouge Museum frequently and thoughtfully showcases the work of Louisiana working artists such as Ben Peabody, Douglas Bourgeois, and others; as well as legacy artists such as Angela Gregory and George Rodrigue.
Mural by Malaika Favorite, on the West Baton Rouge Museum's Juke Joint.
Presenting some of the most dynamic cultural programming in the region, the West Baton Rouge Museum regularly brings authors, artists, musicians, and historians to its galleries to explore the historical context surrounding its exhibitions, as well as the culture of the region at large. Each month brings a wealth of lectures, artisan-led workshops, concerts, kids' activities, and more.
Currently on exhibit at the West Baton Rouge Museum:
Evolution of the Revolution
Created by Surreal Box Cinema, this exhibition depicts the plight of the struggle for freedom, justice, and equal rights of African Americans. Through large-scale photographs and interactive displays, the exhibit at the West Baton Rouge Museum reflects fundamental moments from slavery to today's political landscape, giving impetus to the ongoing need for activism on the path to equality for all.
Spaces and Places: Historic Black Churches of West Baton Rouge
Learn about the vital role houses of worship, churches, and other spiritual places held during Reconstruction and the Civil Rights Movement at the West Baton Rouge Museum's latest photography series, Spaces and Places, a documentation of historic locations of cultural importance. The first installation of this series Historic Black Churches of West Baton Rouge, photographed by Bruce Williams, will not only display images of the churches but will also include interviews with pastors and congregations.
Learn more about the museum’s offerings at westbatonrougemuseum.org.
