Elemore Morgan at the ’76 Folkways Festival

In the summer of 1976, the Smithsonian’s Festival of American Folklife ran for twelve weeks on the National Mall as the centerpiece of the nation’s Bicentennial, the country’s 200th birthday. A collective of Cajun and Creole musicians from South Louisiana took to the stages as recognized bearers of a national heritage. Louisiana artist Elemore Morgan Jr. traveled to the Festival in Washington, D.C. with his camera. Morgan engaged the world constantly through his lens, and at the festival he turned it on the performers from home and the crowds who gathered to hear them. Morgan moved beyond the stages into the demonstration areas, markets, and monuments, where artisans and craftspeople worked at their trades. In all of it, he found his own region held within a wider American story, distinct and shared at once. His photos will be on display in a new exhibition at the Hilliard Art Museum, through December 19. 

Opening reception and talk Friday, October 9, beginning at 3:30 pm. 710 East St. Mary Boulevard, Lafayette. Free for members, general entry for non-members. (And there will be boudin.) hilliardartmuseum.org.