Art lovers, mark your calendars: one of the biggest art events in memory is here. The Meadows Museum of Art, located on the campus of Centenary College of Louisiana, will host the premiere of “Copley to Warhol: 200 Years of American Art Celebrating the Centennial of the New Orleans Museum of Art,” a traveling exhibit featuring 30 of the best American paintings from the NOMA’s permanent collection. The exhibit premiered in Shreveport before traveling to Alexandria, Lafayette, and Baton Rouge. The collection made its debut on February 20 and will be on display through April 17.
The works included in “Copley to Warhol” present an overview of American art from 1768 to 1987, including iconic works from the likes of John Singleton Copley, Mary Cassatt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Lee Krasner, Jacob Lawrence, and Andy Warhol. Meadows Museum Director Diane Dufilho believes that the significance of this exhibit reaches far beyond the gallery walls. “We’re bringing the state together through the arts,” Dufilho said. “It shows that the museums of North Louisiana and South Louisiana have real ties, and that they have confidence in us.” As an art curator, Dufilho is obviously excited about the prospect of hosting some of these iconic paintings. “It is a thrill for museum people to deal with art of this quality,” she said. “A lot of these pieces are in every art history textbook.”
Susan Taylor, Director of the New Orleans Museum of Art, also expressed her enthusiasm for the exhibit. “The New Orleans Museum of Art is delighted to share these American masterworks and celebrate our centennial year statewide,” she said. “We are honored to serve and engage a broader audience through this statewide exhibition and partner with cultural institutions across Louisiana."
Dufilho describes the exhibition succinctly in one word: “broad.” The peace and tranquility of Alfred Boisseau’s 1847 work “Louisiana Indians Walking Along a Bayou” or the beauty of Mary Cassatt’s “Mother and Child in the Conservatory” (one of the most iconic images in the exhibit) are contrasted starkly by works like Andy Warhol’s 1975 portrait of Mick Jagger. Individually, many of these works represent turning points in the history of American art. As a whole, the exhibit could serve as an annotated history of American art. Admission to the Meadows Museum is free and open to the public. For hours or more information, call (318) 869-5169.
The Meadows Museum of Art is only one of many great local destinations for enjoying world-class art, most of which do not charge an admission fee. The permanent collection of the R.W. Norton Art Gallery, located at 4747 Creswell Avenue in Shreveport, features works ranging from sculptures by Auguste Rodin and Frederic Remington to a painting by Mary Cassatt, rare books (including a page from a 15th-century Gutenberg Bible), and more. If planning a visit to the Norton, consider taking advantage of their First Saturday Tours, an educational and interactive guided tour that begins at 2:00 PM on the first Saturday of each month. Upcoming tours include “The Valentine's Tour” (February 6) and “Great Artists Who Just Happen to be Women” (March 6).
The main exhibit area of artspace in downtown Shreveport (710 Texas St.) currently features a behind-the-scenes look at the new Moonbot Studios animated film “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.” The work of local and regional artists can be found on display upstairs at artspace as well as in the Bossier Arts Council's East Bank Gallery (630 Barksdale Blvd.), where a juried photography exhibit entitled “Perspective: North Louisiana Through a Lens” will be on display throughout the month of January.
An increasing number of galleries, museums, and exhibit spaces are providing Shreveport-Bossier City's art lovers with things to see and do – why not make a New Year's Resolution to put a little more art in your life?