RODRIGUE: SPIRIT OF THE GAME
May 18 - September 18, 2016
Growing up in southwest Louisiana, gaming and sporting events were part of everyday life for George Rodrigue. From duck hunting and boureé card games to baseball, basketball and football - all were deeply embedded in the Cajun culture. As a young boy, Rodrigue attended Cajun horse races where horses and jockeys were pitted against each other, many of these were claiming races - where if you won the race, you also won your opponent's horse.
Drawn from numerous private and public collections, this special exhibition honors the tradition of sports and gaming in Louisiana, and will be on view this summer at Rodrigue Studio, 730 Royal Street in the New Orleans French Quarter.
Featured in "Spirit of the Game" are Rodrigue's original portraits of Saints star Drew Brees; Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Petit; Lafayette-born Yankees pitcher Ron Guidry; legendary jockey Eddie Delahoussaye; and the beloved LSU mascot Mike the Tiger. In addition, the exhibition highlights the large-scale painting The Spirit of the Next Hero, which became the official poster for the 1985 National Sports Festival and includes portraits of past Olympic gold medalists Greg Louganis, Linda Fratianne, Evelyn Ashford, Bart Conner, Mike Eruzione and Mark Breland.
ABOUT GEORGE RODRIGUE (1944-2013)
Born and raised in New Iberia, Louisiana, artist George Rodrigue was best known for his Blue Dog paintings, which catapulted him to worldwide fame in the early 1990s. His art studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette followed by the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, gave him a foundation that spawned one of the greatest success stories in Southern art.
Celebrating his prolific career, the artist's family presents a series of specialized, thematic exhibitions spanning nearly fifty years. Drawn exclusively from multiple private collections, these original works include selection from both his Cajun and Blue Dog Series, accompanied by historical and anecdotal wall text.
RODRIGUE STUDIO
730 Royal Street (behind St. Louis Cathedral)
New Orleans, LA
Open Mon-Thurs: 10:00am - 6:00pm / Fri-Sat 10:00am - 8:00pm
Sunday: Noon - 5:00pm
georgerodrigue.com