A Bayou State of Mind

The LSU Museum of Art is pleased to announce A Bayou State of Mind, on view September 4, 2025.

How do you translate the spirit of your environment?

The exhibition A Bayou State of Mind showcases the rich tapestry of Louisiana’s culture, traditions, history, land, and essence, as a diverse mix of artists respond to and envision the state’s unique character as translated through their personal experiences and histories. From the deep-rooted perspectives of natives such as Malaika Favorite, John T. Scott, and Shirley Rabé Masinter, to the evocative impressions of those captivated during brief encounters, like Nathalie Miebach and Richard Misrach, the objects relate intimate responses to a complex environment.

A highlight of the exhibition is The Bayou Collection, a series of forty paintings by George Rodrigue (1944-2013), originally created to accompany a compilation of ghost stories by author Chris Segura. Premiered at the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans, Rodrigue’s imaginative renderings are steeped in his signature Cajun style. This labor of love includes the first painting of Rodrigue’s iconic “Blue Dog”—his cherished spaniel-terrier, Tiffany. Watchdog depicts the loup-garou, a mythical werewolf dog who lurks in cemeteries and sugar cane fields. The artist envisioned the creature as small and blue, with piercing yellow eyes. Using old photographs of Tiffany as the model, the painting presents the viewer with a "beast” who appears more misunderstood and approachable, rather than scary. Tiffany’s premiere in The Bayou Collection was a pivot point for Rodrigue—as the dog became the primary focus of his work from this point forward.