Important George Rodrigue, Festivals Acadiens, oil on canvas, 1981

George Rodrigue American/Louisiana, 1944-2013 "Festivals Acadiens" oil on canvas 1981, signed lower right, framed. Provenance: Estate of Margaret Shehee Cole (1961-2026), Shreveport, LA. Note: George Rodrigue often credited his early recognition in his home state to the dozens of posters he designed for local festivals. He would paint an original canvas to reproduce as a main image, add text and graphics for the specific event, and print offset lithographs that were eventually sold by the thousands to benefit each festival's community. These posters also benefited the artist by introducing his work and distinctive style to the masses on a large scale both in Louisiana and nationally through increased media attention. Rodrigue's first festival poster was created for Festivals Acadiens in 1981, and the artist spoke of it to Wendy Rodrigue in 2013: "Festivals Acadiens was conceived in the 1970s by Jimmy Domengeaux of CODOFIL and held annually in Girard Park. [Lafayette] He showcased the Cajun lifestyle, mainly to share with visiting French teachers and dignitaries the resurgence of French culture in south Louisiana. I painted my first Festivals Acadiens poster in 1981 and included samples of the various crafts, activities, food and music spotlighted within the festival." The important painting offered here served as the basis for the 1981 poster and is a quintessential Rodrigue canvas with the defining shape of the dark Evangeline Oak framing the figures radiant in white. Rodrigue often posed his friends in elaborate costumes and photographed them for inspiration, later combining them into his scenes. The models for this composition were New Orleans chef and restaurateur A.J. Tusa, a close friend of the artist; Diane Bernard Keogh, who frequently appeared as Evangeline during this period; the artist's son Andre in yellow holding a duck decoy; and brothers Ophe "Babe" and Lennis Romero of St. Martinville. For decades, the retired rice farmers volunteered to play traditional Cajun music and share stories of their culture under the Evangeline Oak along Bayou Teche in St. Martinville. There could be no better or beloved symbol than the Romero Brothers to represent the music of the region. Other details such as the food arrayed on a serving tray, carved duck decoy, crawfish-adorned quilt and draped stage provide tantalizing glimpses into the delights of the festival. Recently discovered in the Shreveport estate of Margaret Shehee Cole, this painting has been in private hands for almost fifty years and is now available publicly for the first time. Among George Rodrigue's impressive body of work, this canvas occupies an extraordinary position - representing his Cajun series at its maturity and the first image many will recall seeing from the artist in their lifetime. References: Rodrigue, Wendy. "Fairs and Festivals, Ducks Unlimited and the New Orleans Jazz Club." George Rodrigue Life & Legacy Foundation. www.legacyarttour.org. Accessed Oct. 20, 2026; Rodrigue, Wendy. "The Lost Painting (Festivals Acadiens)." George Rodrigue Life & Legacy Foundation. www.legacyarttour.org. Accessed Oct. 20, 2026

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