Tag: Louisiana museums

New Expansion to Open at a Louisiana State Museum

The Louisiana State Exhibit Museum in Shreveport will soon unveil a long-anticipated expansion that will unearth portions of the state’s path that up until now have only been seen by very few, as reported by BRProud.

The awaited exhibit at this Louisiana State Museum will depict the state of Louisiana’s historical journey throughout several centuries, allowing observing visitors to tour the museum’s wing and take in magically-crafted murals that hang above diramas depicting the daily lives of Louisiana inhabitants from several eras.

The scope of Louisiana’s history is not in the least narrow, as the exhibit is set to display the many diverse periods in the state’s history from plantations and farming to the rise of oil productions. In addition to a visual retelling of past Louisiana events, many prehistoric discoveries found in Northern Louisiana will be on display in the exhibit, with the oldest item being a 21,000-year-old Mammoth tooth. Though technically discovered outside of the area, it’s positioned to represent the types of natural lifeforms that were once roaming around the backyards of Cajun and Creole country.

The Louisiana State Exhibit Museum opened in Shreveport in 1939 and has accumulated a treasured wealth of artifacts over the past eight decades, making the displaying of particular pieces troublesome. In many cases, museum curators have to decide which selections will be displayed on museum walls as opposed to being stored in the basement due to a general lack of space.

This Louisiana State Museum was established as one of the Public Works Projects resulting from President Roosevelt’s New Deal arts program, specifically the FEAPW, or Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works. Besides being known in the state for its architectural marvels (as it is styled in the ultra-modern late 1930’s fashion), it is also known as a reserve of 23 beautifully rendered scale dioramas, Native American artifacts, regional and natural history artifacts, local artists’ original worlds, and national history exhibits.

The Shreveport Museum’s archivist and curator, Nita Cole, told BRProud, “We have historical as well as prehistory so a large collection of basketry and beadwork. We have quite a collection of Native American artifacts and archaeological digs from around the state. It’s a lot of material because it’s small materials.”

Cole also detailed that the expansion had been decades in the making, as the museum had been waiting on a capital outlay project to begin once legislator funds were secured. Now that the project is unveiled, the museum was able to announce its long-awaited expansion via a ribbon-cutting ceremony that had Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin in attendance.

The ceremony was a successful unveiling of not just the building, exhibits, and overall expansion, but it was an opportunity for officials to detail just how useful the addition will be to the museum facility in future years. Nita Cole reported that this new archival building will allow for batter public viewings, research projects, and overall better record-keeping; all of which are absolutely vital to the legacy and success of a museum.

Cole was reported as stating, “the books tend to be spread all over the place so I know that they’re there but doing the research for a particular exhibit or tour that we’re doing is going to make it a lot easier and easier for students.”

The new building at this Louisiana State Museum is set to open to the public at the end of October, and Cole invites the citizens of Louisiana to come unveil the hidden treasures of the past, as the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum is open Monday through Friday on Greenwood Road.

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Louisiana Museums Worth a Visit

It’s accepted and widely understood that Louisiana is best-known for music and food, but the state’s roster of attractions shine well outside the walls of its notorious restaurants and music lounges as the best museums in Louisiana are, in a multitude of ways, some of the most appreciated and unique collections of art, history, and culture across the globe. As collected in an article by Timeout, here are a half-dozen fascinating museum opportunities within striking distance of the Great Southern Boot.

Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu

Carnival Celebrations of Mardi Gras are found all across the Gulf Coast, not just in New Orleans. This museum, located in Southwest Louisiana’s Lake Charles, shares the history of the entire celebrated holiday. With rooms packed with memorabilia, from floats to throws and feather-covered costumes, there’s a ton to see, and much of it is hands-on. It’s a fun way to gain a deeper understanding of Mardi Gras, especially if your visit sadly doesn’t coincide with seeing an actual parade.

New Orleans Pharmacy Museum

With all the gifts New Orleans has given to the world, cocktails and modern pharmacies are atop the list, and their intertwined histories are explored in this New Orleans-based Louisiana museum. The first licensed pharmacist in the United States was Louis J. Dufilho, Jr., whose pharmacy was located in this French Quarter shop, now packed with exhibits focusing on the history of pharmaceuticals (and, yes, cocktails).

Marlene Yu Museum

Leave it to the daughter of famed New York-based, Taiwan-born abstract expressionist painter Marlene Yu to spearhead a project that converted Shreveport’s old YMCA into the proper space to display her mother’s world-renowned, 33-feet-long paintings. Along with Yu’s extraordinary nature-inspired work, the Louisiana museum displays the work of other contemporary artists, from both the burgeoning regional scene and around the world, as well as dance and live performance art.

Louisiana’s Old State Capitol

This 165-year old statehouse has been re-fashioned into a museum detailing the often sordid history of the Louisiana Political system. The castle-like exterior of the museum is a draw unto itself, with its stunning architectural details, including a cast-iron spiral staircase and a breathtaking stained-glass rotunda. Alongside its permanent state history exhibits, it also features rotating exhibitions focusing on Louisiana art and photography.

Tabasco Factory and Jungle Gardens

See where our cuisine gets its kick with this Avery-Island-based former visitor center and enjoy a top-tier food and history experience at this Louisiana museum. The small museum is packed with artifacts and interactive exhibits detailing the history of the salt dome upon which the McIlhenny family built their Tabasco fortune, from prehistory to the present day.

Abita Mystery House

This Louisiana museum Located in Abita Springs, this bizarre roadside attraction is more outsider art hoard and folk collection emporium than a proper museum, but finding things to gawk at on the overstuffed shelves and walls is where the fun is at. Folk art, crypto-taxidermy, thousands of bottle caps, hand-built moving dioramas, vintage arcade games are only few of the many objects found here.

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Top Museums in Louisiana

Museums have a way of sparking the imagination, painting pictures of the past, forcing us to think in ways we haven’t before.  Typically, an experience at a good museum will shift our perception, enlighten us, open our minds. Louisiana is home to many good museums of all types but we have compiled a list of the best.

 

  1. The National World War II Museum, New Orleans, LA
    This epic museum is in the Central Business District in New Orleans and as so host’s tourists from all over the world. It is no wonder that this museum has continued to expand and incorporate groundbreaking attractions such as Tom Hanks’ “Beyond All Boundaries,” which incorporates a 4D tour of the war with first-person encounters. Speaking of first person encounters, actual veterans of the war are often stationed around the vast levels of memorabilia from the war and are happy to share their own experience with visiting guests. You can also catch a ride back in time at BB’s Stage Door Canteen where acts such as The Vic-Tones, celebrate the music of the 1940s. Other attractions include “The Road to Tokyo: Pacific Theatre Galleries,” the John E. Kushner Restoration Pavilion, U.S. Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center, and many more attractions all about World War II.

 

  1. LSU Rural Life Museum, Baton Rouge, LA
    Dedicated to preserving the lifestyles of 18th and 19th century rural Louisiana, the Louisiana State University Rural Life Museum is truly a trip back in time. This mostly outdoor museum, hosts a variety of activities all around the property utilizing the largest collection of architecture and artifacts from that period. Volunteers can be seen making cuisine such as homemade sausage, doing blacksmith work, or displaying cultural dances of the time. Three distinct areas make up the museum. The Exhibit Barn is where hundreds of artifacts from these periods are set out for display for each guest to view. The Plantation Quarters has a setup of an entire plantation property including the blacksmith shop, sugar house, and grist mill that are all authentically furnished to display the true nature of life on a plantation in the 19th century. Lastly, Louisiana Folk Architecture displays the various cultures that settled in Louisiana back in the day as the various architectural styles, such as shotgun, Acadian, and dogtrot houses, are in full view to enjoy.

 

  1. Alexandria Museum of Art, Alexandria, LA
    As one of the top art museums in central Louisiana, the Alexandria Museum of Art hosts some of the best exhibits in the state. Current exhibitions include “Tierce: Artists of Louisiana Francophone Culture,” which celebrates the rich French connection that thrives in the state till this very day. Artists of French heritage are on display as well as pieces by French artists themselves. More exhibits include “Beyond Mammy,” “Jezebel,” and “Sapphire: Reclaiming Images of Black Women,” and “Faculty & Friends: Reminiscing,” which highlights 13 artists who have had strong ties to the museum in its 40-year history. Come celebrate the brilliant local and international art displays as well as yearly competitions at this central Louisiana museum.

 

Click here for a full list of the top Louisiana museums.

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