Marlene Yu Travels to South Louisiana for Inspiration
SHREVEPORT, La., June 24, 2014 – Marlene Yu’s visit to Louisiana two weeks ago included trips to the locations of her seven shows in Shreveport as well as a visit to South Louisiana June 10-12. Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne and his Chief of Staff Cathy Berry invited Yu to Baton Rouge and Grand Isle for museum and water tours to harness inspiration for her Louisiana series “Purple Swamp”.
During her time in Shreveport, Yu was able to visit all seven locations for her upcoming shows, the Lucky Sevens. During these visits she began planning each individual show by choosing themes for the locations. She will begin to choose which pieces will be in each show upon returning to New York City.
Cathy Hernandez, Executive Director of the Louisiana Division of the Arts, hosted Yu at the LSU Museum of Art, where she met Dána LaFonta, Director of Artist Services & Percent for Art Program at State of Louisiana, and the Capitol Park Museum in Baton Rouge. Curator Dr. Katie Pfohl gave Yu a tour of the LSUMOA on Tuesday afternoon. The following day William Stark, Museum Division Director at Louisiana State Museum, showed Yu the Louisiana history and festival exhibitions at the Capitol Park Museum. Yu also met with Elizabeth Weinstein, Museum Curator of Art at Louisiana Art & Science Museum.
Debra Credeur, Executive Director of Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, along with Charles Caillouet of the Atchafalaya Trace Commission for Ascension Parish, brought Yu to the Atchafalaya Basin for a boat tour of the bayou lead by Charles Reulet of the Department of Natural Resources. Representative Karen St. Germaine and April Newman of the DNR accompanied Yu on the tour. Credeur and Caillouet also brought Yu to Grand Isle, where Chris Macaluso, Director of Center for Marine Fisheries of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, introduced her to locals and the Grand Isle National Park.
During her trip to South Louisiana Yu learned about the fast growing problems the Louisiana coastline is currently facing. As the sea level rises and the land sinks, the coast is quickly swallowed by water at a rate faster than one football field of land per hour.
Yu founded the Rainforest Art Foundation in New York in 2001. The mission of the Foundation is to increase appreciation of nature through art. The Shreveport location will open in December along with the Marlene Yu Museum, at 710 Travis Street, Shreveport, LA 71101. The mission of the Marlene Yu Museum is to preserve, exhibit, document, and interpret the life and works of Marlene Tseng Yu.
Contact:
Iris MacLean
Public Relations Intern
Rainforest Art Foundation
Marlene Yu Museum
318-840-5213
www.rainforestartfoundation.org
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Cathy Hernandez, Marlene Yu, and William Stark at the Capitol Park Museum in Baton Rouge
Marlene visits with local fisherman in Grand Isle
Stephanie Lusk, Lieut. Gov. Jay Dardenne, Marlene Yu, Iris MacLean, and Debra Credeur spell out MYM LA with their arms to celebrate the addition of the Marlene Yu Museum to Louisiana