Sponsored by West Feliciana Parish Tourist Commission
Known principally for his pictorial survey The Birds of America, John James Audubon roamed much of the eastern United States in pursuit of his art, but he painted more in Louisiana than in any other place.
Audubon disembarked the Columbia Steamboat on June 18, 1821 and walked to the James Pirrie farm, Oakley. Audubon was mesmerized by the hilly, bluffed terrain of the countryside and astonished by the large variety of birds that flew in and out of the trees. This short walk spurred Audubon to begin his work on his Birds of America portfolio.
This year marks the bicentennial anniversary of John James Audubon’s life and work in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. As part of the celebration, the West Feliciana Parish Tourist Commission is hosting the first John James Audubon International Symposium on September 17 and 18, 2021. This will be the only annual symposium dedicated to the life and work of John James Audubon.
“The rich magnolia covered with its odiferous blossoms, the holly, the beech, the tall yellow poplar, the hilly ground, even the red clay I looked at with amazement.”
—from the journal of John James Audubon
Louisiana Heron, Birds of America, plate 217. Audubon, John James (Artist)
Explore the places that inspired at least 167 of the 435 images in The Birds of America. Visit Oakley where John James Audubon once worked as a tutor, and the surrounding plantation grounds and forest which served as a setting for many of the 32 Birds of America paintings that he created or began while at Oakley. Today 100 acres of the original Oakley Plantation is open to the public. The park is located 20 minutes north of Baton Rouge off the Great Mississippi River Road, U.S. Hwy 61.
Explore and learn more: Follow @explorewestfeliciana or visit explorewestfeliciana.com
