Paris in the late 19th century.Brimming with artists, writers, poets and performers. They spent their days in studios and coffee shops and their nights in the Moulin Rouge.
It was a time when the arts flourished in Paris. And it’s the subject of a huge, almost daunting, exhibit at the LSU Museum of Art, “Toulouse-Lautrec and la Vie Moderne,” which opened in September.
Besides works from some of the most celebrated Parisian artists of that time, such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the exhibit is also notable for another reason.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s 1893 lithograph “Jane Avril.” Image courtesy Art Services International
Last year, the museum launched its first-ever Kickstarter campaign to help cover the cost of bringing in the exhibit’s 185 paintings, watercolors, posters, theater programs and even shadow-puppet props.
While the museum secured the contract for the traveling exhibit back in 2013, it came with a hefty price tag of $115,000. Most exhibitions run between $30,000 and $50,000, according to Sarah Cortell Vandersypen, associate director of development.
“One of the things we wanted to do was gain a community buy-in, because it’s such a significant exhibit coming to Baton Rouge,” Vandersypen says. “This is art coming from European museums and private collections. For Baton Rouge to host it is a big deal. Obviously, it’s a big expense, too.”
The Kickstarter campaign, launched by then-curator Katie Pfohl, raised $15,000.
The result is something locals can be proud of, Vandersypen says.
The exhibit takes up more than 3,000 square feet of space in the museum, with extra partitions brought in to hang some of the large paintings and posters that depict 19th-century Paris. The walls were painted a dark blue, like the nighttime sky, which makes the works in their gold-hued antique frames seem to pop.
There are sections dedicated to the bold typography and colorful imagery of the era’s posters, which were plastered on walls along every street to advertise cabaret performances, books and more. There is a collection of shadow-puppet cutouts used for performances at places like Le Chat Noir, and there are gorgeous paintings that almost draw you in to the culture and Parisian nightlife.
In all, a blockbuster exhibit of this scale provides much to explore, which is perfect timing—as much of the rest of the museum will be under construction until next year (read more in the sidebar).
“Toulouse-Lautrec and la Vie Moderne” continues through Nov. 15. lsumoa.org
Museum revamp
Before former curator Katie Pfohl left the LSU Museum of Art earlier this year, she marveled at the breadth of its permanent collection. There are thousands of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, antique furniture and more under the museum’s care. But at any given time, only about 15% of that inventory is on view for the public—the rest is stored away.
Before her tenure was through, Pfohl put into motion a plan to expand the footprint of the museum’s permanent exhibition galleries and shine a light on those pieces.
The museum’s associate director of development, Sarah Cortell Vandersypen, says that since the Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit opened in September, staff has been de-installing the rest of the museum’s galleries to make way for this overhaul.
“It’s probably the most important project this museum has done since opening in the Shaw Center,” she says. “We want to make this the place to experience Louisiana art in a way that no other institution locally or anywhere can do it.”
While the museum searches for a new curator (its executive director position is still open), staff have brought in four guest curators to help revamp specific areas of the permanent collection and curate temporary exhibits.
Vandersypen says the museum expects to open the renovated and expanded permanent collection galleries by March 2016.
“It allows us to rotate works from our permanent collection and we will be able to keep the galleries fresh,” she says. “The museum will certainly have a different look and feel when it’s completed.”
