If a picture is worth a thousand words, a poster’s got to be worth a whole lot, too. Festivals’ art-filled pieces are about more than promoting events—they tell stories.
Each year, the Baton Rouge Blues Festival and Foundation searches for a local artist to design its poster. Instead of going with something templated or generic, the fest implores the chosen creative to come up with a design that captures the event’s essence.
Past images have been photo-forward, collaged, hand sketched or painted. Each year, there’s something new. And this spring, music fans have been able to take a trip down memory lane via the “Blues Festival Posters Through the Years” exhibit at the West Baton Rouge Museum. The display features posters from 2013, 2015 and 2018-2025 along with artist statements. Much of the work features musicians who are from West Baton Rouge or have performed at the museum.
“West Baton Rouge is well known for its long blues heritage,” says Angelique Bergeron, the museum’s executive director. “Baton Rouge Blues Fest is one of my favorite festivals. … It’s just a lovely festival. And as we started interpreting the blues here at the museum, it’s just kind of been a natural partnership.”
Besides housing past posters for its current exhibit, the museum also has a special tie to this year’s featured artwork by Malaika Favorite. The local painter originally unveiled the design in 2023 as a grant-funded mural decorating the exterior of the museum’s Juke Joint. It features Capital Region musicians who have played the venue, along with locals who have attended the museum’s regular Historical Happy Hour events.
“I always felt that it was just good to document these living people who were giving us this wonderful music and sharing their souls with us,” Favorite says. “I just felt really good that I could honor them in some small way with my art on the wall (of the Juke Joint) and then even more, with the posters. I was just really giving them an applause.”
“I get inspired just hearing the beat and the movement in the music, and it gives me ideas for what I’m going to paint.”
[—Malaika Favorite, the artist behind this year's Baton Rouge Blues Festival poster]
Favorite says she felt honored that her old concept art was chosen for the 2025 Blues Fest poster. As someone who loves the Capital Region’s musicians, Favorite hopes her work can inspire them just as they have inspired hers.
“We’re all artists, and we feed into each other,” Favorite says. “I think it’s very important that artists support each other, and not just in terms of attending an event. But also when we create something, that we remember them in our creation and honor them. Just like when I’m listening to the music, I get inspired just hearing the beat and the movement in the music, and it gives me ideas for what I’m going to paint.”
Find Favorite’s poster at this year’s festival, held downtown April 4-6. There might even be a few archival pieces from previous festivals for sale—in case any attendees want to create their own museum-style galleries.
Former flyers
Take a peek at some of the posters on display at the West Baton Rouge Museum now until April 13.
2013
The earliest poster in the West Baton Rouge Museum’s current display is a screen print by fine artist, graphic designer and Tim’s Garage owner Brad Jensen. It depicts a guitar framed by swampy woods and the towering state capitol building.
2019
The festival celebrated its 25th anniversary and honored the late Leslie “Lazy Lester” Johnson with a bright, retro pop-art design by Jordan Hefler. To celebrate the musician’s life, the local photographer added bold colors to one of her own photos of Johnson.
2024
Last year’s promo was created by contemporary artist Kristen “KAWD” Downing, featuring a colorful portrait of blues musician Slim Harpo and silhouettes of festivalgoers.
2025
The festival’s latest poster showcases a small portion of Malaika Favorite’s mural that adorns the West Baton Rouge Museum’s Juke Joint. The venue has hosted a slew of local blues performers, some of whom are featured in the artwork.
This article was originally published in the April 2025 issue of 225 Magazine.