Art of the People: Public art in the city of Lafayette, Louisiana
From the "Happiest City in the United States" comes a visual tour through the community's creative expression beyond dance and food. Art of the People walks readers through an historical mix of native and immigrant cultures that built a city rooted in a sense of creativity. Open to outside influence, settlers adopted the best of each cultural influence to create new and original expressions. And what began as creative problem solving turned into creative cooking, music, dance ... and now art. 

The rapid-fire opening examples segue into the deeper inspirations behind nine must-see works of art scattered throughout Lafayette. In the end, readers find that many of the works were recent articulations of that historical energy combined with a multi-level desire for creativity throughout the community. The historical context, compelling stories, visual journey and current case study combine to form a narrative that justifies the city's constant national and international acclaim.

Join the discussion.

Art of the People will held its first panel discussion on public art on February 9th at the Acadiana Center for the Arts in downtown Lafayette. In case you missed it, the conversation will air on Acadiana Open Channel ... we'll announce the air date soon.
Where can I find Art of the People?

We highly encourage you to request a copy from your local bookstore (give them this number: ISBN 978-0-9829239-6-2).
See the art for yourself.
Click here to discover the locations of artwork featured in Art of the People.
Art of the People is made possible by a grant from ArtSpark, a joint effort by Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette Economic Development Authority and Acadiana Economic Development. Additional support was provided by Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission.