Blue Dog art makes its way to St. Martin Middle School

ST. MARTIN, Miss. (WLOX) - Legacy of Life Foundation founder Wendy Rodrigue is traveling the country. She calls it a journey to share the arts within schools.

“Breaking down the intimidation that can oftentimes be associated with what we call fine art in museums and things like that,” Rodrigue said. “Many of the students I see don’t get into museums. Now they’re seeing museum quality art and they are learning what they have to bring to the table.”

Rodrigue presented at St. Martin Middle School Thursday afternoon, showing Blue Dog art and teaching about her late husband, George Rodrigue. In the mid-1990s, his Blue Dog paintings based on a Cajun legend, catapulted him to worldwide fame.

“People would walk in the gallery and tell me that they knew about Blue Dog,” Rodrigue said. “I would tell them his name. I want them to know his name. I want them to know now where he’s from, who he is, and what inspired him.”

To commemorate the Artemis Mission to the Moon, the art, gifted, and life skills students sent Blue Dog into outer space, forming an art exhibit created by students. That falls in line with her mission to promote art in schools.

“Since establishing this in 2017, today is school number 123 in eight states. I am close to 60,000 children now.”

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