Teachers' Institute

Registration is now open for West Baton Rouge Museum’s annual Teachers’ Institute set for July 17th through 19th, 2023. This year’s three-day summer professional development series is based on the life and work of Louisiana native George Rodrigue, a world-renowned artist most known for his portraits of prominent people from Louisiana history, his landscapes of southwest Louisiana, which often feature moss-draped live oaks, and the emblematic Blue Dog, a ghostly character that appears in a variety of settings. Among his many honors, Rodrigue received a gold medal from the Academy of Literature, Arts, and Science in Rome, won a prestigious Honorable Mention from le Salon des Artistes in Paris, and was commissioned to paint U.S. presidents Ronald Regan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. 

This year’s Teachers’ Institute is designed to coincide with the exhibit, The River is the Road: Paintings by George Rodrigue, which will be on display at the West Baton Rouge Museum from June 17th through October 29th, 2023. This exhibit traces 45 years of the river in Rodrigue’s painting, exploring the unique ways Rodrigue used the river as a reference to his culture and ultimately as a metaphor for the journey of life. 

Rodrigue was born in 1944 in New Iberia, in the heart of “Cajun Country.” From the beginning of his career, Rodrigue sought to portray the things he loved most - southwest Louisiana’s land, people, and traditions. Learn how George Rodrigue’s childhood, steeped in local heritage, shaped his artistic vision; learn how his study of art at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette led him to interpret this heritage; and learn how his Blue Dog, which was based on a traditional Louisiana legend, became a pop icon and catapulted Rodrigue to the forefront of the regional art movement.   

The 2023 Teachers’ Institute will submerge participants in a river of inspiration, with a focus on how George Rodrigue’s art can be used in the classroom to connect a wide range of subjects. We will explore his pioneering endeavors to interpret his culture through painting. Planned events include scholarly lectures, studio time to experiment with painting and visual art, interactive group activities, and even a field trip! Teachers’ Institute will culminate with lab time for the creation of classroom lesson plans.

Teachers’ Institute is open to in-service K-12 teachers across all subject areas. The museum has offered this professional development program since 2007. Participants will produce a theme-based lesson with the help of museum staff and special guests for use in their classrooms for presentation before departure on the last day. Participants will also receive classroom resource materials, a certificate of participation, and a $100 stipend upon completion of all institute activities and assignments. Daily lunches are provided.

Teachers’ Institute is sponsored in part by the West Baton Rouge Historical Association and the West Baton Rouge Parish School Board.