Art of the People: Public Art in Lafayette, Louisiana

Art of the People: Public Art in Lafayette, LouisianaLafayette, Louisiana routinely makes larger than life headlines. The award winning cuisine wins constant praise and earns top rankings in national publications. The city is home to several Grammy winning musicians and its rich music scene is both diverse and evolving yet rooted in centuries old tradition. Art of the People, explores Lafayette's famous culture from a different perspective . . . through its public art. For decades a number of renowned

Lafayette, Louisiana routinely makes larger-than-life headlines.The award-winning cuisine wins constant praise and earns top rankings in national publications. The city is home to several Grammy-winning musicians and

its rich music scene is both diverse and evolving yet rooted in centuries-old tradition. Art of the People, explores Lafayette's famous culture from a different perspective . . . through its public art.

For decades a number of renowned visual artists have found inspiration here and left their mark in a variety of ways. Sometimes hidden, sometimes hidden in plain view, Lafayette's public artwork makes a physical statement about the history of a people and their ever-alluring energy. From murals to sculpture to moving water, artists continue to blend re ections of the past into expressions of a future destined for constant enjoyment of life at its essence.

Through vivid photos and rich back stories, Art of the People provides a visual tour of public art expressed by this town once dubbed the "Happiest City in America." It connects you with the unlikely mingling of cultures that created a perfect recipe of passion and camaraderie often referred to as "Joie de Vivre" (literally "Joy of Life"). It's a snapshot of an ongoing tale about cultures and inspiration mixed like no other -- in a city where people simply expect everyday life to be colorful, vibrant and fun.