Louisiana-born artist Donald Boudreaux spent three weeks in South Africa in January 2004 as part of Augusta Savage Gallery’s Arts International Residency Program (AIR). During his time there he visited artists and youth and experienced the challenges and victories of this post-Apartheid nation at such an important time in its history. This exhibit is a way of sharing what the artist learned.
Boudreaux received a BFA from the University of Southwestern Louisiana and has had numerous exhibitions of his work at venues such as the City Hall in Lafayette, Louisiana; the Louisiana Delegation du Quebec; the University of Hartford, CT; the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans; CRTs Craftery Gallery, and many others. He has received awards, honors and honorable mention for his adept handling of a wide range of styles. Working in oil, watercolors, drawing, collage, assemblage, and installations, Boudreaux brings a rich and deep knowledge of materials and approaches to his highly personal and inventive style. Even more impressive is his ability to transform the viewer through his honest and passionate display of inquisitiveness and joy.
Boudreaux was selected and commissioned to participate in Augusta Savage Gallery’s International initiative. About the work he has produced as a result of this trip, Boudreaux says, "When I got to South africa it humbled me. I heard the voices of wisdom spoken from children and adults." Reflecting on this profound experience, he recalls that when he arrived, he began to see a shift in the physical and emotional environments. Sensitive to the relationship between people and place, he ventures deeper: "The people remind me of trees, of their seasons."
Boudreaux uses trees as a metaphor in this show. This metaphor moves him forward in his own understanding as an artist and researcher. Through it, he begins to grapple with the age, vitality, and phenomenal life force that surges through South Africa . He attests to what he senses: What makes this haunting environment beautiful? This is a question of us as well. Boudreaux, like many who have witnessed "The New South Africa," is mesmerized and profoundly impressed by its history and evolution - by the political, social, spiritual, and aesthetic flexibility and durability of this complex nation.
The exhibition places his stark yet vibrant drawings in an unusual setting. With chairs positioned in front of the works and placed throughout the gallery, the viewer may sit and observe what the artist recalls and continues to imagine. In his way, Donald Boudreaux offers us a rare opportunity to experience humility and child-like wonder. He invites us to share the exhilarating sense of awe and respect that he felt during his 21 days in South Africa.
For more information: 413-545-5177
All events are free to the general public.
