|
|
|
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
|
|
WHEREAS, Celebrated artist George Rodrigue has given most |
|
generously of his time and talent to assist recovery efforts after |
|
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; and |
|
WHEREAS, A native of New Iberia, the heart of Cajun country, |
|
Mr. Rodrigue started painting and sculpting as a child; he studied |
|
art at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and later the Art |
|
Center College of Design in Los Angeles; returning to Louisiana in |
|
1967, he painted canvasses imbued with his love for the landscapes, |
|
people, legends, and motifs of Acadiana; his work was exhibited in |
|
London and Paris and was chosen by the U.S. State Department as an |
|
official gift for visiting heads of state; and |
|
WHEREAS, In 1984, Mr. Rodrigue was commissioned to illustrate |
|
a book of Cajun ghost stories; inspired by the image of a beloved |
|
pet, a spaniel-terrier mix, he painted his vision of the mythical |
|
loup-garou; the appealing Blue Dog, with its pointy ears and |
|
enigmatic gaze, continued to find its way into his paintings of live |
|
oak trees, cemeteries, and myriad other settings over the years, |
|
achieving iconic status and bringing him international fame; and |
|
WHEREAS, In recent years, Mr. Rodrigue has gained renown for |
|
his philanthropy as well as his art; he raised half a million |
|
dollars for the American Red Cross after September 11, 2001, |
|
through sales of prints from his painting "God Bless America"; he |
|
has supported numerous Louisiana arts groups and in 2003, he |
|
conducted a weeklong workshop for children from around the world at |
|
the National Mall in Washington, D.C.; his print incorporating the |
|
children's artwork and the Blue Dog raised $400,000 for the |
|
International Child Arts Festival; and |
|
WHEREAS, This civic-minded artist sprang into action with his |
|
Blue Dog Relief effort following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in |
|
2005; he created a series of prints that raised more than $1.5 |
|
million for such organizations as the Chef Paul Prudhomme Katrina |
|
Fund, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, and the Southeast |
|
Louisiana chapters of the Red Cross and the United Way; moreover, he |
|
painted a special Blue Dog entangled in red tape for the United |
|
Way's nationwide campaign to improve access to crisis aid through a |
|
consistent three-digit 2-1-1 dialing system; and |
|
WHEREAS, Launching his own campaign for levees capable of |
|
withstanding Category 5 hurricanes, Mr. Rodrigue sent posters, |
|
bumper stickers, t-shirts, and buttons with the slogan "To Stay |
|
Alive We Need Levee 5" to every member of the U.S. Congress; |
|
proceeds from related silkscreen prints and campaign materials have |
|
been donated to the New Orleans Museum of Art, which was closed for |
|
six months because of flood damage; overall, his Blue Dog Relief |
|
program has raised some $2.5 million for Gulf Coast recovery; and |
|
WHEREAS, The Blue Dog has long been a pop art sensation; |
|
through his tireless dedication to hurricane relief efforts, George |
|
Rodrigue has made the Blue Dog a symbol of hope, caring, and |
|
generosity as well; now, therefore, be it |
|
RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas |
|
hereby commend George Rodrigue for his philanthropic work following |
|
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and extend to him best wishes for |
|
continued success in his endeavors; and, be it further |
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
prepared for Mr. Rodrigue as an expression of high regard by the |
|
Texas House of Representatives and Senate. |