A couple of weeks ago my family traveled to northern
Louisiana to visit with some new friends and as luck would have it, there were
opportunities to learn some interesting art history tidbits and take some cool shots.
(Imagine that, I found cool venues for taking pictures).
I also discovered my new favorite adult beverage, a peach
tea slushy, (oh my, best thing ever after touring a plantation!) but I digress.
My friend took me to Melrose Plantation just outside of
Natchitoches, Louisiana. This place is
awesome. We took the tour and heard the history of the plantation, which spans
from French Colonial land grants up through today, and it is now a
well-maintained historic site.
The plantation’s past is filled with stories from the rich
history of Natchitoches Parrish. My favorite segment of the property’s past is
from the early 1900’s when owner Cammie Henry converted the property to function
as a retreat for artists’ where, as a patron, she was part of the “Southern
Renaissance” portion of American art history.
Mrs. Henry hosted many people from varied disciplines mostly writers and
painters. She let them stay for free as
long as they were working and showed her their progress every day at dinner.
This historic setting displays several works by Clementine
Hunter; including Ms. Hunters preserved house. I had heard of her work, but did not expect
to find so much of it here at Melrose. I learned about her incredible story
during our tour. Starting as a cook for
the Henrys and eventually becoming an acclaimed artist, Clementine Hunter’s life
is an inspiration to us all. Ms.
Hunter’s Africa House Murals are on
display here and they are beautiful. They have just been restored, enhancing the
vibrant colors and wonderful textures of her work. The stories behind the images and the artist
are worth the trip here.
It was a wonderful day trip and the area is just full to the
brim with historically significant sites.
The town of Natchitoches is very well known as one of the best small
towns in America, or at least that is what I hear. Right now they are gearing
up for their Christmas festival in the historic district of town. One more plug;
you have to stop at Kaffie-Frederic’s
General Mercantile in Natchitoches, it is an experience.
The photos below were taken at the plantation. Because of
the original artwork in most of the buildings, photography is limited inside
the structures, so I stuck to shooting outside.
