Wendy Rodrigue finished up her “Life and Legacy” tour Monday morning in New Iberia, educating Epiphany Day School’s young students about the life of New Iberia’s greatest artist. 

The tour is similar to the one Rodrigue and the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts conducted in the fall of 2017.

For this tour, she traveled to the St. Helena, Youngsville, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, St. Francisville and New Iberia, going to schools and teaching students about the life and legacy. of her husband, the late George Rodrigue. 

“This is part of their legacy tour to basically teach about aspects of George’s life and connect with the students of the schools that are accredited by his foundation,” admissions and development coordinator for EDS Sabrina Beach said. 

The tour is part of the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts’ overall mission of encouraging Louisiana schools to support the arts. Each school that was visited, including EDS, is a Louisiana A-plus school and accredited the foundation. 

Wendy Rodrigue talked to several highly engaged students about George Rodrigue’s work Monday, and brought some sample paintings of his to introduce the younger students to the various techniques he used in his paintings. 

“George and I visited a lot of schools together, engaging with students through art demonstrations and discussions,” Wendy Rodrigue said. “He left a lasting gift to the world through his tangible expressions in paint, print, sculpture and words of his luminous and unprecedented ideas.”

George Rodrigue, an internationally-acclaimed artist famous for his Blue Dog paintings, died in late 2013. The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts has regularly worked in New Iberia since then, particularly with the Bayou Teche Museum. 

Wendy Rodrigue and the foundation also donated a print of Rodrigue to EDS. The portrait is based off a picture Wendy Rodrigue said she took of George. 

“It’s his last self-portrait and I found it on his laptop on a to do file,” Rodrigue said. 

“He gave instructions on what to do with it, what paper and ink to use. We added words down below to inspire the kids and let them know about his philanthropic legacy as well.”