INTERIM DIRECTOR'S LETTER

The end of the fiscal year represents a particularly energetic and exciting time of the year. It is a time to both reflect on our recent accomplishments and anticipate new beginnings.

Kristin Sosnowsky

This year the LSU MOA celebrated the 10th anniversary of one of our most important community-based programs, the Neighborhood Arts Project (NAP). Started in 2012, NAP provides on-site arts programming in libraries, community centers and places of worship serving youth and families specifically focused on areas of our community where art education may be inaccessible. Under the direction of our new Museum Educator Brandon V. Lewis, this summer NAP conducted 25 sessions at 12 different sites across the Baton Rouge region serving over 700 youth who created well over 2,000 pieces of art. Recognizing the impact of NAP, the Mayor-President’s Office invited the MOA as a partner in the Summer of Hope initiative led by Safe Hopeful Healthy Baton Rouge. These programs are designed to foster artmaking in the community and provide an outlet for creative expression.

As you will read in this annual report, the museum had a slate of exhibitions and engaging programs. There were impactful collaborations with the LSU School of Art including The Boneyard: The Ceramics Teaching Collection featuring works from the LSU School of Art's Ceramics Department, and Candice Lin: The Agnotology of Tigers in which LSU art students created alongside renowned visiting artist Candice Lin. LSU MOA also had State of the Art 2020: Record organized by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas travel to Baton Rouge, LA and Eugene Martin: The Creative Act displaying works from the museum's permanent collection. Throughout the 2021–2022 year, many acquisitions expanded the collection, specifically ceramics donated by E. John Bullard, which will be a valuable teaching resource as part of the museum's mission. Representing both historical and contemporary viewpoints, these exhibitions demonstrate the museum's commitment to serving as a cultural and intellectual resource both reflecting on our past while inviting dialogue around important social issues. As you are looking forward, I hope you set aside time to visit the LSU Museum of Art regularly.

Finally, LSU Museum of Art Executive Director Daniel Stetson retired this July after leading the organization for over six years. I hope you will join me in thanking Daniel for his dedicated service to the LSU Museum of Art and wishing him well in this new chapter of his life. I feel privileged to serve the LSU Museum of Art as the Interim Director during this period of transition and look forward to seeing you in the galleries.

MISSION

The LSU Museum of Art seeks to enrich and inspire through collections, exhibitions, conservation, and education serving as a cultural and intellectual resource for the University, Baton Rouge, and beyond.