Thursday, March 29, 2007

Meadows Museum presents Indochinese clothing and fabrics to accompany the Jean Despujols collection of paintings and sketches

Is there any more graceful garment than the Vietnamese ao dai? Might we argue that some of the world's most appealing and artful clothing, in both cut and texture, comes from South Asia?

No matter our opinions, Meadows Museum's new exhibit of traditional clothing of Southeast Asia - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos - is an enthralling show. It represents a collaboration between the Meadows and Michael Howard, professor of anthropology at Simon Fraser University in Canada. Howard and his Vietnamese wife are field experts dedicated to the collection and preservation of Indochinese culture - with a focus on textiles.

Shreveporters have access to special insights in several fields, based on local resources. We know from the oil field, hill country cooking and blue-eyed soul music, among several fields. I guess we might include thoroughbred racing and, recently, the movie industry.
Crazily, we might also be experts in Southeast Asia based on the Meadows collection of over 300 paintings of Indochina made by Despujols in the 1930's.

Louisiana Collects: The Meadows Museum of Art and the Odyssey of Jean Despujols Begin. Through June 24.

Meadows: Noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
Noon to 5 p.m. Thursday.
1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
(318) 869-5040 for more information.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I love the Meadows Museum. Hi Diane & Kathy!