New Exhibit Highlights Artistic Interpretations of Prehistoric American Indian Sites in Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, La (press release) – The Louisiana Office of Cultural Development’s Division of Archaeology, Louisiana State Parks, and the Louisiana State Museum’s Capitol Park Museum announce the opening of the new exhibit – Portraying the Past: Perspectives on American Indian Mounds in Louisiana. Louisiana has hundreds of American Indian mounds, including the oldest mounds in North America. Some mounds were built for ceremonial purposes, others for burying the dead, but many were built for reasons not yet known. This exhibit showcases artistic renderings of ten American Indian Mound sites across the state.

The artists featured in the exhibit include:

• Jon Gibson: A retired archaeologist from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
• Martin Pate: An artist specializing in the portrayal of the past. His works have been commissioned by the National Park Service, the Louisiana Division of Archaeology, and others.
• Steve Patricia: An artist, architect, and historian who focuses on the aesthetic and visualization of historic and architectural subjects.
• Herb Roe: An artist working in both traditional and digital media. He has pursued a variety of subjects including depictions of archaeological sites and cultural events.

The exhibit will remain open through January 2023. The Capitol Park Museum is open Tuesdays-Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission prices are $7.00 for adults and $6.00 for students, senior citizens, and active military. Children six and under are free.

For more information about the museum, visit the Capitol Park Museum webpage. You can also visit the Louisiana Division of Archaeology webpage to explore more educational and interactive exhibits offered.