In 2009, Blue Dog artist George Rodrigue (1944-2013) and his family founded the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA) with a goal of giving back to Louisiana’s children, and helping them succeed through the arts. GRFA advocates for the use of the arts within all curriculums, and supports a variety of art educational programs to support Louisiana’s youth, and fellow non-profit organizations.
The GRFA Print Donation Program helps other non-profits raise money towards their missions through the use of Rodrigue Estate prints for event auctions and raffles. Stop by our table at Culture Collision 11 or check out our website to learn more about how you can secure a Rodrigue print for your non-profit’s next event!
Another one of our major programs is our Annual Scholarship Art Contest, which awards college scholarships to high school juniors and seniors selected through an open submission process. This year we have an exciting new partnership and component to our Annual Art Contest which will open up our contest to musical artists, as well as visual artists. Keep an eye out for a special announcement coming in mid-September!
GRFA also supports a program that awards art supply kits to schools statewide called George’s Art Closet. Any school is eligible to apply to win $1,000 worth of art supplies! Two kits are awarded each month.
GRFA is also proud to be one of the major supporters for Louisiana A+ Schools (LAA+). LAA+ started as a major program of GRFA and is now its own 501(c)3 non-profit organization. LAA+ provides training to teachers using arts integration, which is proven to lead to student success in all subjects. In only 6 years, LAA+ has trained over 800 teachers in 24 schools statewide. These teachers impact the lives of over 12,000 students every day.