A piece of Louisiana folk art history is making its way to Edmond. An eight-foot-tall Blue Dog sculpture by the late artist George Rodrigue, titled Together We Stand, is set to become part of the growing collection at Uncommon Ground Sculpture Park, and Rodrigue’s widow traveled to Oklahoma to introduce it herself.
According to News 9, Wendy Rodrigue Magnus visited Edmond to share her late husband’s story and introduce the sculpture, which is described as one of six original Blue Dog sculptures George Rodrigue ever created. The piece will join the collection at Uncommon Ground, a 62-acre park under construction near Second Street and Coltrane Road, which News 9 reports is located near the corner of those two Edmond streets.
Before the sculpture’s arrival, Magnus made a stop that had nothing to do with ribbon-cutting ceremonies or fundraising goals. She spoke to third graders at Chisholm Elementary School in Edmond about George Rodrigue’s life, his artistic journey, and the challenges he overcame, per the station’s report. Chisholm Elementary teachers said students were captivated by her presentation, the outlet noted.
A Painter Who Overcame Polio and Cancer
George Rodrigue, who created the Blue Dog sculpture series that made him internationally known, overcame both polio and cancer before his death, according to the same account. Magnus quoted her husband as once saying, “In art, the more personal you are, the better you become,” a philosophy she has carried forward since his passing…