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CWPPRA "I Remember" Art Show Travels to the LSU Hill Memorial Library

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2014

Do you want to read the speech delivered by former U. S. Senator John B. Breaux on the occasion of his introduction of CWPPRA legislation in 1986? Well, you can! You can even see handwritten comments marked in red. This document is part of the Louisiana State University (LSU) Hill Memorial Library that is also the latest location of the CWPPRA "I Remember" Art Exhibit.

LSU Libraries Special Collections will host the traveling exhibition, "I Remember: An Art Show of Environmental Significance," produced by the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) Task Force in partnership with LSU Libraries' T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History. "I Remember" will be on display from March 31 to August 30, 2014, in LSU's Hill Memorial Library.

The exhibition features oral histories, photographs and original art depicting individuals who work, live, and play in Louisiana's coastal wetlands. The exhibit features environmental portraits and landscape photographs by Lane Lefort and oil paintings by Marian Brister Martinez. Both artists are Louisiana natives and have used their artistic talents to capture the culture and heritage of the communities in coastal Louisiana. This interactive art show also includes QR codes that allow visitors to hear the stories of 11 coastal stewards on their smart phones and an interactive kiosk that includes video and audio clips from wetlands steward.

"Everyone's story is important, and every perspective is relevant" says Jennifer Abraham Cramer, Director of the T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History at LSU. "People living in the last century in coastal Louisiana have witnessed ecology and culture on the fault lines of change and by telling their stories, they have much to offer in the way of valuable historical and cultural information that's not found in textbooks." Cramer states that "As older generations pass on, these stories become even more crucial."

Archival materials from LSU Libraries Special Collections will complement "I Remember," and include an octavo edition of John J. Audubon's Birds of America (1840) and close to 100 other items from every major collection within the Hill Memorial Library's holdings. "Special Collections is thrilled to combine forces with CWPPRA for this important, informative, and rich exhibition. Making connections through exhibition of our rich and varied collections allows us to reach new audiences all the time. We welcome this opportunity to share and complement CWPPRA's exhibition at Hill Memorial Library", says Jessica Lacher-Feldman, Head of Special Collections. LSU Libraries Special Collections holds a comprehensive collection of materials related to the history of the Lower Mississippi Valley region, of which wetlands are an integral part. Hosting the CWPPRA traveling exhibition "I Remember" is an opportunity to showcase works from every major collections housed within LSU Libraries Special Collections: Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections (manuscripts and books), University Archives, Rare Book Collection, E. A. McIhenny Natural History Collection, and interviews conducted through the T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History. Books, photographs and documents span two and a half centuries, and represent a variety of formats from original watercolor sketches to DVDs.

"Though the materials on exhibition from Special Collections reflect only a small sample of related collections in our holdings, the diversity of materials here serves as a metaphor for the rich natural and cultural resources that thrive in Louisiana's fertile wetlands," notes Leah Wood Jewett, Exhibitions Coordinator at Hill Memorial Library.

This unique exhibition has something for everyone, and is free and open to the public. The show will remain open for viewing through August 30, 2014. Several events will be planned for the public during the next few months.

For more information on CWPPRA, visit LaCoast.gov.
CWPPRA is federal legislation enacted in 1990 that is designed to identify, prepare, and fund construction of coastal wetlands restoration projects. Since its inception, 151 coastal restoration or protection projects have been authorized, benefiting over 112,000 acres in Louisiana.

To learn more about LSU Libraries Special Collections, visit www.lib.lsu.edu/special.

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For additional CWPPRA information contact Susan Testroet-Bergeron at BergeronS@usgs.gov or call 337-266-8623
or
For additional information about the LSU Hill Memorial Library resources contact Leah Wood Jewett at LWood@lsu.edu or call 225- 578-6558.

Image: Shrimp lugger, c. 1920. From the Colonel Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album, Mss. 4963
Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections, LSU Libraries Special Collections

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