Francis Pavy is a visual narrator of South Louisiana’s vibrant culture. The selected works in “200: Art Inspired by 200 Years of Louisiana Statehood” are not historical representations; rather, they are all new pieces inspired by events, people and themes that have figured in the history of Louisiana.

The common element weaving these various strands together is the Mississippi River. Water, whether going with the current or against it, has been crucial to the story of Louisiana and provides the central theme of Pavy’s series. One of his inspirations for the collection is the historical figure Captain Shreve, namesake of Shreveport, who led the effort to break up the massive Red Raft logjam in the 1830s. Pavy’s painting “Red Raft” features layered and stacked images of logs, water and nautical motifs, and is his visualization of the imagery that Shreve’s story brings to mind.