This year's official visual artist for Festival International de Louisiane was unveiled Sunday, along with the music lineup for the event, including headliner Lauren Daigle.
As the chosen artist, Lafayette artist Lu Wixon created the official artwork, including pin and poster, to represent the festival this year.
“We have seen Lu Wixon’s paintings over the years and have always been fans.” festival officials said. “This is a great opportunity to showcase an artist that loves, understands and appreciates Festival International’s uniqueness."
Wixon grew up in Lafayette and earned a bachelor's in fine arts from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. After graduation, she spent two years in Trinidad, West Indies, where the landscape and experiences became a lifelong inspiration, according to a statement from festival organizers. After moving to South Carolina with her family, Wixon taught art to 600 elementary students weekly for 27 years in the Greenville County school district, while continuing to paint and exhibit. Her art has been shown in both one-person and group shows in Louisiana, the Carolinas, and Germany.
Wixon has been attending Festival International for 35 years, creating memories that she has built her life around, according to the festival statement. She spent her honeymoon at Festival, she later brought her babies to enjoy the music, and her family continues to celebrate the annual event decades later.
“As a visual artist, the colors and vibrancy of Festival have been inspirational and are represented in many of my paintings.” Wixon said. “The elaborate outfits, the dynamic movements, and the unique instruments of the performers are a constant source of visual ideas. Being chosen as this year’s Festival artist is truly a dream come true for me. There is no greater professional honor than to be a representative of this magical Festival, which has shaped my life and work.”
A partial documentation of Wixon’s body of work can be seen at .
