TERREBONNE PARISH, La. — Efforts to repair the Chauvin Sculpture Garden, a local landmark damaged by Hurricane Ida, are getting a boost.
Houma Today reported on Thursday, that Nicholls State University in Lafourche Parish received a $75,000 grant from Ruth Arts a philanthropic group based in Wisconsin. The sculpture garden is in Terrebonne Parish and artists from Nicholls had been involved in fixing the extensive damage there since Hurricane Ida hit the community there in August 2021.
The situation at the garden was exacerbated in July when three statues were vandalized and an art piece was stolen.
Gary LaFleur, a professor at Nicholls involved in the effort to restore the artwork, praised the grant in a release. The sculptures of angels and self-portraits were constructed by artist Kenny Hill throughout the 1990s and before he reportedly disappeared in 2000.
“This generous donation is a fervent reminder that Nicholls has an international reputation for helping rescue, restore and maintain the world-renown visionary art of Kenny Hill that can be viewed at the Chauvin Sculpture Garden," LaFleur said. "The Chauvin Sculpture Garden has helped to put Nicholls on the map within Louisiana, across the nation and across the globe as a university that is committed to conservation and interpretation of visionary folk art.”
The Chauvin Sculpture Garden is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on every day of the week except Saturday.
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