The Hilliard Art Museum announced today a gala to honor Herman Mhire, Founding Director of the Hilliard Art Museum. Funds raised from the evening will support education and expansion initiatives at the HIlliard. The event titled, A Night to Honor Herman Mhire, will take place on Thursday, October 24, 2024. The gala will also include the premier of the special exhibition, “RODIN: TOWARDS MODERNITY”, curated by Herman Mhire and organized to commemorate the Hilliard Art Museum’s 20th Anniversary.
“This will be a magical night twenty years in the making. I am proud to be a part of this moment in the history of the Hilliard Art Museum, says Museum Interim Director and Curator Ben Hickey.”
A native of Lafayette, Louisiana, Herman Mhire joined the faculty of the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Louisiana Lafayette in 1977 where he taught courses in drawing, basic design, printmaking, art history and arts administration. He served as Curator of the College of the Arts Fine Arts Gallery until 1983 when he was appointed Director of the University Art Museum.
In 2001, Mhire secured a lead gift of $5 million from Paul and Lulu Hilliard to build the $8.5 million Hilliard Art Museum which opened in 2004. He collaborated with the Eskew+Dumez+Ripple architectural firm of New Orleans on the design of the new Hilliard Art Museum which received numerous state and regional design awards and the 2005 American Institute of Architects National Honor Award. Mhire has received multiple honors from the University including Distinguished Professor, Lifetime Achievement Award, and Professor Emeritus.
Mhire has been a practicing visual artist for more than 50 years and has exhibited his studio work regionally and nationally. He is the Founding President of Festival International de Louisiane, the largest annual international music festival in the United States with an attendance of 300,000 and an economic impact of $49 million annually. In 2005, the Minister of Culture of France named Herman a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters.
DATE: Thursday, October 24, 2024
TIME: 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.
LOCATION: 710 East St. Mary Blvd., Lafayette, LA 70503
DETAILS: Tickets to the cocktail reception, seated dinner, exhibit preview and symposium are $500. Purchase tickets via Eventbrite or call 337-482-0817. For more information, including additional sponsorship opportunities, contact Ben Hickey at benjamin.hickey@louisiana.edu.
Museum Hours, Admission & General Information
The Hilliard Art Museum is located at 710 E. Saint Mary Blvd. on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Museum hours are Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday. For general information, please visit HillliardMuseum.org or call 337-482-2278.
About the Hilliard Art Museum
Our Museum is a bridge. Our Museum is a catalyst. Our Museum is for everyone. We connect art and education, our university and our community, generations, heritage and cultures. The Hilliard Art Museum-University of Louisiana at Lafayette is not just a place to look at art. It is a place where visitors are encouraged to truly see art. It is a place of learning, where students sketch in the galleries and artists talk about their work. It is a destination for families, where kids express their own creativity through hands-on activities. And it is a resource for academic research and observation. Museum experiences build skills that extend into every aspect of life. Viewing art promotes dialogue and understanding between individuals, among families, and throughout our community. Art makes life richer and better for everyone.
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