Lafayette is now home to the world's largest collection of Edna Hibel's artwork, some of which is on exhibit through June 15 at the Lafayette Art Association & Gallery.
And if you can't make the show before it closes, no worries. It will move to the Lafayette Consolidated Government building on West University Avenue in July.
In the meantime plans are underway to raise funds for a museum to house Hibel's works. It would be the end of a story that began with a friendship between the Florida artist and Lafayette residents Floyd and Priscilla Lebeau.
Edna Hibel was a world renowned artist who lived in Palm Beach, Florida. Her work is on exhibit at the Lafayette Art Association & Gallery through June 15.
The Lebeaus were both collectors of Hibel's works and close friends with the artist, who died Dec. 5, 2014, in Palm Beach, Florida.
Hibel was known for her paintings of people expressing emotions. Her work has been sought by royalty, collected by museums, commissioned by the United Nations and National Archives and honored with a special award by Pope John Paul II.
So, how did this enormous collection of Hibel's work land in Lafayette? Local artist Laura LaHaye said the story begins when Pricilla Lebeau won a trip to the Edna Hibel Museum of Art housed at a university in Palm Beach, which was housing the artist's work at the time.
"This happened many years ago," LaHaye said. "Pricilla put her name in a drawing and won. She was award the trip, and she and Floyd went. They became very, very personal friends with Edna Hibel to the point where they would go to Florida to visit her, and she would visit them in Lafayette. She even treated the Lebeaus' children like they were her grandchildren. It was a very close relationship."
Edna Hibel was a world renowned artist who lived in Palm Beach, Florida. Her work is on exhibit at the Lafayette Art Association & Gallery through June 15.
Meanwhile, the Lebeaus began collecting Hibel's work.
"Years ago, they had her come to Lafayette for an event at the Acadiana Center for the Arts, because so many people in this area had started collecting her work," LaHaye said. "She asked me to sit next to her and help her through the night, and I was like a little groupie. I was just so overwhelmed, because she was one of my favorite artists before I knew anything about her."
LaHaye remembers grabbing two of her own paint brushes before leaving for the event.
"All I wanted was for her to just hold them," she said. "But she ended up autographing them."
After Hibel's death, the university housing the Hibel museum did not renew its lease. Hibel's three sons moved the artwork into the storage building.
"But it was overwhelming for him," LaHaye said. "They could not handle everything, so they called and offered the entire museum collection to Floyd and Priscilla, the couple that had been like family to her. They already had a large collection, and now they have this."
Edna Hibel was a world renowned artist who lived in Palm Beach, Florida. Her work is on exhibit at the Lafayette Art Association & Gallery through June 15.
The Lebeaus want to keep Hibel's work in one collection.
"So, Priscilla saw a picture of me with Edna Hibel, and she called," LaHaye said. "She started taking art classes from me, then she told me that she and Floyd had the whole collection of Edna Hibel's work."
LaHaye told Priscilla that the collection should be displayed in its own museum in Lafayette.
"So, that's the goal — to raise funds for a museum," LaHaye said.
As for the exhibit at the Lafayette Art Association's, 1019 Auburn Ave., a closing reception is planned for 1-3 p. m. Saturday. The reception is free. Tickets for the drawing are $25 for an Edna Hibel lithograph.
The exhibit will move the Lafayette Consolidated Government Building on July 2 at 705 W. University Ave.
To purchase tickets for the drawing, call (337) 269-0363 or visit lafayetteart.org.