225BatonRouge.com

The list of achievements for the LSU Museum of Art’s first year in the Shaw Center is impressive. In fact, the Vanishing Wetlands exhibition of C.C. Lockwood’s photographs organized by the museum’s small staff is now touring the country, and opening receptions have been well attended. Yet, the museum is still having difficulty finding its place on the Baton Rouge cultural map.

“Have enough people been here? The answer is no,” says Interim Executive Director Laura F. Lindsay.

Adds Education Curator Lara Gautreau, “One challenge is to get people in the door. Once you’ve come, we feel very strongly you’ll come back.”

The admission price ($8 adults, $6 seniors, $5 children 5 to 17, free for children under 5) is comparable to other museums nationally.

As for the misconception LSU completely funds the museum, Lindsay explains, “We have to self-generate to cover our costs to stay in the Shaw Center.” The museum’s collection is all donated, or purchased with donated funds.

Well worth the cost of admission alone is William Beecher: A Fantastic Vision, which runs through July 2 and features a dazzling panorama of the outsider artist’s compulsive, vibrant work. The ongoing Collecting Passions exhibition of the museum’s collection includes work by Diego Rivera, Thomas Gainsborough, maverick printmaker Caroline Durieux and products of the Newcomb pottery school.

The LSU Museum of Art is located on the fourth floor of the Shaw Center in downtown Baton Rouge. Its hours are Tuesday through Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,Thursday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

lsumoa.com.