Angela Gregory: The Allen Monument

• Location: Dameron Gallery
• Admission: Normal Rates

Angela Gregory: The Allen Monument is the fourth exhibition in a series focused on Louisiana artist Angela Gregory. The series marks the most comprehensive look at the artist’s art and life to date. Angela Gregory (1903-1990) was the first woman sculptor in Louisiana to achieve international recognition. She is best known for her many architectural commissions made for important buildings such as the Louisiana State Capitol, and for her three public monuments, one of them the Henry Watkins Allen Monument in Port Allen. Probing the story behind the Allen Monument’s creation, this exhibition includes artworks, artifacts, and memorabilia selected from public and private collections that offer insight into Port Allen’s history and place this work of art within the context of Gregory’s artistic legacy, as well as the legacy of the Civil War. Installed in 1962, the monument was initiated by a local committee in response to the American Civil War Centennial held throughout the nation. The monument depicts a likeness of Henry Watkins Allen (1820-1866), Port Allen’s namesake and Louisiana’s second and last Confederate governor. Allen was also a Confederate officer and slave owner in West Baton Rouge Parish. The exhibit and associated programming will reflect on the meaning of the Allen Monument for the descendants of the enslaved population of Allen’s Plantation, Allendale, many of whom still reside in West Baton Rouge Parish.