Wendy Rodrigue’s passion for art history delivered her to George Rodrigue’s French Quarter gallery in 1991, and as fate would have it, she began a lifetime with world-renowned artist George Rodrigue (1944-2013). The couple married in 1997. Wendy partnered with Rodrigue on the development of his career, including his galleries, museum exhibitions, a dozen books on his art, and education outreach within schools.
Originally from Florida, Wendy studied Art History at Trinity University in San Antonio, followed by the American University in Vienna, Austria, and graduate school at Tulane University.
After managing Rodrigue’s galleries for 28 years, including New Orleans, Carmel, California, and Munich, Germany, Wendy turned full time to non-profit work focused on the arts in education, as well as the personal and artistic legacy of George Rodrigue. Through her Life & Legacy Foundation, she embarks bi-annually on coast-to-coast tours and has personally delivered some 800 presentations. Wendy shares original Rodrigue paintings from her private collection, blending intimate installations with the art of storytelling.
Since 2017, Wendy and her team have produced 22 Rodrigue museum exhibitions in eight states.
“In 2017 I established the Life & Legacy Foundation because I believe, as did George Rodrigue, in the importance of active, in person engagement through storytelling and the arts. This interaction nurtures creative thinking, promotes honest dialogue, encourages respect for diverse opinions, and establishes imagination as the key to it all.”
Today, when not on the road for Life & Legacy, Wendy lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with her current husband, Douglas Magnus, also an artist, and a longtime friend to George Rodrigue.
Visit www.rodriguelegacy.org
