Last week during ArtExpo, the Children’s Museum of Acadiana officially unveiled its new mural — a more than 5,000-square-foot work that may now be the largest mural in Lafayette.
For CMA Executive Director Lore Linton, this moment had been a long time coming. She had dreamed of activating that massive wall since her early days working in the museum, well before she ran the place. With the museum’s 30th anniversary approaching, the timing felt right to create something bold and joyful in celebration of the hundreds of thousands of children who have experienced wonder inside its walls.
For many of those children, CMA offers a first glimpse of what it feels like to move through the world independently, whether that means buying groceries, using hand tools, or stepping into imaginative versions of everyday life. It also celebrates the kind of simple magic kids never really outgrow — including, arguably, the museum’s greatest attraction: giant bubbles.
That spirit of curiosity, imagination, and play became the foundation of Dirk Guidry’s mural design.
Inspired by CMA’s and Downtown Lafayette’s shared commitment to creating accessible, family-friendly spaces, the mural was envisioned as a reflection of the museum’s mission to inspire curiosity and learning. At the same time, it would serve as a reminder of the role public art plays in shaping places that feel vibrant, welcoming, and distinctly local.
Through a public call, artists from across Louisiana were invited to submit designs that celebrated both the unique character of Acadiana and the limitless imagination of its children.
Ultimately, it was Dirk’s proposal, playful, energetic, and full of childlike wonder, that won over the selection committee. Using bubbles as a visual anchor, he created a design that captures movement, joy, and imagination while staying true to the recognizable visual language seen throughout much of his public art practice.
A public art project of this scale demands more than a strong concept. It requires an artist with both creative vision and the ability to execute something ambitious. While the finalist pool included artists from across the state, Dirk’s deep connection to this community made him the right fit for the work.
If you’d like to learn more about the artist selection process, you can read more here: https://acadianacenterforthearts.org/progress-report-childrens-museum-of-acadiana-mural-project/
Dirk grew up ‘down the bayou’ in Galliano, Louisiana, where his artistic interests were nurtured through summer camps and creative programs from an early age. He moved to Lafayette in 2005 to pursue an art degree at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and has been living and working here ever since.
Like many artists, Dirk spent time carving out a sustainable creative path after college. Programs like AcA’s ArtSpark Grant helped support that journey, giving him the opportunity to work with Opportunity Machine and strengthen the business side of his practice.
That kind of support matters – especially when an artist is asked to take on a wall this size.
Public art at this scale requires serious coordination, labor, and trust. The artist fee for this project allowed Dirk to hire a team of local artists to help bring the mural to life through every phase of the process.
That team included Marie Kimball, Sam Wróbel, Lex R. Thomas, Emma Sonnier, Justin Robinson, Brittney Pelloquin, Lindsay Jenneman, and Jade Deshotels. Dirk also worked with art consultant Paige Krause to help manage project logistics and scheduling.
Some of the mural’s most endearing details were also inspired by young artists visiting the museum. Their contributions make the piece feel even more rooted in the children and families it was created to serve, a reminder that this mural is not only for the community, but in many ways by it too.
There is so much more to this project than paint on a wall.
This mural was the result of a shared vision between CMA and Downtown Lafayette, both of whom continue to invest in making downtown a place where families and community life can thrive. As the regional arts council, AcA was proud to help steward the project, and the City of Lafayette’s longstanding support for public art helped make this kind of investment possible.
What made the project especially meaningful, though, was the number of local partners who stepped in to support the artists behind the scenes.
Local businesses and individuals including Ton’s Downtown, Jones Walker, Basin Arts, Chase Tower, Techneaux Technologies, Blaze Petersen, Gregory Walls, Kim Guidry, Amis Grocery, Mahtook & LaFleur, Petroleum Club, Blake Lagneaux, brandRUSSO, and Magnolia Art Collective took turns helping feed the mural team throughout the installation process.
Trinity Rentals provided the machinery needed to get the team safely to the top of the 35-foot façade, and the wall itself was brought to life with paint supplied by Doug Ashy.
That kind of support is what turns a mural into a true community project.
Unveiling the mural during ArtExpo, the largest public display of student artwork in the region, felt fitting, maybe even written in the stars (or, more appropriately, in the bubbles).
The event was emceed by high school junior Zhoriel Tapo and opened with a performance by a 79-piece student band made up of musicians from Charles Burke, Ridge, and Broadmoor Elementary schools.
Remarks were shared by Dirk Guidry, AcA’s Sam Oliver, Downtown Lafayette Unlimited’s Kevin Blanchard, and Lore Linton. The program concluded with a birthday wish for CMA’s 30th year and a Youth Arts Month proclamation delivered by Lafayette Consolidated Government Chief of Staff Christina Dayries, followed by a bubble-inspired dance performance choreographed by Basin Arts’ Clare Cook.
It was a celebration not just of a mural, but of the creative energy that surrounds CMA every day.
There’s something especially moving about imagining what this mural might mean to the young people who visit the museum – especially those who can see themselves reflected in the faces on the wall, or even recognize design details inspired by their own ideas.
That’s part of why public art matters.
It creates a sense of place. It makes cultural institutions like CMA more visible and more welcoming. It reflects who we are, what we value, and what kind of community we are trying to build. It gives people a reason to gather, a point of pride, and in this case, a new visual landmark in one of the most highly trafficked areas of downtown Lafayette.
It also creates real economic opportunities for artists. Artwork is work afterall, and projects like this support not only a finished piece, but the many hands, skills, and hours required to make it happen.
Art made all of this possible. It brought people together, created memories, celebrated culture, and transformed a public wall into a shared experience.
Projects like this feel deeply connected to the heart of community engagement work: bringing people together, creating opportunities for artists, and making visible the role creativity plays in everyday life.
To everyone who helped bring this mural to life — thank you.
This is what public art is all about.
