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Regular Session, 2012
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 80
BY REPRESENTATIVES BROSSETT, BADON, BARROW, WESLEY BI SHOP, DIXON,
LEGER, MORENO, NORTON, AND SMITH AND SENATORS MORRELL,
MURRAY, AND PETERSON
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To express sincere and heartfelt condolences upon the death of Elizabeth Catlett, the former
chair of the art department at Dillard University in New Orleans and an
internationally renowned artist.
WHEREAS, it is with deep regret and profound sorrow that the members of the
Legislature of Louisiana have learned of the death of Elizabeth Catlett on Monday, February
27, 2012, at the age of ninety-six; and
WHEREAS, born on April 15, 1915, in Washington, D.C., Elizabeth Catlett
graduated cum laude from Howard University in 1935 and earned a master of fine arts
degree from the University of Iowa; and
WHEREAS, after graduate school, Ms. Catlett moved to New Orleans, where she
became the chair of the art department at Dillard University in 1940 and resided in the
French Quarter; and
WHEREAS, after leaving New Orleans in 1942, Ms. Catlett spent several years
teaching in New York, and in 1945, she moved to Mexico, where she lived for the remainder
of her life as an extraordinary teacher and artist; and
WHEREAS, though she only lived in New Orleans for a short time, Ms. Catlett had
a long and lasting impact on the city; in 1975, she was commissioned to design the ten-foot-
tall bronze statue of Louis Armstrong for Armstrong Park, in 2000, she designed the Congo
Square poster for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and in 2010, her sculpture of
Mahalia Jackson was inaugurated in Treme, not far from her Armstrong sculpture; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Catlett is beloved for her art not only in New Orleans but
throughout Louisiana, the United States, and the world, where her work is exhibited from
New York and Atlanta to Mexico City and Prague; and ENROLLEDHCR NO. 80
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WHEREAS, Ms. Catlett's work will remain an inspiration for its unique exploration
of the African American experience and the struggle for civil rights; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Catlett was preceded in death by her husband, Francisco Mora, and
is survived by three sons, Francisco, Juan, and David Mora Catlett, ten grandchildren, and
six great-grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, although the death of Elizabeth Catlett has created a tremendous void,
her legacy shall continue to be a source of deep pride for all who knew and loved her,
including the people of New Orleans, who will forever cherish the indelible mark she left
on the Crescent City.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
express sincere and heartfelt condolences upon the death of Elizabeth Catlett, the former
chair of the art department at Dillard University in New Orleans and an internationally
renowned artist, and does hereby recognize and record for posterity the special place she
holds in the annals of art history in the city of New Orleans and throughout the world.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to the family of Elizabeth Catlett.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE