Permanent Collection | Hilliard Art Museum

Colorful painting of a courtyard with a large green potted plant on a brick surface, a small round water basin, and a white wrought iron fence in the background. Warm tones dominate the floor tiles.

Regionally Rooted. Globally Engaged.

Framed painting of a large tree with hanging moss, surrounded by grass, houses, and people. This peaceful, vibrant scene in shades of green and blue reflects the charm celebrated at local art Lafayette and Lafayette art museum exhibits.

Our Collection

The Hilliard Art Museum’s permanent collection preserves art of cultural and historical significance while providing accessible educational and research opportunities for ULL students, scholars, and the greater Gulf South community. Numbering approximately 3,000 objects, the collection ranges from ancient Egyptian artifacts to vernacular self-taught and internationally recognized contemporary artists.

A person in a white hat sits on a red chair under a large, leafless tree, with a fence and barn in the background; this photo, framed in light wood with a white mat, captures the charm often seen at Hilliard Art Museum exhibitions.

A man in work clothes stands in the doorway of a weathered wooden shed with several large cuts of meat hanging on hooks outside, evoking scenes you might find showcased at Louisiana museums under Hilliard exhibitions. The sky is clear and blue in the background.

Hilliard Permanent Collection Mission

The mission of the Hilliard’s art collection is to establish a high-quality, focused collection of national importance that builds upon the strength of our current holdings of American art from the 1950s to the present, including works by Louisiana-based artists or works pertaining to our Gulf Coast regional history and culture. The museum strives for exhibitions and additions to its collection that provide cultural context for local and regional audiences and foster educational collaborations across the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus.

Oval-framed portrait of a woman in dark 19th-century clothing, seated with a red book in her lap. Perfect for Louisiana museums, it features her center-parted hair and a table with flowers beside her.

The History of the Hilliard Art Museum Collection

The Museum began as a university art exhibition program in 1957 under the direction of University of Southwestern Louisiana Professor of Art, Fred Daspit, when it attracted the attention of W. E. Groves and architect A. Hays Town, who gave the University its first major donations of artwork. Ten years later, thanks to a donation of land by Maurice Heymann, construction began on the Art Center of Southwest Louisiana.

The Center presented exhibitions under the directorship of Frances Love from 1968-1983. Professor Herman Mhire succeeded Love, and under his leadership, the Center received a generous gift from Paul and Lulu Hilliard in 2001 to build a new museum that opened in 2004 adjacent to the original Art Center.

Under Mhire, building a focused collection to be a resource for expanding the art historical discourse was a priority. This legacy continues with the current Executive Director, Molly Rowe, as she expands the Museum and the Collection’s role in regional and global art dialogues.

Collection Highlights

Significant collections within the permanent collection are the Jacqueline Heymann Cohn Japanese Print Collection, Sylvia & Warren Lowe Collection of American Vernacular (folk) Art, Marais Press Collection, Ambassador Jefferson Caffery Collection of Egyptian Artifacts, Andy Warhol Collection, The Louisiana Collection, Henry Botkin Collection, Drawings by Eilshemius, and Print portfolios by Picasso and Dali. Each has a distinctive area of focus and art historical context.

Detailed illustration of a rural farm scene, reminiscent of local art Lafayette, with people working, a horse-drawn cart, children under a tree, and a barn. Stacks of wood and blooming plants add charm to this pastoral setting.

Folk art painting of six women in colorful dresses and hats picking cotton in two rows, set against a pastel sky and framed in wood—a charming scene reminiscent of works featured at the Hilliard Art Museum.

Accessing the Collection

Over 1,200 digital catalogue entries (and growing!) are available in the museum’s online collections database. You can search by keyword, suggested terms, creators, or object for information and artist biographies.

Explore

Colorful crayon drawing of a man in a green suit and purple-striped tie, smoking a cigar. His abstract, rectangular face features bold simplicity. The yellow, textured background evokes the creative energy of local art Lafayette celebrates.

A man in a gray sweater and blue jeans stands with his arms behind his back, leaning against glass doors at the Hilliard Art Museum as sunlight casts shadows across him—a quiet moment at this Lafayette family friendly destination.