Tides, Time, and Terrain: Floyd Sonnier and the Evolving Cultural Landscape

Floyd Sonnier was a well-known Cajun artist whose work serves as a visual archive of Louisiana's cultural heritage. Sonnier is celebrated for his memory-steeped representations of life in Acadiana. Meticulously rendered in pen and ink, Sonnier’s intricate linework and masterful detail chronicle the lives of everyday people, the rhythms of industry, the steadfastness of faith, and the beauty (and challenges) of landscape. His artwork serves as a visual archive, preserving moments that reveal the character of a region perpetually shaped by the forces of tides, time, and terrain.  

Tides, Time, and Terrain: Floyd Sonnier and the Evolving Cultural Landscape marks the first time in over a decade that the Hilliard presents a show dedicated to its permanent collection. This milestone exhibition pairs Sonnier’s timeless imagery with works by regional artists such as Debbie Fleming Caffery, Tina Girouard, Elemore Morgan Jr. and Sr, Francis Pavy, Keith Sonnier, James "Son Ford" Thomas, George Rodrigue, and Leo Touchet. By engaging our regional artists through a permanent collection exhibition, we honor Louisiana’s artistic legacy and foster a deeper connection between historical and contemporary perspectives. These juxtapositions create a dialogue between past and present, highlighting the ways Louisiana’s culture and traditions have both transformed and endured—a living heritage that adapts while maintaining its defining character across generations. 

Experience Louisiana's industries captured in Sonnier’s drawings, now reimagined in modern photographs and artworks. Scenes of faith, once portrayed in quiet moments of devotion, echoed in contemporary expressions of spirituality and community gathering. The landscapes Sonnier so lovingly detailed—fields, bayous, and cypress-kissed horizons—are presented alongside contemporary depictions of the Acadiana terrain. 

From shared meals that transcend generations to lively moments of entertainment that define joie de vivre, Tides, Time, and Terrain invites viewers to reflect on Louisiana’s capacity to endure, adapt, and thrive. Floyd Sonnier’s legacy reminds us that while tides may rise and fall, time may press forward, and terrain may shift, the spirit of Louisiana endures. 

- Misty T. Pride, collections and exhibitions manager 

Artists Featured:

David Alpha, Debbie Fleming Caffery, Warington Colescott, Linda Dautreuil, Dwight David, Adrian Deckbar, Lynda Frese, Tina Girouard, Philip Gould, Brian Guidry, Chestee Harrington, Knute Heldner, Emily Huger, Clementine Hunter, M. C. “5 Cent” Jones, Jules Lion, Ben Earl Looney, A. J. Meek, Elemore Morgan Jr., Elemore Morgan, Sr., Gerard Murrell, Christopher Pavlik, Francis Pavy, Ray “Rocky” Perkins, Adolph Rinck, George Rodrigue, Charles Richardson, Sulton Rogers, Phillip Sage, Joseph Sharlow, Alvin H. Sharpe, Floyd Sonnier, Keith Sonnier, Charles St. Julien, Tom Tarrer, James “Son” Thomas, William Tolliver, Leo Touchet, Jean Joseph Vaudechamp, Pauline Marcantel Willis, Fonville Winans.