A Guide to Art Museums in Baton Rouge

A Guide to Art Museums in Baton Rouge: The Louisiana Art & Science Museum 

The Louisiana Art & Science Museum (LASM), which opened in the 1970s in a circa-1925 historic railroad depot on the Mississippi River’s banks, explores the intersections of art and science. In addition to permanent features like the Ancient Egypt Gallery (featuring a Ptolemaic-era mummy) and the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, the museum has exhibited hundreds of works that lend themselves to scientific investigation and discourse. Featured shows over the last decade have included studies of color and sound, exhibits of astrophotography, and artistic expressions of our current climate crisis. 

LASM is one of the city’s most beloved resources for families, offering an abundance of programming for art and science lovers of all ages. In addition to exhibition-specific lectures, artist meet and greets, and demonstrations, the museum offers regular educational activities for children, including storytimes and craft events held every first and third Saturday of the month. The museum also has a dedicated space, the Discovery Depot, where tykes can engage with art and science through imaginative play during regular museum hours. 

Currently on exhibit at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum: 

Second Nature: Artworks by Chase Mullen

Chase Mullen's intricate renderings of the natural world of Louisiana are on display in LASM's Soupçon gallery. Melding ecological accuracy with surrealism against the stark background of white panels, Mullen's work emphasizes the beauty of nature and invites the viewer to reflect on the impact humans have on animals and the environment.

To Be Seen, To Be Heard, To Be Valued

As the opening exhibition in LASM's new STEAM Gallery—which will be devoted to local student artists—To Be Seen, To Be Heard, To Be Valued showcases the work of student artists in East Baton Rouge Parish. 

Improvisation: The Art and Healing Power of Jazz

This exhibition in The Republic Finance Gallery not only celebrates the history of jazz music, but its positive impact on humanity. Artwork by Claudia Hayden, Herman Leonard, Brandon Lewis, and Chuck Stewart was curated for its distinctive impressions of the genre, as well as the ways it highlights jazz's therapeutic properties. 

Pinpointing the Stars

For twenty years, the Louisiana Art & Science Museum's Irene W. Pennington Planetarium has expanded the world for visitors of all ages and backgrounds, right from its stead on the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge. Through this remarkable technology, we've all received unique access to celestial events, the seasonal night sky, and parts of our universe experienced as never before. Displays and artifacts pulled from the museum's permanent collection make up this special exhibition. 

Artistry and Accuracy: Botanical Illustrations by Margaret Stones

Australian botanical illustrator Margaret Stones is known for her beautiful and acutely-detailed illustrations of flora from across the world, including a series of Louisiana's flowers and plants. The Louisiana Art & Science Museum is presenting these drawings of Louisiana wildlife, which effortlessly bridge biology with fine art, in the Catwalk Gallery. The exhibition is made possible by Cary Saurage through the Alma Lee, Norman, and Cary Saurage Fund of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. The Baton Rouge Rotary Club donated Margaret Stones' work, and Ann Connelly Fine Art provided framing. lasm.org.