. . . An artist's response to community: Louanne LaRoche is a colorist at heart. Her vibrant paintings depict variety through subject and size. Friends have said that Louanne's paintings are an "eruption of her wonderful spirit that simply spills out onto the canvas." She has brought her own distintive vision of the Lowcountry by combining the freedom of expression with the strength of representation. Her paintings reflect a significant sense of community, and her response to these connections as they are being lost, displaced or diminished. In addition, her interests focus on collecting American folk art, particularly Southern folk art and the paintings of Sam Doyle, Jimmy Lee Sudduth and Z.B. Armstrong. Her efforts as collector and curator of the work of Sam Doyle and other Southern folk artists have led to Louanne LaRoche being recognized internationally as an authority on Southern Folk art. Lecture series: New York University The Telfair Museum, Savannah, GA Hilton Head Island Cultural Council 1991, Authored a book on Sam Doyle, published by - Art Random (Japan) ... Member of Society Of American Illustrators.     Louanne LaRoche's paintings,  drawings and monotypes have found      their way into prestigious      collections around the world. The permanent collections of: The Harvard Business School Carnegie Mellon University The National Collection of Kenya National Collection of Kuwait Strauss Corporation, Germany United States Steel, Pittsburgh, PA Policy Management Systems, Columbia, SC Chaa Creek Resort, Belize Jaguar Reef Resort, Belize Beaufort County, SC, Public Libraries: Hilton Head Island -- Bluffton To celebrity art collectors: Francis Ford Coppolla Anthropologist - Richard Leaky George C. Scott Musician - John Mellencamp Louanne LaRoche - former owner of The Red Piano Gallery, Hilton Head Island, SC (1980 - 1995). Here she exhibited and enjoyed the friendship of many of America's illustrator greats. These included Coby Whitmore, Joe Bowler, Joe DeMers, Benard D'Andrea, Ralph Ballantine, Ben Stahl and Murry Tinkelman among others. Served on the board of Penn Center of the Sea Islands (1988-1991). Founded The Red Piano Too (1990), located on St. Helena Island, SC. Ms. LaRoche has been a resident of the Lowcountry for over 30 years. Her private studio is located, on the May River, near the historic town of Bluffton, SC. She continues to experiment in her work exploring the relationships of color, texture and creating new perspectives with nuances of feeling. LaRoche's paintings, monotypes and drawings are available for purchase or can be commissioned for site specific spaces. The LaRoche Collections are availble to be loaned for museum exhibitions. Available Exhibits: American Impressionists / Industrial Paintings Coby Whitmore - Collection of Original Illustrations American Illustrations - Circa 1880's to 1980's Southern American Folk Art Masters Tribal Art Louanne LaRoche is listed in The American Artist Blue Book LaRoche Original Works . . .

CURRENT ART

ARCHIVE ART

The LaRoche Collection 51 Pineview Rd Bluffton SC 29910 USA phone: 843-757-5826 fax: 843-757-5628 e-mail: lclaroche@earthlink.net

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