              The Louisiana City of Murals 
Rayne has the distinction of being designated
the official Louisiana City of Murals. This
designation is the result of a cooperative effort
between the City of Rayne and a group of citizens who formed the Rayne
Beautification Board.
The Board commissioned Robert Dafford,
an internationally renowned muralist, to decorate the blank
brick walls of buildings in the town with renderings of the
town's history and its claim to fame--frogs!
Robert Dafford In his career, he has created a variety of sets' backdrops, and costumes for dance companies, Mardi Gras krewes, arts council events, musuem exhibits, as well as for many school productions from university level to elementary schools. He enjoys collaborating with interior designers, architects, historians, choreographers, or directors to create specialized painted effects for their projects. Recent works include a commission for the City of Rayne's 25th Annual Frog Festival in canvas form to be placed on the Rayne Civic Center's exterior. The reason Dafford is painting the mural on canvas is a practical one. Should the building become obsolete, the canvas can be removed and placed elsewhere in Rayne.
|