Style 208
Proudly presents
The Art of
Louise LaBauve
Early Life and Family
Louise LaBauve was born in Austin, Texas, in 1938 to Lois Ford LaBauve and Telly LaBauve, both of whom had deep roots in Central and South Texas. She grew up in a family that valued education, hard work, creativity, and community.
Her father, Telly, was a soft-spoken yet industrious man who owned and operated several local businesses, including a piano store. He was also an accomplished debater and a member of the debate team at Southwest Texas State University, where he participated alongside Lyndon B. Johnson.
Louise’s mother, Lois, was a lifelong advocate for education. At a time when relatively few women attended college, she graduated Cum Laude from The University of Texas in 1929. Her commitment to learning and intellectual curiosity became an important influence on Louise throughout her life.
Louise’s childhood unfolded against the backdrop of a changing world. She learned about the wider world through radio and news broadcasts during World War II, through her family’s involvement with University United Methodist Church on the University of Texas campus, and through the simple pleasures of childhood—playing at Mayfield and Eastwoods Parks and exploring the neighborhoods around her home.
1938 - 1950
Early Life Continued
Louise became an accomplished musician. She played the piano and competed in local and regional events, developing a lifelong appreciation for music. Among her favorite composers were Dave Brubeck and Chick Corea, and Bill Evans. She also played the clarinet, demonstrating the same curiosity and discipline in music that would later characterize her artistic pursuits.
Beyond art and music, Louise had a deep affection for animals. She participated in dog shows with her beloved Collie, Lassie, who was an important companion during her youth.
Louise graduated from Austin High School in 1956. She maintained strong connections with her classmates and continued to enjoy both formal and informal class reunions throughout her life. Her memories of growing up in Austin, her family’s emphasis on education, her early encouragement as an artist, and her lifelong relationships with friends, animals, music, and community all became enduring threads in the remarkable life she went on to lead.
Beyond art and music, Louise had a deep affection for animals. She participated in dog shows with her beloved Collie, Lassie, who was an important companion during her youth.
“I have often been both amused and horrified by similarities between animals and human beings. This idea forms in large part the basis for my animal imagery, and helps to establish social messages for the viewer.”
-Louise LaBauve
Interview with the Austin American Statesman
October 24, 1971
1950 - 1956
1956 - 1970
Education & Embracing the Visual Arts
Louise attended The University of Texas at Austin earning both her B.F.A and M.F.A. under the instruction of William Lester of the Dallas Nine, known for the Early Texas Regionalism movement. Louise enjoyed showing her work at nearby galleries and The Elizabeth Ney Museum in Austin.
Mexico City College, Mexico 1958 Drawing and Art History
An early-life educational sabbatical to Mexico City inspired a life-long appreciation for architectural and cityscapes in bright color palettes popular in Hispanic culture.
While in Mexico one of her drawing depicting the Aztec earth-mother goddess of fertility, life, death, and rebirth, Coatlicue. The drawing was recognized and published in XXII American Drawing Biennial of the Artists Norfolk Museum of Arts VA.
BANFF School of Fine Arts, Alberta 1959 Painting
Her tuition scholarship to BANFF further proved her exceptional burgeoning talent. Her painting ‘The Day the Queen Came’ WON 'Best of the Year' by BANFF and was personally admired by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip of England.
Mid-Life
Having dedicated her time to raising her children and talking care of her husband and mother, this period of time saw her into the solomente period of her life. Clearly volumes of thoughts, experiences, dreams, fears, and ideas were being unleashed as she sold over 300 pieces through multiple local and national galleries and exhibitions. Including but not limited to:
1986 Spicewood Gallery, Austin, TX, Solo Exhibition
1974 Studio House Gallery, La Porte, TX Solo Exhibition
1972 TFAA Region 1 Citation Exhibition
1972 Historic Paintings of South Central Texas, Laguna Gloria Museum, Austin, TX
1971 Elisabet Ney Museum, Austin, TX Solo Exhibition
1971 The University of Texas at Austin, Masters Thesis Group Exhibition
1967 American Drawing Biennial XXII, Norfolk Museum of Arts
1966 Art League of Houston Annual, by Art League of Houston, Houston, TX, Award
1965 2nd Annual Jewish Community Center Exhibition, Houston, TX
1959 Canadian Travelling Exhibition, Banff School of Fne Arts, Banff, Alberta
1959 Eric L. Harvie Award, Banff School of Fine Arts, Banff, Alberta, Purchase Prize
1958 Texas Fine Arts Association Annual, Laguna Gloria Museum, Austin, TX, Purchase Prize
1970 - 1990
mature life: meditative transitions
Louise, having learned the importance of healthy boundaries and how they support beauty, abundance, and life itself, an emotional resonance and narrative depth was revealed in her work.
'Meditative Transitions' is a body of LaBauve’s work which is not purely formal or decorative; instead, it responds to lived experience and environmental trauma, embedding meaning in the memory of upheaval and survival. This situates the series within a broader tradition of art that uses personal or collective tragedy as catalyst and narrative engine.
There is an implicit tension between disaster and resilience: the work reflects both the severity of natural disaster and the human capacity to reckon with loss. Aesthetically, this duality typically manifests through contrasts — perhaps between turbulent surface textures and contemplative compositions — suggesting mediation rather than spectacle.
The investment in process and perception places LaBauve’s work within a lineage of artists who blend personal response with broader environmental commentary, turning material gestures into sites of empathy and inquiry.
2005 - 2019
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