Creole Portraits by LeDOUX on Display at the Buena Park Library District

Portrait of A.P. Tureaud
by LeDOUX

Currently on display at the Buena Park Library are the portraits of Creole men and women, rendered in pencil and charcoal on paper, by the artist LeDOUX. His work is on display in the Library lobby until February 28, 2009. The Library is located at 7150 La Palma Avenue in Buena Park, between Knott and Western Avenues.

LeDOUX's career has spanned the fashion industry as a designer and a business owner. He has imparted his knowledge and experience in the fashion industry as a lecturer at fashion schools and colleges in the Los Angeles area. Mr. LeDOUX's interest in his Creole culture and genealogy has influenced the portraits presented in this exhibit.

There are many definitions of the term "Creole" and the meaning has changed through the centuries. It originally referred to anyone born in the French and Spanish colonies of the Caribbean and Gulf Coast of North America, regardless of race. Later, after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, it was used to differentiate between those native to Louisiana and the Anglo-American newcomers. Today, the term Creole often refers to a mixture of French or Spanish, African, and Native Indian culture. Creoles can be found in Haiti, Cuba, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. In the United States, the Creole community is concentrated in Louisiana. They developed a distinct identity and culture, especially in language, food, religious practices, and architecture (as seen in the French Quarter of New Orleans).

The Buena Park Library is open Monday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. -- 8:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. -- 5:00 p.m. For information, please call the Reference Desk at 714-826-4100, ext. 125.