Bayou Icon | EVELYN STEWART

Article by Vanelis Rivera
Photos by Kelly Moore Clark

From her own growing art collection to her work leading the Masur Museum, Evie Stewart shares a lifelong love of art and a passion for helping others discover the creativity, connection and inspiration it brings to Northeast Louisiana.

Evelyn “Evie” Stewart is fueled by art. “I have a ton of art in my house, and I’m constantly buying new pieces. A lot of local artists in my collection, a lot of all-over-the-place art,” she says. At least one room of her house is engulfed, from ceiling to wainscotting, with an assembly of captivating artistic works that she has gathered over the years. “I just love it. I love being around it. I love learning about it.” Unsurprising zeal for someone who has served as curator of the Masur Museum of Art for nearly three years, and has led the museum as Director for nearly 20 years. Certainly, her dedicated service has helped expand and amplify the arts and culture of Northeast Louisiana, as well as strengthen a thriving arts community.

Stewart moved around a lot as a little kid. She was born in Muncie, Indiana, moved to Florida for a brief stint, and later to Iowa after her parents got divorced. She arrived with her family to Baton Rouge when her stepfather got a job at Louisiana State University (LSU) as the dean of the LSU College of Art & Design. There, her parents introduced her to museums where she was naturally drawn to their allure. Having developed a keen interest, she followed the arts in high school, taking classes in studio art and history of art. She was particularly taken by the historical context of creative works. “I just love how history of art echoes what was going on in the world at the time,” she says, noting her interest in how artists are often affected by the world around them, resulting in the creation of new styles of art, subject matter, and even media. While Stewart maintained a close proximity to the arts during her high school years, she never considered it a subject that could be studied in college. Instead, she was toying with studying English Literature because she had always been successful in those classes. But when her father asked about the high school experiences she enjoyed the most, she listed visits to art galleries, writing about art, and learning about different artistic periods. Her father responded with, “Well, you know, babe, that’s a major. You can study art history.” In 1996, she enrolled at LSU as an art history major and “never looked back.”

Stewart then began her graduate studies at Hunter College in Manhattan where she worked her first museum job at The Frick Collection, a prestigious and internationally recognized museum and research center known for its original collection of Henry Clay Frick works. In 2003, she returned to LSU to complete her graduate degree. During that time, she expanded her professional development by interning at the New Orleans Museum of Art in the education department and at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in the curating department. Living in New Orleans, a city ripe with active artists, further enhanced her passionate engagement and proximity to art. But in 2005, she was uprooted when her husband got offered a job back in his hometown of Monroe. What felt like a jarring change ended up being benevolently placed. “We moved two months to the day before Hurricane Katrina,” she reveals, remembering the day of the move: June 29, 2005. “I guess the universe intervened.”

Upon her arrival to Monroe, Stewart began teaching at the University of Louisiana Monroe, where she was employed as adjunct instructor in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts. While there, she got a chance email from someone about an open curator position at Masur Museum. Wanting to return to her old stomping grounds, she applied and got the job. Three years in, the director position became available and she successfully jumped at the opportunity. Since 2009, she has served as director for the largest visual arts museum in Northeast Louisiana, a space that historically has provided a quality visual arts experience for the citizens of the region. “Boy, did I land on my feet because it’s what I always wanted to do,” says Stewart. “I’ve just loved museums my entire life, and I’ve always been very lucky enough to travel in Europe and around the country and see some of the best museums in the world.” 

As the Director of Masur Museum, she wears many hats. Much of her time is spent writing grants, fundraising, and planning annual events. She also works closely with the museum curators, such as Kait Morrison, in order to brainstorm ideas for exhibitions and develop community classes. “The idea is to get people in the museum, see what kind of cool exhibitions, educational opportunities, all that we have to offer,” she says. The Masur is a free museum, which makes major fundraising events all the more significant. In April, the museum hosts “Off the Wall,” a premier art auction featuring art selections by artists from the region and around the country. The party includes an expanded bar, food, and live music. Fall welcomes “Party 318,” held in October. This self-proclaimed, “event of the year,” is a spirited gathering featuring art and food vendors, music, games, and “community spirit.” In addition to fundraising, the events help promote the historic and cultural significance of the museum and the historic building it calls home, as well as displaying how important and worthwhile a place it is to visit. 

Thanks to Stewart’s efforts, the museum has recently secured funding through grants from the Louisiana Division of the Arts and the Louisiana Endowment for Humanities. “I actually do really enjoy writing grants,” she says, explaining that she had never written a grant before stepping in as director. Some of the grants Stewart applies for are specific to building maintenance such as plumbing and repairing walls after an exhibition such as patching nail holes, fanning them, and painting them. Afterall, the building was originally built as a private residence in 1929. The Tudor-style estate is located in downtown Monroe adjacent to the Ouachita River. The remarkable features of the building include limestone walls, blue slate roof, arched doorways, crown molding, and a few fireplaces. These special touches contribute to an intimate gallery experience, though the age of the building has presented a few inconvenient surprises. “Things are going to break, things are going to leak, things are going to creak, things are going to crack,” she says, while also acknowledging how rewarding it is to get funds for a program she believes in, and that has such long-lived community impact.

The local arts community has been a source of inspiration for Stewart. She mentions the impressive talent surging from regional arts programs, and celebrates how supportive local artists are of each other, particularly by way of events like Downtown Gallery Crawl. “My husband and I actually helped set up the first gallery crawl when it started,” she says, expressing her joy in seeing how much it has grown. To her, this growth marks the presence of a thriving art-loving community, one displaying a deep sense of caring that  is only getting stronger.

Stewart believes that you don’t need knowledge of art to enjoy art. “Exposing yourself to art, there’s so much good it can do for your brain, for your soul, for your mood,” she says. It’s always exciting for her to hear the varying perspectives a single creative work can inspire. Whether you appreciate beauty for beauty’s sake or are open to being challenged, art invites you to bring your own perspective. “Come take an art class, come hear an artist talk about their work,” she encourages. Between the museum’s exhibition schedule, permanent art collection (including works by Salvador Dali, Philip Guston, Joan Miró, and Pablo Picasso), and educational outreach programs, there is bound to be something that exercises your brain and piques your interest. Perhaps, you are drawn to become a member. “Membership is how the magic happens,” reads the museum’s website page. Membership at the Masur fuels exhibitions, hands-on classes, family-friendly events, and upkeep of the art collection. Each membership option has its own benefits, such as discounts on museum merchandise, events, workshops, summer camps, and more.

Ultimately, Stewart hopes that a visit to the Masur Museum reveals the dedicated diligence of her team and the many artists who have contributed to the unique and varied arts community of the area. Visit the Masur and light up your senses.