Helen LaFrance’s art to return to Murray State University for Black History Month

 

MURRAY, Ky. — The Paducah Historical Preservation Group, Inc. (PHPG) proudly announces the opening of “The Life and Art of Helen LaFrance: A Vision in Memory and Spirit,” an exhibition of original works by acclaimed Kentucky artist Helen LaFrance, on view at Murray State University’s Wrather Museum Main Floor Gallery through Feb. 27.

There will be a reception at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 5. During the reception, author Jayne Moore-Waldrop will conduct a book signing. Moore-Waldrop wrote She Remembered It All: The Art of Memory Painter Helen LaFrance, which was published in 2024 by Shadelandhouse Modern Press.

This will be the first public viewing of LaFrance’s iconic 1998 painting of the Graves County Courthouse since the purchase of the painting by the Waldrop family of western Kentucky in 2025. The courthouse itself was destroyed by the tornado that greatly impacted Mayfield, Kentucky, in December 2021.

The collection has been featured on Kentucky Educational Television, WKMS Radio and News, and even spotlighted in Forbes Magazine for its artistic and cultural impact.

About Helen LaFrance (1919–2020)

Born in Graves County, Kentucky, Helen Meffron LaFrance was a self-taught African American artist whose vivid “memory paintings” capture the everyday joys, faith and traditions of rural Southern life. Without formal art training, LaFrance began painting scenes from her childhood—church picnics, baptisms, harvests and Sunday gatherings—creating a deeply personal record of African American history and culture in the American South.

Her work is often described as “spiritual realism,” blending memory, faith, and storytelling in richly colorful compositions that honor the people and places of her upbringing. LaFrance’s art has been exhibited nationally and collected by museums, scholars and private collectors across the United States. She was recognized by Smithsonian Folkways, The Kentucky Museum and numerous art historians for preserving a vanishing era of Southern Black life through her brush and vision.

Preserving Kentucky’s cultural heritage

The Paducah Historical Preservation Group, Inc., nonprofit organization, acquired and stewards an extensive collection of Helen LaFrance’s original works to ensure her legacy endures for future generations. Through partnerships with institutions such as Murray State University and the Paducah School of Art and Design, PHPG continues to highlight the stories, artistry and resilience of African American communities in western Kentucky.

About the Paducah Historical Preservation Group, Inc. (PHPG)

The Paducah Historical Preservation Group, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting African American history, art and culture in western Kentucky. Through exhibitions, educational programs and cultural partnerships, PHPG safeguards the legacies of artists and historical figures who have shaped the region’s identity and heritage.

Recently, the PHPG facilitated the purchase of LaFrance’s painting of the former Graves County Courthouse to a local family, the Waldrops, with whom LaFrance had been a family friend before her death at age 101 in 2020.