The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts on Wednesday announced 13 finalists in its annual art and songwriting competition.
Emerson “Emmie” Pontiff, 16, a junior at John Paul the Great Academy, was named a finalist for her painting depicting the creation of the po-boy, a Louisiana lunch staple. She and the 12 other finalists from across Louisiana will share in a $25,000 scholarship provided by the GFRA.
The GRFA’s theme for this year’s competition was Hidden Stories: Unveiling Louisiana’s Untold Narratives. The foundation asked students to create music or paintings that depict stories that are untold or under-told.
Pontiff’s piece “Simple But Extraordinary Breakfast” aims to teleport the viewer to the time in which the po-boy or poor boy was created by the brothers, Bennie and Clovis Martin, Pontiff said.
The painting depicts the viewer sitting down to enjoy a seemingly ordinary breakfast with a newspaper that reads “STRIKE Union Strike Leads to Rise in the Popularity of “Poor Boy” Sandwich.”
“I kept on coming back to the idea of newspapers. I was thinking of ways I can incorporate that newspaper aspect into the overall time,” Pontiff said.
The creation and story behind the po-boy interested Pontiff because it shows the ingenuity of Louisianians to take something as normal as a sandwich and imbue it with culture, uniqueness and history, she said. Through her research, she discovered headlines that tied the creation of the sandwich to labor strikes across 1929 Louisiana. While the headline in the painting is not real, she said, true stories inspired her piece.
“A union strike was happening and a lot of people couldn’t afford to get a big breakfast or lunch. They were selling these sandwiches at extremely low prices. People lined up because it was something they could afford,” Pontiff said.
If viewers look around they might see the table is no ordinary American breakfast, Pontiff said. Strewn about are nods to Louisiana and Southern culture such as a Tabasco, sweet tea, and Evangeline Maid bread.
“You can really put yourself in the shoes of whoever’s looking down at this breakfast table. Everyone shares that experience of eating breakfast and sitting down to read the news,” Pontiff said.
Pontiff said she became interested in art at a young age. As she got older she found a deeper appreciation for her favorite artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Norman Rockwell. When she entered high school, she said, her art teacher further fostered and honed her skills.
“Around COVID, when everything shut down I really began practicing and trying to get better. I fell in love with oil painting and started painting any chance I got,” Pontiff said.
Her art teacher was the one who told her about the GRFA competition in January. She said having her work recognized and showcased across the country is a great feeling.
The artwork is currently in New Orleans to be shown at the foundation luncheon set for March 23, Pontiff said. She hopes the piece allows her to one day start doing commissioned work and become a full-time artist. She plans to earn a Master’s in art and possibly become an art teacher.
“It’s really exciting and it just means a lot as an artist,” Pontiff said.
