Rodrigue's Louisiana concluded Sunday, June 7, after 24 hours of non-stop fun. A total of 6,127 visitors streamed through the fronts doors of the New Orleans Museum of Art on Saturday and Sunday, the closing weekend of the blockbuster exhibition, Rodrigue's Louisiana: Cajuns, Blue Dogs, and Beyond Katrina. Final attendance for the 14-week exhibition came to 52,813 visitors.

NOMA remained open "All Doggone Night" on Saturday, treating museum goers to 24 consecutive hours worth of special events, from Saturday evening's raucous concert by Big Sam's Funky Nation to Sunday's special gathering of Louisiana legends with artist George Rodrigue, Chef Paul Prudhomme, and musician Pete Fountain. In all, NOMA remained open 31 consecutive hours, from 10 a.m. Saturday to 5 p.m. Sunday.

"What a tremendous way to finish out a landmark exhibition," said NOMA director E. John Bullard. "It was the perfect tribute to a fine artist who has done so much for the New Orleans Museum of Art and the entire state of Louisiana. To have Rodrigue here with his friends Chef Paul and Pete Fountain, all at the same time, was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that many of our visitors will never forget." (continued below)

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The three legends entertained a packed Museum on Sunday afternoon. Prudhomme hosted a cooking demonstration and dished out tasso oysters with pasta and orzo salad, among other culinary delights. Meanwhile, Fountain met with members of the New Orleans Ragtime & Dixieland Jazz Band during their concert in the Mueum's Great Hall, and Rodrigue signed hundreds of books. The trio of Rodrigue, Prudhomme, and Fountain sat together at a table for the final two hours Sunday, signing memorabilia and posing for photos up until the last minute.

All of the special closing weekend events were free with regular Museum admission.

Overall attendance for Rodrigue's Louisiana: Cajuns, Blue Dogs, and Beyond Katrina, was 52,813 visitors, a NOMA record for an exhibition of work by a living artist.

"The record turnout for this exhibition is a testament to George's popularity, especially amongst people in his home state," said Bullard.

Of the total attendance, 82.3-percent of visitors were residents of Louisiana. The popularity of Rodrigue's Louisiana drummed up considerable new support for the Museum, which gained 545 new members and experienced robust business in its gift shop during the exhibition's 14-week run.