About George Loli
“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.”—Rumi
George Loli
1945 - 2017
George Loli proudly served 36 years as a Professor of Architecture and Design at University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Devoted to his lifelong artistic pursuits, George has left behind a significant amount of sketchbooks, paintings, and renderings and it is this very intention to share the significance of these works with the public to celebrate and inspire the human spirit.
In the spirit of education and the human spirit, George Loli was dedicated to the Lafayette and UL communities. His artistic trove can only live on if shared with the public with the intent of inspiring and sharing the core values of education and design.
Beyond the pedagogical rigors and discipline of Design, Loli also led many study abroad trips to Paris and Florence, bringing the tangible experience of exploration and adventure to the educational dynamic. Florence was also the influential grounds where Loli himself studied to become an architect and wanted to bring that cultural appreciation to Lafayette.
George, as a professor, influenced countless students that came through the school of design who eventually became leading artists, architects, interior designers, and even industrial designers. George, as an artist, was incredibly talented and specialized in pen and ink and watercolors. He had a regionally decorated life and won numerous juried competitions, was featured in numerous art publications, and has some of his work currently housed in the Hilliard Museum and featured at Acadiana Center for the Arts.
The purpose of this artistic mission is to celebrate and showcase the cultural significance of the life of George Loli. George believed that through art and discipline, the human voice could emerge. When he passed away in 2017 he left behind a tremendous amount of work in the form of sketches, paintings, and travel sketchbooks. George traveled prodigiously and he sketched and painted his environment to capture the essence of our beautiful world.
Joe Loli
1976 -- Brooklyn, New York. USA
This was the last photo taken of my father and me together from an exhibition hosted by the Achilles Print Studio aptly titled: Father & Son. Art and Design was the language that we both communicated in, allowing each of us to develop an artistic voice to share with the world. As a boy, I ran through the halls of Fletcher Hall at the University of Southwestern Louisiana at Lafayette (now named the University of Louisiana at Lafayette). I was given paper, pens and markers to occupy myself as my father would attend and address the needs of his students. While George was inquiring about the student projects and fielding any questions, I was left to my own devices and would draw away the time…And years later, I now find myself drawing away the time by now carrying the torch of my father’s ethos and legacy. And moreover, by carrying the torch of my father’s ethos and legacy, I feel that he is still within a heart’s reach…Miss ya so much dad…
Those that know me from my younger years still affectionately call me Joey. Years later I would adopt my appellation Joseph, but when I came into my own artistic identity, I reverted to Joe because coincidentally, I share a name with my uncle Joseph Loli, an already established artist. So even within the name, there is an artistic context and narrative.
