By Hanna Singh
Eleven Bulldogs were auctioned off by the Ruston Cultural District during the second Big Bulldog Auction. The event celebrated the arts and supported the cultural district by raising $119,000, with the highest-selling Bulldog going for $22,000.
The Big Bulldog Auction brought together a diverse group of attendees including Ruston residents, art enthusiasts and supporters of the Ruston Cultural District. The event not only raised funds but also created unity and pride in the town’s growing art scene.
The auction offered the public a unique opportunity to see all the Bulldogs together before they found their permanent homes. Attendees also heard from the artists, who shared insights into their creations and explained why public art matters to them. Ten of the Bulldogs were painted by local artists, while one remained blank for the winning bidder to commission an artist to complete it. Each Bulldog was auctioned to raise funds for the Ruston Cultural District, with the winners displaying the sculptures for public viewing.
The new public art pieces will be displayed around Ruston starting October 4 for the community to enjoy. Ruston Main Street Director and Community Coordinator Amy Stegall shared details on when and where people can start finding the Bulldogs in their new locations.
“It will take us a few weeks to get them all installed, but once they are all in place, we will have our official Bulldog map available for the public to find them in their new homes,” Stegall said. “We have 22 total Bulldogs. We are excited about this number, and we think that people can find them all in one day, with a good lunch break at your favorite local spot in the middle.”
The 10 already painted Bulldogs include the “Disco Dog” by Emily Vaccaro, “Louisiana Natives” by Hannah Bustamante, “Temporal Radiance” by Whitney Trisler Causey, “Postal Pup” by Fairan Hayes, “Stained Glass Bulldog” by Anna Grace Lee, “Storybook Bark” by Bailee Golden, “Luna” by Camellia Bailey, “Let’s Play” by Melanie Douthit, “Au Printemps” by Leanna Patterson, and “Vincent” by Whitney Caskey.
Many of the Bulldogs featured colorful, playful pop-art designs. Local artist Melanie Douthit shared the inspiration behind her vibrant creation, “Let’s Play,” and explained why she chose to participate in the Bulldog Project.
“The imagery is based off drawings done by my granddaughter, who at the time was 6-7 years old. The designs show children playing outdoors. There’s a sun, rainbows, clouds, slides, playhouses and birds. It has a limited color palette for an overall fun and whimsical vibe,” Douthit said. “I recently went ‘back to school’ to complete my BFA degree and so I spent numerous hours in the past two years in Ruston. I commuted from West Monroe daily, and Ruston has been very good to me. When I heard about the Bulldog Project, I wanted to participate as a way of giving back to the community that had such a positive impact on me.”
These locally made displays of public art continue to enrich the culture and art scene in Lincoln Parish. Soon, the Ruston community will be able to search for the 11 new Bulldogs around town or use the official Bulldog map, once completed, to track and check them off one by one.
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