Abbeville mural nearly complete

Muralist Robert Dafford has nearly completed his work on Abbeville City Hall.
“It should take three or four more days,” Dafford said Thursday afternoon.
Dafford has worked on the mural on Abbeville City Hall since late February.
“There have been a few challenges,” Dafford said of the process.
One of the biggest challenges has been the building itself.
“It’s like painting on a gravel driveway,” Dafford said. “It took a few more coats of paint than it normally would have.
“It’s come together and I’m happy with it.”
The mural is already gaining plenty of attention.
“We hosted a mid-size city conference last week,” Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza said. “We had mayors and city councilmen from all over the state.
“They were very impressed that we were doing a mural depicting the music, culture and heritage, along with seafood products that are so common in this area.”
The mural, located on the west side of Abbeville City Hall, features an accordion as its base, which wraps around part of the building. A large oyster  is in the middle.
“I still have some work to do on the oyster,” Dafford said Thursday.
The mural features symbols on the wood grain of the accordion for some of the big events that take place in Abbeville. That includes the Giant Omelette Celebration, the Louisiana Cattle Festival and the Daylily Festival and Garden Show. The wooden handle of the accordion also features crabs, shrimp and crawfish.
“The mural features much of the things that we are known for,” Piazza said. “It’s an aggressive step to promote tourism.”
A step made possible by the Abbeville Film and Visitors Commission, which commissioned Dafford to create the mural. The commission has entirely funded the $30,000 project. Debbie Garrot of the Film and Visitors Commission said the venture makes sense.
“That’s what our money is for, film and visitors,” Garrot said. “What do visitors come to our area for? Our festivals, which will all be represented, our music and our food.
“That’s what it’s all about and  it is symbolized all in one mural.”
As for the return on the investment...
“We are so impressed with the work,”  Garrot said. “We are getting wonderful feedback.
Garrot was quick to give credit where it is due.
“How lucky we are to have a mural by Robert Dafford,” Garrot said. “Some suggestions were made, but the mural is all his vision.”
Dafford, who consulted with local musicians Eric Adcock and Roddie Romero, said the accordion fit something common in many of his murals.
“I am particularly interested in painting large instruments,” Dafford said. “Music is a big part of south Louisiana. It’s a big part of my history and a big part of what connects us to other cultures around the world. Music goes through the walls of language, finance and politics and it connects people. Music is why a lot of tourists come to Louisiana.
“Musical instruments are just a really cool thing to work with.”
A longtime Lafayette resident, Dafford has painted more than 300 murals across the United States and Canada as well as in France, Belgium and England. His best-known images include the giant clarinet in downtown New Orleans. During the last 15 years he has painted more than 200 large historical images on the floodwalls of several American cities. Along the Ohio River, riverboat tours make special stops just to allow visitors to view Dafford’s murals.
Councilman Brady Broussard Jr., whose District C includes downtown Abbeville, is certainly impressed with the man producing the mural.
“Mr. Dafford is world renowned and we are honored for him and his assistant David to produce this beautiful mural in our city,” Broussard said. “As Dafford does so well, his use of the trompe-l’œil method of painting in this mural provides a three-dimensional optical illusion.  It’s even more impressive that Dafford can produce a mural of this size in correct perspective on a surface so rough as the stucco exterior of City Hall.  
“It’s nothing short of amazing to view the intricate features of that mural that makes it look like the object is attached to the wall rather than painted on the wall.”
Broussard thanked the group responsible for bringing Dafford to the city.
“This beautiful project would not have been possible without the generosity of the Film Commission that provided their funds to pay Mr. Dafford for this mural,” Broussard said.  “This is another example of different entities working together for a greater benefit to our community.
“Our picturesque downtown has become even prettier with the completion of this mural.”
Again, the mural has already drawn a great deal of attention.
“There’s been a lot of positive response,” Piazza said before adding with a laugh, “some of the city officials from around the state were a little envious.”
Dafford is simply pleased that others are pleased.
“I’m glad they like it,” Dafford said. “It’s really important to me that the town and the people in the City of Abbeville like it.
“That the people are happy with it is really important to me.”