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Mhire hopes legacy gift leads to students' transformative experiences

Even with accolades including founding director of the Hilliard University Art Museum and founding president of Festival International de Louisiane, Herman Mhire '69 credits the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with expanding his horizons and preparing him for a lifetime of sharing his talents in visual arts.

A recurring thread in his vast experiences is the simple act of saying "yes" to opportunities, and Mhire continues that affirmative response with a bequest in his will to establish the Mhire Endowed Scholarship in Visual Arts. This gift will provide financial assistance to students who share his passion of visual arts during the transformative years of undergraduate study.

Mhire's pride for Lafayette and the University stems from a lifetime of positive encounters. He grew up in Lafayette and learned French from his parents and grandparents. He was one of the first students at Northside High School, and there he discovered visual arts his junior year.

His time pursuing a bachelor's degree in fine arts at the then-University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL) inspired his life's work and legacy gift. He credits many factors to the impact of his education - learning from great teachers, meeting a variety of students, seeing new types of art, and realizing the countless opportunities ahead. "You get a glimpse of a universe you didn't know existed," he said.

Mhire was inspired so much by the faculty that he wanted to teach at a university. His work led him elsewhere for several years but ultimately back to where he found that motivation.

After completing a master's in fine arts at the University of Arkansas and working as a gallery assistant, Mhire said "yes" to a role as a guest curator at the Lafayette Natural History Museum and Planetarium. That show inspired a recommendation for Mhire to bring his skills to an international audience via a Louisiana bicentennial exhibit in Paris, with only six months' notice.

Working with the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL), the USL Center for Louisiana Studies, and Paris-based RadioFrance, Mhire worked tirelessly with volunteers to make the exhibit come to life. The University allowed them to build exhibits at then-vacant Stephens Hall; architecture students built crates to ship; a naval aircraft flew the exhibit from Belle Chasse to France, where RadioFrance took over. A Women's Home Demonstration Club from New Iberia made reproductions of flags from the countries which had once occupied the state to provide a Louisiana-inspired visage to the enormous exhibit hall windows overlooking the Seine and protect artifacts from the sun.

For the May 1976 opening, a charter flight carried 200 people from Louisiana to attend, and journalists from French towns and villages that had connections to Acadiana traveled with local families for reunions with their French cousins. Musical groups representing the state performed, and a Louisiana parade rolled down the Champs Elysée. The exhibit won a Gold Medal Award from the United States Department of Commerce as the best celebration of the country's bicentennial outside the continental United States.

After additional international trips and working on artistic endeavors, Mhire was invited to join the University arts faculty in 1977; he said "yes" and stayed until retiring in 2005. Mhire also brought his vision for the Hilliard University Art Museum to fruition, serving as director and chief curator for many years. He is the founding president of Festival International de Louisiane, the largest outdoor, free Francophone arts festival in the United States. He was named a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the Minister of Culture of France in 2005 and was honored with the College of Arts' SPARK Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.

When recalling all these experiences, his sincere appreciation for the faculty during his undergraduate years is still evident. "Without great teachers, I wouldn't have had the tools to take on these projects."

"I am really proud of the University and realize how crucial it is to the health of this community and region." Mhire enjoys seeing its growth including additional degree programs, increases in research, and new athletic facilities.

And Mhire looks forward to more — the opportunity to make a real difference in a student's life. "The university experience is transformative. Having excellent teachers that open doors and introduce new - concepts and ideas — I want future generations to have this experience."