Although the museum is temporarily closed due to COVID-19, we still want to share with you virtual opportunities to explore current exhibitions. Our current exhibition Living with Art: Selections from Baton Rouge Collections highlights artworks from nine local collections and features a wide selection of media, periods, and styles, ranging from German Expressionists to Southern self-taught artists; French Impressionism and international artists to Louisiana artists; and from painting to porcelain to bronzes and photography. We had the pleasure to speak with Ben Jeffers, whose collection he and his wife Salomia have been gathering over the years is now on loan for this exhibition.

About Ben and Salomia Jeffers

Ben Jeffers and his wife Salomia Lawson Jeffers are residents of Baton Rouge and together have collected the artwork of one of the local collections now on loan in Living with Art. Ben Jeffers has been involved in national, state, and local campaigns for more than forty years. He is a graduate of Southern University where he earned a B.S. in Business. He was elected to the Democratic State Central Committee and served as the Chairman of the Louisiana Democratic Party. He also served on the Democratic National Committee and its Executive Committee. Jeffers runs his own company, Ben Jeffers, Inc., a management and marketing consulting firm formed in 1978. He has worked in senior positions in the private sector and in every level of government. He has served the following positions: Personnel Administrator for the City of Baton Rouge; Acting Director of New Orleans Charity Hospital; Chief of Staff to Governor Edwin Edwards; and Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Carter Administration. Jeffers also published the Lake Charles Times and served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Locally, he served as President of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, Chairman of the Downtown Development District, and was a board member of the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce and Volunteers of America. Jeffers currently serves on the LSU MOA Advisory Board.

Salomia L. Jeffers graduated from Winston Salem State University in Winston Salem, NC with a B.A. in Elementary Education. She also has a Masters in Elementary Education from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA and a Masters in Therapeutic Recreation from Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA. She has taught elementary education at Woodland Elementary in Roxboro, NC; Rosteet Elementary in Lake Charles, LA; and LA Belle Aire Elementary in Baton Rouge, LA. Salomia Jeffers in now retired from the East Baton Rouge Parish School System.

LSU MOA: When and what did you first start collecting (anything), and when did it change or become an art collection?

Ben: I started collecting Pharaoh Baker’s work during my sophomore year in high school. He was my father’s best friend and was a signage painter and an artist. He taught me and the neighborhood kids how to appreciate art. He was important to me because he took an interest in us and taught classes in his backyard studio. My wife, Salomia, and I collect African American Art. It ranges from trained artists to self-taught artists: it’s eclectic.

LSU MOA: Do you have a favorite work of art in your collection and if so, why?

Ben: My absolute favorite piece is Angel of Death by Frank Hayden (pictured below), who was a local Baton Rouge artist. This particular piece was shown at the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans. It’s a very intricate wood sculpture with many pieces and it has a blank space where it looks like it’s missing a piece—but the intent of this is to say “there’s always room for one more.” This message is very important and there’s also a personal connection to this work…his wife and my wife taught at the same school and I met him as a result of this.

My second one is a marble sculpture by Pharaoh Baker of Emmett Till (pictured below). Emmett Till was a 14 year old African American boy who was lynched in Mississippi and his mother had an open casket of her disfigured child to bring awareness to this tragedy and the racial injustice occurring. The significance of this work and what it represents is very emotional and moving.

LSU MOA: Do you have a favorite artist, if so why?

Ben: I have four favorite artists:

1. Clementine Hunter: The longevity of her life and artworks was important. I met her and I’ve collected several of her works. She was self-taught and to hear her tell life stories was amazing.

2. Frank Hayden: Because of his genius and ability to show that genius in his works.

3. Ed Dwight: He is very significant. He was the first African American appointed to the space program by JFK, he was engineer and pilot in the Air Force and started sculpting when he left the Air Force. In my opinion, he is one of the best sculptors of our time. He also has sculptures all over the country. One of my favorites is the Martin Luther King Jr. sculpture at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia

4. Pharaoh Baker: Not only do I love his work, but he was even more important to me because he taught us to appreciate art at a young age. When I met him, he had just come back from the military and took an interest in the neighborhood kids and taught us in his home studio.

Can you talk about the Halted Between Two Opinions artwork (pictured above) and why it appealed to you as a collector?

Ben: This piece shows a person torn between hanging out in the bar versus being in church. I thought it was very interesting and telling. I grew up in a family with a father who was a pastor, so it made a lot of sense to me. I collected this painting somewhat early in life and it’s still relevant to me even as I’ve gotten older…it shows the struggle of life’s difficult choices and what people go through determining direction. 

We are grateful for all of the lenders and sponsors for making this exhibition possible. Living with Art: Selections from Baton Rouge Collections is currently on view, but the museum is temporarily closed to the public at this time due to COVID-19. In the meantime, let the museum come to you virtually during this period. Be sure to follow us on social media (Facebook and Instagram @lsumoa) for important museum updates.