The Gateway to the Great Southwest Prairie was painted by an internationally known muralist and Louisiana native, Robert Dafford in collaboration with Herb Roe another muralist and painter. The elegant filigree of the mural and expansive landscape captures the beauty of Louisiana prairies. In this painting, Dafford depicts an explorer and his horse gazing out on the land that would become Eunice, the Prairie Cajun Capital, charted in 1894. Dafford is constantly sought out for his dramatic, large-scale illusions and has painted more than 400 murals across the United States, Canada, France, Belgium, and England.
The mural can be found in Eunice, Louisiana at the old Ardoin’s building on the corner of Laurel Avenue and Second Street. You can also learn more about native prairies at the Cajun Prairie Habitat, also located in Eunice.
