07/02/2026
Today, the former Lafayette Hardware Store is a fortress of antique craftsmanship — worn hardwood, pine floors, pulley systems, decorative trim, metal engravings, an original cashier booth and showcase windows.
Once renovated, however, it’ll hold space for figures like Inez Catalon, swamp rocker Johnnie Allan, and Joe and Cleoma Falcon, theoretically anyone who influenced Louisiana music, from zydeco to New Orleans funk.
Acadiana Center for the Arts is reimagining the historic building in Downtown Lafayette as the Louisiana Music Museum, a first of its kind in the state. Raising $10 million and transforming a historic building would seem to be the easy part. From the get-go, whittling down the story of Louisiana music has seemed nearly impossible, says folklorist Barry Ancelet, who has advised the curation process.
At an early meeting, Ancelet and the curation team were asked to list “essential” figures who defined Louisiana music.
“We all said we can’t do that. The story is way too complicated. The story is too complex, it’s too rich,” says Ancelet. “It was a revealing moment.”
AcA is attempting something ambitious. While there are notable museums that prioritize Louisiana’s music, such as the New Orleans Jazz Museum and the Cajun Music Hall of Fame in Eunice, few represent all the genres and individuals that make Louisiana a ‘hub’ of musical influence.
Read more at thecurrentla.com/2026/from-acid-bath-to-zydeco-its-not-easy-defining-louisiana-music/
