A painting of a young boy rowing a pirogue in the Pentagon Dining Hall may seem insignificant to many students, but to one family dedicated to the University, it means everything.
The painting was done in the late 1970s by then-University student and Pentagon worker Sharon Longmire. Longmire’s supervisors asked her to paint scenes of south Louisiana. That’s when Longmire came across a photo of a young boy in a pirogue.
Longmire used the photograph as a basis for her painting, which has been hanging in the dining hall for the past 25 years.
However, the young boy in the painting, Roland Deroche, had never seen the painting until last week, when he and his family visited the University for the Arkansas football game.
“It totally blew my mind,” Deroche said. “I can’t even explain how awesome it is.”
Deroche said he did not even realize the painting was in the dining hall until his children mentioned it to him.
Deroche, who has been attending LSU football games since the 1950s, said it meant a lot to him to have a part of himself at the University.
“It’s just tremendous,” Deroche said.
Elaine Pimentel, Deroche’s daughter and a University alumna, said having her father come see the painting also has allowed her family to renew former University connections.
Pimentel said although she was good friends with the artist Longmire when both attended the University in the 1970s, the two had lost touch through the years.
However, Pimentel said by getting her father to see the painting, she has been able to renew contact with Longmire.
Pimentel said the event also meant a lot to her father.
“I was just so happy because my daddy had been ill, and I was just grateful he had an opportunity to see it,” Pimentel said.