Any driver sitting in traffic on Essen Lane can see that art and the Archives are intertwined. The imposing front façade of the Louisiana State Archives Building features five sculpted panels created by local artist Al Lavergne to illustrate significant moments in the state’s history.

Step inside the building each October, and you’ll find another link to local art—the annual exhibit of Associated Women in the Arts. The organization was founded in 1980 to showcase the work of female artists in our community, and this show attempts to represent the range of talents and interests of its exhibiting members—from plein air painters to portrait artists to mixed-media masters.

The juror for this year’s AWA Archives show is Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux, a New Orleans-based contemporary realist artist and art educator. From the works submitted by the group’s 81 members, Thibodeaux selected 52 pieces for inclusion in the exhibit.

“The AWA show features Louisiana landscapes, florals and still lifes,” Thibodeaux says. “The artists have put their own personal stamps on their pieces with strong color and brushwork to make these views their own.”

The show opens October 3, and an opening reception will take place at 6 p.m. on October 13.