The Meadows Museum of Art at Centenary College first opened its doors in 1975 to house 360 paintings, watercolors, and drawings by the French Academic artist Jean Despujols, created during his 1936 - 1938 tour of French Indochina.

Since that time, the permanent collection has grown to over 1,600 works reflecting a variety of world cultures and traditions including: the Stein Collection of Inuit Art, the Miller Collection of Haitian Art, and the Carlton Collection of African Art. Art by American Impressionists Mary Cassatt and Alfred Maurer, German Expressionist George Grosz, Mexican artists Emilio Amero and Rufino Tamayo, Louisiana artist Clyde Connell, and Texas Regionalist Don Brown also enhance its collection, as do ninety prints by William Hogarth, and "The Triumphal Arch of Maximilian I" by Albrecht Durer.

The collection is actively used by the Museum's staff and Centenary students to curate new exhibitions and conduct scholarly research.

The public can currently view the founding Despujols collection online below. The Meadows will be adding other parts of its collection soon.