Ross Lynn Charitable Foundation: Ida Bell’s House
Ida Bell’s House features nine works that depict a tenant house previously occupied by Ida Bell Carroll on the property of Lynn Farms. The exhibition includes an oil painting, a textile, photographs, a charcoal drawing, stained glass, and a mixed media piece, all created to capture the likeness of the house. We spoke to Ryan Botts from the Ross Lynn Charitable Foundation about the inspiration and intention behind the exhibition.
What inspired the Ross Lynn Charitable Foundation to create an exhibit honoring Ida Bell’s House?
The Ross Lynn Charitable Foundation felt led to curate Ida Bell’s House to honor both the historic structure and its namesake, as well as share a new story from the place where Ross grew up. Ida Bell’s House has long caught the attention of passersby, but without accurate information, many have been left to fill in the gaps with their own assumptions and guesses. Our intention with the exhibit was to provide key details and historical context, allowing the public to better understand and appreciate the significance of the house and its role in Caddo Parish’s history.
How does the history of Ida Bell’s House reflect the cultural or social landscape of the region?
Ida Bell’s House is the last remaining tenant house on the Lynn Farms property and one of the few surviving examples in the region. These houses were home to farm workers and were typically located on or near the farm where they worked, often including a small plot of land for them to grow personal gardens to supplement their income. Before the 1900s, North Caddo farmland was frequently flooded by the Red River and Soda Lake. The area was converted for farming only after the area was protected from flooding by the combined efforts of draining, building levees on the Red River, and clearing log jams.
Unlike the antebellum plantations of the pre-Civil War South, these post-war farms, while attempting to claim that legacy, were quite different in culture and economy. They relied on hired tenants instead of enslaved labor. Most of these tenant workers were African American, living in homes similar to Ida Bell’s House and forming tight-knit communities centered around the farms. By the late 1900s, educational opportunities and urban migration reduced the tenant worker population, eventually replaced by seasonal migrant labor. As people left, many tenant houses were abandoned, repurposed, or fell into disrepair.
Ida Bell’s House, however, has been restored multiple times, particularly after storm damage and natural deterioration following Ms. Carroll’s retirement. The goal is to preserve it as a vital piece of Caddo Parish and Louisiana history, ensuring that future generations can learn from it.
Can you explain the significance of Ida Bell Carroll and why the house is named after her?
Ida Bell Carroll cared for multiple generations of the Lynn family, including Ross Lynn, the foundation's namesake. Ross’s sister Lesley fondly remembers her as a gifted storyteller with endless patience, always carrying a stick of Big Red gum in her pocket. Mrs. Carroll was a beloved figure in the rural farming community of Caddo Parish and held a special place in the hearts of those who knew her.
Although several people lived in the house over the years, Ms. Carroll was its final resident until her retirement. Most in the community remember it as "Ms. Carroll’s house," and over time, the casual reference to "Ida Bell’s House" became its official name.
What was the process for selecting the eight artists involved in the exhibition?
The curation of the "Ida Bell’s House" exhibit involved both an open call to regional artists and direct invitations to those the Ross Lynn Charitable Foundation believed would be interested in the project. The exhibit features works by longtime friends of the Foundation, such as Leah Floyd and Amanda Breitbach, whom we know through our residency programs, as well as regional artists like Robert Trudeau, Kristi Cavett Jones, and Leonard Service. We also welcomed new artists through the open call, including Emily Daye and Kevin B. Jones. When selecting pieces, we sought works that honored the structure’s significance and history while incorporating the artist's personal expression.
How does this exhibition fit within the broader mission of the Ross Lynn Charitable Foundation?
This exhibit celebrated art and creativity as a way to honor what is important to us as a community. It gave RLCF a platform to educate the public about Ida Bell’s House and its significance while offering a fresh perspective on the property’s history, one not centered on a Lynn family member but still closely connected. Through this project, RLCF invited artists to contribute to the evolving cultural identity of Caddo Parish, help educate the public on a significant piece of local history, and share a new narrative from the rural farming communities of Louisiana.
Ida Bell’s House is on display at the Meadows Museum from September 2 - 27, 2024.