The Battle is Set!

Tracy LeMieux

We are so excited about our Spring Art Walk! Each year we turn downtown Lake Charles into a concentrated and multifaceted experience of our local art scene as restaurants, coffee houses, businesses, and even vacant buildings are transformed into galleries from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. This year, over 20 venues are opening their doors to show the best of Southwest Louisiana art and to show the value the arts have in our economy and culture.

Studio 347

Last year we brought a new element to the Spring Art Walk; our first annual Art Battle was attended by more than 300 people who watched ten teams of artists compete against each other to create a new piece of art in only an hour. We listened to the community, so we are bringing the battle back for a second year! This year, the battle arena will be in the parking lot just south of the Charleston Hotel near the corner of Pujo St. and Ryan St., and Fusion Five, the area's premiere young professionals organization, is helping us make this battle even bigger than last year. 


With art battles taking larger cities by storm, we wanted Lake Charles to share in this artistic endeavor, and we've found that they draw a huge variety of artists and styles and also generate fresh ideas for what art can accomplish within a competitive framework. 

John Martel

The winning team is determined by the number of tips that are put into the team's tip jar, and 50% of these tips go right back to the artists. The winning piece of art is put on display as public art at Central School Arts & Humanities Center for 30 days, and to make it even better, the public can even purchase the murals created during the battle. All of the murals will be featured in a silent auction during the evening, and 70% of the proceeds go back to the artists as well.


The battle will feature all mediums, all materials, and all themes, and it's not often that you get to see a piece of art created from scratch, so this is not an event to be missed! The battle begins promptly at 6 p.m. and will end at 7 p.m. with voting from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The winning team will be announced at 8 p.m., and the silent auction will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. 


For more information, contact the Arts Council office at 439-2787 or visit www.artsandhumanitiesswla.org.