Regional Arts Network Luncheon

Every other month the Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana hosts the Regional Arts Network luncheon, and the next edition of this seminar series will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, April 19th, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Room 108 at Central School. The Regional Arts Network (RAN) luncheons are designed for those working in the arts to come together to network, promote their events and programs, and to establish working relationships with other artists and arts organizations.

Attending the RAN luncheon will be state officials and Christie Weeks, Chair of Louisiana Citizens for the Arts (LCA), who will discuss the upcoming legislative session in regards to the future of arts funding. LCA is an organization that provides advocacy services for the arts in Louisiana and plays a direct role in advocating for increased arts funding to Louisiana legislators.

The success of LCA is more important than ever with the state's Decentralized Arts Funding grant program facing a 33% decrease from last year's fiscal year's funding which adds to a 60% decrease in funding from 2009's levels. The RAN luncheon is a great opportunity for artists and arts organizations to find out more about what LCA does for the arts and the impact the arts have on our state's economy.

With the Arts Council's annual Spring Art Walk on Friday, April 13th, the RAN luncheon will also discuss all that the event has to offer, including information on which artists will be at the participating locations throughout downtown and what can be expected at the second annual Art Battle. A presentation will also be given about the upcoming series of centennial celebrations held by several prominent historic buildings, including Central School, the Cathedral, and the Courthouse.

Lunch is served at 11;30 a.m. for $5 with the seminar to begin at noon. An RSVP is required. For more information or to RSVP, contact the Arts Council at (337) 439-ARTS. To find out more information about LCA, visit www.louisianacitizensforthearts.org.

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.

Arts Council Accepting Tourism Marketing Initiative Grant Applications

The Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana is currently accepting applications for the 2013 Tourism Marketing Initiative Grant.  This year the Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau appropriated $45,000 to distribute for special projects and events staged in Calcasieu Parish. The Tourism Marketing Initiative Grants Program works to initiate and sustain the growth of cultural tourism in Calcasieu Parish.

As well as greatly improving the quality of life for the parish residents, one of the grant’s main goals is to ensure the stabilization of arts and humanities organizations through increased attendance and engagement of community members in local projects. The grant specifically funds the necessary marketing tools for local artists, organizations, and events.

Last year, a total of eighteen organizations in Calcasieu Parish were awarded funding, including Bayou Writers Group; Louisiana Theatre Festival by The Children’s Theatre; Lake Charles Symphony; Louisiana Choral Foundation; Mardi Gras Museum; Bulber Youth Orchestra; Common Ground; and Artists Civic Theatre & Studio (ACTS) just to name a few.

Applicants may submit one request, not to exceed $2,000 per year. All projects must take place between June 15, 2012 and June 14, 2013. It is important to note applicants compete only with other organizations in Calcasieu Parish, so decisions about cultural priorities are made locally.  

Applications may be obtained at www.artsandhumanitiesswla.org or in the Arts and Humanities Council office, located at 809 Kirby Street, Suite 202 in Lake Charles.  The deadline to apply is May 4, 2012.

For more information on this grant or other grant related opportunities, contact the Arts and Humanities Council at (337) 439-2787. 

Spring Art Walk Venues and Artists Announced!

While the event’s counterpart, September’s Gallery Promenade, focuses on the art space itself, the Spring Art Walk exposes the artist by concentrating Southwest Louisiana talent into a few square blocks across the Charleston Cultural District for a Friday evening in April. Coffee shops, businesses, restaurants, and even vacant buildings are transformed into trendy art galleries for the evening.

On Friday, April 13th, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., residents and visitors will be able to tour historic downtown properties and businesses while enjoying a tour of the best Southwest Louisiana art. Live music echoes throughout downtown, venues serve cocktails hors d'oeuvres, and this past year the Spring Art Walk hosted its first-ever Art Battle where teams of artists competed to create a mural live in front of an audience in only an hour. Art Walk participants can not only see the competition between local artists first hand in real time but also are able to choose the winners.

The Spring Art Walk is a great opportunity for artists and businesses alike, and this partnership between the arts and businesses has the potential to better sustain the downtown community through reinforcing its image as a gravitational center for arts, culture, and revenue.

2012 Spring Art Walk Venues and Artists Include

Gallery By the Lake
106 W. Pryce Street
Associated Louisiana Artists
Downtown Crawfish Festival Poster Entries

Sweets & Treats
411 Ryan Street
Linda Ritchie, Fred Stark

Sha Sha's of Creole
609 Ryan Street
Marc LeFevre

Muller's Lofts
624 Ryan Street
Richard Buckley, Paris Duhon, Stephanie Smith, C. Paul Phelps Correctional Center, Erin Casteel, Devin Heard, Kenneth and Trina Green, Joseph Suire, Molly Reed

Cedar Chest Antiques
210 Division Street
Steve Wilson

Formerly Social Denim
706 Ryan Street
Art du Lac: Monica Hebert, Rex Alexander, Valerie Smith, Tracy Friberg, Lyd Faquhaur, Heather Ryan Kelley, Jacqueline Segura, Lisa Myers, Erin Bee

Luna Bar & Grill
719 Ryan Street
Donald Williams, Carol Ann Loman

Luna Live
710 Ryan Street
Atomic Heart Tattoo: Christy Scothorn, Zach Brown, Maura Cole, Casey Page, Dreek Owen

Downtown Properties
721 Ryan Street
Ben Von Duke

Formerly the Fat Cat Cafe
723 Ryan Street
Zander Lampkin

Salon Lindsay
725 Ryan Street
Julie Arabie, Ali Hay

The Children's Museum
327 Broad Street
Jacob Dugas, Jeremy Price, Kelly Keith Royal, Cassandra Read, Kasey Prudhomme

Stellar Beans Coffee House
319 Broad Street
Beth Fontenot

505 Bazaar
314 Broad Street
Vickie Singletary

The Charleston Hotel Lobby
900 Ryan Street
Marilyn Wheeldon, Yelena Koehn, Cheri Cowen

Pujo Street Cafe
901 Ryan Street
Julie Dallas, Candice Alexander

Le Petit Cadeau
318 Pujo Street
Vickie Singletary

Historic 1911 City Hall Arts & Cultural Center
1001 Ryan Street
First Floor: Artisan's Gallery Group Show
Second Floor: Reflections on Water in American Painting
Third Floor: Monumental Detail: The Drawings of Gerry Wubben

Central School Arts & Humanities Center
809 Kirby Street
Second Floor: Alan Flattmann at Art Associates Gallery with lecture in theatre
Third Floor: Studio 347 Group Show

The Frame House & Gallery
1640 Ryan Street
Sean Hicks, Isable Coleman

Bayou Writers Group Announces Young Writers' Contest

Do you have a way with words? Does your teacher comment on your writing? Do you love to write? The Bayou Writers’ Group of Lake Charles is proud to sponsor the 2012 Young Writers’ Contest! There is no cost to submit, and the top three winners will receive cash prizes and recognition at the annual Writers’ Conference on November 10, 2012. This contest is open to all high school students in the five parish region. Students may submit up to two entries up to 2,000 words in fiction or nonfiction, and submissions must be received (postmarked) by June 2. For details on submission guidelines, visit www.bayouwritersgroup.com.

Louisiana Crossroads concert celebrates Quebecois

DeTemps Antan

The Louisiana Crossroads series continues as the City of Lake Charles presents “Exploring Quebecois, Acadian and Cajun/Creole Connections” in Central School Theater, Wednesday, April 11 at 7 p.m. The connections between the traditional music of Francophone Canada and Louisiana are undeniable but largely unexplored. This show brings together stalwarts on both sides of that line-musicians who have unprecedented expertise in their fields but also great stage presence and a desire to create new music based on the commonalities of their heritage.

Ana Laura Edmiston

De Temps Antan, all current or former members of the legendary group La Bouttine Souriante, is at the pinnacle of Quebecois music. Since 2003, Éric Beaudry, André Brunet and Pierre-Luc Dupuis have been exploring and performing time-honored melodies from the stomping grounds of Quebec’s musical past. Using fiddle, accordion, harmonica, guitar, bouzouki and a number of other instruments, our three virtuosos blend boundless energy with the unmistakable joie de vivre found only in traditional Quebec music. They will collaborate with Cedric Watson, the great young talent in Louisiana Creole Music, Ana Laura Edmiston, whose stellar vocal work with Feufollet has won her great renown, and David Greely, formerly of the Mamou Playboys, whose expertise in Louisiana fiddle and ballad styles is unmatched.  

The concert will be broadcast live via 100,000-watt regional National Public Radio affiliate KRVS, simultaneously streaming audio worldwide via krvs.org. Advance tickets are $10 on line at www.louisianacrossroads.org, or at the Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana on the second floor of Central School. Tickets at the door are $12. For more information, please call (337) 491-9147 or visit the department of cultural affairs at www.cityoflakecharles.com.  

Arts Council Hosts Regional Arts Network Luncheon

Every other month the Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana hosts the Regional Arts Network luncheon, and the next edition of this seminar series will be held on Tuesday, April 10th, at 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Room 108 at Central School Arts & Humanities Center. The Regional Arts Network (RAN) luncheons are designed for those working in the arts to come together to network, promote their events and programs, and establish working relationships with other artists and arts organizations.


Attending the RAN luncheon will be state officials and Christie Weeks, Chair of Louisiana Citizens for the Arts (LCA), who will discuss the upcoming legislative session in regards to the future of arts funding. Artists, arts organizations, and those working in the arts are encouraged to attend. LCA is an organization that provides advocacy services for the arts in Louisiana and plays a direct role in advocating for increased arts funding to Louisiana legislators.


The success of LCA is more important than ever with the state's Decentralized Arts Funding grant program facing a 33% decrease from last fiscal year's funding which adds to a 60% cut in funding from 2009's levels. The RAN luncheon is a great opportunity for artists and arts organizations to find out more about what LCA does for the arts and the impact the arts have on our state's economy.


With the Arts Council's annual Spring Art Walk on Friday, April 13th, the RAN luncheon will also discuss all that the event has to offer, including information on which artists will be at participating locations and what can be experienced at the second annual Art Battle.


Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. for $5 with the seminar to begin at noon. An RSVP is required. For more information or to RSVP, contact the Arts Council office at (337) 439-2787. To find out more information about LCA, visit www.louisianacitizensforthearts.org.