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.

Arts Council Distributes $27,000 to SWLA arts organizations

The Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana, the distributing agency for the City of Lake Charles Partnership Assistance Grant Program, is pleased to announce its 2012 grant awards. The program is made possible by the City of Lake Charles and provides a total of $27,000 to arts organizations domiciled within the City of Lake Charles.

 The Lake Charles grant program, which began in 1983, is designed for projects that are art related or for the stabilization of art organizations.  This year, a total of twenty seven organizations were awarded funding. Some of the recipients include: Artists Civic Theatre & Studio (ACTS); Black Heritage Festival; Lake Charles Community Band; Bulber Youth Orchestra; Children’s Theatre Company; Louisiana Choral Foundation; the Children’s Museum; and Cajun French Music Association.

Some of the project that will receive assistance are Dancing Classrooms; “I Hear a Symphony” by the Lake Charles Symphony; “Christmas in Louisiana” by the Lake Charles Civic Ballet; Art on Wheels Festival; “Premieres of Louisiana Women” by the Itinerant Theatre; Storyteller Donald Savis by the Calcasieu Parish Library; The Down Town Lake Charles Crawfish Festival by the Eljay Foundation; BayouCon 2012 by the Southwest Louisiana Science Education Foundation; “Culture Fest Louisiana” by Common Ground; Louisiana Master Gardner’s; and the Lake Charles Film Festival.

“We are committed to making arts enrichment opportunities available to all Lake Charles Citizens,” said Mayor Roach.  “The Lake Charles Partnership Grant has helped tie together the power of the arts and culture as development tools that unite communities, create economic opportunity and improve the quality of life. The City of Lake Charles has an extensive history of supporting the arts through this grant opportunity for city residents.”

As well as greatly improving the quality of life for the residents of Lake Charles, 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 arts are the guiding principle at the Arts and Humanities Council,” said Jackie Dowden, Community Development Coordinator.  “These projects demonstrate the imaginative and innovative capacities of artists and arts organizations to enhance the quality of life in Lake Charles.” 

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

Margaret Place Celebrates 100 Years

This weekend, the annual Palm Sunday Tour of Homes will become an exceptional and unique experience of one of our city's most beloved historic landmarks thanks to the Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society. Margaret Place is a small neighborhood located between Ryan Street, Shell Beach Drive, and Dr. Michael DeBakey Drive in Lake Charles, and after the Great Fire of 1910, much of the development in Lake Charles was pushed south of the downtown area. Allen Jefferson Perkins of Perkins & Miller Lumber Mill designed the subdivision which is exemplary of the diverse bungalow architectural styles between 1912 and 1937. Saturday, March 31st, and Sunday, April 1st, will feature a great variety of events to showcase the best of the neighborhood.


Those who were lucky enough to purchase a Fan Tour ticket before the event sold out will be able to take a guided walking tour of Margaret Place on Saturday with a block party to end the evening which will have refreshments and live music by local band Soul Vacation.


Palm Sunday will be jam-packed with exclusive events, and the line up is as follows:

• 121 Artisan Bistro will host the 100th Anniversary Brunch, and there are four seatings at 9:30 a.m. (sold out), 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 12:30 a.m. Brunch ticket holders receive access to the Palm Sunday homes early!
• An exhibit featuring images from Margaret Place and ICCS will be on display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at ICCS.
• The 37th annual Palm Sunday Tour of Homes will commence at noon, and ticket holders will get to experience interior tours of nine historic Margaret Place homes. Tickets may still be purchased at ICCS on the day of the tour for $25.00. Day-of tickets can also be purchased on Harrison near Dr. Michael DeBakey Drive, on Park Avenue near Shell Beach Drive, and in front of 205 Shell Beach Drive. 
• Due to the historical nature of Margaret Place being one of the original streetcar subdivisions, Sunday will also feature a re-enactment of the South Ryan Street Car Route. The City of Lake Charles is offering free rides on the trolley buses to nine stops within the district, and J&R Carriage will offer carriage rides two and from the Civic Center for $5 (one-way) or $10 (round trip).

This event will be truly something to remember for years to come! Lake Charles is lucky to have such a wonderfully preserved historic district with residents who dedicate endless hours and energy to ensure that Margaret Place will remain a gem for another hundred years. For more information, visit www.calcasieupreservation.org.

Lake Charles to be represented at national poetry out loud competition!

Pam Breaux, Assistant Secretary to
the Office of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism,
with State Champion Keaghan Kane

On Saturday, March 24^th, eleven finalists from across Louisiana high schools competed at the Louisiana State Museum for top honors as Louisiana State Champion for Poetry Out Loud’s 2012 season. Over a thousand students competed in Louisiana, and three students from Southwest Louisiana were among these finalists: Keaghan Kane, home schooled, 12^th grade; Elizabeth Salvador, home schooled, 10^th grade; and Raven Dobbins of Washington-Marion High School, 9^th grade.

After a highly competitive contest in which each student recited three poems on stage in front of a packed room and four qualified judges including published poets and LSU professors, Kane was awarded first place as State Champion and will go on to represent Southwest Louisiana at the National Poetry Out Loud Competition in Washington, D.C. on May 13^th-14^th.

Kane will be the second Lake Charles student in a row that competes at the national competition with last year’s state championship awarded to David Douglas of Washington-Marion High School. Kane won the state judges over with her recitations of “Preludes” by T.S. Eliot, “Crossing the Bar” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and “Monet Refuses the Operation” by Lisel Mueller. Kane, who has competed in Poetry Out Loud for the past four years, is a home schooled senior graduating in May, and she will attend Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Virginia, to pursue a degree in literature.

“This was Keaghan’s last year to be eligible to compete, and she has grown stronger each year in her abilities to understand the architecture of each poem and to translate that understanding effortlessly in her performances,” stated Erica McCreedy, Special Projects Coordinator for the Arts Council. “She will be a great voice for Louisiana at the national competition.”

Poetry Out Loud began in 2005 from the joint efforts of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. The Louisiana Division of the Arts has been played a vital role in keeping this program strong, and the Arts Council facilitates this program in Southwest Louisiana each year. For more information about Poetry Out Loud or how to participate in next year’s round of competitions, contact the Arts Council at (337) 439-2787.

Live @ the Lakefront Concludes with City Heat!

Live @ the Lakefront will end its explosive inaugural season on Friday, March 30th, with performances by local favorites City Heat and Iberville High Life. The Lake Area's newest music festival is co-presented by the Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana and the City of Lake Charles, and its goal is to showcase the Lakefront Promenade while celebrating local music talents and Southwest Louisiana culture.

This Friday's concert will be held at the Arcade Amphitheater on the Lakefront Promenade from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and it will also feature Lake Area food vendors, children's entertainment, beverage sales as well as booths showcasing one-of-a-kind local art from a variety of art mediums.

Come spread a blanket on the amphitheater's grassy hill and listen to the best live music around with the lakeshore scenery and the cool March weather as the perfect backdrop! 

Live @ the Lakefront acts as a fundraiser for the arts in Southwest Louisiana with all proceeds from Coke, Budweiser, Miller, and wine sales going directly to the Arts Council's efforts to support area arts and cultural initiatives and endeavors.

Mayor Randy Roach will welcome the audience with local blues band Iberville High Life to follow. With Bam Arceneaux, Tim Norris, Steve Dufrene making up its core, Iberville High Life performs across the dynamic spectrum of the blues genre with special emphasis on traditional blues. 

Jazz band City Heat will headline Friday's concert, and despite beginning as Isle of Capri Casino's house band, City Heat has become one of Southwest Louisiana's most sought-after live music acts. The band originated in Lake Charles and is driven by local jazz legend Chester Daigle with their unique combinations and fusions of jazz, funk, blues, and R&B. City Heat's repertoire of original and cover songs has cemented them as a true Southwest Louisiana favorite.

Live @ the Lakefront is free to the public and is made possible by Deep South Productions and generous sponsorships from Isle of Capri Casino Hotel and Tobacco Free Living. Event partners include Townsquare Media, Gator 99.5, Coca-Cola, 107 JAMZ, Cajun Radio, KISSFM, 92.9 The Lake, the Porch Coffee House & Café, American Press, Lake Charles Convention & Visitors Bureau, Knight Media Printing, Southwest Daily News, the Jambalaya News, Lagniappe, Thrive Magazine, KPLC, Beverage Sales, Southwest Beverage, and Redfish Rental.

No ice chests or outside food are allowed. For details about Live @ the Lakefront, call the Arts Council office at 439-ARTS or visit www.artsandhumanitiesswla.org.