Downtown Lake Charles Crawfish Festival Poster Unveiling

On Tuesday, April 1 at 3pm, the DownTown Lake Charles Crawfish Festival, in partnership with Associated Louisiana Artists - Gallery by the Lake, will hold a Press Conference and will unveil its 2014 Official Festival Poster while announcing and acknowledging the 2014 Festival sponsors, activities and line-up. The public is invited to attend. This will take place at Gallery by the Lake at 106 West Pryce Street, Lake Charles. Refreshments will be served.

The top finalist posters will be on display at the gallery during the month of March and April, including during the annual SWLA Arts and Humanities Art Walk in late April.

The DownTown Lake Charles Crawfish Festival, which is recognized as a Top 20 Event in the Southeast and one of the top 55 Gulf Coast destinations in the month of April, will be April 11-13 at the Lake Charles Civic Center.  Steamboat Bills will be on site boiling thousands of pounds of crawfish. There is great Zydeco and Cajun music at its best, as well as great food and exciting family fun at one of the largest indoor/outdoor Crawfish Festivals in Southwest Louisiana. There are activities for everyone, including a pageant, parade and midway carnival! This is southwest Louisiana at its finest!

For more information, to become a sponsor or vendor, enter the pageant or parade, or purchase pre-sale tickets, please visit www.downtowncrawfest.com.

The Onlies to Perform at Wild Beast Feast

The Lafayette based band, The Onlies, will highlight the Lake Charles Symphony’s annual Wild Beast Feast on Sat., Mar. 29, 2014, with its special blend of folk and bluegrass music. With the release of “Open Road” in 2013, the group has discovered that the road truly has opened up for them.   Their album was produced by Grammy nominated producer and engineer Terry  DuPuy who has worked with Hunter Hayes, Roddie Romero, and Feufollet among many others.   Though The Onlies started out as a duo with Fawn Larson and Will Harrison, they have since added music veteran Gary Newman on upright bass and Luke Andrus on drums.  “Larson’s siren-like vocals will sweep you in with the ebb and flow of her carefully crafted lyrics while Harrison’s playful yet rough edge becomes softened as their melody and harmonies intertwine.”   

The Onlies continue to stick to their folk roots while borrowing from bluegrass, old country, Cajun, blues, indie and pop to make one incredibly enjoyable and diverse album.   Guests at this popular symphony fundraiser will be tapping their feet and singing along while sampling the savory dishes of more than 20 cooking teams.    Doors open at 5:00 p.m., a live auction begins at 7:00 p.m., and music will be played until 9:00  p.m.   Tickets are $50 for ages 14 & up, $25 for ages 7-13, and 6 & under are free.    For ticket info, call (337) 433-1611 or go online at www.lcsymphony.com.  

            

Free Screening of Los Viages del Viento

There will be a free screening of Los Viajes del Viento (The Wind Journeys), a 2009 Colombian film, on Friday 21 March, 7 p.m., at the Historic Central School in Lake Charles.  The winner of a Cannes award and numerous others, this work from filmmaker Ciro Guerra shows the travels of Ignacio, who plays an accordion that is rumored to have been the devil’s.  After the musician’s wife dies, he journeys to return the accordion to its original owner.  

Ignacio’s loneliness is broken by a young man who wants to learn from him, and they explore the music of the Caribbean.  But Ignacio’s self-imposed solitude has become a hard-to-break shell.  Director Guerra says, “This is the story of a journey….into something unique….like the music that was born.  For centuries we’ve asked ourselves:  What keeps us apart?  Now is [the] time to ask what brings us together.”  

Sponsored by Dr. Carrie Chrisco, Los Viajes is presented by Calcasieu Cinema International, a branch of the Council for International Concerns, in partnership with McNeese State University’s Banners Cultural Series and the Office of Equal Opportunity, The Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana, Common Ground/Culture Fest Louisiana, Lake Area Psychiatry, and Coca-Cola. A moderated discussion will follow, and free drinks and popcorn will be served!  For more information, email cbadeaux@mcneese.edu or jkprjs@gmail.com .

Jazz in the Arts

Jazz In The Arts will host its next concert on Sunday March 16, 2014 at Central School's Benjamin Mount Theatre at 5:00 p.m.  Tickets are $10 in advance, and $12 at the door.

Featured are two seasoned jazz musicians that are widely known.  Sylvester "Stank" Leblanc and Charlene "Salemah" Broussard have traveled throughout the country sharing their music "Jazz".

Sylvester "Stank" LeBlanc is an electrifying musician and vocalist.  Along with phenomenal saxophone and flute playing, LeBlanc adds unique yodeling-scat vocals to the show.  

Charlene "Salemah" Broussard is a soulful, powerful, and entertaining songstress.  She is an internationally known artist who has been performing for over 20 years.  

For more information contact Pat Daigle at 794-5744, or the Arts Council at 337-439-2787. 

KMI Children's Art Contest!

Knight Media Printing is currently accepting submissions for its Children's Art Contest.  All children 18 years of age and under are eligible to submit original artwork in either traditional or digital mediums.  No photography will be accepted.  A prize will be awarded for the best in each age group (toddler, elementary, junior high, and high school). There will be a grand prize overall best and a People's Choice for the one that receives the most "likes" on Knight Media's Facebook page.  

All winners will receive 1 large print and 4 small prints of their artwork.  Original artwork will be showcased at the Arts Council of SWLA as well as featured in the Jambalaya News.  All entries must be submitted with an entry form available at www.kmimedia.com/artcontest. Mail or drop off submissions at Knight Media Printing, ATTN: Art Contest, 412 W. McNeese St., Lake Charles, LA 70605.  All submissions must be received by February 21, 2014.  Call 337-478-8350 for details.          

Live @ The Lakefront 2014 Lineup Announced

Coffee House Theatre returns to Stellar Beans

The Children’s Theatre Company’s (CTC) will perform selections from Disney’s TARZAN at Coffee House Theatre on February 1 at 7:00PM.  Presented  by Kerry A. Onxley; CTC Artistic Director, Taylor Simon; CTC Associate Director and Joseph Boyette  (Vocal Director) this family musical will make its full debut on Friday, February 21, 2014 at Central School Theatre.  Coffee House Theatre is hosted by Itinerant Theatre. 

(PHOTO CAPTION:  Tarzan, portrayed by John Paul Primeaux, calms Jane, played by Abigail Guillory in a scene from Disney’s TARZAN) (Photos by Meagan Green.)

Based on Edgar Rice Burrough'sTarzan of the Apes and the smash-hit 1999 Disney animated film, TARZAN tells the story of a shipwreck leaving an infant orphaned on the West African shore, the helpless baby Tarzan is taken under the protection of a gorilla tribe and becomes part of their family. When he eventually encounters his first human--Jane Porter, a curious young explorer--both their worlds are transformed forever. This production features music and lyrics by pop icon Phil Collins, including the Grammy and Oscar winning song, "You'll Be in My Heart", and book by Tony Award-winning playwright,David Henry Hwang.

The Coffee House Theatre performance will be held at Stellar Beans in downtown Lake Charles (319 Broad Street).  For more information, call 337-564-5739.

Gallery Talk: Suburbia Exhibition

 

Mr. Lynn Reynolds, Associate Professor of Art and Academic 

Chair of the Department of Visual Arts at McNeese State University, will conduct a gallery talk on Friday, January 31 from 6-7 p.m. at 1911 Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center, 1001 Ryan Street. His talk entitled “Avocado Green and Harvest Gold” will provide an overview of the groundbreaking 1972 photographic publication Suburbia by California photographer Bill Owens. SUBURBIA is on national tour by Art2Art Traveling Exhibitions and is currently on display 1911 City Hall through March 8. The event will be open to all ages at no charge.

Reynolds earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in 

Photography from the University of Nebraska –Lincoln in 1996 and a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts from McNeese State University in 1992. In addition to his duties as McNeese Department of Visual Arts chairman, he serves as both the full-time Instructor of Photography as well as the Director of Exhibitions and Gallery Installations for Abercrombie Gallery and the Shearman Fine Arts Annex Grand Gallery. Reynolds own photographic works have been showcased in numerous exhibitions and collections from Spiva Center for the Arts in Joplin –Missouri to the Mobile Museum of Art in Mobile –Alabama and the Center for the Visual Arts in Wausau –Wisconsin. In addition, he has received various grants, awards, and merit prizes for his photographic works including the 2003 -Louisiana Artist Fellowship for the photographic series Invulcra, the 2001 Cooperstown Art Association -Deborah Geurtze Graphics prize and a 2006 McNeese College of Liberal Arts endowment.   

While visiting Historic City Hall, don’t miss 18 Seconds: The 

Enchanted Trail and Found in Riverton by Caroline Youngblood, and Ataraxia by Jessica Gayle, all on exhibition through March 4. The gallery is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are gladly accepted. For more information, please call 491-9147 or visit www.cityoflakecharles.com.

He Died With A Felafel in His Hand

There will be a free screening of the 2001 Australian film He Died with A Felafel in His Hand on Friday, 24 January,  at 7 p.m.  The Grand Jury Prize winner of the New York International Independent Film Festival will be shown at Central School auditorium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.  Adapted from a novel and play with a cult following, this film blends youthful hijinks with literate film references.   This film also received recognition for its music.  Following the room-sharing experiences of Danny, who moves from city to city, the story reflects what one reviewer calls “a search for love, meaning, and bathroom solitude.”  Directed by Richard Lowenstein, the film is an edgy comedy-romance that includes sexual situations and drug references.  

Sponsored by The McNeese Foundation, He Died with a Felafel in His Hand  is presented by Calcasieu Cinema International, a branch of the Council for International Concerns, in partnership with McNeese State University’s Office of Equal Opportunity, Banners Cultural Series, Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana, Lake Area Psychiatry, The Hearing Center, Coca-Cola, and Common Ground/CultureFestLouisiana.

The audience is invited to join in a guided discussion afterward.  Free popcorn and drinks are provided.  For more information, email cbadeaux@mcneese.edu or jkprjs@gmail.com.

Lost Landmarks Unveiling

The Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society (CHPS) will unveil markers at three sites of “Lost Landmarks” in Calcasieu Parish on Thursday, January 30, 2014.  The markers are custom fabricated of cast metal by Southwell Foundry.

The first unveiling will be at 5:00 pm at the intersection of Enterprise Boulevard Extension and St John Street, the site of Ball’s Auditorium.  A second short ceremony will follow at the site of the Majestic Hotel at 5:45 pm, corner of Bilbo and Pujo downtown.  The final ceremony will be at 6:15 pm on the 800 block of Ryan Street, location of the Arcade Theatre, the Miller Building, the Weber Building and the Paramount Theatre.  The sites are all in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

The short ceremonies will acknowledge the roles the structures played in the economic, social, and cultural history of Southwest Louisiana.  Partner organizations will assist in the unveiling.  The Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors’ Bureau will represent the hospitality industry symbolized by the Majestic, and the Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana will represent arts and culture as symbolized by the lost Arcade and Paramount theaters.  CHPS wishes to thank the City of Lake Charles, the Downtown Development Authority, and Empire of the Seed/Rick and Donna Richard for their kind and generous assistance in obtaining installation sites.

The markers are part of the “Lost Landmarks heritage education program” of CHPS made possible by an arts-and-tourism grant from the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau administered by the Arts Council.

The unveiling ceremonies are open to the public, as is the reception immediately following at the historic Calcasieu-Marine Bank building.

DownTown Lake Charles Crawfish Festival Art Contest

The Downtown Lake Charles Crawfish Festival, along with Cultural Partner Associated Louisiana Artists Gallery by the Lake,  is now accepting entries for its 2014 poster contest! 

All entries must be original and conceived by the artist. No copyrighted work, in whole or part, will be accepted.  No enhanced digital images will be accepted. Only the lettering of the poster may be digitally done.  All artwork applications must include the artist’s name, address, phone number and email.

The entries must include the words “Original DownTown Lake Charles Crawfish Festival 2014”, and should have images of crawfish, Lake Charles, and SWLA themes.  All media, except photography and digital will be accepted.  Work should be no larger than 16 x 20”, unsigned, and unframed but ready to hang by using wire and screw eyes on canvas backs, and paper sheets should be mounted on foam core.  All entries will be judged by an experienced juried panel and the winner will receive an award and stipend gift.

The winning poster will be unveiled at the Press Conference in early April.  All entries will also be on display during the SWLA ArtWalk at the Gallery by the Lake for all attendees to see.   A People’s Choice Award will also be awarded. Last year, over 5000 people attended the festival.  This year, more will return and bring new guests with them.  

All ages are invited to participate. Images should represent crawfish, Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana themes, and/or the history of crawfish production and industry in Louisiana over the past 200 years. 

For more information, contact Eligha Guillory at 337-310-0083.

Register Your Child for JLP Acting Classes Now

Registration for JLP acting classes is open now until January 29th at the Henning Cultural Center at 923 Ruth Street in Sulphur.  The classes are open to children ages 6 through 12 years of age and will cost $50. Classes will be held on January 30, February 6, and February 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  

The students will learn the basics of character development and monologue.  For more information visit the JLP acting workshop facebook page here, or call Jonelle at 337-304-0288.     

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are coming to McNeese

The members of McNeese University’s Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society invite the public to their production of “Snow White,” a 50-minute musical which invites children from the audience onstage to help tell the story. Performances will be December 19 and 20, 2013 at 6:30 pm, in Stokes Auditorium in Hardtner Hall on the McNeese campus, located at the corner of East Sale Road and Common Street. Admission is $5 per person.

Performances for school groups (Kindergarten through the third grade) are also available on Dec 19^th and 20^th at 9:30 and 11:00 am. These performances can be followed by a short Q&A period for students to speak to the cast.

(Clockwise from left: Haley Smith, Kevin Delaney, Joseph Comeaux, Cameron Scallan, Darby Domingue, and Kassidy Ortego.)

The show was penned by Buzz Podewell, a member of the theater faculty at Tulane University for nearly 40 years. Podewell was a co-founder and former artistic director of the Shakespeare Festival at Tulane and the founder of the children’s troupe, The Patchwork Players. Alpha Psi Omega is proud to host the first Lake Charles performance of this production of “Snow White.”

Contact Charles McNeely, Coordinator of McNeese Theatre at cmcneely@mcneese.edu or 475-5041 with any questions and to make reservations.

Apply For a Big Read Grant Today

The Big Read is now accepting applications from non-profit 

organizations to develop community-wide reading programs between September 2014 and June 2015. The Big Read is a national program designed to revitalize the role of literature in American culture and to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment. Organizations selected to participate in The Big Read receive a grant, promotional materials, access to online educational materials, training resources and opportunities. Approximately 75 organizations from across the country will be selected.

For more information, visit The Big Read website at http://www.neabigread.org/ . 

Music Makers 2 U Puts Instruments In The Hands of Students

Hattie asked, “Can I hug my violin?” Kendrick exclaimed, “I am playing higher notes with my new trumpet!”  John said, “I can’t let go of it” about his new violin. Such are the responses of students in southwest Louisiana upon receiving refurbished musical instruments from MusicMakers2U (MM2U). Their “new” instruments were provided through the generosity of donors who no longer have a use for them.

The MM2U Foundation was established in August 2013 as a non-profit organization created to provide students with the gift of music. The premise behind MM2U is that many school students have a desire to play a musical instrument but no means to obtain one. At the same time, many instruments have been silenced as they sit on closet shelves or in attics collecting dust. By pairing donated instruments with students desiring to play them, MM2U restores sound to the instrument and a voice to the student.

MM2U is made aware of students desiring to play through their educational instructors who are integral players in the program’s success. Once MM2U accepts an instrument, it is professionally cleaned, refurbished and repaired before being assigned to a student. Since MM2U’s short inception, 30 instruments have been donated and 10 pairings completed – all prior to publicly announcing MM2U’s formation.

Dr. Jeffrey J. Lemke, coordinator of instrumental music education at McNeese State University, states, “By helping improve academic achievement, build self-esteem, teach critical social skills, and engender creativity and innovation, MM2U helps to ignite the spark of creativity that lies within all children and inspires a love of learning.”

An added benefit for students participating in an MM2U is the parental involvement that comes with the pairing. Students accepting an MM2U instrument also agree to accept the responsibility of taking care of their instrument. The ‘cost” for the student in accepting the gift is the understanding that they now have an obligation to care for and practice on the instrument, to participate in school activities and to have the maturity necessary to return the instrument if their musical interest ever wanes.

For MM2U to grow contributions are being requested for instrument donations. Financial support is also needed to clean and refurbish the instruments. For further information, contact Eva LeBlanc, MM2U President, by calling 337-244-9314, by emailing musicmakers2U@gmail.com or by writing MM2U, P.O. Box 7964, Lake Charles, LA 70606.

Check out MM2U’s Facebook page to see posting of pairing photos.

The City of Lake Charles will Spread Joy with Handmade Christmas Cards

The City of Lake Charles will host the fourth annual Handmade Christmas Card Workshop during the month of December at 1911 Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center. All ages are welcome to apply their creative skills using several mediums from crayons to water colors to markers. All materials will be provided. Students throughout Calcasieu Parish are also invited to create and contribute their handmade cards as class projects. While visiting the center, students are also welcome to write a letter to Santa, which will be delivered to the North Pole.

The handmade Christmas cards will go to The Calcasieu Council on Aging for distribution to area nursing home residents through its Ombudsman Program. Ombudsmen are individuals who are trained to respond to the problems and needs of residents of nursing facilities and other long-term care facilities. The program works to assure that residents receive the best possible care and that they are treated with respect and dignity.

On exhibit throughout the holiday season are “The Curious World of Patent Models” on national tour, “Some Thoughts about Perfection” by Heather Ryan Kelley, “Children in Motion” by Nancy Melton and “Commemorating the Great Fire of 1910.”

1911 Historic City Hall is located at 1001 Ryan Street, gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are gladly accepted. The Charlestown Farmers Market is open on Bilbo Street behind the building every Saturday from 8 a.m.-noon. For more information, please call 491-9147 or visit www.cityoflakecharles.com

Cinderella's Holiday Dining

The Children’s Theatre Company; Artistic Director, Kerry Arthur Onxley presents Cinderella’s Holiday Dining! Children join their favorite storybook characters such as, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Jasmine for an unforgettable experience.  Character meals include pizza, dessert and a drink.  The seating incorporates a visit from each of these famous characters as they make their way around the Royal Table.  Children are encouraged to wear their favorite costume.  Hot coco and gingerbread will also be served.  

 

 This magical encounter occurs on Saturday, December 7, 2013 with seating at 12:00 noon.  The cost is $25.00 per person.  Seating is very limited and reservations must be made by calling the theatre box office at (337) 433-7323 or visiting www.childrenstheatre.cc  

City of Lake Charles Presents Louisiana Crossroads at Central School

The City of Lake Charles and Louisiana Crossroads will present an evening with the Savoy Cajun Family Band and Good & Young Family Band in the Ben Mount Auditorium in Central School, Wednesday, November 20 at 7pm.

The Savoy Family Band, which features Marc Savoy, his wife Ann and their two sons, Joel and Wilson, hails from the small Cajun prairie town of Eunice, Louisiana. The Savoy Family Cajun Band plays honed down, hard-core Cajun music laced with an earthy sensuality. In their hands, the old tunes have been revived and returned to new life. They are all strong individual musicians working together to create a tight, intense sound.

The quartet of Good & Young is a family ensemble rooted in the dance and music traditions of Old Time, Bluegrass and Country. With fiddle, banjo, guitar and bass, they are a festival of rhythm, dance and harmony.

Rick Good met Sharon Leahy on the old time circuit of the seventies—he with the Hotmud Family, she with the Green Grass Cloggers. They have been performing with their daughter, Emma Young for more than twenty years, largely in their dance and music company, Rhythm in Shoes. Just a few years ago, wedding bells rang and the family band grew to include Emma's talented husband, Linzay Young.

Rick was a 2010, Ohio Heritage Fellow and is recognized and respected for his accomplished banjo playing, heartfelt singing and crafty songwriting. Sharon has received numerous fellowships from the Ohio Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Her love and understanding of American tradition is clearly seen and heard through her award-winning choreography, artful singing and driving rhythm on guitar and bass. Emma, a rock-solid bass player and a fine harmony singer, was presented the Josie Award, her hometown of Dayton's highest honor for dance, in 2003. Linzay is a versatile fiddler, soulful singer, well-seasoned songwriter and culinary force. He is a founding member of the Red Stick Ramblers and a true link in the chain of Cajun Music and Culture. Carrying on the family traditions of song and dance, Good & Young serve it up with joyous taste and well-seasoned know how.

Advance tickets can be purchased for $12 at the Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana on the second floor of Central School, or on line at www.cityoflakecharles.com. Tickets at the door will be $15. For more information, please call (337) 491-9159.

The series will continue in the Central School with Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Revue on Wednesday, March 26, 2014; and Grammy-nominated, British soul singer James Hunter and his band the James Hunter Six with Louisiana All Stars on Tuesday, April 8, 2014.  For a complete line-up of season 14, including the Lafayette performances, go to www.acadianacenterforthearts.org.

ArtsFest Returns!

On Saturday, October 26^th, ArtsFest returns to engage area 

children in a free arts festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Lake Charles Civic Center’s Coliseum. This event is hosted annually by the Arts Council of SWLA and the City of Lake Charles, and it encourages creative expression through hands-on art projects.

2013 will bring the year of Fairytales, Myths & Legends,

and local organizations and businesses will host booths where children can create fun and creative pieces of art that tell stories of pirates, princesses, fairies, and even a few scary monsters. Children can take home all of their art projects which cover a wide range of mediums including painting, drawing, sculpture, and crafts. ArtsFest will also showcase live music, face painting, the wildly popular one-on-one pottery demonstrations, and performances by Lake Charles Dance Academy and Young Band Nation.

In the spirit of Halloween, children are encouraged to come 

dressed in their Halloween costume. The annual ArtsFest Costume Contest at 11:30 a.m. will award four free tickets to the family-friendly Spooky Timbers trail at the Lost Hollows to children with the most creative and original costumes. Winners of the ArtsFest Art Contest, which has been accepting entries from SWLA schools for several weeks, will be announced at the event as well.

ArtsFest is sponsored by the City of Lake Charles, Arts 

Council of SWLA, Union Pacific, Office of Cultural Development, Parker Brand Creative, and FOX29/Lake Charles CW. For more information about ArtsFest, call the Arts Council office at (337) 439-2787 or visit www.artsandhumanitiesswla.org.

Gallery Promenade 2013

This Friday, September 27^th, from 5PM – 9PM, marks the 17^th annual Gallery Promenade, which celebrates the art spaces all across the lake area. For one night, galleries, museums, art studios and unconventional art spaces will open their doors to the public, free of charge, to celebrate their year-round efforts at promoting the best culture of the region. J&R Carriage will offer free carriage rides (Please give them a donation as a thank you!) along Ryan Street and to Central School (809 Kirby St) and there will also be pedicab rides available in downtown Lake Charles. All locations will offer a free reception, with most offering a little something extra special. Maps will be posted soon, and will be available at all locations.

Here is the full list of locations and activities:

Alexander Art Studio, 900 Ryan Street, Suite 102: Featuring the work of Candice Alexander, Meagan Green, and Lindsey Katharine Johnson

(Meagan Green, Salivary Cycle AD, Mixed Media, Alexander Art Studio)

Henning Cultural Center, 923 Ruth Street, Sulphur: Featuring a dual exhibit by Jack Amuny and Mark John

At Central School, 809 Kirby Street:

Art Associates Gallery, Central School,  Suite 208: “A Louisiana Treasure,”  works by primitive artist Alvin Batiste, and early Christmas sales of the locally produced cookbook, From Palate to Palette.

Black Heritage Gallery, Central School , Suite 207: “Metal Health Series” new works by Adrian Fulton, and featuring live Jazz music by Gervis Guidry.

Dewey Fine Art, Central School,  Suite 347 and 3^rd Floor Art Hall: The work of Imogene Dewey, Theresa Dewey, Students & Friends. The group will also offer  demonstrations of various techniques, plus one-night-only discounts on workshops, classes, fine art, and prints.

Itinerant Theatre, Central School,  Suite 339. Live “Jesus Christ Superstar” rehearsals.

1^st Floor Art Hall:  Central School,  Suite 306, and 1^st Floor Art Hall. Artwork by Carolyn White, and Kevin Leveque

2^nd Floor Art Alcove: Central School, The works of  Jacqueline Segura, Johnny Segura, Daniel Castro, Peggy Borel. Artwork, photography, book signing, and more.

Steve Schindler Photography, 949 Ryan Street, Suite 240: Works by Steve Schindler who will also be offering 10 free giveaways for a $250 session.

1911 Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center, 1001 Ryan Street: ” Abraham Lincoln: The Image”

Artisans’ Gallery, 1911 Historic City Hall, 1001 Ryan Street: New work by  Anita Ahrens, Melinda Antoon, Blaine Bourgeois, Sally Cappel, Marilyn Cox, Beth Fontenot, Ronald Gibson, Kathy Gardiner Hebert, Emma Hughes, Charlene Kaough, Carrie Kudla, Charlotte LaBarbera, Pat Love, Judy Momenzadeh, Donna Artigue Price, Geoff Russell, Gloria Wegener, Bobbi Yancey, Gloria Yang, and Sue Zimmermann, with several chances to win original arwork.

(Sue Zimmermann, Trio, Artisans Gallery)

McNeese Visual Arts, Grand Gallery & Shearman Fine Arts Center, 4205 Ryan St.: McNeese Annual Faculty Exhibition with Ken Baskin, Marty Bee, Meghan Fleming, Heather Kelley, Lisa Reinauer, Lynn Reynolds, Larry Schuh, Gerry Wubben, Lewis Temple, Robbie Austin, Cynthia Howes Baskin, Amanda Hext. Also, on the 2^nd Floor Mezzanine: “Mysterio,” an exhibition of eclectic works and curiosities.

(Ken Baskin, Crown Gear, McNeese Faculty Exhibit)

Stellar Beans, 319 Broad St.: Featuring the work of Damon Lombard, John Martel, and live music by Tim Norris

The Children’s Museum, 327 Broad St.: Art pieces by John Martel, Ramsey Ayers, Sean Hicks, Desiree Burgess, Jon Meaux, Caitlin Richard and Lindsey Johnson

(John Martel, Hare, Children's Museum)

The Frame House Gallery, 1640 Ryan St.: “When Contemporary meets Traditional” featuring Sarah Griffith, Ronnie Collins, Stella Waits, Marilyn Cox. Also, chances to win 3 wonderful prizes by local artists.

The Harrington Gallery, 210 Tamarack St., Sulphur: “Inspirations in Clay” by Cindy Fails, and a door prize by local artist.

Arts’ Desire, 1322 Ryan St.: Featuring the work of Raejean Clark, Michelle Reed Watson, Robin Jones, and Brenda Lafleur, they will also feature the Blank Canvas Project, with special guests, and live demonstrations.

From the Attic: Home & Seasonal Decor, 3505 Country Club Rd. –Featuring original works by Erica McCreedy, Lance Thomas, Louisiana’s Artist of the Year Erin Barker, Danielle Nester, and Mindy Schwarzauer, with live music, store giveaways, and raffles.

Dharma, 329 Broad St.: McNeese Student Art Association, “N.Y.T.H.S.” with a live music afterparty.

505 Bazaar, 314 Broad St.: The art of Ellen Anthony

Pujo Street Café, 901 Ryan St.: The work of Art Du Lac

The Art Shop, 706 Ryan St. Artwork, and bicycle rentals.

“Before I Die” Public Art Wall, 314 Broad St. –An interactive art display produced by Charles Talen and Euric Fuselier

("Before I die",Charles Talen Euric Fuselier, Public Art Wall, 314 Broad Street 505 Bazzar, 

photo by Daniel Castro) 

Gallery By the Lake, 106 W. Pryce St. “30^th Anniversary, ALA Alumni” featuring Nancy Melton, Ann Hoffpauir, Tony Forrest, Imogene Dewey, Valerie Smith, Brenda LaFleur, Helga Gravitt, Sue Didelot and Kevin Leveque, Ellen Anthony, Sheila Babineaux,  Pat Craft, Nancy Czejkowski, Anne Dentler, Lois Derise, Marcia Dutton, Barbara Haviland, Barbara Holt, Debbie Lavergne, Jock McGregor, Judy Newman, Nancy Peace, Patsi Prince, Linda Ritchie, Liz Tomlinson, and Sue Zimmerman

Laura Kelley Photography, 329 Broad Street: Featuring the work of Laura Kelley

Please call the Arts Council SWLA for details at 439-ARTS.