Frameworks Gallery will present its new exhibit "Sur le Papier" on Saturday. The display features a range of contemporary art where paper is the primary medium. Among the artists in the exhibit are June Gonce, Jovann Armstrong, Van Wade Day and many more. Restaurant IPO's On the Go food truck will also be there offering brunch items and mimosas. The event starts at 11 a.m. For more information, click here.
A new venue, a new setting and a 10th anniversary celebration for Art Melt—that's what's in store for fans of the popular annual juried art event downtown this year.
Upstairs at a warehouse on Main Street near downtown, artist Raina Wirta is standing atop a very tall ladder, adjusting the lighting above a giant, furry (yes, furry) dome-like structure that hangs from the ceiling. The LSU MFA candidate unveiled her exhibition “(un)familiar” to a crowd last Friday. Earlier that week, she was busy putting together the finishing touches.
An evening of live music, fine art and good food is on tap Thursday at Southdowns Village shopping center in the sixth annual Art Wine Design event. Among the participating merchants are Ann Connelly Fine Art, Monochrome Furniture, Front Door, Blon Salon, Jeannie Frey Rhodes, Stafford Tile and Stone, Glo Beauty Bar, Spectrum Southdowns, Bella Bridesmaid, LD Linens and Décor, Rollie Noelie and many more. Artwork purchased Thursday will be sold without sales tax. Musicians including Michael Foster and Hubbard, Decker & Rhodes will be performing in the shopping center as well. Art Wine Design kicks off at 6 p.m.
The LSU Museum of Art will ask families to "Take a Seat" in this weekend's Saturday Arts for Families event, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. The program will explore questions such as "What is considered art anyway?" and explore pieces throughout the museum. For more information, click here.
Spring is finally here, and along with the warm air and seasonal allergies comes a yearly celebration to delight local art lovers of all kinds: FestForAll. A Red Stick tradition since 1974, FestForAll is a two-day smorgasbord of visual art, music and children's entertainment in downtown Baton Rouge. The festival, put on by the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, features 14 musical acts spanning diverse genres, from Funkin' with Friends to Brad Walker's jazz quintet and the Stooges Brass Band, as well as the original fine arts and crafts of more than 90 jury-selected regional artists, in media that include photography, pottery, jewelry, woodwork and more.
More than 50 years ago this Thursday, seven Southern University students challenged the "whites-only" lunch counter at the Kress building downtown. The building's current tenant, Kress Gallery, will host a special "Honoring Our Past" luncheon, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, in memory of those seven students. The event will also feature a showing of the documentary Taking a Seat of Justice. An original painting by Taufeed Muhammad honoring the sit-in will be unveiled. For more information on Muhammad's painting, check out Matthew Sigur's article here. Tickets for Thursday's event are $35 and reservations are required. Catering will be provided by Stroubes Seafood and Steaks. Call 931-0134 to make your reservation, or e-mail lslade@kressgallerybr.com.
So much is going on this week that I could easily devote several blog posts to, but I thought I'd try to keep it simple. Here's what you should know about that's happening in our smART city right now:
If you've never checked out the goods in Mid City, this Thursday evening will give you the perfect opportunity with the third annual Art Thaw. The event will highlight more than 10 shops and galleries across several blocks of Government Street and Jefferson Highway, as well as show off the talents of local artists at each location. Participating businesses include Abat-Jour Interiors, Artvark, Atomic Pop Shop, Brew Ha Ha!, Décor Rouge, Elizabethan Gallery, Gallery Bohemia, Gerard Furniture & Gallery, Mosaic Garden, Rue Cou Cou, and Circa 1857. There will be no sales tax on original art purchases. The Art Thaw runs 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. For more information, visit midcitymerchants.org.
Announced Monday, Stabbed in the Art is back again and in a new location in Mid City. The inaugural event at 216 South 19th St. (a few blocks up from Circa 1857) happens tonight and it looks to be a welcomed return for the monthly pop-up art market and gallery.
I've been consistently inspired by Kevin Harris' Museum of Public Art project in Old South Baton Rouge. It's about as grassroots as you can get with a neighborhood revival and it celebrates the local community and all its leaders, while bringing in top street artists from around the world to add vibrant colors to the landscape.
My inner dialogue at most art functions is 80% critical. I just don’t go to art shows, concerts or plays without thinking about the cultural merit of the thing (I should also admit the other 20% of my preoccupation is devoted to finding a drink). When I was asked to write a first-person narrative about the BR Walls fundraiser Come Paint With Me, an event where the public could paint with local artists, see live hair styling, dance to DJ Otto and witness the acrobatics of Lee Guilbeau and Lauren Collignon, I said yes and then immediately entered into a big moral dilemma. If I were to be underwhelmed by this art-party-fundraiser, I couldn’t get away with just listing the facts.
The Surreal Salon Soiree at Baton Rouge Gallery returns next weekend with a huge event you can read about here. Leading up to the annual party, the artwork for the juried show has been on view in the gallery all month and is worth a visit before the gallery is overrun with costumed revelers.
The monthly Stabbed in the Art event is starting the new year without a January event—which would've been tonight—or even a home. As reported in our January issue, the December event of this casual art show at 1284 ArtSpace Perkins in the Garden District was the last as co-founder Jared Loftus and other organizers search for a new venue.
The Museum of Public Art has been an exciting project to follow as its founder, Dr. Kevin Harris, repurposes spaces in Old South Baton Rouge as a public canvas for street artists.
The LSU Museum of Art's Uniquely Louisiana exhibit shuts down next weekend, and this Sunday being the first Sunday of the month means you can check it out for free one last time.
Artist Juliet Lockwood’s paintings are on display throughout the country. But it’s Lockwood’s latest work through a very different medium—the art cart—that’s becoming her masterpiece. Rolling a fully stocked cart of art supplies from room to room at Baton Rouge General’s Pennington Cancer Center, Lockwood offers patients a chance to interact with someone other than their doctor or nurse as well as to engage themselves in an artistic experience. It’s called Arts in Medicine, and it is life affirming.
Kellye Eisworth met Jesse Kees for the first time when she photographed him for her project, “Transient.” She hasn't seen him since, even after her depiction of Kees won first place in this year's Art Melt.
We focus a lot on smart growth on this blog, and instances where the arts scene in Baton Rouge and the smart growth movement intersect. But we recognize sometimes you don't always want to think hard about long-term planning issues, and instead just want to see something visually compelling and, well, cool.
You know the whales. Those sublimely preppy ones swimming on the ties, handbags, even pants. Mercedes Jelinek worked with those in a Vineyard Vines belt factory. She’s been a florist, too, and served tables and drinks in countless restaurants and bars in Connecticut, Vermont, New York, even Hawaii, from where she called her father to inform him she had moved.
On a gorgeous Saturday, I’m at Krewe du Brew Coffeeshop on St. Charles Avenue, waiting to interview the French artist Gersin. UL Press published a beautiful reproduction of Gersin’s sketchbook, New Orleans Sojourn, early this year. He came to New Orleans back in 2010, intending to spend six weeks researching a planned voodoo-inspired graphic novel. However, six weeks turned into three months, during which Gersin amassed a huge illustrated documentation of his experience, including a dive into the local music scene.
Barely a month into her new position, LSU Museum of Art’s Executive Director Jordana Pomeroy came here by way of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., where she served as chief curator. She was initially attracted to LSU MOA’s substantial collection of British paintings and spoke with 225 about her new position.
When Kyle Cox and Ben Boone were brainstorming names for their new skate shop about a year ago, they joked around, saying “We're fidna open up a skate shop.” What came of it was no joke at all. The name stuck, and Fidna Skate Shop was born.
If anyone has doubts about the vibrancy of the local art scene, Art Melt will surely melt them away. As Baton Rouge's biggest art event, Forum 35's popular Art Melt is set for July 14 in and around the Shaw Center downtown. It's the largest juried multi-media art exhibit in the state and features music from Twin Killers and others, arts and crafts on Third Street, food trucks and, of course, a stellar collection of art inside the Shaw Center. For more information, go to ArtMelt.org.
'Sur le Papier' at Frameworks Saturday
Frameworks Gallery will present its new exhibit "Sur le Papier" on Saturday. The display features a range of contemporary art where paper is the primary medium. Among the artists in the exhibit are June Gonce, Jovann Armstrong, Van Wade Day and many more. Restaurant IPO's On the Go food truck will also be there offering brunch items and mimosas. The event starts at 11 a.m. For more information, click here.
Art Melt keeps it cool
A new venue, a new setting and a 10th anniversary celebration for Art Melt—that's what's in store for fans of the popular annual juried art event downtown this year.
Events outside the box
Upstairs at a warehouse on Main Street near downtown, artist Raina Wirta is standing atop a very tall ladder, adjusting the lighting above a giant, furry (yes, furry) dome-like structure that hangs from the ceiling. The LSU MFA candidate unveiled her exhibition “(un)familiar” to a crowd last Friday. Earlier that week, she was busy putting together the finishing touches.
Art Wine Design at Southdowns Village Thursday
An evening of live music, fine art and good food is on tap Thursday at Southdowns Village shopping center in the sixth annual Art Wine Design event. Among the participating merchants are Ann Connelly Fine Art, Monochrome Furniture, Front Door, Blon Salon, Jeannie Frey Rhodes, Stafford Tile and Stone, Glo Beauty Bar, Spectrum Southdowns, Bella Bridesmaid, LD Linens and Décor, Rollie Noelie and many more. Artwork purchased Thursday will be sold without sales tax. Musicians including Michael Foster and Hubbard, Decker & Rhodes will be performing in the shopping center as well. Art Wine Design kicks off at 6 p.m.
Saturday Arts for Families at LSU Museum of Art
The LSU Museum of Art will ask families to "Take a Seat" in this weekend's Saturday Arts for Families event, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. The program will explore questions such as "What is considered art anyway?" and explore pieces throughout the museum. For more information, click here.
Art for everyone!
Spring is finally here, and along with the warm air and seasonal allergies comes a yearly celebration to delight local art lovers of all kinds: FestForAll. A Red Stick tradition since 1974, FestForAll is a two-day smorgasbord of visual art, music and children's entertainment in downtown Baton Rouge. The festival, put on by the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, features 14 musical acts spanning diverse genres, from Funkin' with Friends to Brad Walker's jazz quintet and the Stooges Brass Band, as well as the original fine arts and crafts of more than 90 jury-selected regional artists, in media that include photography, pottery, jewelry, woodwork and more.
Civil rights history honored at gallery event Thursday
More than 50 years ago this Thursday, seven Southern University students challenged the "whites-only" lunch counter at the Kress building downtown. The building's current tenant, Kress Gallery, will host a special "Honoring Our Past" luncheon, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, in memory of those seven students. The event will also feature a showing of the documentary Taking a Seat of Justice. An original painting by Taufeed Muhammad honoring the sit-in will be unveiled. For more information on Muhammad's painting, check out Matthew Sigur's article here. Tickets for Thursday's event are $35 and reservations are required. Catering will be provided by Stroubes Seafood and Steaks. Call 931-0134 to make your reservation, or e-mail lslade@kressgallerybr.com.
Art and smart growth roundup
So much is going on this week that I could easily devote several blog posts to, but I thought I'd try to keep it simple. Here's what you should know about that's happening in our smART city right now:
Mid City art hop returns
If you've never checked out the goods in Mid City, this Thursday evening will give you the perfect opportunity with the third annual Art Thaw. The event will highlight more than 10 shops and galleries across several blocks of Government Street and Jefferson Highway, as well as show off the talents of local artists at each location. Participating businesses include Abat-Jour Interiors, Artvark, Atomic Pop Shop, Brew Ha Ha!, Décor Rouge, Elizabethan Gallery, Gallery Bohemia, Gerard Furniture & Gallery, Mosaic Garden, Rue Cou Cou, and Circa 1857. There will be no sales tax on original art purchases. The Art Thaw runs 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. For more information, visit midcitymerchants.org.
'Stabbed' again
Announced Monday, Stabbed in the Art is back again and in a new location in Mid City. The inaugural event at 216 South 19th St. (a few blocks up from Circa 1857) happens tonight and it looks to be a welcomed return for the monthly pop-up art market and gallery.
Painting out loud
I've been consistently inspired by Kevin Harris' Museum of Public Art project in Old South Baton Rouge. It's about as grassroots as you can get with a neighborhood revival and it celebrates the local community and all its leaders, while bringing in top street artists from around the world to add vibrant colors to the landscape.
Creative momentum
My inner dialogue at most art functions is 80% critical. I just don’t go to art shows, concerts or plays without thinking about the cultural merit of the thing (I should also admit the other 20% of my preoccupation is devoted to finding a drink). When I was asked to write a first-person narrative about the BR Walls fundraiser Come Paint With Me, an event where the public could paint with local artists, see live hair styling, dance to DJ Otto and witness the acrobatics of Lee Guilbeau and Lauren Collignon, I said yes and then immediately entered into a big moral dilemma. If I were to be underwhelmed by this art-party-fundraiser, I couldn’t get away with just listing the facts.
Get Surreal
The Surreal Salon Soiree at Baton Rouge Gallery returns next weekend with a huge event you can read about here. Leading up to the annual party, the artwork for the juried show has been on view in the gallery all month and is worth a visit before the gallery is overrun with costumed revelers.
'Stabbed' looking for a new home
The monthly Stabbed in the Art event is starting the new year without a January event—which would've been tonight—or even a home. As reported in our January issue, the December event of this casual art show at 1284 ArtSpace Perkins in the Garden District was the last as co-founder Jared Loftus and other organizers search for a new venue.
From Lisbon to Baton Rouge
The Museum of Public Art has been an exciting project to follow as its founder, Dr. Kevin Harris, repurposes spaces in Old South Baton Rouge as a public canvas for street artists.
Inspired by the Pelican State
The LSU Museum of Art's Uniquely Louisiana exhibit shuts down next weekend, and this Sunday being the first Sunday of the month means you can check it out for free one last time.
Arts in Medicine
Artist Juliet Lockwood’s paintings are on display throughout the country. But it’s Lockwood’s latest work through a very different medium—the art cart—that’s becoming her masterpiece. Rolling a fully stocked cart of art supplies from room to room at Baton Rouge General’s Pennington Cancer Center, Lockwood offers patients a chance to interact with someone other than their doctor or nurse as well as to engage themselves in an artistic experience. It’s called Arts in Medicine, and it is life affirming.
Raw image
Kellye Eisworth met Jesse Kees for the first time when she photographed him for her project, “Transient.” She hasn't seen him since, even after her depiction of Kees won first place in this year's Art Melt.
A different kind of dance
We focus a lot on smart growth on this blog, and instances where the arts scene in Baton Rouge and the smart growth movement intersect. But we recognize sometimes you don't always want to think hard about long-term planning issues, and instead just want to see something visually compelling and, well, cool.
There goes the neighborhood
You know the whales. Those sublimely preppy ones swimming on the ties, handbags, even pants. Mercedes Jelinek worked with those in a Vineyard Vines belt factory. She’s been a florist, too, and served tables and drinks in countless restaurants and bars in Connecticut, Vermont, New York, even Hawaii, from where she called her father to inform him she had moved.
Portrait of the artist at work
On a gorgeous Saturday, I’m at Krewe du Brew Coffeeshop on St. Charles Avenue, waiting to interview the French artist Gersin. UL Press published a beautiful reproduction of Gersin’s sketchbook, New Orleans Sojourn, early this year. He came to New Orleans back in 2010, intending to spend six weeks researching a planned voodoo-inspired graphic novel. However, six weeks turned into three months, during which Gersin amassed a huge illustrated documentation of his experience, including a dive into the local music scene.
Fresh on the scene
Barely a month into her new position, LSU Museum of Art’s Executive Director Jordana Pomeroy came here by way of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., where she served as chief curator. She was initially attracted to LSU MOA’s substantial collection of British paintings and spoke with 225 about her new position.
Chill Out
When Kyle Cox and Ben Boone were brainstorming names for their new skate shop about a year ago, they joked around, saying “We're fidna open up a skate shop.” What came of it was no joke at all. The name stuck, and Fidna Skate Shop was born.
Arts: Best Bets
If anyone has doubts about the vibrancy of the local art scene, Art Melt will surely melt them away. As Baton Rouge's biggest art event, Forum 35's popular Art Melt is set for July 14 in and around the Shaw Center downtown. It's the largest juried multi-media art exhibit in the state and features music from Twin Killers and others, arts and crafts on Third Street, food trucks and, of course, a stellar collection of art inside the Shaw Center. For more information, go to ArtMelt.org.