Thursday, May 19, 2011

Art Series Kicks Off During Visitor Center Grand Opening

    Cracklin cooks, storytellers, fiddle makers, Mardi Gras mask makers and other artists take part in First Fridays with a Little Lagniappe, a new arts series from the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. The series kicks off from 1-3 p.m. Monday during the grand opening and open house of the new St. Landry Parish Visitor Information Center on I-49, exit 23.
    Veteran musicians Hadley Castille, Jeffery Broussard, Ann Savoy, Goldman Thibodeaux, Louis Michot, Lil Wayne Singleton and Lisa Trahan lead a community Cajun and Creole jam session during the open house. Musicians are invited to bring their instruments and take part in the jam.
    Christine Ledoux of Washington demonstrates mosaic art. Visitors to the new center can see the 4-foot, fiberglass fiddle, which was part of the Opelousas Main Street’s Fiddle Mania project.
    The First Fridays with a Little Lagniappe series continues through Sept. 16. Future participants include fiddle maker Anya Burgess, along with Georgie and Allen Manuel, who make traditional Mardi Gras masks and costumes.
    Storyteller and folk medicine expert Rebecca Henry and artist Jerome Ford host a Celebration of Creole Culture. Louisiana Poet Laureate Darrell Bourque and writer Patrice Melnick celebrate the written word.
    The Port Barre Lions Club, sponsors of the Port Barre Cracklin Festival each November, hosts a cracklin cooking demonstration. Artist Trish Ransom revives debris into new art. Michelle Fontenot displays glass and mosaic pieces.
    Anne Hendrix specializes in clay art. George Marks shows his mixed media work.
    The complete schedule will be announced at a later date. First Fridays with a Little Lagniappe is supported in part by a Grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council as administered by the Acadiana Arts Council.
    For more information, call the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission at (337) 948-8004.

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