Friday, January 27, 2012

St. Landry Parish claims state tourism award

    St. Landry Parish is the home of three Grammy winners in zydeco music and an ESPY winner with Devery Henderson of the New Orleans Saints. The parish now has a Louey winner, too. 
    The St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission has brought home the 2011 Louey Award, presented to the state’s outstanding convention and visitors bureaus and tourists commissions. The parish received its Louey Thursday at the Louisiana Travel Promotions Association summit in Shreveport. Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne presented the honor at the Louisiana Tour & Travel Awards Luncheon in the Shreveport Convention Center.
    LTPA issues Loueys in three categories. St. Landry Parish won in commissions with a budget of $250,000 to $749,999. 
    The award recognizes commissions who have used events, activities marketing or promotions to generate visitors. Winners also have a history of partnering with neighboring visitor bureaus to promote tourism throughout the region. 
    St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission director Celeste Gomez, who is part of a local group meeting with arts and cultural representatives in France this week, was pleased to receive the award. 
    “Winning the Louey award confirms that what we are doing as a tourist commission is effective,” said Gomez. “Being recognized by our peers makes this selection even more important.” 
Celeste Gomez
    In less than three decades, the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission has grown from a small committee to a prime player in Louisiana’s $9.4 billion tourism industry. The parish consistently ranks 17th out of 64 parishes for expenditures by domestic travelers. 
    The past 12 months have been a banner year for the commission, which opened its new St. Landry Parish Visitor Information Center on I-49 exit 23. The 4,600-square-foot facility is the first in Louisiana and one of the few in the United States to focus on sustainability and green construction. 
    The building’s design combined many sustainable features with traditional south Louisiana practices, which were not always recognized as green. Visitors from as far as China and New Zealand have marveled over its design, which has been highlighted in local and state media. Images of the center will be submitted to architectural competition this year. 
    The visitor center, with accompanying interpretive exhibit panels and programs, has impacted tourism on many levels: 
  • Serving as a resource center providing travelers pertinent information on the state. 
  • As an attraction and an education resource on green and sustainable architecture and living practices.
  • Native plants and regional ecosystems.
  • A venue to showcase cultural exhibits.
  • A living billboard for local artists and cultural traditions 
    The visitor center has developed a strong presence in the local community. Just this weekend, native Cajun and Creole French speakers gathered for conversation and coffee during a visit from La Table Française d’Arnaudville. Project S.O.U.N.D., a non-profit group that works with students in creative writing and art, held a recital featuring Opelousas High School students. 
    First Fridays with a Little Lagniappe, an art series, has featured parish artists who create new items with reclaimed and recycled material. A new season kicks off Feb. 3 with furniture designer and artist Lee Tedrow of Opelousas. 
    A traditional, rural Mardi Gras costume, made by Georgie and Allen Manuel of Eunice, is currently on display. Herb Roe’s Mardi Gras art will be displayed in February. 
    The visitor center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Tourist information is available at (337) 948-8004 or the web site, www.cajuntravel.com. Events are also listed on Facebook at St. Landry Parish – It’s Gumbo for Your Soul and Twitter @StLandryParish. Videos are online at www.youtube.com/StLandryParish.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

French table, student artists coming to visitor center

    French speakers and young artists gather in free events Saturday, Jan. 28 at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Information Center, exit 23 on I-49, just north of Opelousas. La Table Française d’Arnaudville starts at 9 a.m. Saturday and is open to all Cajun and Creole French speakers, or those who would like to learn. 
David Greely, Steve Riley
    Artists and writers from Opelousas High School display their talents in Project S.O.U.N.D., A Celebration Symphony of Words at 1 p.m. Saturday at the center. A non-profit organization based in Lafayette, Project S.O.U.N.D. works with students in creative writing, along with visual and performance art. 
    In other St. Landry Parish events: 
  • The Opelousas Little Theatre’s Showcase, its annual variety show, continues at 7 p.m. Jan. 26-28 and 2 p.m. Jan. 29 at the OLT Theatre Building in South City Park in Opelousas. The showcase includes actors, dancers, singers and more. Tickets are $10. (337) 351-3822. 
  • Swamp pop legends Warren Storm, Willie Tee and Tommy McClain perform at 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27 in the Event Center at Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino, I-49 exit 18, in Opelousas. Southern soul star Mel Waiters entertains at 9 p.m. Saturday. (337) 594-3088, www.evangelinedowns.com
  • Zydeco icons Lil Nate and Chris Ardoin perform at 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27 at the legendary dancehall Slim’s Y-Ki-Ki, 182 N. Main St., in Opelousas. Lil Nate and J. Paul Jr. entertain at 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 at the Yambilee Building, 1939 W. Landry St., in Opelousas. 
  • The Sixth Annual Gumbo Cook-Off starts at 8 a.m. Jan. 28 at Frank’s Downtown, 603 E. Landry St., in Opelousas. The event, which serves as a medical benefit for a local six-year-old patient, includes music, an auction, fun jump and more. (337) 407-2288. 
  • Steve Riley and David Greely, co-founders of Cajun music’s famed Mamou Playboys, reunite for the Music of Acadiana Series at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29 at NuNu’s, 15010 Highway 93, in Arnaudville. The event includes an open jam session and interview, followed by a music performance. Admission $5, free for children. www.frederickarts.homestead.com
  • Cajun group Low Maintenance with Drew Simon is the featured band at the Rendez-Vous des Cajuns radio and TV show at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 at the Liberty Theater in Eunice. The weekly program features Cajun and Creole musicians in a Grand Ole Opry, Prairie Home Companion format. Humorist Murray Conque serves as emcee. (337) 457-7389, www.eunice-la.com
    In upcoming events, a preview reception for Four Artistic Visions, a Black History Month art exhibit, is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2 at the Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center, 315 N. Main St., in Opelousas. The mixed media exhibit, which features art by Darlene Moore, Randell Henry, Ronald Kennedy and Ella Guillory, will be on display Feb. 1 through March 31. 
    Saturday night barn dances return Feb. 4 at Lakeview Park in Eunice with young Cajun musician Kyle Huval. A complete schedule is available at www.lvpark.com
    For more information on parish events, call the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission at (337) 948-8004 or visit www.cajuntravel.com. Events are also listed on Facebook at St. Landry Parish – It’s Gumbo for Your Soul and Twitter @StLandryParish. Videos are online at www.youtube.com/StLandryParish.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Musical play highlights the life of country legend Hank Williams

    The career and life of a country music icon is presented in the musical play Lovesick Blues: An Evening with Hank Williams, Sr. at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Liberty Theater, 200 W. Park Ave., in downtown Eunice. The play features Denham Spring native Hugh Harris, who has become renowned for a performance style and stage presence that strongly resembles Williams.
Hugh Harris
    Musicians Terry Huval, Gina Forsyth, Kyle Harris, Bobby Dumatrait and Ken David are also part of the cast. Tickets are $13 and all seats are reserved. Tickets are available from the Eunice mayor’s office at (337) 457-7389.
    In other St. Landry Parish events: 
  •     The Opelousas Little Theatre’s Showcase, its annual variety show, is set for Jan. 17-19 and Jan. 26-28 at the OLT Theatre Building in South City Park in Opelousas. The showcase includes actors, dancers, singers and more. Tickets are $10. (337) 351-3822. 
  •     Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie play zydeco, Cajun music and more at 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20 at Stallions Bar-B-Que & Seafood, 5675 I-49 S. Service Road, in Opelousas. (337) 948-2090. 
  •     The weekly Saturday morning Cajun jam sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Savoy Music Center, located on Highway 190 just east of Eunice. Admission is free. (337) 457-9563, www.savoymusiccenter.com
  •     An Art Immersion Weekend is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22 at NuNu’s, 1510 Highway 93, in Arnaudville. Art instructor Stephanie Green hosts Getting Hot, a workshop on encaustic hot wax painting. An oil painting workshop, scheduled for Jan. 21, has been cancelled. For prices and more information, visit www.frederick-arts.org
    In upcoming events, swamp pop legends Warren Storm, Willie Tee and Tommy McClain perform at 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27 in the Event Center at Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino, I-49 exit 18, in Opelousas. (337) 594-3088, www.evangelinedowns.com
    The Sixth Annual Gumbo Cook-Off starts at 8 a.m. Jan. 28 at Frank’s Downtown, 603 E. Landry St., in Opelousas. The event, which serves as a medical benefit for a local six-year-old patient, includes music, an auction, fun jump and more. (337) 407-2288. 
    French speakers, or those who would like to practice the language, are invited to La Table Française will be held at 9 a.m. Jan. 28 at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Information Center. Student writers and poets show their talents in Project S.O.U.N.D., A Celebration Symphony of Words at 1 p.m. Jan. 28 at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Information Center. Admission is free. 
    The Music of Acadiana Series returns with Steve Riley and David Greely, co-founders of Cajun music’s legendary Mamou Playboys, at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29 at NuNu’s, 15010 Highway 93, in Arnaudville. The event includes an open jam session and interview, followed by a music performance. 
    A preview reception for Four Artistic Visions, a Black History Month art exhibit, is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2 at the Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center, 315 N. Main St., in Opelousas. The mixed media exhibit, which features art by Darlene Moore, Randell Henry, Ronald Kennedy and Ella Guillory, will be on display Feb. 1 through March 31. 
    For more information on parish events, call the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission at (337) 948-8004 or visit www.cajuntravel.com. Events are also listed on Facebook at St. Landry Parish – It’s Gumbo for Your Soul and Twitter @StLandryParish. Videos are online at www.youtube.com/StLandryParish.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

New Live Oak Planted at St. Landry Parish Visitor Center

    Local tourism officials and garden club members gathered Wednesday to plant a new live oak tree at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Information Center, exit 23 on I-49. In celebration of Arbor Day, the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission received the tree donated by the Opelousas Garden Club, Washington Garden Club, Eunice Bulb & Blossom Club and the Sunset Garden Club. 
    “The commission is thrilled to have the addition of another live oak on the property of the new Visitor Center, but even more so the partnership it symbolizes,” said Celeste Gomez, director of the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. “This gesture by the parish garden clubs, endorses the commission’s efforts toward sustainability and preservation.” 
    The first live oak that was planted last November was graciously donated by Mrs. Pat James. 
    The center's overall landscape reflects the various ecosystems found in and around St. Landry Parish. The design includes various grasses, Louisiana irises, bald cypress, palmettos and native flowering plants indicative of this area. 
    The Visitor Center was intended to promote green construction through its environmentally-friendly design and use of natural resources. By collecting rain water in a 1,500-gallon, galvanized cistern for watering plants and converting the energy generated with the wind turbine and the solar panels, a visitor can see how these resources are utilized. The facility is the only such "green" visitor center in Louisiana. 
    Since opening in May 2011, the Visitor Center has welcomed travelers, some from as far as China and New Zealand, to the rich music, food, history, culture and outdoor life of St. Landry Parish. The 4,600-square foot center features exhibit and display areas for tourist information, a meeting area, public restrooms and administrative offices for the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. 
    The center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call (337) 948-8004 or visit www.cajuntravel.com. Follow the center on Twitter @StLandryParish or on Facebook at St. Landry Parish - It's Gumbo for Your Soul.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Plays, music and more this weekend in St. Landry Parish

    Local actresses and authors present The Gris Gris Sisters, an adaptation of a children’s story book, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12 at Casa Azul, 2323 MLK Dr., in Grand Coteau. Author Jo Englerth and the book’s illustrator, Bonnie Camos, join Becca Begnaud and Patricia Cravins to tell the story of sisters Audrey and Camille and the magic they encounter in the Atchafalaya Basin. 
    Casa Azul hosts weekly poetry readings, music concerts and other artistic events. Admission is free. For more information, call (337) 662-1032. 
    In other St. Landry Parish events: 
  • Area teens take the stage in Choices and The Empty Chair at 7 p.m. Jan. 12-14 and 3 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Delta Grand, 120 S. Market St., in downtown Opelousas. Both plays, directed by Tammy Lamonte, deal with decisions today’s teens regarding alcohol and drug abuse. Tickets are $10. (337) 407-1806, www.deltagrandtheatre.com
  • Local favorites Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie play zydeco, Cajun and more at 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13 at the Event Center at Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino. Admission is free. (337) 594-3088, www.evangelinedowns.com
  • The weekly Saturday morning Cajun jam sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Savoy Music Center, located on Highway 190 just east of Eunice. Admission is free. (337) 457-9563, www.savoymusiccenter.com
  • Cameron Dupuy, a 14-year-old Cajun accordionist from New Orleans, performs at the Rendez-Vous des Cajuns radio and TV show Saturday, Jan. 7 at the Liberty Theater in Eunice. The weekly program features Cajun and Creole musicians in a Grand Ole Opry, Prairie Home Companion format. The Dupuy Family Band also entertains. (337) 457-7389, www.eunice-la.com
    In upcoming events, Lovesick Blues: An Evening with Hank Williams, Sr. is set for 6 p.m. Jan. 21 at the Liberty Theater in Eunice. This musical play, depicting the career and life of Hank Williams, features Hugh Harris, along with Terry Huval, Gina Forsyth, Kyle Harris, Bobby Dumatrait and Ken David. Tickets are $13 and all seats are reserved. Tickets are available from the Eunice mayor’s office at (337) 457-7389. 
    The Sixth Annual Gumbo Cook-Off starts at 8 a.m. Jan. 28 at Frank’s Downtown, 603 E. Landry St., in Opelousas. The event, which serves as a medical benefit for a local six-year-old patient, includes music, an auction, fun jump and more. (337) 407-2288. 
   A preview reception for Four Artistic Visions, a Black History Month art exhibit, is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2 at the Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center, 315 N. Main St., in Opelousas. The mixed media exhibit, which features art by Darlene Moore, Randell Hendry, Ronald Kennedy and Ella Guillory, will be on display Feb. 1 through March 31. 
    For more information on parish events, call the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission at (337) 948-8004 or visit www.cajuntravel.com. Events are also listed on Facebook at St. Landry Parish – It’s Gumbo for Your Soul and Twitter @StLandryParish. Videos are online at www.youtube.com/StLandryParish.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Artistic Visions exhibit visits museum in February, March

    In recognition of Black History Month, the Opelousas Museum & Interpretive Center will feature an exhibit by Four Artistic Visions: Darlene A. Moore, Randell Henry, Ronald B. Kennedy, and Ella Guillory. The exhibit is scheduled from Feb. 1 through March 31, 2012. 
    A preview reception is scheduled for Thursday, February 2, 2012, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. 
    Darlene A. Moore, who was born in New Orleans and grew up in Mandeville, is a pastor, artist, writer, photographer and historian. Moore obtained a Bachelors of Art at Dillard University and a Master's of Divinity at Gammon Theological Seminary with concentration in Christian Education. 
    Moore is a pastor at St. Mark United Methodist Church in Opelousas. Moore's recent activities include Art Vanguard Gallery Baton Rouge(Bethany Centre-Africa), Dillard University Alumni House featured in University recent publication 2011 as Artist-Pastor, South Central Women's United Methodist Church Gathering-Artist for altar and bulletin design, African American Methodist Heritage Center Logo Designer and African American Pastor's Youth Summit-Artist bulletin cover design. 
    Moore loves expresses every day scenes in colorful ways using acrylics and mixed media in an impressionism manner. 
    Randell Henry decided to become an artist in the 6th grade at Scotlandville Elementary School in Baton Rouge. He went on to earn a Bachelor's degree in Art at Southern University in 1979 and the M.F.A. degree in Painting from Louisiana State University in 1982. Henry has shown his paintings in art galleries in Baton Rouge for more than 25 years. He is an artist member of Baton Rouge Gallery and Associate Professor of Art at Southern University. 
    Henry presently serves on the Board of Baton Rouge Gallery, DeBose Foundation, and Acts and Deeds Non Profit Organization. He is President of Black Artists' Network. Henry mixed media collages are made from paper, fabric, acrylic paint, paint sticks and pieces of hand painted canvas that he cut or tore and glues to a ground to express life as a creative artist. 
    Ronald B. Kennedy is a retired Professor of Visual Arts and Photography from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. He has a Bachelor's degree in Art Education from Southern University and M.F.A. degree in Painting from Louisiana State University and an M.A. degree in Mass Communication from Southern University. 
    Kennedy curates numerous exhibitions, including Black History Month exhibitions, throughout the state of Louisiana. He also coordinates art education workshops for teachers and students in Hammond, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. He creates drawings, paintings, and photographs using African art as motif. 
    The works are mixed media and utilize irregular shaped canvases and rope. The shapes and hues are indigenous to African culture and use contemporary techniques and media to achieve a unique form of expression. 
    Kennedy has exhibited his works at many universities, galleries, and museums throughout the state of Louisiana. He has also exhibited his works in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Long Island, New York. 
    Ella Guillory is the first African American woman to receive a copyright for her Mardi Gras Beads Collection. She became fascinated with Mardi beads and saw an opportunity to use both the beads and her talent in the creative process. Guillory takes on ordinary object and uses her inventory and an assessment of beads to fashion the object into extraordinary work of art. Guillory resides in St. Landry Parish. 
    The Opelousas Museum & Interpretive Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.and Saturday from 10 a.m.-3: p.m. For more information,call (337) 948-2589. Visit the center via Facebook or www.cityofopelousas.com

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Carrier, Sonnier team up for Zydec-Cajun Night Jan. 6

    A Grammy-winning zydeco musician and a three-time, Grammy nominee in Cajun music team up for Zyde-Cajun Night at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6 at the Delta Grand, 120 S. Market St., in downtown Opelousas. Chubby Carrier, winner of the 2010 Grammy for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album for his Zydeco Junkie CD, performs. 
Jo-El Sonnier
    Carrier joins with Jo-El Sonnier, a Louisiana Music Hall of Fame inductee who has recorded Cajun music since 1967 and earned three Grammy nominations. In the 1980s, Sonnier had country hits with No More One More Time and Tear-Stained Letter. Both landed in the Top Ten of the country charts. 
    Tickets for Zydec-Cajun Night are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. For more information, call (337) 407-1837 or visit www.deltagrandtheatre.com. 
    In other St. Landry Parish events: 
  • Professional boxing returns with Knockout and Payouts at the Downs at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Events Center at Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino, exit 18 on I-49 in Opelousas. Tickets are $25. (337) 298-7658, www.boxncar.com
  • The weekly Saturday morning Cajun jam sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Savoy Music Center, located on Highway 190 just east of Eunice. Admission is free. (337) 457-9563, www.savoymusiccenter.com
  • The Cajun band Bonne Chance with Patrick Pellerin performs at the Rendez-Vous des Cajuns radio and TV show Saturday, Jan. 7 at the Liberty Theater in Eunice. The weekly program features Cajun and Creole musicians in a Grand Ole Opry, Prairie Home Companion format. Cajun humorist Thelma Daigle also entertains. (337) 457-7389, www.eunice-la.com
  • Pre-Mardi Gras Market Monday takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 9 at the Chapelle Country Store at Le Village, 121 Seale Lane, in Eunice. Featured items include handmade Mardi Gras costumes, jewelry and Dale and Lou Trahan’s Mardi Gras Miniatures, reclaimed wood and snippets of fabric that depict traditional Mardi Gras tasks. Admission is free. (337) 457-3573. 
    In upcoming events, Lovesick Blues: An Evening with Hank Williams, Sr. is set for 6 p.m. Jan. 21 at the Liberty Theater in Eunice. This musical play, depicting the career and life of Hank Williams, features Hugh Harris, along with Terry Huval, Gina Forsyth, Kyle Harris, Bobby Dumatrait and Ken David. Tickets are $13 and all seats are reserved. Tickets are available from the Eunice mayor’s office at (337) 457-7389. 
    For more information on parish events, call the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission at (337) 948-8004 or visit www.cajuntravel.com. Events are also listed on Facebook at St. Landry Parish – It’s Gumbo for Your Soul and Twitter @StLandryParish. Videos are online at www.youtube.com/StLandryParish.