First Fridays arts series features wood artist Lee Tedrow

    Wood artist Lee Tedrow kicks off the 2012 edition of First Fridays with a Little Lagniappe, the arts series from the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. Tedrow’s demonstration is set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3 at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Information Center on I-49 exit 23, just north of Opelousas. 

Lee Tedrow

    Using reclaimed and recycled material, Tedrow is building wood benches that will be used in the Visitor Center. His work ties in with the center’s theme and local traditions of using natural resources to sustain and improve a community. 

    A resident of Opelousas, Tedrow has created furniture out of local woods. As owner of Tedego Design for more than 30 years, Tedrow has used reclaimed and recycled wood and incorporated industrial material into all of his designs. His work has been shown at galleries throughout Louisiana and Minnesota. 

    Numerous artists from St. Landry Parish will be featured during the First Friday series, which continues monthly through September. Admission is free. 

    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. 

    In other news, life-like portraits from Herb Roe’s Masks & Mayhem – The Courir de Mardi Gras show are now on display. Roe details his art at a reception from noon to 3 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Center. 

    A professional artist for more than 17 years, Roe has worked with a variety of subjects and media. His Mardi Gras art features oil paintings and graphite drawings of revelers in his adopted home of south Louisiana. More art is on display at his web site, www.chromesun.com. 

    New, interpretive panels, which highlight parish towns and attractions, are now on display at outdoor kiosks at the center. Visitors can learn about local festivals, cuisine, music, art, history, religion, outdoor life and more through these colorful billboards. 

    For more information on these programs, 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.