First Fridays series features mosaic artist

    Glass and mosaic artist Christine Ledoux continues the First Fridays with a Little Lagniappe series from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, June 1 at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Information Center, I-49 exit 23, just north of Opelousas. With the theme “Constructing Art: Salvage – Reuse – Create,” the First Fridays series emphasizes recycling and features artists who create new art out of materials left over from the Visitor Center construction.

Christine Ledoux

    These pieces will later be used in a traveling exhibit throughout the parish. The exhibit is part of the Visitor Center’s focus on green construction and sustainable practices, both old and new.

    An Opelousas native, Ledoux is a self-taught mosaic artist who describes many of her works as a fusion of ceramics and stained glass.

    “By combining hand built clay forms, glass and other materials, I have found a way to express myself artistically,” said Ledoux in her artist statement. “I am constantly inspired by colors and textures found in nature at the graceful proportions of the human body.

    “My pieces usually start spontaneously stemming from an interesting shard of glass, stone or a broken piece of pottery. The process of embellishing handmade forms and reclaimed objects involves fitting pieces together to create mosaics. The process is both relaxing and rewarding to me.”

    Ledoux’s art has been featured at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Red River Revel in Shreveport and other arts events and galleries throughout Louisiana. An oversized, ceramic fiddle Ledoux made for the city of Opelousas’ Fiddlemania exhibit is a permanent sculpture at the Visitor Information Center.

    Admission is free to the First Fridays series, which continues through August. Artists scheduled for upcoming shows include:

• July 6: Margaret Brinkhaus – art created from natural objects, palmetto weavings
• August 3: Tommy Myers – mixed media, woodworker, birdhouses created from found objects

    First Fridays 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 Center for the Arts.

    For more information, call the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission at (337) 948-8004. Follow the center on Twitter @StLandryParish or on Facebook at St. Landry Parish – It’s Gumbo for Your Soul.