Treasures to open at Poydras Center on June 1
Peter, the wolf and a few musicians will be in town for the night performance, but artists will be the real stars of the show.
Local artists at that.
Because one of the Treasures of Pointe Coupee’s goals is to highlight local artists and their work. And it will do just that Friday and Saturday, June 1-2, at the Julien Poydras Center in New Roads.
“This year’s exhibit will feature two- and three-dimensional artwork by 94 local and regional artists,” Gale Roy said.
Roy is executive director of the Julien Poydras Museum and the Arts Council.
“One hundred and forty-eight pieces have been registered for the show,” she continued. “Some pieces are for sale and others are for display only.”
And if a piece should sell, the proceeds will go to the artist.
“All of the money from the sales go to the artists,” Roy said. “We don’t take anything from it.”
The exhibit is being paired with a performance in the Julien Poydras Museum and Arts Council’s 2012 Performing Arts Series, beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday.
“The exhibit is free, but the performance is $28,” Roy said. “We wanted to schedule the performance for Saturday to give people in the audience a chance to tour the exhibit before and after the show and during intermission.”
The Lagniappe Theatre of Alexandria will kick off the performance with its rendition of Peter and the Wolf. It will be followed by vocalists Trisha Guidroz Morrison and Maryjane Ziifle and pianist Joe Toniolo.
“Peter and Wolf is directed by Karen and Ross Schexnayder,” Roy said. “Ross has Pointe Coupee roots, and we’re calling this Pointe Coupee Lagniappe because it includes a little something extra from people near and dear to our parish.”
As for Morrison, she is a principal cantor at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. She studied voice at LSU and has produced a CD of sacred music.
Ziffle has performed for more than 20 years throughout the United States and Europe. She has danced for the New Orleans Saints, as well as in off Broadway productions.
Ziffle will perform a variety of blues and rhythm and blues songs, and Toniolo will play popular, classical and Broadway hits on the piano.
A silent auction will take place on Friday with proceeds benefiting future Treasures of Pointe Coupee events, and a treasure hunt it planned for Saturday.
“The treasure hunt is geared toward children, but anyone can participate,” Roy said. “You will be given a card, and you have to find the objects matching those on the card. You get a mark on your card for every item.”
But again, the spotlight here is on the artwork, which will be displayed throughout the center’s first floor. Baton Rouge artist Kathy Stone is the show’s curator, and fellow artist Della Storms will be the judge.
Awards will be given for best in show, judge’s choice and honorable mention.
Also, visitors will have a chance to cast votes for their favorite postcard submissions in the Petite Gallerie. The cards range in size from 4- by 6-inches to 5½- by 8½-inches, all depicting the theme “Sweet Dreams and Memories.”
“We had 60 submissions in each of the last two years,” Roy said. “We hope to get that many or more this year.”
Visitors also will have the opportunity to participate in two hands-on workshops on Saturday. Anita LeJeune will conduct a group painting workshop at 10 a.m., followed by a workshop titled “Alternate Tools for Landscape” by Terry Vought and Cindy Rome at 1 p.m. There is a $5 registration fee for each session, and the second session is limited to 12 participants.
“We will also have an arts market on Saturday,” Roy said. “Artists in the show can put two of their pieces in the market, or if they have a body of work, they can sell it at the arts market. A lot of artists are able to sell prints and notecards, as well as their original work. And again, 100 percent of the profits go to them.”
Eight artists so far are signed up to sell their work in the market.
And some pieces in the show surely will be bought by someone.
And that’s what it’s all about — the art.
Local art.