Downtown Gallery Crawl Returns June 3 with a Full Roster of Artists

DOWNTOWN GALLERY CRAWL RETURNS JUNE 3, FEATURES WORK OF REGIONAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED ARTISTS

(MONROE, LA) The Downtown Gallery Crawl, held in downtown Monroe/West Monroe on Thursday, June 3 from 5:00-9:00 p.m., will feature a diverse showing of fine art across multiple mediums. The featured galleries and artists for June are as follows (in alphabetical order):

ARENDER studio + gallery (131 N. 2^nd St, Monroe)

Cliff Tresner will show “Fleeting Glimpse,” a collection of the artist’s recent drawings. Tresner, an Associate Professor of Art at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, has been teaching drawing and sculpture since 1997. He is the recipient of multiple grants and awards including the Louisiana Division of the Arts Fellowship and the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council Artist of the Year (2007). About “Glimpse” Tresner said, “In this body of work I have done multiple studies of the figure in various poses and gestures…They are creative works that contain and present that which I cannot get in sculpture. The immediate response on paper to a specific time, place and subject. They contain that spontaneous and ephemeral quality of the artist hand moving through space and time that is in itself very sculptural.”

Becton Gallery (130 North 2^nd St., downtown Monroe) Contact: Margaret Becton, 318-267-1634 or Polly Spence, 318-547-0153

Featuring new mixed media and series of paintings from owners/artists Margaret Becton and Polly Spence.

Livaudais Studio (122 South Grand St.) Contact: Joli Livaudais Grisham, 318-791-0307

Livaudais Studio will be showing the fine art photographs of four emerging artists during the upcoming Downtown Gallery Crawl and during ArtFest on Saturday, June 5^th. “Four”  will showcase the work of Ashley Feagin, Caleb Clark, Joli Livaudais and Dan Snow, who are currently earning their Master of Fine Art degrees at Louisiana Tech University.

“What I find the most intriguing,” said Joli Livaudais, participant and gallery owner, “is that the work is similar in its examination of our private lives and thoughts, but the expression is as unique as we are. Photography is really a wonderfully expressive and flexible medium.”

Mystic Art Gallery (137 N. 2^nd St, Monroe)

Mystic Art Gallery artist/owner Andrea May is celebrating her 1st Anniversary during the Downtown Gallery Crawl. May recently remodeled Mystic with a new wall and colors and will display new works from herself and other guest artists. The new “Young Artist” wall was recently completed and will feature new up and coming talent during the June 3 event. May said, “I would like to thank all those that have come to support the gallery in the past year and have made it a complete success. Also, thanks to Brian Ragan and the Ragan Builders team for donating the materials for the new “Young Artist” wall and Chris Snellenberger for finishing it out.”

Ouachita River Art Gallery (308 Trenton St., West Monroe, LA 71291) Contact: Charlie Heck or Brenda McDaniel, 318-322-2380

Ouachita River Art Gallery (ORAG) is featuring the works of T. A. Roberts of Grayson, Louisiana. Roberts was raised in the small sawmill town of Clarks, Louisiana and learned  from the local residents to be industrious and ingenious, making needed household items when possible. Lumber was plentiful and inexpensive and everyone had woodworking tools and basic carpenter skills. As his furniture making skills improved and better equipment became available, his interest expanded to include woodturning on the lathe.

Retired from his own oil business, Roberts holds a Masters in History, reached the rank of Captain in the U. S. Army and has studied with well-known woodworkers. He attended woodturning classes at Arrowmont in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and went to Provo, Utah this spring for further woodturning studies.

Roberts said of his work, “In woodturning your only limiting factor is your imagination and the size of your woodturning blank. I generally begin with an idea of what the finished result will be, but sometimes it changes during the turning process. God has created a multitude of beautiful woods. Every piece is different, making working with it a challenge. I strive to enhance the intrinsic beauty of the wood in a form which is pleasing to the eye.”

Roberts work will be on display the entire month of June, in addition to being featured during the Downtown Gallery Crawl. ORAG is open Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Admission is free. Gallery member’s work can also be seen at ORAG’s extension gallery located in the lobby of Ouachita Independent Bank/Bankers Mortgage Plaza at 18th and Louisville in Monroe.

The Sugar Gallery (135 2^nd Street, Monroe) Contact: Lou Davenport Kavanaugh, 318-243-3092 or Damon Adcock, 318-557-6113

Sugar Gallery artists, who have recently named themselves the “Sugar Babies”, are committed to bringing Downtown Monroe back to life with the arts. Artist Lou Davenport Kavanaugh says of Sugar’s collective philosophy, “We believe art should be accessible, enjoyable, not intimidating and most of all, fun!” For the June Downtown Gallery Crawl, Sugar Gallery will have a “ALOHA!” Hawaiian theme complete with Elvis singing “Blue Hawaii.”

The featured artists and collections are:

“Sweet Surprises!,” a collection of acrylic paintings on shaped canvas, silkscreen works and black and white photography from artist Damon Adcock. Adcock, a versatile artist working across a variety of mediums, is also the owner of “Portraits by Damon.”

Artist Adam Davenport will display works from the series “60 Paintings in 60 Days,” a project which was completed in and around Ruston, Louisiana. Davenport, an accomplished artist and portraitist, was chosen by Mississippi Governor Kirk Fordice to paint his official portrait while he was still a student at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

“Homely…Places Where We Put Our Stuff,” a series of acrylic paintings on paper by Lou Davenport Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh, a mostly self-taught artist describes her work as colorful and whimsical.

New Bali ornate sterling silver jewelry with real turquoise and semi-precious stones and bracelets made of African trade bead and leather from jewelry maker and artist Diane Rosenberg will be on display. Rosenberg, who is noted for her handmade and handcrafted jewelry, offers something for

every taste from classic pearls to funky jewelry made from rhinestones, clay and dominos.

Otis Lee Tugwell, IV will display “New Fun Work,” a collection of photography and screen prints in vivid colors as well as black and white. Tugwell’s work is noted for detail and vivid, sometimes day-glo, colors.

UPSTAIRS (135 North 2^nd St., Monroe)

Featuring a retrospective of works including paintings, photography, sculpture, mixed media, prints and shirts from Jason Byron Nelson, Anna Schriefer, Liza Kidd and Emily Caldwell. UPSTAIRS will also feature the works of guest artist Sneker One with an exhibit of urban, tattoo and street art as well as fine art portraits, paintings, sculptures and design by Sean C. Powell. Originating from Atlanta, Georgia, Powell’s works drape the walls of many galleries and homes in the US and Europe. Powell now lives in the West Monroe area and works from his studios in West Monroe and out of Atlanta when he travels. He works with many different mediums and will be showing examples in portraiture, baroque paintings & other original works. Extensive online galleries can be seen at www.PortraitPainter.com. Guest artist Jan Thibault will exhibit paintings at UPSTAIRS. Originally from Ruston, Thibault grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia.  She started painting ten years ago, attending workshops and experimenting with acrylics on paper, canvas and tar paper.  Thibault loves the energy of colors and just the sheer fun of painting.  Her works include abstract and expressionist works. UPSTAIRS will also feature live music from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

The Downtown Gallery Crawl is sponsored by the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council, Louisiana Division of the Arts, Sunny 98.3, Delta Style, Delta Business, Sir Speedy, KEDM, Monroe Transit System, Marsala Beverage and Lamar Outdoor.

The Downtown Gallery Crawl, held bi-monthly in Monroe, is hosted by the non-profit organization Downtown Art Alliance, a community of artists working together to culturally

enhance and revitalize Monroe’s historic riverfront commercial district.

For more information, contact a participating gallery or visit www.DowntownGalleryCrawl.com, add us on Facebook @Downtown Gallery Crawl or view photo galleries at tinyurl.com/downtowngallerycrawlpics.

Big Whit 77 Foundation Raises Over $101,000 During 2nd Annual Big Whit Weekend

Co-founders of the Big Whit 77 Foundation, Cincinnati Bengal Andrew Whitworth and former Miss Louisiana Melissa Clark Whitworth, announced today the Foundation raised over $101,000 at the conclusion of this weekend’s 2nd Annual Big Whit Weekend presented by First National Bank.

During a Leadership Conference held on Saturday, the Foundation gave $25,000 in scholarships and free laptops to 25 scholarship recipients from Ouachita and Lincoln Parishes dubbed “Whit’s Warriors.” The 2010 Whit’s Warriors are:

West Monroe High School: Taylor Ainsworth, Kirstie Anyan, Kaitlyn Beaird, Jeremiah Butcher, Laundi Freeman, Alexandra Johnson, Christian Lewis, Mallory Sanaie, Thomas Rick Sanders, Katelyn Von Diezelski and Jessica Walters
Sterlington High School: Laquinten Allen and Jana Robinson
Cedar Creek High School: Logan Blackwell
Ruston High School: Raine Blunk, Mary Carwile, Lauren Fuller, Sarah Jones and Joseph Siegmund
River Oaks High School: Rachel Causey and Miriam Henry
West Ouachita High School: Amber Cook
Richwood High School: Racheal Reed
St. Fredrick High School: Taylor Crousilac and Alexis Guice

The criteria to be selected as a Whit’s Warrior included a minimum 3.0 GPA, campus and community leadership, athletic or arts participation an a willingness to pursue higher education. “Our goal is to continue growing the scholarship program each year to eventually reach even more kids in the community that possess the special leadership quality that sets them apart from their peers,” Melissa Whitworth said. Proceeds from the Big Whit Weekend also benefitted Broaden Horizons, a faith-based after school program for at-risk youth. Andrew Whitworth said of the program, “Broaden Horizons fits right in line with our mission as they focus on intellectual and spiritual growth of children and teenagers.”

On Sunday, guests had “An Evening with Big Whit” at Squire Creek Country Club in Choudrant where they mingled with Whitworth and 19 of his fellow Bengal teammates including Carson Palmer, Keith Rivers, Matt Jones, Chase Coffman, Chris Crocker, Brian Leonard, Chinedum Ndukwe, Bobbie Williams, Kyle Cook, Morgan Trent, Jordan Palmer, Nate Livings, Anthony Collins, Domato Peko, Dan Coats, Bennie Brazell and Eric Ball (former player – director of player development). Whitworth also offered his vision for the future of the Foundation, which includes, in addition to the Whit’s Warriors Scholarship Fund, “Care for the Cure”, a program that will directly assist families who have children with life-threatening diseases. The goal of “Care for the Cure” is to lighten the financial burden on families who are paying for expensive health-care treatments for their child. A third program, dubbed “Open Arms” will reach out to families who dream of adopting a child but don’t have the financial means to do so. The Foundation will partner with the Methodist Children’s Home in Ruston and the Baptist Children’s Home in Monroe to help those children find a loving family. Melissa Whitworth explains that the plans are in place to launch both the “Care for the Cure” and “Open Arms” initiatives in 2011.

Finally, on Monday, players teed it up with Whitworth and his NFL teammates to compete for glory and prizes in a four-man golf scramble.  “Last year we raised over $60,000 that went back into our community and our goal was to break $100,000 this year and we were able to do it thanks to our sponsors and supporters,” Melissa Whitworth said. Andrew Whitworth believes his hometown is a special place. “It’s very important for us to be in West Monroe. There are many kids in our community that can reach their potential when they have someone to believe in them and help their parents with the resources needed to continue on their path. I want to do anything I can do to help,” he concluded.

The Big Whit 77 Foundation is a non-profit 501 3 C organization. The Foundation’s Board of Directors includes: Co-Founder Andrew Whitworth, Co-Founder Melissa Whitworth, President Rick Guillot, Vice President Shelley Clark, Treasurer Barbara Williams, Secretary Kirk Frantom and members Royce Toney, Nicole Zordan and Kenny Guillot. Sponsors of the Big Whit 77 Foundation’s Big Whit Weekend were First National Bank, Ouachita Independent Bank, WPS Industries, First Baptist Church-West Monroe, Twin City Electric, Bancorp South, Herringstone’s, Portico, the Jake Owen Raborn Foundation, Miss Louisiana Organization, Randall McDonald, Eddie McDonald Landscaping, KNOE 8 News, Opus Broadcasting, Louisiana Plastics, Merrill Lynch, George Griggs, Hill Oil Company, Creed & Creed, Mark Parish, Bon Chasse Properties, Inc., Dr. Chico Rosales, Dr. Tommy Lolley, Squire Creek, Steve Davison, Dr. Ed Johnson and McIntyre & Associates, Inc.

For more information about the Big Whit 77 Foundation, visit www.bigwhit77.com or call 318-396-4094.

The Brian Putman Memorial K-9 Classic, May 14, 2010 at Chennault Golf Course in Monroe. Proceeds benefit the Monroe Police Department K-9 Unit.

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