Monday, September 22, 2008

"Draw the Line" Reviewed on NOLA.com!

Read the review from NOLA.com here!

Thank you all who came out that night! Don't forget about the closing reception on Friday, Oct, 10 from 6 -8pm!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Draw the Line: An Artists' Invitational: Three years post Katrina in Olde Towne Slidell

The Olde Towne Arts Center presents Draw the Line: an Artists ' Invitational from Sept. 12 through Oct. 10, 2008 at 300 Robert St. in Slidell, Louisiana. Three years post Hurricane Katrina, the exhibit will feature 10 top artists who have lived, worked or created in Slidell.

Exhibiting will be George Dunbar, Patricia Whitty, Blake Boyd, Nancy Rhodes, Martin Needom, Nolan Lefort, La Nelle Landry, Susan Needom, Phil Galatas and Kathleen DesHotel.

An Artists' Gala Reception will be held Friday, Oct. 10, 6-8 p.m. The public is invited to celebrate the creative works by these impressive artists, and have a chance to hear about their work during the Gala. This will be the closing event for the exhibit, scheduled as a Louisiana Passport Event and part of the World Cultural Economic Forum sponsored by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. LA Passport events will spotlight the cultural economy throughout the state for the month of October, 2008.

The opening night of Draw the Line, Sept. 12, 6-9 p.m., will feature Poetry Storm, at 7:30 p.m., an evening of poets from Slidell, an open reading and book signing. Special guest artist will be satirist and performer Chris Champagne, reading from his book, "Roach Opera," published by Portals Press.

Opening night will also feature the first public viewing of the Olde Towne Arts Center's upper gallery, studios and class room space. There will be an exhibit of artwork by board members and instructors from the Olde Towne Arts Center to showcase the space. Exhibiting upstairs will be board members Charlotte Collins, Dennis Formento, Patricia Hart, Mia Kaplan and instructors Jane Hill, Darlene Powell, Michael Jolley and others.

The Olde Towne Arts Center was formed to provide opportunities for artists where Hurricane Katrina destroyed Slidell Cleaners. The water line drawn on the front of the building suggested the title for this exhibition which allows the invited artists to display works that represent a range of situational contexts at this point in their professional and personal lives, three years after Katrina.
Some have moved on, while others have not been so fortunate. Their work may have been influenced by this catastrophic event, or not. Slidell experienced the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina which pushed a 23-foot tidal surge ahead of it, bringing the lake into much of the city. Many artists lost everything. Their works will represent a chosen vision and some were created specifically for this show.

The cornerstone of the exhibit will be international artist George Dunbar. "We are relieved that he completely rebuilt his destroyed studio in Slidell, where he created so much of his art and where he mentored so many of the artists in this show," Olde Towne Arts Center Director Charlotte Lowry Collins said.

Dunbar continues to show his work through museums and galleries in Louisiana, New York and most recently New Mexico. His abstract work pays homage to the Bayou Bonfouca area, particularly in the Coin du Lestin, Marshgrass and Bonfouca series, Collins said.

Artist Nancy Rhodes now lives in Tucson, Arizona and was recently the subject of a retrospective exhibit of her work titled "The Slidell Years, 1977 to 2006." Draw the Line will be the first showing of her Tucson work which Rhodes said expresses "I have definitely moved beyond the line.".

Photographer Kathleen DesHotel found her home was spared. But, her work will incorporate the praying hands of all those she knew who lost their homes and more in the storm.

The family of the late Patricia Whitty and her friend Boni Johnson have arranged for a piece of Whitty's work to be included in this exhibition. Whitty was a major part of the art scene in Slidell, and her artistic contribution will be honored in this exhibit.

Both Poetry Storm, Sept. 12 and the Artists' Gala Reception on Oct. 10 are part of the events for the City of Slidell's Olde Towne Alive block party, held the second Friday of each month from 6-9 p.m. with food, music and events along First Street in Olde Towne Slidell. For information on Olde Towne Arts Center classes, exhibits and events, call 985.649.0555, email info@OTACenter.com or visit the blog site at otacenter.blogspot.com.