March 15, 2021

The purpose of this grant is to provide relief directly to individual Southwest Louisiana Artists impacted by Hurricane Laura. Working artists are crucial to the mission of The Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana (AHC). The 2020 Hurricane Season only added to the strain that working artists in our community were under since the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Grant funds were generously donated by the Ceramic League of Miami in a partnership with AHC to provide relief for individual artists in SWLA. Grant award amounts will be up to $300 each. Funds are limited and will be awarded to eligible applicants who meet all of the following criteria and fully complete their application up until funding capacity is reached.

Grant is open from March 15 to April 2, 2021. Email application to Madison Miller at [email protected].

AHC Individual Artist Hurricane Relief Grant Guidelines

March 18, 2020

 

  1. CERF+ GrantWWW.CRAFTEMERGENCY.ORG CERF+ is a national artists’ service organization who provides emergency artist resources Direct Assistance to Artists Working in Craft Disciplines CERF+’s programs include grants up to $6,000, no-interest loans up to $9,000, booth fee waivers at craft shows, discounts on materials and equipment from suppliers and manufacturers, assistance with business development through referrals to consultants and other low or no-cost resources.
  2. The Joan Mitchell: Emergency Grant ProgramWWW.JOANMITCHELLFOUNDATION.ORG The Joan Mitchell Foundation provides emergency support to US based visual artists working in the mediums of painting, sculpture, and/or drawing, who have suffered significant losses after natural or manmade disasters that have affected their community. Artists who have been negatively impacted due to catastrophic situations of this nature can apply to the Foundation for funding. Please contact the Joan Mitchell Foundation for additional information at [email protected].]
  3. The CERF+ Studio ProtectorSTUDIOPROTECTOR.ORG Provides extensive information designed to help artists and those helping artists through the disaster recovery process. Resources include: how to get help from FEMA and other major relief providers; managing volunteers in disaster recovery situations; tips for disaster clean-up; rebounding after a disaster; DIY emergency salvage techniques for studio artists, and more.
  4. LYRASISWWW.LYRASIS.ORG If your library or institution has suffered damage and would like to request assistance, contact LYRASIS Preservation Services at 504.300.9478. Preservation Services staff is available to provide advice on salvaging collections or connect you to additional resources 24/7. This service, along with all others listed on this page, is free of charge.
  5. The Actors FundWWW.ACTORSFUND.ORG/AM-I-ELIGIBLE-HELP If you or someone you know has been affected by the recent pandemic and are in need of emergency financial assistance or other support, please contact The Actors Fund at 800.221.7303 ext. 119
  6. MusiCaresWWW.GRAMMY.ORG/MUSICARES MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. MusiCares’ services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies, and each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality.
  7. Louisiana Small Business Rebirth FundWWW.LABIZREBIRTH.ORG Louisiana Small Business Rebirth Fund will be providing grants to small businesses trying to reopen and serve their community. 100% of the funds will flow directly to Louisiana small businesses, and contributions are tax deductible. An independent review team will consider each application on the merits and prioritize those requests that will help get the business back on its feet and save the jobs in that area. Information on how to apply for the grants will be released very soon.

As more resources become available, the list will be updated.

March 30, 2015

The Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center is now presenting the latest display known as the “Lake Charles Legends.” This will highlight 15 of most well-known Lake Charles greats. Names such as Willie Mount, Dr. Michael DeBakey, and Lucinda Williams will be presented to the show. Part of this exhibit is showing the art of these familiar names done by 15 local artists who will be bringing these legends to a unique design. Each artist will be capturing the essence of these Legends within their artwork to display. Meagan Green, a local artist who serves on the Council’s board of directors, reached out to our artists who all eagerly responded!

I reached out to Rex Alexander to share his thoughts on his experience with the art he is doing on Reginald Ball Sr. “Quoting Mr. Bigweld from the movie Robots back in 2005, ‘See a need, fill a need.’ Mr. Ball Sr. did just that. From his trade school to seasonings. My platter was made to serve just like Reginald served the people with job opportunities, food, and dance.”

Lydia Powers shared her thoughts in how she saw her vision. “When considering how to best illustrate Willie Mount’s impact as mayor of Lake Charles and as a state senator, I wanted to create something for the youth who need a role model. I chose a paper doll because they have a rich history of helping children to imagine the world from their perspectives and build empathy. Paper dolls are unique because those who can’t afford manufactured ones can easily create their own. It’s an attainable art form for everyone. I think these qualities capture the spirit of Willie Mount.”

I spoke with Lindsey Johnson to understand her mindset and preparation to create the work she did for Dr. George Pryce. “I tried to put myself in Dr. Pryce’s mind frame and how he works. I would imagine he was a very analytical person to be in the science realm; but had some creative mist to it. As I was reading into pharmacy, I learned that it came from alchemy. A lot of artists were alchemists back in the day. With the work I did, I wanted to represent what he was doing and his material in my material. I ended up painting little pills that make up his face. I saw it as what he would look at daily. He was filling prescriptions and talking to people.”

This art exhibit was curated by the Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana. It will be on view through April 10th. Admission is free to view the show, but donations are welcomed at the front of the entrance for the Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Museum. We encourage you to visit the museum and to divulge yourself by learning more about the style of our local artists and Lake Charles most memorable highlights.

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