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.