2006
Lori Henderson, mixed media artis, is a "coat of many colors."
I have lived in many places both in the US and abroad, but my dream has always been to live in the land of bayous. The music moves me and my art art encompasses all aspects of this love. I began my journey as an artist through childhood. Each medium I encountered brought an onslaught of inspiration. I was lucky for the opportunity to tour much of the globe and like a quilt, I am a patchwork of all of my experiences. Each piece contains an electic blend of unique materials which over the years, resulted in a distinctive Louisiana style.
2007
William Lewis is a sculptor working and living in Arnaudville. He has purchased an abandoned Town of Arnaudville waterworks building and is turing the structure into a living/working museum.
As a child, William Lewis was always interested in art and drawn to sculpture. The Louisiana Division of the Arts has awarded William Lewis the Artist Fellowship Award.
See more of William's work at Grand Contemporary in Lafayette
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2008
I was born and raised in Lafayette, La. My mother is a seamstress specializing in elaborate Mardi Gras costumes and her parents were both artistically inclined as well. Gran-Gran worked in cast metal and Mimi created large scale intricate works of braided fiber. I was never particularly interested in or good at sports or much of anything else, but I was always drawing and making strange little things out of whatever material I could get my hands on. I have always been an artist of sorts but it wasn't until college that I discovered my true medium.
"I think everyone has a true nature that coincides with his or her natural talents. Half of the trick is discovering what your true nature is, the other half is remaining true to it."
I stumbled upon mine in the spring of ‘92. I was enrolled as an Advertising Design major at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette when I attended my first sculpture class. I loved it immediately, and sculpture soon became my unofficial minor. It was not long before I had evolved from the mallet and chisel to the use of the chainsaw. One of my instructors, Mark Guilbeaux, introduced me to welding and encouraged me to push the scale of my work. I developed a rough-edged style I call “Modern Primitive” because of the use of modern motor and engine driven tools to execute concepts inspired by the art of primitive cultures.
I might have changed my major to sculpture, but I was trying to be practical, and Advertising was a practical compromise between art and reality. After graduation I worked at a small local Ad Agency for three years. I was a good designer, but I had no real passion for the work. I considered changing jobs but every other practical option only seemed worse than what I was already doing. Discontent turned to frustration and finally maddening depression. Once I was good and crazy, it suddenly all made sense.
I was fighting my true nature. I was not a designer wishing to be a sculptor, I was a sculptor pretending to be a designer because that is what I thought the practical world expected of me. Then I simply stopped pretending..
About featured artist, Jill Hackney
You are invited to view Jill Hackney's work by clicking here.
Supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council as administered by the Acadiana Arts Council.
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