SUMMARY: Renée Roberts’ passion for art, inspired by her mother, led her to champion arts education in Acadiana starting in the 1970s. After volunteering with the newly formed Acadiana Arts Council (AcA), she developed Bright New Worlds, placing teaching artists in public schools. Partnering with Burnell Lemoine and Sandy LaBry, they expanded programs using creative funding and alliances, including a key Kennedy Center partnership. AcA’s arts education now reaches 96 schools with 80 teaching artists, offering field trips, grants, and exhibitions like the Student Art Expo. Celebrating 50 years in 2025, AcA aims to raise $18 million by 2030 to deepen cultural impact across Acadiana.

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SUMMARY: At the Blue Moon Saloon, musicians like Craig Guillory collaborate in weekly Cajun jams, inspiring each other’s art. For non-musical artists seeking community, ARCHIVES, co-founded by Emma Sonnier and Lex Thomas, fosters collaboration, exhibitions, and professional growth for emerging artists in Lafayette. The group addresses isolation post-education and economic barriers like costly supplies and studio spaces. ARCHIVES hosts events including figure drawing classes and artists’ lounges, offers micro-grants to cover exhibition fees, and plans a supply library. Their efforts build vital networks, supporting artists financially and socially, helping them sustain and advance their creative practices beyond formal settings.

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The post The art collective is dead, long live the art collective appeared first on thecurrentla.com

SUMMARY: A house fire in Monroe, Louisiana, resulted in the death of a 60-year-old man Tuesday night; the cause is under investigation. In West Carroll Parish, a single-vehicle crash on Plum Grove Road claimed the life of 75-year-old Carl Carr of Epps, Louisiana; he was unrestrained and died after his truck struck a tree. A lawsuit alleges that a female deputy at the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison coerced a female inmate into sexual acts with male deputies; no arrests have been made, though one deputy was fired for unrelated battery. Attorney General Liz Murrill announced charges against ten escapees from the Orleans Parish Jail, with a \$50,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the last fugitive. Weather conditions include partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the low 90s; a frontal system may bring showers and thunderstorms through the weekend.

Midday Ark-La-Miss News Update: July 2, 2025

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