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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The post How the AcA brought Kandinsky to kindergarten – The Current appeared first on thecurrentla.com

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: Heat continues across New Orleans with highs in the low to mid-90s, feeling over 100 degrees in some rain-free areas. Showers and thunderstorms are currently affecting parts of Southeast Louisiana, especially western metro areas and offshore near Plaquemines Parish, bringing heavy rain, lightning, and gusty winds up to 50 mph. This unsettled weather pattern will persist through the Fourth of July holiday. An upper-level ridge is keeping temperatures above average and suppressing widespread storms until Saturday. Next week, the ridge will break down, increasing rain chances to about 40%, with scattered storms expected and a possible tropical development off the southeast coast.

Heat and storms possible

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