Masur Museum of Art, Monroe LA © Eric Lincoln

The Masur Museum of Art held the opening reception for its 44th Annual Juried Competition on Sat., June 27 from 6 - 8 p.m.  Director Anne Dennington introduced Mayor James E. Mayo, who thanked the crowd of about fifty gathered in the museum lobby. Juror Miranda Lash, curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the New Orleans Museum of Art, followed up with a brief address in which she talked about current art trends and explained some of what was involved in her selection of 66 out of 546 entries submitted.

Many of the works chosen for the show came from local artists in Ruston, La. Lash said she didn’t have any knowledge of the origination of the works, and that it says a great deal about this area that so many of these artists are represented.

While hesitant to single out any particular piece, Lash did give a “hats off” to the new conceptual photographers and video artists.

“It’s a strong show overall, and I’m very happy to be a part of it,” she said. “I really wanted to be able to exhibit a mixture of mediums, such as sculpture, painting, ceramics and photography … to spotlight not just technical proficiency but freshness and originality, as well.”

“I smiled upon works that provoked, not merely pleased.”

The show runs from June 30 to Aug. 15. Call (318) 329-2237 for information.

That’s it for the reporting. I enjoyed the talk from Miranda. She’s a very vibrant lady who seems to me to represent the very art form that she curates: modern and contemporary. As it turns out, I know her husband, Jim Mulvihill, Director of Communications and Marketing at NOMA, from last year when I used to shoot special events for the Times Picayune. Small world, as they say. I suppose I could joke that I’ve moved up since then … um … up north, that is.

Foreground: Brandy Wolfe's "We Don't Want To Know," mixed media, 2008.

I attended this show with my ex, her husband, and three small kids, so distractions were bountiful and I spent most of my time trying to get a few photos of the organizers and quotes while also keeping my four-year-old occupied. She thought using my notepad to draw on was a great idea, which meant I had to memorize half the conversations I had instead of writing stuff down. I think I got those quotes from Miranda pretty straight, though.

The Masur is a great little museum. I talked with another artist there who said he drove down from Arkansas just for the show, and that this is one of his favorite museums. Well, no wonder. It used to be a house, but somehow the staff has managed to make it something of a cross between an art gallery, museum and, of course, someone’s home. I kept getting surprised by turning to go through a door and finding out I was in a kitchen. Hey, is this part of the art …? Oh. No, I guess not. The only thing missing is an adorable, well-groomed friendly dog wandering the hallways, like you always see in those neighborhood bookstores.

Anyway, I’m very excited to have my work in this show. I think Mrs. Lash has really done what she set out to do. The works offer an overall sense of youth and freshness, and a glimpse of the path modern art is taking.

From left: Curator Evelyn Stuart with Juror Miranda Lash (NOMA) and Director Anne Dennington. © Eric Lincoln

Artist Dara Engler, middle, discusses her work with guests. © Eric Lincoln

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Welcome to the launch of ArtNELA, the blog for arts and culture in and around Northeast Louisiana.

Please read the About page first.

The plan is to cover everything within a couple of hours driving distance of my home base, which should get me to Ruston and Shreveport going west, Delhi going east, and other locations here and there. I’ll have three or four suggested key activities listed on a regular basis, along with reviews of art openings and events, and, if I can swing it, brief interviews with artists. I’m also planning to include descriptive articles with photos of events I’ve been able to attend. I’m excited about this blog because it finally gives me a chance to do three things I enjoy, all at once: write, shoot photos, and travel while exploring into the art community. Okay, maybe that’s four things. I also like fiddling around on computers. Five things. Ah, it’s all coming together, now, just like the oracle said it would …

Tonight’s suggested event, and the catalyst for the creation of this blog, is being held at the Masur Museum of Art, June 27th, from 6-8 p.m. Pieces from around the country will be shown at this opening reception, for the museum’s 46th Annual Juried Competition, which drew in submissions from all over the country. Work from over fifty artists, chosen by NOLA curator Miranda Lash, will be displayed from June 30 to Aug. 15. I have a panoramic photo of the Afton Villa Plantation that’s included in this particular show.

There you have it. The first update to a blog that I hope will become a pleasurable go-to spot for anyone trying to figure out what to do and where to go for some art in Northeast Louisiana. Check back and see what’s going on. I plan to update this site as frequently as I can find activities and culture going on around here.

I have built it. They will come.