Resources and Blog

Why are the arts so important to a community? “The arts enrich our lives in our community,” Moss says. “I’m all about community—simple as that.”

Begnaud’s life has been both exciting and rewarding, and definitely, at times, stranger than fiction. Spanning the country, and across international waters, she has had encounters with too many celebrities to count or recall. Her trips exposed her—literally—to the world of art. And her work, and volunteer work, helped to shape her essence along the way.

For decades, Cathy Webre and Jody Nederveld have been pivotal forces behind the cultural and economic revival of Downtown Lafayette. As key leaders in the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and Downtown Lafayette Unlimited (DLU), Webre and Nederveld worked tirelessly to transform Lafayette’s downtown into a vibrant hub of activity, arts, and community pride.

“The reason we have nice things in Lafayette, like Festival International or Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, or AcA,” he adds, “the reason we have those things is because we believe in our value, and we believe that it’s as good—our dignity, our respect—it’s as good as anybody, anywhere, anytime, anything.”