LAFAYETTE, LA – August 12, 2024 – Acadiana Center for the Arts’ creative entrepreneurship and professional development series, Creative Acadiana, is launching their Fall season on August 13 with a session which will appeal to the abundance of talented musicians in the region. How to Win a Grammy will be presented by the Recording Academy’s New Orleans-based Membership & Industry Relations representative, Reid Wick, and will discuss the process that artists can take to become eligible for nomination.
Creative Acadiana provides opportunities to creatives across the region for professional advancement and includes workshops, artist talks and networking opportunities. This program is once again made possible with the support of Atchafalaya Natural Heritage Area.
The Fall season, which spans from August through December, includes workshops across a wide range of topics that represent our community of creatives. Bob Borel and Susan David will give a session on strategies to price your visual arts pieces and how to confidently talk about money as artists; Hali Dardar dissects the planning process for cultural events; a session on children’s book writing and publishing will be presented by Denise Gallagher; and Nhi Ngo, a recent ArtSpark awardee who created several large scale needle felted sculptures, will lead a hands on needle felting session where participants will walk away with a handmade boiled shrimp charm.
“This presentation was a valuable resource for creatives – so many practical & implementable tips. Keep bringing these on for creatives to make the most of resources.”
– Quote from a previous workshop participant gathered from an anonymous survey.
As well as workshops, Creative Acadiana presents a free networking event, Artist Round Up, which brings creatives together to provide a space for collaborations to form in a laid-back environment in the AcA Café. The networking is often paired with an activity to provide an icebreaker-like entrypoint.
On August 21, participants will have an opportunity to contribute to a collective zine using the themes ‘Systems’ or ‘programDEprogram’. Later in the year, the Artist Round Up will host Grammy nominees in a panel discussion, facilitated by AcA’s Performing Arts Director Brandon Motz, before providing a space for a mixer between attendees and panelists.
Local visual artists are also invited to participate in artists talks throughout the season. Lex R. Thomas, an emerging artist who centers their work around figurative depictions, will be leading a discussion with Troy Dugus, a well-established fiber artist, about strategies on gaining gallery representation. During her exhibition period (November and December), Anne Boudreau will join AcA’s Visual Arts Director, Jaik Faulk, in a conversation about the works on display in AcA’s Side Gallery.
The full line up of events can be found on AcA’s website at https://acadianacenterforthearts.org/opportunities-for-artists/creative-acadiana/