This fall, a dream of artists and art aficionados alike will be realized in Beauregard Parish, with the upcoming opening of the RealArt DeRidder art gallery in the historic downtown district of the city.
Months of preparation, plans and good old fashioned elbow grease are leading up to a Grand Opening Reception and Exhibition on Oct. 3, which will introduce the community to the works of a cooperative of local and regional artists.
According to Gallery Coordinator David Labby, the cooperative currently is made up of 20 artists; all with the common desire to grow the local cultural offerings and give a little back to the community of which they are a part.
Margo Roll
“Our job is to keep the artists happy and honor the City of DeRidder,” he explained, adding that the gallery got its name from the Real Art movie theatre, which long-ago stood in the downtown area and provided a bit of the theatrical side of art to residents.Defining the arts cooperative, Labby said that the flow of power is from the “bottom up,” not the conventional management structure usually associated with business and government. Every artist has an equal voice in the process and control is divided equally.
This feeling of personal investiture in the project and the process is beneficial, Labby explained, because it creates a more vibrant and energetic group of creative people, resulting in a win-win situation.
Currently, RAD consists of two boards. All artist members are voting members of the Artists Board, plus the Board of Directors is made up of five members- including Lydia DeRouen, Joey Governale, Dannah Macarthur and Margo Roll, all RAD members who were selected by the Artists Board, and Kerri Broussard, representing the City of DeRidder.
Additionally, a group of non-artist members have formed a support group known as the RADicals. These “friends of the gallery,” are on board as volunteers and promoters. RADicals is open to anyone with an appreciative eye for art and a desire to grow that area of interest among others in the community.
Artist Joey Governale & Gallery Coordinator David Labby
Recently, Labby provided a tour of the building which will house the gallery. Purchased with funds provided by Louisiana State Senator John Smith, the historical structure and work of art in and of itself, the building at 108 East First Street, is still in the renovation stages as workers build new divider walls, apply fresh paint and prepare to install a museum grade hanging system for art.With plans to utilize every inch of the property, Labby started the tour just outside the back doors, in the alley- where eventually the RAD group hopes to install an outdoor sculpture garden. The coordinator explained that the RAD gallery will display all art mediums, not just framed works.
Stepping back inside, Labby pointed out the large back room of the building, which one day may be incorporated into actual work space for art students, possibly in the form of an art education center. That also is a “down-the-road” dream.
In the space designated for the gallery displays, volunteers and co-op members have been busy, from top to bottom. The elaborate and decorative tin tiles in the high ceilings have been cleaned but left intact; a reminder of the building’s historical significance and of the artistic craftsmanship employed in their creation. All of the interior walls have been painted a soft shade of gray to maximize the focus on the art pieces which soon will be displayed there.
Board member and artist Joey Governale joined Labby in showing the newly arrived rails and adjustable attachments of the hanging system, which will line each wall and hold the canvas creations. A sound system has been donated, they said, and fundraising efforts are underway to acquire a proper lighting system.
Track lights will be installed along the center of the ceiling, from front to back. In the future, individual spotlights may be purchased to highlight specific pieces or paintings. Also pedestals of varying heights and sizes will be used to showcase small sculptures and other works.
About the gallery dream and completion, Governale said, “This is all for the community.” He said that on several occasions, downtown shoppers and those dining at the nearby Cecil’s Cajun Café have dropped in to check the progress or inquire as to what type of business was going in. “We have had all positive responses,” he added, noting that most people are excited to hear that DeRidder is getting an art gallery of its own.
Labby also was looking ahead to opening day. He shared plans for special events which already are on the schedule. The Grand Opening, on Oct. 3 will begin with a reception at 6 p.m., and the public is invited to a group show of all RAD artists.
The gallery will be filled with the art works of over 20 artists- most from the Beauregard Parish area, and several from surrounding communities, as well as Labby, Governale, and the rest of the Board of Directors. Other artists to be featured include, Mark Anderson, Thomas Avant, Imogene Dewey, Joelle Ford, Bill Guimbellot, Brandon Guimbellot, Sharon Harris, Lydia Hawkins, LaNell Mastin, Barney Miller, Anne Shirley, Emily Shirley and Herbert Strange.
Paying tribute to the history of DeRidder and Beauregard Parish, on opening night, one section of the gallery also will be set aside for the display of old photographs of the area. In particular, featured framed prints will show the downtown district and, of course, pictures of the original Real Art Theatre.
The first Solo Showing at RAD is scheduled for Nov. 2 through 28, and will feature the works of Margo Roll, a DeRidder artist who has received numerous awards for her paintings of flowers, wildlife and landscapes. She has shown in galleries in Lake Charles, Leesville, East Texas, and recently was awarded ribbons at a juried show of the Art League Association.
Roll said that she is excited about the opening, and her solo show. “It (the gallery) will be a big help to the community, and will draw in tourists,” she concluded.
Following Roll’s show, “Coming Home,” a group exhibit is planned to round out the year and welcome 2010. Beginning Dec. 15 through Jan. 8, 2010, the focus will be on the art works of a group from DeRidder High School. David Clanton, Joelle Ford, Bill Iles and Donna Gibson Pickens, all former DHS students, will be the featured artists.
Also, ideas for an “Arts on the Sidewalks’ event is on the drawing board, as coordinators seek to be a part of DeRidder’s Food Festival on Nov. 14.
Concluding the tour, and back at the street entrance to RAD, Labby pointed out the new business name recently painted on the front door. He encouraged community members to visit the gallery and become a part of the arts of Beauregard.
For more information about RAD, including a calendar of upcoming events, visit online at http://RealArtderidder.org or contact Labby at dlabby@gmail.com or (337)202-1624.
RAD Photo Captions:
RAD building-
RealArt DeRidder, a new art gallery at 108 East First Street in the historic district of DeRidder will host a Grand Opening reception Oct. 3.
RAD door logo-
A newly painted logo marks the entrance to DeRidder’s first and only art gallery.
RAD full building-
Visitors to the downtown area of DeRidder soon will be able to tour a new art gallery. RealArt DeRidder will showcase the art works of 20 local and regional artists.
RAD Governale and Labby
RealArt DeRidder Board member Joey Governale (left) and Gallery Coordinator David Labby discuss installation of the museum grade hanging system, which will be utilized to display framed pieces in the new art gallery.
RAD Margo Roll-
As a member of the RealArt DeRidder Cooperative, artist Margo Roll will be the first artist featured with a Solo Show, in November. Among her highlighted pieces to be displayed will be “Avery Island” shown here.
