SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – There is a special place that celebrates the arts of northwest Louisiana. It also gives tourists a fiery spot to stay.
A window into a new world through the mind of an artist.
“I think art is an outlet for artists to deal with their own problems and personalities, and things they like. They put it out there and the public can really interpret it as their own and make what they want out of it,” Casey Jones, Shreveport Regional Arts Council Marketing Director said.
Creations coming to life inside the downtown offices of the Shreveport Regional Arts Council.
“It’s really a way to take a step away from the things happening around us and see something beautiful,” Jones said.
Each month a new artist is featured. Some are well-known. Others are working to make a name for themselves.
“This is a local artist named Chuck Gray. Chuck is not just a painter but he routes his works with a router and he has a three dimension look to it. Very iconic images. The name of the show is “Six” because a lot of the pieces were done in icons of six,” Jones said.
The Shreveport Regional Arts Council provides this space for Louisiana artists to both showcase and grow their crafts. Offering an artist resource center for brainstorming, networking, and resource gathering.
“We are big proponents of having artists make money so we have all these artists calls. We have venues for artists to show, venues for artists to perform,” Jones said.
From literary works to the visual, and even performing arts. There’s also a black box theater for plays, performances, and movie viewing.
That’s not all there is something historic towering above.
“That’s where they would hang the fire hoses to hang from the highest area to dry,” Jones said.
The old central fire station tower was transformed into a fully furnished five-story apartment that is open to artists and the public that’s listed on Airbnb. Artists from across the state can stay next door for a week to complete a residency that includes a talk and presentation. Tourists and locals can spend the weekend enjoying the historic fire tower that overlooks the downtown area near Caddo Common Park and the Strand Theater. Providing an all-encompassing space for local artistry.
You can visit the Shreveport Regional Arts Council’s website to learn more about the artists’ residency program and book your stay inside the historic fire tower
