Feature
March
17
Arts Council in Action
by Glenda Toups and Charles Brown
Since it was founded in 1984, the Houma Regional Arts Council has promoted and provided arts and cultural events for south Louisiana.
As the Arts Council continues to serve our region, they announce programs, spread the word about the Terrebonne Parish Arts Funding Program and applaud two local students.
Outdoor Movie Series
The Outdoor Movies Series will continue this month at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 18, in the Memorial Park across from the Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum in Downtown Houma, located at 7910 Park Avenue. The viewing will feature the 1942 Oscar winning movie “Casablanca” starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. The Outdoor Movie Series, which features family friendly notable films, will continue throughout the year on every third Friday of the month. Launched on March 11, the French Outdoor Movie Series will be showcasing episodes of “Toon Time... en français!” “Gumb-Oh! Là! Là” and “Acadia North and South.” “Toon Time... en français!” is an educational and entertaining children’s Louisiana French show that teaches basic Louisiana French such as numbers, colors and greetings with puppets and features children’s cartoons dubbed in Louisiana French. Both “Gumb-Oh! Là! Là” and “Acadia North and South” are television series. An episode from each series will be played. The series features main characters that describe themselves and their daily surroundings in their own words. Their local French and colorful expressions will testify to the richness of the language they have preserved throughout the years, despite their isolation, both geographic and linguistic. These will be presented in Louisiana French with English subtitles. The French Outdoor Movie Series will continue throughout the year on every second Friday of the month.
Those attending are invited to bring picnic blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy the evening. There is no charge for admissions.
For more information on both movie nights and up-to-date notices in case of adverse weather, please call the Houma Regional Arts Council at 985-873-6367.
Black Oral History Project Begins in Terrebonne Parish
The Black Oral History Project is a new endeavor that will document the oral histories and traditions of Black Americans in Terrebonne Parish. The project will document video and audio interviews that will be archived at various local, statewide and national cultural organizations including parish libraries, state museums and the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC.
This project will consist of gathering and documenting cultural information and then providing that information as resources to the general public. Primarily, taped audio and film interviews will be conducted with citizens who wish to record their family history, things they remember about life on area plantations, significant historical events, community traditions and other valuable information. These interviews will be complied on a searchable website that can be used as a resource.
For more information and to find out information about being interviewed for this project, call Charles Brown, project director at 985-381-9623 or the Houma Regional Arts Council at 985-873-6367.
Terrebonne Parish Arts Funding Program Deadline
The Houma Regional Arts Council, in cooperation with the Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government, announces the April 15, 2011 application deadline to apply for funding through the Terrebonne Parish Arts Funding Program.
Any non-profit organization in Terrebonne Parish presenting an arts project may apply for funding. Applicants may be awarded up to $1,500 to support art programs that are open to the public. Organizations are not required to make a cash or in-kind match to the amount awarded. Projects previously funded by the Terrebonne Parish Arts Funding Program include K-12 school-based artist residencies, opera and puppet performances, music workshops and performances, child and adult visual art workshops and theatrical productions.
Staff from the Houma Regional Arts Council are available to answer questions and for technical assistance. If you would like to have a one-on-one consultation please contact the Houma Regional Arts Council to set up an appointment to discuss your application. Assistance is also available to develop project ideas and to assist with the application process.
Terrebonne Parish Arts Funding Program guidelines and applications are available online at www.houmaterrebonne.org and grants@houmaterrebonne.org or by contacting Rusty Bouvier at 985-873-6367.
Local Students Compete in State Competition
The Houma Regional Arts Council recognizes two local students who participated in the Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest State Finals Competition that was held on March 12 at the Louisiana State Museum in Baton Rouge.
“The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation partnered with the Louisiana Division of the Arts to support Poetry Out Loud, which encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage,” says Glenda Toups, Executive Director of the Houma Regional Arts Council.
Julio Contreras of Terrebonne High School and Sara Trax of Houma Christian School competed in the State Competition.
“Sara and Julio were selected as the finalists from our regional competition to compete at the state level, and they have been working at the Arts Council with a performance coach to perfect their poetry recitations. I’m confident they will both do a great job,” says April Leonard, Projects Director for the Houma Regional Arts Council’s Poetry Out Loud program.
