(Photographed: David Greely and Lynda Frese)
Arts Program Celebrates History and Culture of Storied Louisiana Site
Visual artist, musician to create new works inspired by Shadows-on-the-Teche
By: Céline Alis
NEW IBERIA, La.--- Visual artist and University of Louisiana at Lafayette 2013 Distinguished Professor Lynda Frese and traditional French Louisiana musician David Greely, founding fiddler of the Mamou Playboys, have been selected as artists in residence for the Art and Shadows program.
The 12-month Art and Shadows program provides unique studio and performance space for one visual artist and one musician at the Shadows-on-the-Teche, a National Historic Landmark and historic site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in New Iberia, La.
While the National Trust has artist residencies at other locations in its portfolio of 27 historic sites, the Art and Shadows program represents a new prototype that brings visual artist and a performing artist into dialogue with one another during the residency. Art and Shadows, supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), demonstrates how innovative arts programming at historic sites can enhance their role as community assets and increase cultural and economic impacts in their neighborhoods and regions.
"During its storied history, the Shadows-on-the-Teche has influenced artists and innovators, such as Walt Disney and author Henry Miller, who visited the site" said Pat Kahle, director of Shadows-on-the-Teche. "I'm delighted that the site will continue to inspire new creative works through the Art and Shadows program and look forward to the results of having two artists here together."
Lynda Frese and David Greely will create new works onsite that are inspired by both the location and the region's history. They will leverage the site's unique buildings, landscapes and collections that document life in southern Louisiana in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Frese and Greely will also have access to non-traditional spaces at the Shadows-on-the-Teche, including a balcony tucked under the deep eaves of the Shadows and overlooking the Bayou Teche; an attic filled with books, artwork, clothing, and furnishings accumulated by the Weeks family over almost 200 years; and the intimate painting studio of Weeks Hall, where he entertained renowned actors, writers, and musicians in the early 20th century.
Working on-site at the Shadows-on-the-Teche, Frese and Greely will engage the community in participatory experiences around the new works. Public programming will include workshops, lectures, master classes and concerts, culminating in a spring 2015 festival focusing on new works of visual art and the performance from the new musical works created during the residencies.
For more information about the program, contact Andy Grabel, 202-588-6025, agrabel@savingplaces.org
About Shadows-on-the-Teche
The Shadows-on-the-Teche is a property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. A white-columned brick building constructed between 1831 and 1834, the Shadows is both a survivor and a reminder of the many layers of history associated with the site, each succeeding generation building on the one before to become an integral part of the property's history. For more information about Shadows-on-the-Teche, visit ShadowsOnTheTeche.org
For more information about the artists-in-residence, visit LyndaFrese.com and DavidGreely.com.
About the National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization, works to save America's historic places. PreservationNation.org
