EYE-20 Creative Corridor: The Door to North Louisiana's Arts and Culture
August Press Release
Published Sunday, August 9, 2009
In an adventurous and vast undertaking, three Northern Louisiana Arts Councils: the Shreveport Regional Arts Council (SRAC), Northeast Louisiana Arts Council (NLAC), and Bossier Arts Council (BAC), have unified their efforts to create the new EYE-20 CREATIVE CORRIDOR, a collaborative arts and cultural delivery system that ensures access to the highest quality programs and services offered by artists and arts organizations in North Louisiana.The EYE-20 CREATIVE CORRIDOR is a long-term regional Cultural Economy Initiative that will unify the cities and communities along Interstate-20 by developing and marketing all arts and cultural destinations in the parishes north and south of EYE-20 from Shreveportto Tallulah into a large 150 mile long metroplex.Each cultural venue – unique restaurants, galleries, performance venues, artists’ studios, and arts supply stores will be prominently “eyedentified” through the EYE-20 EYECON!In their commitment to the EYE-20 CREATIVE CORRIDOR, the Arts Councils intend to produce a significant project involving each of the 21 parishes every two years in North Louisiana.
In their first collaboration, the Shreveport Regional Arts Council (SRAC), Northeast Louisiana Arts Council (NLAC), and Bossier Arts Council (BAC) will spearhead a three-month cultural commemoration of the Great Depression beginning this fall.TRIUMPH OVER TRAGEDY will establish a proven methodology for developing repeated collaborative events spanning the region.The model for this project includes a comprehensive structure that has been developed and implemented through the partnership among the Executive Directors of the three Arts Councils.This massive tribute to the Greatest Generationof Americans will reach $1 million in direct expenses, including a significant generating of fees for nationally renowned and regional Professional Artists.
The three Arts Councils are the recipients of major grant awards from the National Endowment for the Arts totaling $110,000. These grants paired with local, state, and private sector resources (including a significant contribution from the Community Foundation of Shreveport-Bossier) will allow them to implement a number of events, including the largest ever “BIG READ” venture – sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts -with the enmasse reading of John Steinbeck’s TheGrapes Of Wrath.The goal of North Louisiana’s “BIG READ” is to bring the story to life by identifying and documenting the people, places, artworks, and events of the time period.
The TRIUMPH OVER TRAGEDY commemoration project is the culmination of three years planning and will engage 200 arts organizations, 100 professional artists, 525 eighth grade students in 24 schools and 50 elders to create new artworks and cultural programs that are a tribute to the history of the people, places, and events that comprised the Great Depression.The project is expected to engage 500,000 citizens and 75,000 visitors coming together to honor the 80th Anniversary of The Great Depression and New Deal Era in North Louisiana (1929 - 1941).
Through the many and varied project activities, the North Louisianacultural community will create a tapestry of the art of hard times.TRIUMPH OVER TRAGEDY Project Manager and Historian, Lane Callaway describes:
"The challenges of the Great Depression to individuals, families and the American society as a whole brought changes to the American way of life.A vast majority of American families have a Great Depression "story" somewhere within their family history that reflects strength, innovation and adjustments to the hard realities of life at that time.This commemoration project … melds history-education-the arts-culture into a single effort that is being commemorated by 21 parishes or in other words, one-third of the State of Louisiana(64 parishes).This singleness of effort over a geographically dispersed area of North Louisianahas not been attempted in the cultural history of Louisiana."
This Commemoration will ensure our community recognizes and remembers the struggles, sacrifices and successes of those who lived during this time of tragedy, tenacity and triumph. TRIUMPH OVER TRAGEDYcelebrates the artistic creativity and optimism of the American spirit of ingenuity. Citizens across North Louisianawill become engaged in the tribute through a variety of diverse projects that span all Arts Disciplines and Cultural Attractions. TRIUMPH OVER TRAGEDY Parish Representative for Red River Parish, Joe Taylor explains, “I think it’s important, given the depression we’re in now, that people learn times were worse eighty years ago and as a result of those challenges and he resiliency of the people in our country, we now have safety nets they didn’t have at that time.Also, in the recognition of the elders in our communities, we will allow others to hear the experiences of those who lived through such perilous times and overcame the adversity.”
October, 2009 marks the 80th anniversary of the New York Stock Market Crash, historically the trigger point of the Great Depression in the United States, a national economic turndown unprecedented in its depth, length, and scope.It is therefore fitting that the kick-off event for TRIUMPH OVER TRAGEDY will take place on Saturday, October 10th with a performance of Woody Guthrie ballads and folk music of the Great Depression by WOODY SEZ at the Red River Revel Arts Festival, in Shreveport and the culmination of a 10-day “Pledge To Read” campaign commitment and book giveaway for The Grapes of Wrath “BIG READ” Initiative.
Running from October 10th through November 21st, an extensive range of over 200 events and activities will include communities across Northern Louisiana engaged in reading and analyzing the The Grapes of Wrath; the production of a videotaped oral history of the ‘Elders’ who lived in North Louisiana at the time of the Great Depression; the documentation of Architectural sites and Artworks built and created during the era; and new Artworks performed, presented and exhibited as a tribute to the Great Depression.Greenwood Mayor David Hanson, Caddo Parish Representation, shares “I am excited to have our community participate in this project with our Greenwood Pioneer Days.This is wonderful opportunity to engage our citizens in learning the history of the Great Depression and New Deal Era through experiencing wonderful arts presentations.”
This project is made possible through the partnership now identified as the EYE-20 CREATIVE CORRIDOR.Soon to be launched in September will be the EYE-20 CREATIVE CORRIDOR Website.For information on how your community, venue or arts organization can become involved in the Great Depression Commemoration, TRIUMPH OVER TRAGEDY, contact the Arts Council or Parish Representative serving your area.In Northwest Louisiana, contact the Shreveport Regional Arts Council at (318) 673-6500.In Northeast Louisiana, contact the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council at (318) 396-9520.
The following is a list of Parish Representatives who are involved in the Triumph Over Tragedy Project.These Representatives are an integral part of this project as the link to the local communities across the 21 parishes.
Region VII Parishes:
Bienville – Bonita Reliford and Bill Conly
Bossier – Monica Moltz (Bossier Arts Council)
Caddo – Mayor David Hanson
Claiborne – Cynthia Steele
DeSoto – Edith Herring
Lincoln – Peter Jones
Natchitoches– Leslie Smith and Shane Rasmussen
Red River– Joe Taylor and Henry Bethard
Sabine – Mary Bozeman
Webster – Chris Broussard
Region VIII Parishes:
Caldwell - June Meredith
East Carroll - Betty Reed
Franklin - Gene Thompson
Jackson - Christie Weeks and Robin Toms
Madison - Codie Ray
Morehouse - Sara Holley
Ouachita - Ralph Calhoun and Teri Pratt
Rickland - Wayne Hopper
Tensas- Cecil Evans
West Carroll - Glenda Brumley
A number of press releases from us in the coming months on each of the individual components in this project: The Big Read, the Revel Kickoff,artspace Exhibit Opening of architectural photographs and elder documentary/catalogue, Arts In Education Residency and events happening across 21 parishes.
For more information:
Pam Atchison; Executive Director, ShreveportRegional Arts Council
