A fundraising raffle for a painting by local artist Jennifer Heard took an unexpected turn after the artwork was briefly damaged by wind, but repairs were completed in time for the drawing, held on June 9. Catherine Hunt was named the winner.
The painting, which depicts a Louisiana alligator, was created and donated by Heard to support Cultural Crossroads’ Art At The Farm program. The raffle was part of a fundraising effort backed by a matching grant from the Shreveport Regional Arts Council, the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
While on display, the artwork was damaged after wind knocked it over when a volunteer briefly stepped away. “That means it will be repaired OR we will get a new one painted after Jennifer has time to assess the damage,” Cultural Crossroads stated in a Facebook post at the time.
Heard later confirmed via social media that the painting had been successfully repaired. “She’s all fixed up! I’m pretty happy with the results of this repair and while I enjoyed the heck out of this process, I’m not sure I will be offering this service to the public anytime soon,” she wrote.
The drawing was delayed to June 9 to allow more time for ticket sales following the incident. The final restored version was awarded to Hunt, who now plans to continue supporting the nonprofit.
“She’s going to do her own raffle to raise more funding,” said Elaine Eaton of Cultural Crossroads.
Cultural Crossroads is Webster Parish’s only 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization. Founded in 1994, the organization works to preserve local culture and promote the arts in the region. Its Art At The Farm program offers arts education and creative opportunities through classes and events held at The Farm.