The Farm of Cultural Crossroads hosted a Student Gallery on September 24 to showcase the artwork of students in Jennifer Heard’s Art at the Farm class. Artists of all ages proudly displayed work they created during class this year.
“Art at The Farm is our newest program that is supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council, as administered by Shreveport Regional Arts Council,” said Brandi Cade, executive director for the Farm. “Funding has also been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.”
“This grant funding allowed us to offer seats in Jennifer Heard’s weekly art classes to individuals from low-income households at no cost to them, by compensating Ms. Heard for her time instructing the classes, purchasing the materials needed, and producing this Student Gallery at the end of the grant period,” Cade continued.
This grant has not only allowed people of all ages to participate in formal art lessons, it has also allowed people of different backgrounds to interact and get to know one another better, which is one of the foundational ideas behind the Farm.
“The student body of Art at The Farm is comprised of those who qualified for a spot funded by the grant and those who are established, paying students of Ms. Heard,” said Cade. “The age range for students is 5-80 years old. Having both paying and non-paying students learning beside each other provides an opportunity for these individuals to positively engage with one another, develop an understanding and respect for people from different walks of life, and, hopefully, form friendships based on a common interest: Art. This helps us to fulfill our organization’s mission, which is ‘to unite ALL people through the Arts.’”
While this Student Gallery will be wrapping up the Art at the Farm grant money for the year, Cade has applied for another grant for next year. She is still awaiting an answer. Should they be approved for another such grant, they will reopen enrollment on their website: CulturalCrossroadsOfMinden.org.
Pictured are student artists Norma Hock, Chris Batton, Zoey Phenix, Blythe Burrell, and Ian Martin.
