Resident Artists take Center Stage at River Oaks’ Resident Artist Exhibit
Their Resident Artist Exhibit is one of the many highlights that River Oaks Arts Center offers annually – a crowd favorite, the show features works from all artists that rent studio space at the downtown arts center. “What makes it so unique is that we bring out all the talent at the same time – every artist at River Oaks has a piece in this one, which makes for an incredible variety,” says Aubrey Bolen, Artists Director for River Oaks. “We have sculptors, painters, potters, mixed media artists … this show runs the whole gamut from renowned artists to fine craftsmen. A must see for any arts aficionado.”
“I always make time to see the Resident Artist Exhibit,” says Jennifer Atwood, General Manager at Atwood’s Bakery and nationally acclaimed cake artist in her own right. “I catch art exhibits across the country whenever I can – to refuel on creativity so to speak. Between L.A. and New York, there is only one River Oaks and during Resident Artist Exhibit especially, it rarely gets more creative than that.”
This year’s Resident Artist Exhibit will be juried for the first time and River Oaks selected Tim Roper, an Associate Professor at Louisiana College to be the Guest Juror. Roper has a BA in Studio Art from Louisiana College and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Painting from Louisiana State University.
Rounding out the exhibit schedule is a team of medical professionals turned artists in the Galerie des Amis. Dr. Denise Lott, a local psychologist, who comes to painting from the tradition of her mother Julia Lott and the influence of her mentor Tony Forrest. Her current works are representational art and portraiture. Cindi Menton, Director of the Nursing Skills Lab at Louisiana College, will also exhibit in the popular Galerie des Amis at the same time. Her expressive paintings pair well with those of Lott, making for a landscape of muted and vibrant colors and impressive portraiture.
Resident local artist Tish Fresh will be exhibiting in the Stokes-Harris Gallery, where her works will not only be enjoyed by the exhibit visitors, but also serve as a shining example to the Summer Art Studio Campers – Summer Arts Studio has two sessions in July that will highlight Surrealism in the July 8-19 session while the Abstracts & Animals session is scheduled from July 22 to August 2. A waiting list for Summer Arts Camp is available – for more information call River Oaks at 318-473-2670.
The exhibits run from July 9 thru August 17 with an opening reception on Friday, July 12 from 5-7 p.m. The exhibit reception is free and open to the public. All three exhibits are sponsored by Drs. Betsy & David Long.