Introducing Amanda Abate

Introducing Amanda Abate

Amanda is a multi-disciplinary artist residing in Lafayette, LA. She has been studying within the Visual Arts department and the Dance department at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette since 2017 and is now a senior studying Graphic Design. Amanda has been a member of Basin Arts since 2018 and a teaching artist as of this past year. She has participated in the university productions State of La Danse and Evening of Dance in addition to various multimedia performances within the community. Who makes up your art circle? My art circle consists of movers, multi-media artists, musicians and storytellers. How...

Introducing Cory St. Ewart

Introducing Cory St. Ewart

Cory St. Ewart is a Lafayette-based visual artist, filmmaker, and activist who uses his art to promote Black representation in Acadiana and explore concepts racial representation and personal identity in both physical and digital forms. St. Ewart is the founder of AcadianaBlack and the designer of the Acadiana Black Pride Flag. He has made multiple festival accepted short films. He is currently in post production on his next short film “The Negro & The Cheese Knife” and has a exhibition at Bottle Art Lofts. Who makes up your art circle? My art is circle is every inch of land and...

Introducing Drake Leblanc

Introducing Drake Leblanc

Drake Leblanc is this week’s featured Art Circle artist. He is a filmmaker and media artist, and Founder and Creative Director of Above the Beyond,  a media powerhouse responsible for creating disruptive, thought provoking film and digital content. Drake is also a resident creative artist at Basin Arts.  I got into film because I saw both of my parents using cameras to document things that were important to them. As I got older, I realized that the black community was often underrepresented in media and fine art and even when they were present, it was never at the same high...

Introducing Visual Artist Peggy Walters

Introducing Visual Artist Peggy Walters

Peggy Walters is this week’s featured Art Circle artist. She is a Louisiana-based visual artist with a large collection of paintings inspired by nature and the Louisiana landscape. Peggy is also one of our most highly selected artists in the BARE Walls program (find out more about the program here). Each week Basin Arts is featuring a different artist in the hopes that readers will get to know more about the diverse range of artists in our community. Peggy shares her thoughts about her art circle and how the last year of COVID has changed the way she is able...

Introducing Photographer James Wilson

Introducing Photographer James Wilson

James Wilson is this week’s featured Art Circle artist. He is a local photographer and clothing designer. He works as a tutor in the evenings, and is also currently interning with Basin Arts. Each week Basin Arts is featuring a different artist in the hopes that readers will get to know more about the diverse range of artists in our community. We asked James to share his journey as a young artist and how he thinks about art and community.             My name is James Wilson and I am a photographer. I have always been interested...

Introducing Poet Jenna Harvey

Introducing Poet Jenna Harvey

Jenna Harvey is a local poet and this week’s featured artist in our Art Circle! Each week Basin Arts is featuring a different artist in the hopes that readers will get to know more about the diverse range of artists in our community. We asked Jenna some questions to learn more about her creative process, her source of inspiration, and her community. And be sure to check out Jenna’s spoken work poetry video below.    What is creativity to you? Where does it come from? Creativity to me is using your talents and gifts to create something, whether it fits your...

Fall Dance Class Schedule 2019!

Fall Dance Class Schedule 2019!

Check out the NEW FALL DANCE CLASS SCHEDULE at Basin Arts! We offer a wide variety of weekly dance classes taught by some of the areas most qualified dance and movement artists. Our classes are drop-in style, open to adults and teens ages 16+. There are no performance commitments, just dancing! You are sure to leave class feeling joyful, motivated, and inspired. Our students are all ages, all levels and come from all corners of the world. Whether you’re looking to stay in shape, try something new or deepen your professional dance training, Basin Arts, is everyone’s dance home. Check...

Basin Arts presents T.E.A.M.

Basin Arts presents T.E.A.M.

The Emerging Artist Mentorship Program aka T.E.A.M. In June 2019, Basin Arts will present the T.E.A.M. exhibition featuring a select group of emerging artists who have recently graduated or will soon graduate from a university arts degree program. It is Basin Arts’ intention to use this opportunity to mentor a small group of artists in the behind-the-scenes workings of contemporary art curation and exhibition practices. Selected artists will attend a series of T.E.A.M. meetings through which they will be mentored in areas of installation, documentation, writing of artist statements, CV crafting, marketing practices, curatorial selection and collaboration.   Meet our...

Mindfulness & Movement at Myrtle Place Elementary

Elementary Embodiment The idea of bringing Mindfulness into classrooms has been gaining recent popularity across the country and in Lafayette, it’s no exception. Last year Madame Catherine Bricelj, principal of Myrtle Place Elementary School, contacted Basin Arts to ask us to put together a Mindfulness Program.  This would include developing and implementing a regularing occurring program curriculum for grades Pre-K through 5. What an opportunity! We of course said “Yes!” Planning began amidst much reading and research last summer, and in the fall we were given the opportunity to present our intentions to the teachers as well as parents. We enthusiastically...