Introducing Andrea Villien

Introducing Andrea Villien

Andrea is a musician, poet, and healing arts practitioner from South Louisiana. She has been apart of Lafayette’s music community for the past twenty-five years through performances withvarious ensembles in both classical and traditional music and as a music educator. She currently teaches piano and violin in her private studio and at the Acadiana Symphony Conservatory of Music. Andrea has also worked for the past twenty years in the healing arts where she was trained as a massage therapist, yoga instructor, labor doula, reiki master practitioner, and herbalist. In 2020, Andrea decided to return to school for a degree in...

Introducing Jamar Pierre

Introducing Jamar Pierre

Jamar Pierre, artist and educator, was born in New Orleans at Charity hospital in 1973. As a child Jamar Pierre was influenced by his paternal grandparents who grew up on plantations in rural Louisiana, where he spent a great deal of time in his formative years.  The combination of appreciating the nature of Louisiana and being exposed to the work ethic indicative of living off the land is evident in his artwork that often contains a contrast between rural and urban life.  The urban component of his artwork is a result of growing up in New Orleans where he spent...

Introducing Amber Ramirez

Introducing Amber Ramirez

Since 2019, Amber Ramirez has been running Azulita Speaks, an art company focused on the production of beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces, offering classes and teaching patrons that art is unique like we all are. She started the business in the name of healing and elevation, after a series of traumatic experiences, she wanted to start something that could inspire her and those around her. It is her goal and vision to inspire through art, by building confidence, resilience, and courage. Message us if you have any questions! @azulitaspeaks on facebook & Instagram. Who makes up your art circle? My art circle...

Introducing Edward X

Introducing Edward X

Edward X was born and raised in New Orleans, La. His passion for music began in 2005 when he wrote his first rap. Since then he would go on to move to start Armed Rhymery with Kween Mo in Lafayette. Together, they’ve played hundreds of shows, traveled to different cities and states performing, been featured on Pharrell’s iamOTHER compilation, and even recently going viral on social media with their new series, narrative raps. If you would like to know more, you can always follow Edward on instagram @just_edx or @armedrhymery. Armed Rhymery’s music is available at all streaming platforms.  Who...

Introducing Ba Bader

Introducing Ba Bader

An immigrant Artist in filmmaking and visual arts. Founder of Bia Creates Production.  Born in Oman, Ba is the youngest of five siblings. He came to the US in 2011 and since then earned his B.S. in Petroleum Engineering and M.S. in Communication. An advocate for equality and diversity. A current board member  at casa of sola. currently working on a documentary that will help showcase an underrepresented community in the United States. His previous documentary focused on expatriates and their decisions to stay in the United States. The documentary creates understanding and breaks stereotypes tied to immigration.  Who makes up your art...

Introducing Morgane Prejean Copy

Introducing Morgane Prejean Copy

Morgane Prejean also known by her stage name, Kween Mo, is a Hip-Hop artist and creative based in Lafayette, LA. At her creative core, she is a lyricist and singer with a very unique sound that carries an overall positive vibe and message but her craft also extends to instrumental production, graphic design, film, visual art, audio engineering and more. Mo has been sharing her gifts and actively pursuing her career as an artist for about 15 years and has a multi-media arts company, Southpeak Arts, where she offers services that allow her another outlet to put her unique skills...

Introducing Morgane Prejean

Introducing Morgane Prejean

Morgane Prejean also known by her stage name, Kween Mo, is a Hip-Hop artist and creative based in Lafayette, LA. At her creative core, she is a lyricist and singer with a very unique sound that carries an overall positive vibe and message but her craft also extends to instrumental production, graphic design, film, visual art, audio engineering and more. Mo has been sharing her gifts and actively pursuing her career as an artist for about 15 years and has a multi-media arts company, Southpeak Arts, where she offers services that allow her another outlet to put her unique skills...

Introducing Denise Gallagher

Introducing Denise Gallagher

Denise Gallagher is a fine artist, graphic designer, and published author and illustrator of children’s picture books. Her work has been included in museums and galleries in New York, Los Angeles, Portland, Indianapolis and across Louisiana. She has written and illustrated two picture books, “Moonsong” and “A Tip Tap Tale,” and has also illustrated folk tales from Louisiana and Canada. Denise is proud to be the Illustrator Coordinator for the Louisiana/Mississippi Region of the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators and serves on the Editorial Board of the University of Louisiana Press.  Denise is devoted to promoting a love of...

Introducing Mare Martin

Introducing Mare Martin

Mare Martin holds a BFA in painting and printmaking from the University ofLouisiana. She also studied at the Haystack School of Crafts in Maine on ascholarship and at the Cardiff College of Art in Wales on a graduate fellowship.Her professional awards include grants from the National Endowment of the Artsand the Louisiana Division of the Arts for a mid-career retrospective and anARTSpark grant for a thirty-five year retrospective at the Acadiana Center for theArts. Martin created the site-specific public artwork “Earth, Water, Fire, Air” forthe glass wall at the former site of the Lafayette Regional Airport. She is inspired by...

Introducing Steve Breaux

Introducing Steve Breaux

Steve Breaux, BFA, MFA, Florida State University, is retired (2020) Professor of Visual Arts atthe University of Louisiana at Lafayette where he taught Art and the Computer, Conceptual andFormal Development, Advanced Drawing, and 2d. Design. For 25 years he has worked both as a solo artist and in collaboration with his wife and partner, Kathy Reed, in a variety of mediaincluding process art, printmaking, painting on silk, computer animation/video, photography, and painting often in combination. He has researched the nature of the art process as it relates to differences between painting and digital (algorithmic) artwork for over 25 years. In...