Anna Kojevnikov is the Community Development Manager at Acadiana Center for the Arts where her main focus is artist outreach and development via professional development opportunities including grants distribution. Anna may have experience with grants administration but has also been a successful grant writer for film projects when she produced projects in her hometown of Melbourne, Australia. Anna has produced one feature film, That’s Not Me (2011), and 10 short films including Russian-language, submarine epic, Sundance and Cannes award winning film Deeper Than Yesterday (2010, NSFW).  A graduate of University of Melbourne’s Victorian College of the Arts (2009), Anna surrounds herself with artists and...

Marie Palmer, a devoted embroidery and textile enthusiast for the past ten years, has found joy in the art of crafting. Her pieces take a long time to complete which allow for plenty of contemplation.  Through her works, primarily created using embroidery and mixed media, she creates a visual narrative that delves into the depth of maternal love, the dualities of nurturing and sacrifice, and the ways in which the natural world reflects and informs our inner landscapes. Gratefully accepted into the warm community of the LA Crafts Guild and the International Society for Embroidered Work, Marie appreciates the encouragement and learning...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...