Terrance Simien

@ZydecoRocks

Two-time Grammy Award–winning artist Terrance Simien brings more than 40 years of powerful, high-quality performances rooted in Black American zydeco traditions. An eighth-generation, multicultural and multi racial French speaking Louisiana Creole, Simien blends infectious rhythms, soulful vocals, and deep cultural storytelling into performances that move audiences across generations and borders. Leading a dynamic intergenerational band of veteran masters and rising Gen Z musicians, Simien delivers a live experience that honors tradition while pushing the music forward—making every performance both a celebration and a cultural statement. The Zydeco Experience band: Danny Williams, Stan Chambers, Ian Molinaro-Thompson, Noah Boshra, Robbie Wallace. History Matters: 1981–1996, An emerging artist and early success in roots music. Terrance Simien emerged as a pivotal figure in zydeco’s 1980s revival. At 16 he formed one of only two teen zydeco bands in the world, stepping into a genre led by artists 30–40 years his senior and at risk of fading from American roots music. His early leadership bridged generations, driving innovation and ensuring zydeco remained a living tradition. By 21 he was signed to a national booking agency, toured Europe with Fats Domino and Sarah Vaughan, and soon landed a major label deal. In 1986 his band became the first zydeco group ever seen on the big screen in The Big Easy starring Dennis Quaid and Elle Barkin. Simien co-wrote Closer to You with Quaid for the love scene in the film. “A Zydeco Master” – Rolling Stone Magazine “The most unique stylist in the genre; Simien falls outside any zydeco camp you care to mention. His genius stems from his uncompromising originality, progressive spirit and willingness to tackle what others deemed absurd.” — Offbeat Magazine The Next 30 Years 1996-2026: An accomplished career. Simien has performed 8,500+ shows across 40+ countries, earned two Grammy Awards, collaborated, shared studio and stage with Los Lobos, Paul Simon, the late Robert Palmer, Stevie Wonder, Dr. John, and Dave Matthews Band to name a few. In 2000 he launched Creole for Kidz and the History of Zydeco, the only K–12 program of its kind, reaching over 250,000 students, parents, and educators. Disney Amplifies Zydeco: Simien collaborates with Randy Newman for the film. In 2008, Simien gets a call from Disney asking if he wanted to collaborate with Randy Newman on a song for a new animated Disney film. He said yes, and the rest is history. Zydeco is now embedded into global pop culture through The Princess and the Frog (2009), the studio’s first Black princess story set in New Orleans. The reach exploded with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (2024) ride at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom featuring Princess Tiana and a live Zydeco Critter Band. With 55 million U.S. theme park visitors in 2024 and Disney+ streaming to 150+ million subscribers, millions now experience zydeco’s cultural contributions to the music landscape of America.

Bare Walls

@barewallslafayette

BARE Walls is an art subscription service, operated through Basin Arts, which turns “BARE” business walls into gallery space. The program objective is twofold: to provide an affordable way for businesses to have a creative and dynamic workspace and to provide residual income for working artists in our community. BARE Walls hopes to create ongoing relationships between local artists and businesses while sustaining the local community and increasing the overall value of our creative economy. Our main goal at BARE Walls is to bring together our local businesses and artists that live and work here in the our community. We have created a platform that makes supporting local artists easy and affordable while also beautifying your workplace. With a wide range of artistic styles to choose from, our program provides artwork that fits you budget and style. Original artwork in the work space has all sorts of benefits. Both employees and clients alike will be able to appreciate how the artwork within your business livens up the space. Also, the artwork rotates every 3 months, helping to keep a fresh look to your space. To see our amazing portfolio of artwork at https://www.barewallslafayette.com/

Carley Dupré

@carleydupre

Carley Dupré is an interdisciplinary artist and art educator based in Lafayette, Louisiana. Her work reflects on memory, home, and the relationships that surround her. She loves expressing herself through ceramics, metalwork, painting, and textiles and is always finding new ways to combine the media together. She graduated in Fall 2025 with a BFA in ceramics from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where she has been honored as the Outstanding Graduate for the College of the Arts. Her work has been exhibited at the Acadiana Center for the Arts as well as other galleries in the region, and she has received several scholarships and grants for her artistic achievements. Passionate about both making and teaching, Carley is committed to fostering creative communities in the studio and beyond.

Francis X Pavy

@FXP54

Francis X. Pavy (b. 1954) maintains a studio practice in Lafayette, Louisiana. His career began with televised art instruction, specifically the program Drawing with Jon Gnagey, which introduced him to the construction of imagery through basic geometric shapes. At age six, he received formal color theory instruction from Elmore Morgan Jr. Although he entered university as a music major, he shifted his focus to visual arts and earned a degree in sculpture. Following his academic studies, Pavy entered the glass industry. He worked in a professional shop producing stained and beveled glass before establishing his own independent glass studio. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he maintained this glass practice while transitioning into oil painting. He initially focused on portraiture before the subject matter evolved to encompass the iconography of South Louisiana. This period established his presence in the national art scene; in 1990, Rolling Stone magazine labeled him the “Picasso of Zydeco.” This year coincided with his solo debuts in Los Angeles and Rennes, France. His work reached international audiences through the traveling exhibition Elvis and Marilyn: 2× Immortal (1994–1998) and Outward Bound: American Art on the Brink of the 21st Century (1999–2000). Pavy’s process mirrors his background in sculpture and glass construction. He begins with a blank canvas and adds elements sequentially, allowing each shape or color to dictate the subsequent phase of the composition. Collaborations with musicians and writers form a significant portion of his portfolio. He created record sleeve art for Tom Tom Club and collaborated with Zachary Richard. His illustrations appear in Christmas Stories from Louisiana, published by the University Press of Mississippi. He has also produced multiple official posters for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. His public commissions occupy major institutional spaces, including the LSU Ourso College of Business in Baton Rouge, Tulane University, the Lafayette Surgical Specialty Hospital, the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, and Caesars Harrah’s Casino. In 2025, Pavy received the LINEAGE Award and published his retrospective, Forty Years Painting French Louisiana. The book organizes four decades of work into five-year chronological increments. His current work explores spatial computing through a partnership with InfoLink, an augmented reality firm. This collaboration utilizes a 3D spatial browser, allowing viewers to experience his imagery via mobile devices and tablets, bridging his traditional painting roots with digital technology.

Basin Arts

@basinarts

Basin Arts was established in 2016 by Founder and Creative Director, Clare Cook in Lafayette, Louisiana. As a non-profit arts incubator, Basin Arts is a container for creativity focused on supporting Louisiana artists towards a sustainable practice with the goal of increasing access to professional contemporary arts experiences and creating authentic relationships between artists and the greater community. Our work is multifaceted but our mission is simple: We support artists. We support artistic creation. We connect community to artists. We connect artists to community. Our programs include artist residencies, public art projects, our signature art rental program, BARE Walls, art exhibitions, critique night, movement classes for adults, unique performance events, and more! We are passionate about fostering creativity and collaboration across a variety of artistic disciplines. We are dedicated to nurturing artistic innovation within a supportive environment. We believe the arts are a powerful vehicle for improving overall quality of life. We are committed to engaging the community through inclusive and diverse artistic programming.

Brooke Broussard

@brookebroussard

Brooke Broussard’s life began where the Pecan Island marsh meets the Gulf of Mexico, and she now seeks to explore the furthest reaches of Acadiana through its art. Based in Vermilion Parish still (and likely forever), Lafayette serves as the cultural metro-hub of her French Louisiana. She has engaged in community reporting, feature writing, and cultural narration for over 20 years as a writer. She currently specializes in writing for artists, and acting as a creative doula and dramaturg for those looking to expand and examine their voices. Notable clients include The Holiday Playgirls, Maaliyah Symoné, Francis Pavy, Roz LeCompte, and Drake LeBlanc.

Attakapas Collective

@attakapascollective

Attakapas Collective is a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) owned and managed co-op marketplace which encourages the collaboration of local crafts makers and cultural artisans of Louisiana. The mission of the collective is to celebrate Louisiana history, and enhance the quality of life of its people through the preservation, and presentation of the area's cultural and natural resources. In the spirit of trade demonstrated by the early native peoples, Atakapas-Ishak tribe this present-day trading post serves as a meeting place of ideas, creativity, collaboration and commerce; just as the original Poste des Attakapas Outpost served as a "meeting of minds" for peoples of all nations. Attakapas Collective is run by curator Erica Fox and consists of several multi-cultural artisans’ work including jewelry, art, apparel and more. The gallery-style showroom is located along the Atakapa-Ishak TRAIL in Downtown Lafayette, 100 E Vermilion Street, Suite 170 Lafayette, LA 70501

Maaliyah Symoné

@maaliyahsymone

Maaliyah Symoné (b. Lake Charles, Louisiana) is an Afro-Indigenous + Louisiana Creole artist and storyteller, acting here as a facilitator for one of humankind’s most essential (and simultaneously most neglected) functions – rest. Symoné’s previous work in film and visual art has secured her place as a reminder to us to seek and sustain a deeper connection with the natural world and the people who come before us, with us, and after us. In her present work, the emphasis is on connecting and nurturing the self through the practice of rest.

Acadiana Symphony Orchestra

@asoalicia

Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and Conservatory of Music is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, that was founded in Lafayette, Louisiana, in 1984, with a simple mission to inspire culture through music. ASO’s Symphony Orchestra is comprised of more than 50 musicians, who perform eleven regular season concerts per year, including four smaller, more intimate chamber music concerts, in collaboration with Acadiana Center for the Arts, as part of a series titled The Listening Room. ASO also hosts several special event concerts each year to raise money for its music education programs. The repertoire at these performances regularly explores music written by contemporary artists, and themes from modern popular culture. ASO’s Conservatory provides youth-focused music education programming that includes private, one-on-one music lessons, the 88 Keys & Me Piano Studio, summer camps, and an award-winning, Youth and Preparatory Orchestra program. Members of the Acadiana Symphony Youth and Preparatory Orchestras regularly perform throughout the year, including concerts with ASO’s professional Symphony. ASO strives to make the Symphony experience accessible to everyone, by offering affordable entry points and assorted opportunities for people of all backgrounds and musical tastes to enjoy classical music. To learn more about how you can get involved, buy tickets, or to donate, please visit acadianasymphony.org.