Christy Marie Lush

@christylushceramics

The creative arts captivated Christy Marie Lush at a very early age. At nine years old she was told by a sympathetic teacher that she was an artist in the making. Through a year of extreme difficulty, drawing became a safe space. She decided then that she wanted to know how to draw everything and it continues to be a reliable source of inspiration. Over the years, drawing has served to inform her three-dimensional work in clay. As she completed her BFA at the University of Louisiana in 2007, opportunities to hone her skills as a sculptor presented themselves at every turn. From welding steel to teaching wheel throwing, Christy's ideas come from a desire to facilitate cooperation between the viewer and the art work. In her view, her art should always present the possibility of a learning experience or a way to play. Her ideas are based on puzzles, toys and games that use simple machines to function, bringing to mind how it is a synonym for free will, human nature and decision making. Our actions with these collaborative pieces of art represent who we are in that moment we participate.

Tiffany Matt

@tmatt

Tiffany Matt, was born and raised in the Acadiana Area of South La. She grew up in Pine Prairie and currently resides in the small historic town of Washington.  Her step-father, who raised her as his own, was /an Army trained photographer and she credits him for her love of photography. She is also a Registered nurse and has a love for both the Sciences and the Arts. Her background also includes music and creative writing.   In her late teens/early 20's, she also wrote song lyrics for musicians . On Jan 1, 2017, she ordered her first DSLR camera and enrolled in a Basic Photography Course through the Continuing Education Program at UL of Lafayette. After completing the course, she went on to enroll in the infamous New York Institute of Photography and graduated from their Professional Photography course in 2018. Tiffany, has a unique "eye" that was noticed very early on in her formal studies. She has the unique ability to capture the beauty of mundane everyday things and is not afraid to "step out the box" and take chances. In addition, she is able to capture poignant moments that draw you in and make you feel as if "you are there". She is often quoted as saying, " I don't see my shots, I "feel" them". That is very evident when you see her work.  She is a member of the Lafayette Art Association, Lafayette Photographic Society and the La. Chapter of the Professional Photographers Association.

Kim Platt

@plattartwork

I am a self-taught artist from Lafayette, LA with a passion for painting that began at a young age. I currently combine traditional and contemporary styles using acrylic paint on canvas as well as wood. My paintings attempt to capture the unique beauty found in South Louisiana. Our vibrant culture and stunning wildlife are constant inspirations.

Paul Schexnayder

@schex

Paul Schexnayder has been a professional artist for more than 30 years. He graduated with a BFA in Painting and Drawing from LSU in 1988. He still follows his college professor’s advice to draw every day. After 4 years teaching art in the Boston area, he moved back to New Iberia to be a full-time artist. He has been selected as the official artist for many local and state festivals. His work has been in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States. Paul launched his own line of art products called happy cajun in 2006. Schexnayder is also an award-winning children’s book writer and has three published with UL Press. He has also won several awards for his short animation films. Since 2018, he has completed 5 murals in and around New Iberia. Paul and his wife, Lee live in New Iberia and have three kids. They have owned A & E Gallery for 11 years which features over 10 local artists. He has taught art for over 30 years and is currently a visual arts teacher in the Talent Program in Iberia parish. Schexnayder’s work flow from narrative and whimsical to poetic and lyrical. His signature colorful paintings are very recognizable and highly collectable. Southern Living magazine called them “vibrant, vivacious paintings of Bayou State Life” and the Salem News said “Schexnayder's works represent the heart and soul of Louisiana” Paul says he works best in series which are as fluid as a backyard bayou.

SINTHETIK MESSIAH

@sinthetikmessiah

Blending various elements of industrial, electro, dance, rock, ambient and pop.The international act SINthetik Messiah(SM) is the work of the Cajun songwriter and sound designer, Bug Gigabyte. The name is a misspelling of the of the term 'synthetic messiah', which is the pronunciation used by the band.SM has received radio play,publicity and respect from peers alike from around the globe.

Michelle Colón

@malentina

Michelle Colón, also known as Malentina, is an actor, singer, songwriter, producer, writer and director from Ponce, Puerto Rico and currently based in Louisiana. Her acting credits include Arroz Con Pollo, The Yacht, Girl With A Gun and her most recent project completed is a self-produced visual album for her debut EP, Para Tí. Her EP is available on all major streaming platforms and her visual album is now available on YouTube.

Jarret Mouton

@jakymo

I am an artist that strives to create everyday. I am currently using acrylic paint. I have experience with other mediums.

The Slaughtered Pumpkin

@theslaughteredpumpkin

Our family run business features three awesome people with a myriad of talents. We spend most of our time creating together and selling at various locations.

Miranda Davis

@randimagicpants

I'm a writer/poet who used to drink and do a lot of drugs. Now, I just write on the local music and sub-cultures of Lafayette in "Red 19 Zine".

Paige Barnett

@vpbarnett

Paige Barnett is a Louisiana/NYC-based dancer and artist from Lafayette, LA, where she graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 2017. In 2018 Paige began dancing with Basin Dance Collective under the direction of Clare Cook while creating her own dance and film installations: a short film, Periscope, which received an Official Selection for the 92Y Mobile Dance Film Fest in NYC, a solo gallery exhibit titled Woman in Bath (90 Minutes), and a rework of Tina Girouard’s Mardi Gras Suites and Quartets 1974/2018, held at Acadiana Center for the Arts (AcA). In 2019 she choreographed a new site-specific work, Every Place We Ever Lived, directed by Gina Aswell and performed in Opelousas, LA. Paige’s 2021 endeavors include her self-produced works which experiment with women’s gender consciousness: CAMGIRL, a live-streamed and ongoing look into the feminine performer’s psyche, and A Song of Visions, a dance-and-opera performance funded in part by the ArtSpark grant. In 2022 she premiered a new experimental dance work, 4-Letter Word, in collaboration with musician and animator Stuart Welch at the AcA. Once in NYC, Paige danced for the Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 Fashion Show, Christina Noel & The Creature, MeenMoves, and is currently a company member of Dance Heginbotham. Since then, Paige has performed with musicians from Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, The Knights NYC, and jazz guru Ethan Iverson. Notable performance venues include Jacob’s Pillow, San Diego Music Society Festival, Scottsdale Arts, The Ringling Museum, and Bryant Park NYC. She is also currently cast as The Birdie in Isaac Mizrahi’s annual production of Peter and The Wolf, held at the Guggenheim Museum. When not in NYC, Paige resides in Lafayette, Louisiana with her husband and teaches dance at various studios in the area.

Brandon Ballengée

@bballengee

I am both an artist and a biologist. As a biologist, I am an amphibian specialist working in a fish lab at Louisiana State University. In the fall of 2021, I will begin working at Tulane University’s Royal D. Suttkus Fish Collection (the second largest preserved fish collection on Earth) in Belle Chase. Here I will research missing Gulf of Mexico species while working with Plaquemine Parish residents. As an artist, I am constantly inspired by nature. And as an environmental advocate, I want my art and science to inspire people about the diversity of life on this wonderful tiny planet. My concerns are for communities both human and non-human affected by the ecological impacts of the Anthropocene. Today’s environmental problems are global in scale and complex. To face this milieu of issues, we need the creativity of artists, scientists and those focused on other disciplines combined to creatively address such challenges we and other species currently face. The underlying goal of my art is to increase overall awareness that each of us as individuals are part of and can make a difference to our biological community. The art itself is made from diverse mediums including large-scale light sculptures to spotlight arthropod diversity along with trans-species happenings, living plants and animals displaced in temporary enclosures to highlight local flora and fauna, large-scale high-resolution scanner photographs, micro-imaging and billboards of unique organisms to represent the individuality of non-human individuals, depictions of species ‘cut’ from history because of extinction and framed to frame their absence, and many others. In 2016, in partnership with my wife sustainable food educator Aurore Ballengée and our two children we began the Atelier de la Nature an eco-educational campus and nature reserve in Arnaudville, Louisiana.