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Morehouse May Madness Festival is a free, family-oriented street festival held annually in historic downtown Bastrop, Louisiana, celebrating Morehouse Parish and its community. It features live music, art, classic vehicles, food, and activities centered around the Morehouse Parish Courthouse square.
✨ Save the date ✨ BLEND 2026 is coming. Good food. Good pours. Good times. 📅 May 3, 2026 More details soon - trust us, you’ll want to be there.
Voting is now open for the 40th Annual Northeast Louisiana Arts Awards - and time is limited. After nominations from across Region 8, finalists have been selected in categories recognizing artists, educators, volunteers, businesses, and community leaders who are shaping the cultural landscape of Northeast Louisiana. For the first time, award recipients will be determined through public voting - and your vote matters. 🗳 Cast your vote across categories including: Arts Educator • Higher Education Arts Educator • Visual Artist • Performing Artist • Emerging Artist • Literary Artist • Community Arts Impact • BART Award • Volunteer of the Year 📍 All finalists live, work, or serve in Region 8 ⏰ Voting closes: May 6 at 11:59 PM (No late votes will be accepted.) 🏆 Winners will be announced at the Arts Awards celebration on June 25, 2026 at the Strauss Theatre Center. 👉 Vote now: https://nelaarts.org/nela-arts-events/arts-awards.html The Arts Awards belong to this region - and this year, the region gets to decide.
Award-winning musician Josh Madden will perform at the “Northern Lights: a Night of Wonder” Gala benefit for the Union Museum of History and Art on Thursday, May 7. Joining Madden will be side man guitarist Keith Patterson (aka General Patterson). The event will be held in That Place Downtown, 207 N. Main Street, Farmerville, from 6 to 9 p.m. and will include catered dinner and complimentary wine. Tickets are $50 each or $375 for table for eight. Tickets may be purchased by calling 318-982-8020 or emailing Unionmuseum@gmail.com. Madden is a prominent vocalist, writer, director, and multi-instrumentalist, well known in the Monroe area music scene for more than 20 years. He was named Best Music Teacher/Band Director and has been nominated twice for Best Male Performer and Entertainer of the Year by the NELA Music Awards. One of Madden’s specialties is tribute performances, bringing to audiences the music of such greats as Elton John, Van Morrison, the Beatles, Billy Joel, and The Blues Brothers. He also heads the Josh Madden Band and has a nonprofit production company that stages musical performances for Northeast Louisiana audiences. Sponsors of the "Northern Lights: A Night of Wonder" Gala are Judge Bruce Hampton and Union General Hospital. Proceeds of the event will support the Union Museum’s mission of bringing history to life and reveling in the arts through community events, educational programs, documentaries and exhibits.
The Masur Museum of Art invites you to a public reception on May 21st, 2026. Join us for an evening of free refreshments, art, and community with fellow creatives and supporters of the arts, featuring an artist talk with Drék Davis. Artist talk at 6:30 PM
The Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana's 10th Annual Empty Bowls event will be held on Saturday, May 30, 2026 at the Monroe Civic Center Arena. Enjoy a tasting from local restaurants, live music, a silent auction and more! All proceeds benefit the Food Bank's hunger relief efforts in Northeast Louisiana. Tickets Available Now! A limited number of VIP tickets will be available this year, with 30 minute early entry for first choice of bowls! Get your tickets before they sell out at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/empty-bowls-northeast-louisiana-2026-tickets-1980190542217
The Downtown Gallery Crawl is a recurring arts festival held in the twin cities of Monroe and West Monroe, Louisiana. It features local artists, galleries, and cultural venues opening their doors for an evening of art exhibitions, live music, and community engagement. The event highlights the growing regional arts scene and revitalizes the historic downtown districts. It takes place on the first Thursday of every February, April, June, August, October & December.
The Peach Festival is an annual celebration held in Ruston, Louisiana, honoring the region’s longstanding peach-growing heritage. Since 1951, it has combined agricultural pride with small-town charm, drawing visitors for live entertainment, arts and crafts, parades, and peach-themed food.
The Watermelon Festival in Farmerville, Louisiana, is an annual summer celebration honoring the region’s long tradition of watermelon farming. First held in the 1960s, the festival draws visitors from across north Louisiana for community events, entertainment, and agricultural showcases centered on the local watermelon harvest.
The Downtown Gallery Crawl is a recurring arts festival held in the twin cities of Monroe and West Monroe, Louisiana. It features local artists, galleries, and cultural venues opening their doors for an evening of art exhibitions, live music, and community engagement. The event highlights the growing regional arts scene and revitalizes the historic downtown districts. It takes place on the first Thursday of every February, April, June, August, October & December.
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Visit our FAQsType of Opportunity | Discipline | Description | Organized by | Actions | |||||
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| Summer Artisan Show: All under $250 | Exhibition | CalligraphyCeramicsCollageShow 67 disciplines | 5/23/2026 | $35 | — | ConnecticutGreater New HavenGreater HartfordUnited States | <p>Celebrate creativity, accessibility, and the joy of collecting at our Summer Artisan Show, where every piece is priced at $250 or less. This vibran … See More | Arts Center East | Apply |
| America 250: A Creative Reflection | Call to Artists | CalligraphyCeramicsCollageShow 67 disciplines | 5/30/2026 | $35 | — | United StatesGreater New HavenGreater HartfordConnecticut | <p>In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, America 250: A Creative Reflection invites artists and viewers alike to explore the rich, complex, a … See More | Arts Center East | Apply |
| Artist Cohort for Co-Designing Culturalyst | Call to Artists | AcapellaAccordianAcousticShow 202 disciplines | 5/4/2026 | $0 | $150 | United States | <p><strong>We're building Culturalyst with artists, not just for them. This is what that actually looks like.</strong><br><br>The Culturalyst Co-Desig … See More | Culturalyst | Apply |
| Director, Center for Collaborative Arts and Media (CCAM) | Job Opportunity | CalligraphyCeramicsCollageShow 85 disciplines | 6/1/2026 | Free | — | United States | <p>Full time, continuing position, 11 months each year with one month off each summer. </p><p>In person, on campus role. </p><p>Review of ap … See More | Yale College Arts | Apply |
| Call for Entries: Watershed | Exhibition | Photography | 6/2/2026 | $40 | $400 | United StatesFort WorthTexas | Texas Photographic Society is pleased to announce Watershed, a themed juried exhibition exploring a themed juried exhibition exploring water as subjec … See More | Arts Fort Worth | Apply |
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Visit our FAQsAs a lifelong artist, I made the decision to pursue my craft full-time three years ago. While largely self-taught, my artistic foundation has been supported by college courses and private instruction. My artwork frequently incorporates elements inspired by my love for collecting reference images while fishing. Furthermore, my facination with Louisiana history and Mardi Gras is also a recurring theme in my pieces.
Museum featuring exhibits, events, classes, documentaries, and community gatherings
The mission of the Union Museum of History and Art is to promote an understanding of history, culture, and art, and to instill a spirit of community pride. We're all about connections. Connections with each other...with the past...with beloved traditions... with dreams of the future. Our aim is to bring history to life, to revel in the arts, and showcase the many facets of our region.
Throughout my life, I have been involved in many artistic adventures. Some were successful, some were a flop, but all were beneficial to me and helped me grow. I have now come full circle back to fine art painting and can say with certainty, my forever love has been found!
Friends group for Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
We support Black Bayou Lake NWR and by extension the entire national wildlife refuge system.
The goal of Legacy Strings is to provide live string music for any occasion throughout Northeast Louisiana. Maxwell and Therese recognized a need for this type of musical offering after noticing a rise in number of wedding and event spaces across our community. In today’s digital age people frequently choose to have music playing over a PA or speaker system for their event. You can see and hear almost any band, artist, Symphony, and other ensembles with the simple click of a mousepad. In the post COVID world, more and more people are choosing live music options again. Live music is trending! We play a wide variety of music; everything from Bach to Beyonce. Rock and Pop music that has been arranged to sound classical is very popular right now thanks to the “Bridgerton” series. Contemporary Worship songs are also frequent requests. If a song is requested and we do not have it in our music library, we will work our hardest to find it or have it specially arranged for the occasion. Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z; all three generations are represented in Legacy Strings. We feel that this is something that makes our group unique as well as enjoyable. Our Legacy Strings members are: Therese Pirkey, age 37 – 1st violin – Wife and Mother, Therese is currently in Occupational Therapy school at the University of Louisiana at Monroe Maxwell Hyde, age 26- 2nd violin - Instructor and Greenhouse Laboratory Supervisor at Louisiana Tech University Sarah Bell , age 47- viola – former Orchestra Director who moved to Monroe LA from Columbia SC in May of 2025 Natalie Tellifero, age 36 – cello – Former Youth Minister who is currently an Orchestra Director with Monroe City Schools. Bass is her primary instrument.
Choices Mentoring is a liaison to the community.
To provide pathways to purpose for youth and returning citizens through the arts, mentorship, skill-building, and community engagement—creating safer neighborhoods and stronger futures across Monroe.
Dynamic Demoiselle Creatives is a multidisciplinary designer with 7+ years of experience in graphic design and branding. She also is UX Design certified. Her creative journey began customizing MySpace profiles with HTML and evolved into designing visuals, book covers, and digital content. With a clean, storytelling-focused style, she helps small businesses in healing arts and others bring their ideas to life through thoughtful, expressive design.
Established April 15, 1926, Richland Parish Library is the first parish library in the state of Louisiana. The main branch is in Rayville with additional branches in Delhi and Mangham.
Current president North Central Louisiana Arts Council. Accidental business process consultant. Deal artiste.