Genaro Ky Ly Smith

@genarokylysmith

My goal has always been to preserve the history of Vietnam, my birthplace; more importantly, I have and continue to tell the stories of my mother's plight from Vietnam to America as the only one of the 27 children fortunate enough to escape. And so, it has been my undertaking to record my family history (the War between the French and the Americans, Buddhism, Amerasians like myself, life under communism) through fiction and poetry.

Jessica Horne

@jessicahorneart

Jessica Horne creates art about her ethnicity as a Native American and is enroll with the tribes Ponca and Northern Arapaho. Her paintings speak about the Native peoples' culture, the understanding of who they are and where that come from. The Native people are not defined by colonization or genocide, but by the strength and beauty of their own identities and cultures. This is expressed in Jessica paintings with the uses of Native symbols and saturation expressionism mark making.

Khalilah Kersey

@studiokmak

studioKMAK is a multidisciplinary brand and online art store. My goal is to encourage connection between people through intentionality, honesty, and empathy. I want to make work that calms the viewer down. That invites them over for coffee (or tea) and asks them to rest for while. I want to make work that actively listens and responds with compassion and wisdom.

Jay V. W.

@jvw

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Scot Humes

@klarin8

Clarinetist, Scot Humes, is Professor of Music at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He performs as principal clarinetist of the Monroe Symphony Orchestra and the Vashon Opera Orchestra, and has performed in the Shreveport, Rapides, South Arkansas, Lake Charles, and Texarkana Symphony Orchestras, to name a few. As a soloist, his concert appearances include Carl Maria von Weber - Concerto No. 2 with the Monroe Symphony, John Williams - Viktor's Tale with the Shreveport Symphony, W.A. Mozart - Clarinet Concerto K. 622 with the Peconic Chamber Orchestra, and as the clarinet soloist in Frank Martin - Concerto for Seven Wind Instruments, Timpani, Percussion, and String Orchestra with the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Leon Fleisher. With his duo partner and Steinway Artist, Tania Tachkova, "duo per se" has been a featured ensemble at the New Music on the Bayou festivals and have toured internationally giving recitals at: the 92nd Y in New York City; the Bulgarian Embassy in Washington D.C.; in Paris, France; at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (AUS); and in Auckland and Christchurch, NZ.

Lou Davenport

@loudavenport

I’ve been an artist for almost 50 years. Having grown up in Bastrop, LA, I sold my first painting when I was a junior in high school. I later majored in art at ULM, but, got married and transferred to Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, MS. I changed my major to Education and ended up having a minor in History. I first worked in oils, then, watercolor and now acrylic. I also do drawings in prismacolor and ebony and graphite. Later, my family and I moved to Vicksburg where I had work at The Attic Gallery and was a member of the Vicksburg Art Association. I also was one of the founders of “Fairy Tale Theatre” at the Vicksburg Theatre Guild, to let students from grades 1 – 18 learn all that goes into a theatre production. I was in charge of set design, costuming, props and sound. During the rest of the year, I painted the sets for many local productions, including “South Pacific,” “Tintypes” and many others. After my husband died, I moved back to Monroe in 1998, to take a job as Curator of Education at The Masur Museum of Art, later serving as interim director. Leaving there after 9 years, I was part of a gallery, “Over the Moon,” with my son, Adam and daughter, Carolyn on Art Alley in downtown Monroe. After that, I was one of the teachers at “Painting with a Twist,” before I was hired to teach art at River Oaks Academy. After 6 years there, I retired. But, through all the years, I have continued to paint and sell my work. I don’t really have “an artist’s statement,” as such, I just like to paint what I like or find interesting. Right now, I’d have to say my emphasis is on Louisiana birds, swamp landscapes and surprisingly, neon signs.

Emily Stogner

@emstog

Emily is a north Louisiana native, singer, and stage performer. She fell in love with music and performing arts at a young age after seeing State Fair at Strauss Theatre Center in Monroe, LA. She has performed in many musicals and plays throughout her life. Some of her most notable roles include: Ado Annie in Oklahoma!, Jack's Mother in Into the Woods, Jackie Noelle in Disaster!, Sister Mary Amnesia in Nunsense, and Madame in Cinderella. Emily began her directing career with the 3-week SOLD OUT performances of Steel Magnolias at Strauss Theatre Center. Her favorite types of performances include comedy, singing, and improv.

Michele Olinde

@olindefinearts

Michele Olinde is a mixed media artist based out of West Monroe, Louisiana. She majored in advertising design, illustration and drawing. She was formally trained in a variety of art media from Northeast Louisiana University. Shortly after graduating as a fine arts major, she returned to N.L.U. receiving a master's degree in education with a minor in history. For approximately 30 plus years, her focus has been on achieving a quality art program at the high school level in Northeast Louisiana. The majority of those years were spent teaching gifted art to 9th-12th grade level students. Many of her students received top honors and awards in local and regional art contests. Her personal work has been displayed in various art exhibits in Northeast Louisiana, competitions throughout the state as well as internationally with the Delta Kappa Gamma online art gallery. Olinde was chosen 4 times for her designs in the prestigious community/business heron contests sponsored by a local ULM professor. Her favorite subject matter includes mixed media portraits, whimsical ink drawings and romantic landscapes with a loose, impressionistic style. Recently, she retired from teaching and is concentrating on her work with Pelican publishing. In April, she completed illustrations for author Rickey Pittman's next best seller titled "What Do You Want To Be? A B C" . This children's book will be available soon.

Natalie Sturgis

@fourlittliechickadees

Between capturing beauty with my camera and sewing pet dinosaurs with my sewing machine. I sew the fun stuff and useful stuff on rainy days. When the sun is out I capture love during 60 year wedding anniversary’s

Kelsey Mardis

@grandfelin

What is Luxury? Does it represent us truthfully? Where does it come from and how did we come by it? I find luxury in the conversations that are started by the things we carry. Things that are made with intent and care, but have that extra lick of swag. Style and luxury should be intertwined with treading lightly upon our planet, using creative solutions and hard work to curb our consumption and waste. The intention for my fur and leather work is to represent my Sportsman's Paradise community, a people with an inextricable link to nature and conservation, with the luxury they deserve through the preservation and transformation of abundant and ethically harvested fur. - Grand Félin Wild x Domestic