Photograph: Amelia Bourggeois, a student at Central Middle School in Eunice points to her art work titled Coffee Cup Energizer. Amelia and hundreds of other St. Landry Parish students converged on downtown Opelousas Saturday for the first annual St. Landry Parish Art Expo. (Photograph by Freddie Herpin.)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
(Editor’s Note: St. Landry Now photographer Freddie Herpin was busy on Saturday photographing the Art Expo, Beef Cook Off and Hazardous Waste Disposal event. Check out all of Fred’s images on the website photo galleries.)
The cool, sunny weather was Louisiana beautiful as St. Landry Parish public school students became youthful entrepreneurs Saturday, displaying and selling their artistry, while their poetic and musical talents echoed through downtown Opelousas.
Most who walked around the Courthouse Square viewing the Student Arts Expo, agreed it was a perfect day to celebrate the multiple artistic expressions created by pupils that attend parish public school campuses.
“This is really awesome. I think those who are here realize that we have a lot of talented kids at our schools. It’s great that we can get everyone together and have a chance to showcase our students,” said Superintendent Patrick Jenkins.
Jenkins spent some of his time on Court Street, viewing items from the numerous costume jewelry booths and examining the student artwork exhibited on canvas.
The Expo event was assisted financially through a District partnership with the Acadiana Center for the Arts.
Jenkins noted there was also monetary assistance from the City of Opelousas, parish government, T-Mobile, Opelousas Main Street, Noble and the St. Landry Foundation.
Additionally there were also student paintings and pen and ink drawings hanging inside Java Square, where they were viewed along with the aroma of brewed coffee.
Further down Landry Street, paintings were also placed at Chicory’s at The Palace, where the canvas work could be observed along with a cup of gumbo.
Bar-b-que pits and woodwork crafted by student welders and carpentry students from St. Landry Alternative Training School was also featured and available for sale.
Larry Mayo, who teaches general carpentry at SLATS, said some of his students graduate and become entry level carpenters.
“What we emphasize with our students is the development of a good work ethic,” said Mayo.
Daigle said many of the welded items originate from donated materials, like some of the metal drums.
“We scrounge around quite a bit. We got some of our drums we make into pits from Lou-Ana. We also get help from the school administration,” Daigle said.
Around noon the Northwest High robotics team commanded the second floor of Java Square, where team members demonstrated the routines which has made the group a national competitor.
