Students Display Talents
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
Various genres of artwork created by pre-secondary St. Landry Parish students was exhibited Friday afternoon during the annual Students Art Expo event hosted at the Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center.
Parish art instructor Jerome Ford said that approximately 100 pieces of artwork that included sculptures, canvas painting and prints were displayed prominently throughout the halls and main display area of the museum as family members accompanied the student creators at a reception.
Each participant received a certificate from Joey Richard, head of the parish Democratic Party.
“Their work is important and as you can see, there is a lot of creativity here (on Friday),” said museum executive director Patrice Melnick.
Ford, one of several art teachers in one through six grades, said the students selected what they considered their best artwork for the Friday display.
“The students are involved in different art projects throughout the year. What you see here (on Friday) is what the students considered to be their most excellent or favorite examples and put them on display,” Ford said.
District Superintendent Milton Batiste III said parish wide art programs in the St. Landry public schools have captured the attention of students.
“There is a high level of interest now in the art programs in our elementary and middle schools and we are pursuing that.We are very interested in promoting the art curriculum in all of our schools,” said Batiste.
High school art is taught primarily at the Magnet Academy For The Cultural Arts, Batiste added.
Ford said the Opelousas Museum has hosted the art expo since 2006.
In addition to Ford, elementary and middle school art was taught in 2024-25 by Shelia Guillory, Heather Wallace and Blair Emonet.
Guillory covers Port Barre-area campuses, while Wallace oversees art students in the Leonville region. Emonet and Ford teach art in the Opelousas schools, Ford said.
