Lafayette, LA, Gives Artists an Entrepreneurial Edge
The arts play a large role in Acadiana, creating a lively, inclusive environment that showcases the region’s culture, history and vitality. Behind this vibrant arts scene are several local artists who have poured their time, energy and hearts into the murals, sculptures and other artistic pieces found in the Lafayette, LA, region. To help support these individuals, a collection of organizations in Lafayette – Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA), the Acadiana Center for the Arts (AcA) and The Opportunity Machine, which helps startups scale quickly – developed a grant program called ArtSpark that provides financial and technical support as well as entrepreneurial training to help local artists advance in their careers.
Grants Bring Visions to Life in Lafayette, LA
Through ArtSpark, artists in Lafayette, LA, can apply for grants between $1,000 and $5,000. The funds are used to bring creative projects to life and help artists in all disciplines and stages of their career.
While these projects benefit artists, they are also advantageous for the community because they must include a public performance or exhibition component.
“The ArtSpark program enriches the region’s quality of life and sense of place by supporting the creation of new artwork from a diverse range of local artists,” says Mandi Mitchell, president and CEO of LEDA. “It plays a key role in cultivating a dynamic and resourceful arts community.”
From a deeply personal film about racial identity to a musical adaptation of a children’s book about a guitar-playing hound dog, ArtSpark projects have brought a wide range of themes and artistic sensibility to the community. Plus, artists utilize local resources to develop their projects.
“Many recipients go on to establish small businesses and collaborate with other artists and service providers to bring their projects to life,” Mitchell says.
Creative Preserves Culture in the Region
For Cory St. Ewart, an emerging filmmaker, ArtSpark funding resulted in a short film that became a key piece of his artistic portfolio. The Negro & The Cheese Knife, which is his third film, had the largest budget of any of his projects to date.
“That film was very important to me to explore and ask questions about identity,” St. Ewart says.
Originally from Baton Rouge, St. Ewart discovered his love of filmmaking at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Film became the ideal medium for communicating the messages he wanted to share in his art, including his pride in Louisiana culture.
“We have a treasure chest of heritage, ancestry and culture here,” St. Ewart says.
St. Ewart has written, produced and directed both fiction and documentary films, and he hopes to continue using his work to preserve elements of Louisiana’s culture, including Louisiana’s French dialect.
“An artist is always serving. We’re public servants,” St. Ewart says. “We need resources to continue to provide that service.”
The ArtSpark grant has already made waves in St. Ewart’s career. He has since taken part in the New Orleans Film Society Emerging Voices Directors Labs, a program that offers underrepresented filmmakers opportunities to broaden their networks nationally and gain invaluable feedback on their projects. Plus, he is studying screenwriting at Columbia University in New York. According to St. Ewart, the momentum from the grant has been vital in securing these opportunities.
“As an artist, it’s easier to get other things when you have a track record of other people saying yes to you,” he says. “ArtSpark was the first yes.”
Artist Adapts Work in Lafayette, LA
Denise Gallagher always dreamed of exploring musical theater, but she never imagined it would come true. A graphic designer and writer and illustrator of children’s books, Gallagher’s dream was realized through the ArtSpark program. An adaptation of her children’s book, A Tip Tap Tale, hit the stage at the Wonderland Performing Arts theater in Lafayette, LA, in 2024 after the artist received an ArtSpark grant to adapt the work.
“This is a ‘dream come true’ kind of thing,” she says.
Developing A Tip Tap Tale meant involving artists from all over the Lafayette, LA, community, from the cast of 9- to 13-year-old actors to the composer who helped her put her words to music. Now the recipient of two ArtSpark grants, Gallagher has used the opportunity to lead workshops on writing and illustrating children’s books and assists the AcA with grant writing workshops for artists.
“The community involvement and excitement was just overwhelming and amazing,” Gallagher says.
With the ArtSpark grant, Gallagher was able to pay the crew who helped bring her vision to life, from the director and costume designer to the composer and videographer who captured the performance. Gallagher now plans to license the musical to distribute to theaters, schools and camps around Louisiana.
“These grants are more than just ‘here’s some money to do a thing,’” Gallagher says. “You meet other artists, hire other artists and make connections. It’s very important to the community.”
This article is sponsored by the Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission, Lafayette Economic Development Authority and One Acadiana.