Saturday, February 16, 2013
Two Arabi-based non-profit organizations teamed up recently to teach students from across the parish the art of stained glass. Funded by the Meraux Foundation and coordinated by the Voices Foundation, the two-day workshop allowed students to explore a unique and new to most, art medium.
In addition to learning some of the history and techniques of stained glass, students also had the opportunity to create an original piece of mosaic stained glass under the direction of workshop leader and artist, Rose Sand.
Twelve middle school students from schools across St. Bernard took part in the program that was hosted at the Docville Farm, the Meraux Foundation’s educational center. Sand said she was pleased with the turnout, the receptive attitude of the young artists, and the inspiring setting.
“It was really a good experience,” she said. “Docville is a really beautiful background and the students were very eager to create.”
Sand said working with stained glass panel can often be daunting and expensive task.
“Cutting glass pieces to fit into a design requires practice and skill, but creating a mosaic stained glass project is easier to accomplish. Smaller pieces of stained glass can be used, and breaking and shaping is easy. A beginner student can create a small project in a couple of classes, and learn skills on which to build to make advanced projects.”
Over the course of the workshop, the students learned the fundamentals of breaking stained glass with nippers, designed a project, used adhesive products to secure glass, and applied grout to their piece.
“Each student created a small project to fit on an easel, using stained glass, mirror and tile pieces,” Sand said.
At the end of the workshop, students got to showcase their work to family and friends.
Bill Haines, a Meraux Foundation board member and a talented artist as well, said the stained glass workshop is just one of several scheduled at Docville this year.
“We want Docville to be a place for learning and fun and this kind of workshops fits in well,” he said. “We look forward to working with other artists in bringing learning to life here at Docville.”
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
WHO: The Voices Foundation
WHAT; The Complete Works of Shakespeare, abridged. Directed by Shine
Production’s Barry Lemoine and starring Christian Bordelon, Will
Schneider and Barry Lemoine.
WHERE: Dubuisson Gallery, 300 Robert Street, Olde Towne Slidell
COST: $20 per ticket
TIME: 7:30 pm – Happy-Half Hour of wine and conversation
8:00 pm – Show Time
CONTACT: Rose Marie Sand, rose@voicesoflouisiana.org, 504.666.1220;
voicesoflouisiana.org
The distance between St. Tammany and St. Bernard parishes is spanned by more than a five mile bridge – both parishes share commonalities
that have broadened since the storm. The Voices Foundation wants to ‘abridge’ the distance even more with a presentation of “The Complete
Works of Shakespeare, abridged,” on May 18 and 19 at DuBuisson Gallery.
“The Voices Foundation has enjoyed a presence on the North Shore for the past 6 years, in no small part due to the efforts of Slidell’s
Rita Stockstill O’Sullivan,” said Voices board member Rose Marie Sand. “In 2006, we toured the country with a show called ‘The Voices of
Louisiana,’ and Rita helped book shows as we traveled.”
When O’Sullivan passed away in 2008 the Foundation began a scholarship in her name, and has presented awards to nine high school students in St. Tammany, as well as ten Milton Sand Memorial Award to St. Bernard seniors. The show at DuBuisson Gallery will be performed by St. Bernard’s Shine Productions Barry Lemoine, Christian Bordelon and Will Schneider, and proceeds will expand the Foundation’s scholarship program.
This project is an outreach to St. Tammany Parish, to help fulfill the stated mission of the non profit. The Voices Foundation’s mission is
to preserve the history and the culture of St. Bernard Parish and the surrounding areas.
“With the growth of St. Tammany and St. Bernard, it’s perhaps more important now than ever,” said Sand, “to join our parishes in an
entertaining way. We’ll invite former St. Bernard residents as well as St. Tammany residents who’d like to meet and mingle for a fun
evening of laughs and conversation.
“The people of St. Tammany have opened their arms to us. This show is a way to show our appreciation, and to invite those who consider both parishes home to meet and share some laughs. This show is fast paced and irreverent, and the actors have been compared to “The Three
Stooges” doing Shakespeare,” said Sand.
The show marks the troupe members return to the North Shore, having performed at Minicappeli’s Dinner Theatre pre-Katrina. The charming ambiance of DuBuisson Gallery in olde towne Slidell will add to the evening’s entertainment.
Among other venues, they performed this play at Rocky & Carlo’s in Chalmette and Minicapelli’s in Slidell, and received this review from Al Shea, of WYES “Steppin Out:”
“In less than two hours, three young and super energetic clowns take us on a whirlwind jaunt through many of the Bard’s great works. It is all performed like a speeding bullet, with the boys playing all of the parts, falling over each other to enter and exit with and without wigs and funny hats. It is reminiscent of the Three Stooges. The audience loves their silly shenanigans and laughed out loud from start to finish.”
Doors will open at 7:30, with a ‘happy half hour’ of wine and conversation in the courtyard of DuBuisson’s Gallery. Show time is 8
pm. Tickets available by calling Rose Sand at 504.666.1220. For more information, email rose@voicesoflouisiana.org, or visit
voicesoflouisiana.org.
Two Arabi-based non-profit organizations teamed up recently to teach students from across the parish the art of stained glass. Funded by the Meraux Foundation and coordinated by the Voices Foundation, the two-day workshop allowed students to explore a unique and new to most, art medium.
