LA Arts Summit kicks off Nat’l Arts & Humanities Month

In the photos, left to right from top: 

ACBGBR board chairman Todd Sterling, keynote speaker Garlia Cornelia Jones, LDOA Director Susannah Johannsen, LSU Museum of Art Executive Director Mark Tullos, Arts Council President/CEO Renée Chatelain & keynote speaker T. Lang

Sam Oliver, Acadiana Center for the Arts; Renée Chatelain; Michael Tipton, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana; Pam Atchison, Shreveport Regional Arts Council; Susannah Johannsen; Barry Stevens, Northeast Louisiana Arts Council; and Jeanne Marino, St. Tammany Parish Government Commission on Cultural Affairs 

EBR Metro Councilwoman Carolyn Coleman, Baton Rouge Poet Laureate Taylor Scott, Renée Chatelain, Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome, keynote speaker T. Lang & ACGBR board member Robyn Merrick

Arin Canbolat, Dominique Gibbs, Bo Dibbs, Emmett Price, Martin Shore & Ashley Shagankareh

Trey Lee, Troy Lee, Michelle Barnes, Shondrea Delmore, Mike Weary, Leslie Grover, Umar Bey, Rodneyna Hart & Evelyn Ware

Session speakers Francesca Vega, Natalie Roblin, Byron Washington, Ed Verdin & Jill Kidder

Session speakers George Marks, Renée Chatelain, Garlia Cornelia Jones & Lindi Spalatin

Erica Anderson, Maida Owens, Francesca Vega & April Baham

Keynote speaker Claire Rice, Susannah Johannsen, keynote speaker Garlia C. Jones & Arts Council COO Luke St. John 

Session speakers Geeta Dave, Maida Owens & Xochitl Ramirez-Roussel

Barry Stevens, Kathryn Fradey & Ray Scirber

Gwen Palagi, Susannah Johannsen & Jason Andreasen

The 2023 Louisiana Arts Summit is now in the history books and what a fabulous three days! It was the perfect way to kick off National Arts & Humanities Month.

Our keynote speakers – Garlia Cornelia Jones, a New York City-based theatre producer; T. Lang of T Lang Dance in Atlanta; and Claire Rice, executive director of Arts Alliance Illinois – imparted their valuable wisdom to attendees, as did our 20-plus session speakers. Opening day included a lovely reception hosted by the LSU Museum of Art and the presentation of the inaugural Art is Life Awards by the Louisiana Partnership for the Arts. Honorees were Pam Atchison, Executive Director of the Shreveport Regional Arts Council, Lifetime Achievement; state Rep. Michael Echols, Legislator of the Year; and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, Corporate Philanthropy.

“This statewide conference is vitally important in that it brings the arts and cultural sector together to discuss issues that affect our quality of life both here and around the country,” said ACGBR President/CEO Renée Chatelain.

A special shout out to all of our session speakers as well as our sponsors: Louisiana Division of the Arts, Shell, Visit Baton Rouge, LaFargue, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana and Little By Little. And for keeping us fed, thanks to Baton Rouge Area Chamber, Home Bank, McGriff, Trader Joe’s, Chef Paul Prudhomme, Coca-Cola Bottling Co United and Capitol City Produce.

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