Last October, we thought the Pandemic must be over, and we had the good fortune to schedule our opening on a beautiful fall day, complete with expertly made Louisiana food from the chefs of Bryn Mawr’s Shipley School. An eight-piece band led by Isaac Stanford was a showcase for some of Philly’s finest purveyors of Gulf Coast music, from Cajun to country rock to Zydeco to Swamp Pop and New Orleans funk.

The photos were the same Jeff Stockbridge prints that hung in the Acadiana Center for the Arts in Lafayette two years ago. The Speer Gallery was a wonderful space to exhibit photography and have excellent discussions with the students. Presented by Tania O’Donnell and Meredith Turner of Shipley School.

Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, LA
FALL 2019
Show première

The Acadiana Center for the Arts was such an ideal venue for the first presentation of Big French Dance. As an art museum space, it’s unparalleled. Plus, in addition to several art galleries, it also has a top flight performance auditorium. Two notables in the Louisiana art world, Brian Guidry and Jaik Faulk curated and mounted the show with the gallery’s highly professional staff.

Part of the adventure of this project has been trying to learn more about the people and places in the pictures. I’ve come to make some wonderful connections with some of my subjects and their relatives, and as a result of new social media contacts, many people have found out about the exhibit and book and attended the opening. Curated by Jaik Faulk and Brian Guidry.