By: Claire Olsen
The Art League of Central will host its first show this month at the Central Branch Library on Joor Road. The opening reception will be held March 8 at 3 p.m. at the library.Theme of the show will be “Scenes of Central.”
“The reception will give the public an opportunity to meet and have discussions with the featured artists,” according to Art League founder Mia Freneux. “The show will feature work from artists who are members of the Art League.”
Many Interpretations
Freneaux said the artists have come up with many different interpretations of the show’s theme. Some members have painted landscapes, others have prepared still-lifes, building studies and even portraiture.
The mission of the Central Art League is to encourage visual artists, to display their work and to educate the public on the value of art, according to Freneaux. She explained that she wants to meet people in Central who are passionate about art. “It’s good to feed on each other’s energy, and to get other’s views and critiques,” she said.
Teaching ArtFreneaux has been teaching art classes from her studio for 11 years. She teaches children and adults of all ages to appreciate and to make art happen.
She studied fine art at the University of Virginia, and she grew up loving the subject. “I feel blessed that both of my grandparents were artists,” she said. “I grew up with art in my blood.”
Freneaux started advertising her interest in forming a group of artists in local newspapers and newsletters last year. She received a great response and had the first meeting in August. There are now 14 members from the Central community, including Freneaux’s two daughters.
League member Margaret Shipley’s favorite medium is watercolor, although she also uses acrylic paints and pastels. Shipley will display her award-winning “Great White” painting of a swamp scene and white egret, for which she won the People’s Choice award at the “Make a Statement” art show hosted by the Louisiana Art and Artists Guild.
Greenwell Springs Bridge
Freneaux is currently working on an acrylic painting of the Comite River viewed from the Greenwell Springs bridge. Although she observes the sight often, she really noticed the beauty one day when the light was shining just right. Now she wants to recreate that beautiful sight so others will begin to notice the beauty that is all around them in Central.
“If it interests me, I want to put it on canvas,” she said.
At many of the league meetings, the group paints together. Shipley said this is the source of a great deal of camaraderie.
“We have art friends and other artists who we can do things with,” she said. “We can also bring things we’re working on and have them critiqued by our fellow artists.”
The group is planning its first “paint-out,” where the group will paint at a certain location together en plein air, a French expression meaning “in the open air.” Freneaux jokingly calls it “outdoors with the bugs.” She also plans to remodel her run-down studio so in order to have space for a gallery where she and other Art League members can exhibit their work. Until then, Freneaux said the group will continue to paint and draw and display their work elsewhere.
Freneaux’s older daughter recently graduated with a degree in art from LSU. Although Freneaux is very proud, she warned her daughters about pursuing a career in art saying: “You’ll never be wealthy, but you’ll be happy.”
The Central Art League meets every second Thursday of the month at the Central Branch Library on Joor Road. Participants can attend a meeting at either 9:30 a.m. or 6:30 p.m.