In 1960, Leona Tate was one of “The McDonogh Three” who integrated New Orleans public schools. More than 60 years later, Tate, along with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, returned to McDonogh 19 to open an anti-racism community center to heal their community.

Join Dr. Leona Tate and Molly Baker, HOPE Crew, in conversation.

Light reception begins at 5:30 PM with lecture to follow at 6 PM.

Program is free to attend, but registration is recommended.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

On November 14, 1960, six years after separate black and white schools were ruled unconstitutional in the *Brown v. Board of Education* ruling, Leona Tate became one of four 6-year-old girls in New Orleans to integrate white-only public schools in the Deep South. On that day, she, Gail Etienne, and Tessie Prevost enrolled in McDonogh No. 19 School in the Historic Ninth Ward. A fourth girl began classes minutes later at William Frantz School. The Integration of New Orleans public elementary schools marked a major focal point in the history of the American Civil Rights Movement. With worldwide attention focused on New Orleans, federal marshals wearing yellow armbands escorted The New Orleans Four to the schools at 9 a.m. By 9:25 a.m., the two former all-white public elementary schools in the Deep South were desegregated.

In 2009, Leona Tate established the Leona Tate Foundation for Change, Inc. (LTFC) to purchase McDonogh 19, the school she, Tessie Prevost, and Gail Etienne integrated. As the volunteer Executive Director from 2009-2021, Dr. Tate led teh organization to provide free summer camps, after-school tutoring, adult literacy, Christmas toy drives, and a monthly food pantry. Under her leadership, LTFC also staffed the Lower Ninth Ward Living Museum, a free community museum dedicated to the history of the historic Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood.

In 2020, LFTC and development partners, Alembic Community Developers, bought and renovated the historic McDonogh 19 campus, which reopened as the Tate, Etienne, and Prevost (TEP) Center in 2022. It is a mixed-use development dedicated to the history of New Orleans Public School Desegregation, Civil Rights, and Black Life. Dr. Tate's mission for the TEP Center is to create a safe space and community anchor where the public can learn, support, and train for anti-racism activism and social restorative justice.

In 2023, Tate was honored with an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from St. Thomas Christian University and Macalaster College in recognition of her service to the New Orleans community and beyond.

Although operating the TEP Center demands much of her time and attention, Leona values quality time with her family. She is a mother of 3, a grandmother of 12, and a great-grandmother of 8. Leona's love for community anchors the mission of the Leona Tate Foundation for Change, Inc. and the TEP Center.

This program is funded under a grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche Fall Arts and Crafts Fair will take place in the Shadows gardens on Saturday, October 12 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Vendors from around Louisiana will display and sell their original work. A variety of hand-crafted products will be available for sale, as well as desserts, food, and beverages

Admission

• $5.00 per person (13 and older)

• Free for children under 12

Raffle tickets will be sold with all prizes donated by vendors.

Smoking is NOT allowed on the Shadows grounds.
Pets are NOT allowed in the Shadows gardens.

Interested in becoming a vendor? Click below to view guidelines, registration form, and to register and pay online.

• To pay with check, please complete a paper registration form to send in with payment.

• To pay with debit or credit card, registration and payment are both completed online. You DO NOT need to complete a paper registration form if paying online.

For more information please contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

Any funds raised from this event will be used for the continued preservation and maintenance of the Shadows.

Dr. Sarah Hyde, author of Schooling in the Antebellum South, explores private and public education systems before the Civil War in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The lecture begins at 11 AM, with a book signing and light reception to follow.

Receive a 20% discount when you preorder her book during registration.   

Program is free to attend, but registration is recommended.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Sarah Hyde received her doctorate from Louisiana State University in 2010. Her first book, Schooling in the Antebellum South: The Rise of Public and Private Education in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, was published by LSU Press in 2016. Her most recent book is a work of historical fiction titled Rebel Bayou, co-authored with her husband, Dr. Sam Hyde, and published by the University of Louisiana Press. Sarah is a professor of history at River Parishes Community College and resides in Baton Rouge with her husband and four children. 

This program is funded under a grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Are you ready for the 7th annual Farm Fest? Mark the beginning of the annual Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival in New Iberia with family fun, live entertainment, and food and drinks.

MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON!

The Sugar Cube Sweepstakes, where everyone is a winner, is BACK THIS YEAR!

Live entertainment:

- 2NL Jazz Combo 4-6 p.m.
- Andy Smith 6-8 p.m.

Admission is $10 for the entire family. Tickets for food and games available for purchase. Minors must be accompanied by adults. Games stop at 7:00 p.m. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.

The Shadows WILL NOT be offering tours during this event.

For more information or questions about the event, contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

For information on volunteering, contact Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

Thank you to our sponsor McIlhenny / TABASCO!

In April 1954, a month before the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, the U.S. Western District of Louisiana ordered the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, then known as the Southwestern Louisiana Institute, to admit African American students into its fold. The permanent injunction, in the case known as Constantine v. SLI, came in July 1954, two months after Brown. The federal court's decision resulted in the university becoming the first higher education institution in the Deep South to desegregate, forever changing the historical landscape and destiny for decades to come.  

Join Ruth Foote in discussing the 76 black students who integrated the university 70 years ago.  

Light reception begins at 5:30 PM with lecture to follow at 6 PM.

Program is free to attend, but registration is recommended.

Unable to attend in person? Register for the livestream.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ruth Foote, author, historian, and community volunteer is an award-winning journalist who served as the co-founder and editor of Creole Magazine. Foote has also freelanced for The Acadiana Advocate and The Times of Acadiana. She received her M.A. in Public History from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

This program is funded under a grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche and First Horizon Bank are hosting an opening of four brand new exhibits on Saturday, July 20, 2024, at 3:00 P.M. at the Shadows Visitor Center (320 E. Main Street, New Iberia). Tickets to attend the opening are $35 and include a year-long membership in the Friends of the Shadows.

Opening festivities will include live music, light catering, and a credit bar* for the Shadows Old Fashioned.

For the past year, staff at the Shadows has worked on researching, writing, designing, and producing new exhibits that:

• provide an overview of national, state, and local history from the Antebellum to the Jim Crow period;

• showcase artifacts found onsite during archaeological digs;

• highlight the men and women who worked for William Weeks Hall, the last private owner of the Shadows;

• and share an inside look of William Weeks Hall as an eccentric artist and gay preservationist.

Funding for the exhibits was provided by a grant from the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area with matching funds from the Marder-Vaughn Center for Interpretation and Education at the National Trust for Historic Preservation and a challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche will hold its Second Annual Juneteenth Student Poetry Contest. The contest will be open to the public and held on Saturday, June 15th, at 10:00 a.m. at the Sliman Theater, located at 129 E. Main Street in New Iberia.

Using “The Hill We Climb” by poet Amanda Gorman as a prompt, Iberia Parish public school students were invited to write poems to commemorate the Juneteenth National Holiday. The theme of the competition was “Freedom and Justice for All.”   

Winners of the competition will be announced in two categories: middle school and high school. Cash prizes will be awarded to first, second, and third place winners in each category. Students who placed will have the opportunity to read their poems.

Judges for the competition are former Louisiana Poet Laureates Darrell Bourque, Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy, and John Warner Smith.

The event is free to the public. Students and teachers at Iberia Parish public schools are especially encouraged to attend, as well as their family and friends.

For additional information, contact John Warner Smith, Executive Director of the Shadows-on-the-Teche at (337)-369-6446 or at jwsmith@savingplaces.org

The Shadows is participating in SOLA Giving Day!
Early Giving begins April 4!

In May 2023, the Shadows-on-the-Teche opened with a new visitor experience that explores the lives and experiences of those who lived and worked at the Shadows and the Weeks family plantations. Together with a public historian, visitors investigate the full history of enslaved life, labor, and freedom; the Weeks family plantation life before and after the Civil War; and the gay artists and authors who worked to preserve the legacy of the Weeks family and the stories of enslaved and freed people in Iberia Parish and across Louisiana. This new experience is only the first in a multi-phase reinterpretation of the site.

Phase 2 includes installing 4 new exhibits in the Shadows Visitor Center that will provide an overview of national, state, and local history from the Antebellum to the Jim Crow period; showcase artifacts found onsite during archaeological digs; highlight the men and women who worked for Weeks Hall, the last private owner of the Shadows; and share an inside look of Weeks Hall as an eccentric artist. The Atchafalaya National Heritage Area awarded the Shadows a grant that is funding the printing and installation of the exhibit panels. But, we are still in need of exhibit cases and mounts to showcase objects from our collection and listening stations to share oral histories with visitors.

How will Shadows use the SOLA Giving Day funds?

Your donations will be used to purchase:

• 2 exhibit cases,

• a selection of mounts to properly display objects, and

• 2 listening stations

What is SOLA Giving Day?

SOLA Giving Day is an online fundraising tool offered to 501(c)3 nonprofits, churches, and schools serving South Louisiana. The event provides an easy-to-use platform that connects donors and dollars to organizations and their funding needs. This annual spring fundraising campaign spans 4-weeks and culminates with a 24-hour designated day of giving to encourage the community to contribute as many charitable dollars as possible to support the participating organizations. Since its inception in 2018, SOLA Giving Day has generated over $8.47M to benefit more than 425 unique South Louisiana nonprofits.

How is the Shadows funded?

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which owns and operates the Shadows-on-the-Teche, is a private, non-profit organization. The Shadows is responsible for it's own operating budget and does not receive funding from federal, state, parish, or city government. The site supports itself through admissions, special programs and events, and donations to the Friends of the Shadows.

Try original handcrafted, garden inspired cocktails from local distilleries and appetizers from a local, veteran owned community garden.

This event will take place on in the gardens of the Shadows-on-the-Teche. Tickets are $25. Advanced purchase is recommended.

Additional Info

• Individuals MUST BE 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER to attend event. NO EXCEPTIONS!

• Shadows reserves the right to card individuals upon arrival and refuse entry with no refund to those under 21 years of age.

• Smoking is NOT allowed in Shadows Gardens.

• Pets are not permitted on Shadows grounds.

• Participants will be walking on grass, gravel paths, and brick walkways. Plan footwear accordingly.

Funds raised through this event will be used to support the work of the Shadows.

Participating Distillieries

Join John Poon, Shadows Plein Air judge, for coffee, donuts, and an informal conversation about art. John will share his insight into painting en plein air, what to look for when analyzing a painting, and describe his method for critiquing this year’s award-winning artwork.

Coffee with the Judge will take place on Saturday, March 16 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the Shadows Visitor Center (320 E. Main Street, New Iberia). Some of the artwork from the competition will be on display until 4:00 p.m. The event is free to attend and open to all.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Painting Competition will host is 10th annual Awards Reception and Fine Art Sale on Friday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Shadows Visitor Center (320 E. Main Street, New Iberia). Judge John Poon, acclaimed Utah plein air artist, will announce this year’s winners and award over $10,000 in cash and prizes.

All work painted throughout the week by our 25 artists from around the country will be exhibited and available for purchase. Take home an original, one-of-a-kind work of art and support art education! Light refreshments will be provided.

The reception and sale are free to attend. Paintings will also be on display and available for purchase throughout competition week in the Shadows Visitor Center.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche invites artists of all ages and skill levels to the 10th annual Paint Out to be held on Friday, March 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants will be able to paint in the gardens of the Shadows and along downtown Main Street. Starting at 1 p.m., artists will bring their artwork to the Shadows Visitor Center where John Poon, acclaimed Utah plein air artist and judge for this year’s juried competition, will present awards for the Paint Out. 

Participation in the Paint Out is free, but registration is required. All participants are to check-in at the Shadows Visitor Center prior to painting in order to complete a registration form and have their canvas stamped with the official Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air stamp. You will need to bring your own paint supplies.

If you are a high school art teacher interested in bringing students to the Paint Out, please contact the Shadows at the (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air invites you to attend a plein air painting demonstration lead by John Poon. The demonstration will take place on Thursday, March 14 at 2 p.m. near the Shadows. The exact location will be announced at a later date. The demo will take place outside, weather permitting, and is free to attend.

For questions, please contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org or the Hilliard Art Museum at (337) 482-0811.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

John Poon has been a working artist for over 25 years. He graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and was offered a position as an instructor of Drawing and Painting. He eventually served as Director of Foundations overseeing classes in Drawing, Sketching, Perspective, and Color and Design.

A sought-after instructor and painter, his works can be found in both private and public collections across the country. Among his numerous awards and recognitions, his most recent honors include Best of Show at the National Wildlife Museum Annual Plein Air invitational, Artist Choice 2016 Maui Plein Air invitational, and the Gold Medal Artist Choice Award at the Maynard Dixon Campout.

He resides in Utah with his seven children, and Sasha the dog.

Shadows Plein Air Judge John Poon will share insight into plein air painting. This event is FREE, open to the public, and will take place in Fletcher Auditorium 134.

Special thanks to UL-Lafayette for co-sponsoring this program and allowing this event to take place on their campus.

The Hilliard Art Museum has partnered with Shadows Plein Air to host a plein air painting demonstration on the grounds of the museum on Tuesday, March 12 at 1:00 p.m. The demonstration will be led by John Poon, judge for this year’s Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Competition. The demo is open to the public and free of charge.

For questions, please contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org or the Hilliard Art Museum at (337) 482-0811.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

John Poon has been a working artist for over 25 years. He graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and was offered a position as an instructor of Drawing and Painting. He eventually served as Director of Foundations overseeing classes in Drawing, Sketching, Perspective, and Color and Design.

A sought-after instructor and painter, his works can be found in both private and public collections across the country. Among his numerous awards and recognitions, his most recent honors include Best of Show at the National Wildlife Museum Annual Plein Air invitational, Artist Choice 2016 Maui Plein Air invitational, and the Gold Medal Artist Choice Award at the Maynard Dixon Campout.

He resides in Utah with his seven children, and Sasha the dog.

Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air will host a Quick Draw Competition on Saturday, March 9 at 3:00 p.m. in downtown New Iberia. Artists will have two hours to complete a painting.

Ben Hickey, Interim Director & Curator of Exhibitions at the Hilliard Art Museum, will judge this year’s Quick Draw. Prizes will be awarded, and all artwork will be available for sale off the easel. Spectators are invited to watch the artists in action.

For more information, contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

VENDOR BOOTHS ARE SOLD OUT
If you are interested in being a food vendor, please contact us.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche Fall Arts and Crafts Fair will take place in the Shadows gardens on Saturday, March 2 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Vendors from around Louisiana will display and sell their original work. A variety of hand-crafted products will be available for sale, as well as desserts, food, and beverages

Admission

• $5.00 per person (13 and older)

• Free for children under 12

Raffle tickets will be sold with all prizes donated by vendors.

Smoking is NOT allowed on the Shadows grounds.
Pets are NOT allowed in the Shadows gardens.

Interested in becoming a vendor? Click below to view guidelines, registration form, and to register and pay online.

• To pay with check, please complete a paper registration form to send in with payment.

• To pay with debit or credit card, registration and payment are both completed online. You DO NOT need to complete a paper registration form if paying online.

For more information please contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org. Any funds raised from this event will be used for the continued preservation and maintenance of the Shadows.

Community gardens are places where neighbors can gather and cultivate plants and vegetables. Phanat Xanamane saw community gardens as a catalyst to revitalize the Westend neighborhood of New Iberia. Today, Envision Da Berry continues their work through the community garden, fresh market, neighborhood park revitalization, and champions grassroots community efforts. Join us as Phanat Xanamane explores the last ten years of community activism that started with a community garden.

Program is free to attend, registration is encouraged. This program will be livestreamed via Zoom for those that are unable to attend.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Phanat Xanamane is an interdisciplinary urban designer residing in New Iberia, Louisiana since 2010, where he initiates community revitalization projects. He co-founded a not-for-profit, Envision da Berry that has already built a combination of fresh produce market, as well as community gardens, and has hosted multiple public art festivals and community planning events successfully reframing an area in decline as part of a vibrant tourist economy with cultural, culinary and historical significance. An important part of the success has been a performance, entertainment and social media campaign. As an openly gay Asian refugee, he has led an organization that has broken down the many racial and social barriers to provide a counter-localism for the future of the small town American South. 

Weeks Hall became known for hosting elaborate cocktail parties that captured the imagination of locals and visitors. Historian Dr. Kristen Burton will explore Louisiana’s famous cocktail culture that stretches back to the nineteenth century.  Join us as we sip an old fashioned and follow the creation of timeless cocktails, the elaboration of nineteenth and early twentieth-century mixology, and the powerful bond created between Louisiana culture and the art of drinking.

Cocktail Tasting at 5:30 p.m. with Program following at 6:00 p.m.

Free to attend, but seating is limited. Registration is encouraged.
Must be 21 years of age or older to attend.

Thank you to our event sponsor, Distillerie Acadian!

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Kristen D. Burton earned her Ph.D. in Transatlantic History in 2015 from the University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. Burton is a historian of cultural and social history, specializing in the history of alcohol production and drinking cultures across the early modern Atlantic World. She has taught history courses at the university level at the University of Texas at Arlington, Louisiana Tech University, and Loyola University New Orleans. From 2018-2021, she joined the staff at The National WWII Museum to create original classroom curriculum on the history of WWII, lead professional development workshops for teachers, and host the museum’s podcast, To the Best of My Ability. In the fall of 2021, Dr. Burton joined the faculty in the Department of History, Classics, and Religion at The University of Alberta to teach courses on US History, the history of gender and sexuality, and the history of food and drink.

Spaces for the October show are SOLD OUT.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche Fall Arts and Crafts Fair will take place in the Shadows gardens on Saturday, October 14 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Vendors from around Louisiana will display and sell their original work. A variety of hand-crafted products will be available for sale, as well as desserts, food, and beverages

Admission

• $5.00 per person (18 and older)

• $3.00 for children (ages 6-17)

• Free for children under 6

Raffle tickets will be sold with all prizes donated by vendors.

Once you've "shopped 'til you dropped," you can head down Main Street to enjoy the first day's festivities of the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff hosted by the Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce!

Smoking is NOT allowed on the Shadows grounds.
Pets are NOT allowed in the Shadows gardens.

Interested in becoming a vendor? Click below to view guidelines, registration form, and to register and pay online.

• To pay with check, please complete a paper registration form to send in with payment.

• To pay with debit or credit card, registration and payment are both completed online. DO NOT complete a paper registration form if paying online.

For more information please contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org. Any funds raised from this event will be used for the continued preservation and maintenance of the Shadows.

Are you ready for the 6th annual Farm Fest? Mark the beginning of the annual Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival in New Iberia with family fun, live entertainment, and food and drinks.

Enjoy a variety of games from old-fashioned carnival games and turn a cupcake into a bumblebee with The Frosted Apron. Get crafty at the Art Tent where you can get your face painted, decorate a rock, and more.

This year, we’re excited to welcome 2KB Farm and Petting Zoo who are bringing the farm with them! Attendees will get a chance to see goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, pigs, and maybe even a cow.

Balloon animals are back and better this year!

Attendees can enjoy Bambino’s burgers, Jolet hot dogs, Chili Fritos, and other festival fare along with cold beverages, including beer and wine. Live entertainment will be on the stage during the entire event. 2NL Jazz Combo will play from 4-6 p.m. and Andy Smith will play from 6-8 p.m.

As part of the event, Farm Fest is raffling off FOUR prizes for kids this year:  John Deere ride-on tractor, John Deere pedal tractor, and 2 tractor themed holiday decorations.

Admission is $10 for the entire family. Tickets for food and games available for purchase. Minors must be accompanied by adults. Games stop at 7:00 p.m. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.

The Shadows WILL NOT be offering tours during this event.

For more information or questions about the event, contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

For information on volunteering, contact Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

The Iberia African American Historical Society and the Shadows-on-the-Teche are partnering with Provost Farm and Da Berry Fresh Market for a special program exploring the relationship between African Americans and agriculture.

This program is FREE of charge, though space is limited. Registration is encouraged.

Chef Sheri L. Raleigh, owner of Cast Iron Skillet Culinaire, LLC and founder of @blackwomenchefs and @giftsfromtheancestors on Instagram, will host a free seminar of Louisiana Creole foodways. This program, offered jointly by the Iberia African American Historical Society Center for Research and Learning and the Shadows, is suitable for an adult audience and is being held free of charge, however, seating is limited and reservations are required. To register, visit EventBrite.

The Gifts from the Ancestors Foodways Project explores Louisiana Creole food, culture, and family heritage. The GFTA Foodways Project event will include a food demonstration and an interactive presentation including food genealogy, family heritage, and Acadiana history.

Chef Sheri will share experiences from her digital cookbook, Gifts From the Ancestors - Okra & Tomatoes, 25 Recipes Celebrating the Heart of Acadiana. She will also preview her upcoming work, Creole Celebrations, Kreyol a lété fèt!

Door prizes for the workshop have been graciously donated by Tabasco and Conrad Rice Mill.

ABOUT THE CHEF
Chef Sheri is a native of Lake Charles, La. and a graduate of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La. where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Food Hospitality and Nutrition.

Cast Iron Skillet Culnaire, LLC was established in 2012 offering culinary edutainment and team building classes. Chef Sheri served as an administrator and educator in public education for 35 years. The proceeds from the digital cookbooks help to fund the Lawrence J. and Viola M. Raleigh Education Fund benefitting aspiring black women chefs in collaboration with the Texas Restaurant Association Foundation.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche holds its First Annual Juneteenth Student Poetry Contest. Using “I, Too” by poet Langston Hughes as a prompt, Iberia Parish public school students were invited to write poems to commemorate the Juneteenth National Holiday. The theme of the competition was “Freedom and Justice for All.” 

Winners of the competition will be announced in two categories: middle school and high school. Cash prizes will be awarded to first, second, and third place winners in each category. Students who placed will have the opportunity to read their poems.

Judges for the competition are Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy, current Poet Laureate of Louisiana, Darrell Bourque, Poet Laureate of Louisiana, 2007-2011, and John Warner Smith, Louisiana Poet Laureate, 2019-2021.

The event is free to the public. Student and teachers at Iberia Parish public schools are especially encouraged to attend, as well as their family and friends.

For additional information, contact John Warner Smith, Executive Director of the Shadows-on-the-Teche at (337)-369-6446.

Historian Christopher D. E. Willoughby will present a program on health and medicine in the antebellum period. During this time, enslaved people and enslavers spread further and further West in the Deep South. With them, they brought epidemic diseases like cholera and yellow fever. In Sickness Season:  Women, Disease, and Healing in Iberia Parish, Willoughby will examine the diseases that plagued plantations but also the women who treated them. In a period of deep medical distrust, women (both enslaver and enslaved) routinely administered medicines rather than the local doctor. 

The talk will take place on June 3 at 1 p.m. at the Shadows Visitor Center (320 E. Main Street, New Iberia). The program is free to attend and open for all. 

Unable to attend in person? Register to attend virtually!

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Christopher D. E. Willoughby is an Assistant Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. In 2016, he received his PhD in history from Tulane University. He is the author of Masters of Health: Racial Science and Slavery in U.S. Medical Schools, which was published last year by the University of North Carolina Press. In 2021 with Sean Morey Smith, he edited the book Medicine and Healing in the Age of Slavery, published by LSU Press. In addition to scholarly articles, he has been published in various popular venues like The Washington Post and AL.com. 

Sickness Season: Women, Disease, and Healing in Iberia Parish has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.

The week of festivities for the 9th annual Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Painting Competition culminates in an awards ceremony and fine art sale. Starting at 7 p.m., Judge Dawn Whitelaw will announce the winning painting and also award prizes in a variety of other categories.

Paintings completed during competition week will be on exhibit. All paintings will be available for sale.

This event will be held at the Shadows Visitor Center, located at 320 E. Main Street. The event is free and open to the public.

For questions, please visit contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

CANCELLED

The Shadows-on-the-Teche invites artists of all ages and skill levels to the 9th annual Paint Out! Participants will be able to paint in the gardens of the Shadows and along downtown Main Street in New Iberia.

Starting at 1:00 p.m., artists will bring their artwork to the Shadows Visitor Center where Dawn Whitelaw, plein air artist and judge for this year’s juried competition, will present awards for the Paint Out and give a short talk to all participants.

Participation in the Paint Out is free, but registration is required. You will need to bring your own paint supplies to participate.

If you are a high school art teacher interested in bringing students to the Paint Out, please contact the Shadows at the (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

Dawn Whitelaw, judge for Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Competition, will lead a plein air painting demonstration near the Shadows in downtown New Iberia on Thursday, March 16. The demo is open to the public and free of charge. The exact location will be announced at a later date.

For questions, please contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Dawn Whitelaw is one of the artists in On Track Studios in Franklin, Tennessee. Painting Plein Air with colleagues in Plein Air Painters of the Southeast and The Chestnut Group adds a richness and honesty to her studio work.

Whitelaw is currently on the the board of the Portrait Society of  America where she serves as vice-chair. She has also been featured as faculty for Plein Air South and the Plein Air Convention and Expo. In 2016, the American Impressionist Society elected her to Master status. Whitelaw was one of ten American women artists invited to exhibit in "Inspiring Figures" at the Butler Institute of American Art. She has a painting in the permanent collection of the Rahr-west Art Museum.