Latest news with #HistoricCityHall
American Press
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- American Press
Made of Money: Artists examine deeper meaning of currency
The Lake Charles Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center is host to the 'Cultural Currency: Contemporary Art from the Riemer Collection.' The exhibition, which asks viewers to 'reevaluate the concept of money,' runs through Aug. 23. (Special to the American Press) M oney makes the world go around, but an exhibition at the Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center will challenge patrons to look at currency through a different lens. The innovative exhibit, 'Cultural Currency: Contemporary Art from the Riemer Collection,' explores the ways value and worth extend beyond the dollar bill. Artists repurpose physical pieces of money, like bills and coins, and transform them into introspective works of art. 'It offers a compelling lens through which to examine our relationship with money, something so central to daily life, yet rarely questioned beyond its purchasing power,' said Payton Lundmark, director of cultural affairs for the City of Lake Charles. 'The exhibition aligns with Historic City Hall's mission to showcase meaningful contemporary art that challenges conventional thinking and sparks dialogue around culture, identity and value.' 'Cultural Currency' will be exhibited until Aug. 23 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. The collection was curated by Davis Riemer and Louise Rothman-Riemer, investment advisers from Oakland, California. Lundmark said their passion for collecting money-themed pieces of art began in 1995 when they wanted to create new attitudes towards the value of money. The exhibit, she said, encourages audiences to take a step back and reevaluate the concept of money. After visiting the exhibit, patrons will see currency as 'more than just a transactional tool,' she said. 'Through the artists' creative reimagining of currency, viewers are invited to reflect on how we assign worth, not just to money, but to people, ideas and experiences,' Lundmark said. 'The exhibition also encourages personal introspection: What does money mean to us emotionally? How does it shape our identity, our politics, our sense of power and security?' The display features a variety of media, including sculpture, collage, textiles, paint and print. The exhibit includes 65 artworks by 38 artists: Lou Beach, Alice Beasley, Ray Beldner, Barton Lidice Beneš, J.S.G. Boggs, Enrique Chagoya, Robin Clark, Sonya Clark, Rob Cohen, Don and Era Farnsworth, Kathy Hall, Kelli Hoppmann, Lenny Kislin, Lisa Kokin, Marcella Lassen, Jean Lowe, Rene Megroz, Aerosyn-Lex Meštrović, Alejandro Monge, Richard Newill, Francesca Pastine, Walter Robinson, Paul Rousso, Azin Seraj, Richard Sexton, Richard Shaw, Oliver Smith, Sally Smith, Oriane Stender, Jill Sylvia, Dan Tague, Kim Testone, Robert Mark Wagner, Stacey Lee Webber, Marshall Weber and C.K. Wilde.
American Press
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- American Press
PHOTO GALLERY: Downtown at Sundown
1/11 Swipe or click to see more 2/11 Swipe or click to see more 3/11 Swipe or click to see more 4/11 Swipe or click to see more 5/11 Swipe or click to see more 6/11 Swipe or click to see more 7/11 Swipe or click to see more 8/11 Swipe or click to see more 9/11 Swipe or click to see more 10/11 Swipe or click to see more 11/11 Swipe or click to see more The Dead Matadors take the stage Friday evening for the Downtown at Sundown series on Ryan Street in front of Historic City Hall amid tabletop art galleries, activities for children and food booths for area restaurants. (Photos by Rodrick Anderson)
American Press
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- American Press
Caught Up: Listening project opens today
The opening reception for 'Caught Up: A Coastal Listening Project' is set for 6-9 p.m. May 22 at Historic City Hall. (Special to the American Press) Special to the American Press Historic City Hall will open its doors tonight to an art exhibition that shines a light on the pressing issues facing Louisiana's coastline — from industry to land loss to water rights. Funded in part by a $15,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts as part of the America 250 Project, 'Caught Up' is a collaborative, multidisciplinary project that gathers and shares stories from across coastal Louisiana. This collaborative oral history and multidisciplinary art project was created by Lake Charles native Victoria Bradford Styrbicki in collaboration with local artists Tracy LeMieux and Robbie Austin, as well as several crochet artisans in Minnesota. A House Unbuilt — a non-profit organization that works at the intersection of arts, policy and engagement along the Mississippi River Watershed — is using 'Caught Up' to explore the many sides of a life with an industry culture, a fragile ecosystem and tumultuous climate events that yield a unique brand of people who wear survival as a badge of honor. 'What if we listened to understand, not to form an argument?' asks Bradford Styrbicki. 'This exhibition is an invitation to do just that—listen deeply, and consider a shared path forward for Louisiana's future.' A chorus of voices will 'catch' viewers in a layered dialogue about the past, present and future as a coastal state and people. Conversations will unfold amidst several speakers, anchored by giant handmade fishing nets, creating a visually striking installation that will envelop visitors in the tapestry of stories. The opening reception is set for 6-9 p.m tonight. in the third-floor gallery at 1001 Ryan St. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. In addition to the main installation, the project includes hands-on community workshops at The Art Factory in the Prien Lake Mall, combining traditional net-making with printmaking and collage. Those are scheduled 5-7 p.m. May 27-30 and 4:40-6:30 p.m. Aug. 4-7. Each workshop series culminates in a Community Conversation, where participants and local residents gather to reflect on themes from the project and contribute their own stories to the growing archive of coastal voices. Those are set for noon May 30 in the Cameron Main Library and 7 p.m. Aug. 7 at Port Wonder Nature & Science Center.
American Press
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- American Press
Downtown at Sundown returns Friday
Attendees of last year's Downtown at Sundown dance the night away in front of Historic City Hall. (Special to the American Press) Downtown at Sundown — a celebration of the diverse culture and local businesses of downtown — returns for its 25th series on Friday. The outdoor festival featuring live music, food trucks and an art market is set for 6-9 p.m. in the 1000 block of Ryan Street in front of Historic City Hall and the Calcasieu Parish Courthouse. Beverage sales will benefit the Literacy Council of SWLA. The festival will continue each Friday through June 13. 'Downtown at Sundown features local and regional music acts and this year we have themed each night with different genres of music,' said Payton Lundmark, director of cultural affairs for the city of Lake Charles. 'We also have an art market with over 15 local art vendors and a food truck plaza with some of Southwest Louisiana's favorite food trucks so that people can grab a bite to eat and celebrate a little bit of everything.' While lawn chairs and blankets are welcome, ice coolers and pets are prohibited. The theme for this week's festival is 'Bayou Rhythms.' Performances are planned by the Cajun band Louisiana's Kingfish followed by Mason Trail & the Zydeco Rhythm. 'Events like this highlight our cultural landscape and it's free to attend so anybody of any walk of life is able to come out and experience the various culture,' Lundmark said. 'It's important that we keep highlighting the cultures of our area and come out to support community events. It's a place for us to gather, for us to connect with each other and for us to celebrate just how great this area is — from the different musicians we have to the local artists and businesses downtown as well as the historic buildings.' 'Urban Cowboy Night' is the theme May 30. Southern Tragedy, a country-rock-blues trio from New Orleans, will open the show followed by Buddy Andrews and the Branded, a four-piece country music band. Lundmark said attendees can don their finest western wear and will have the opportunity to learn country line dancing in between performances. The June 6 festival will celebrate 'Rock N' Soul,' Lundmark said, and will feature The Dead Matadors, a rock 'n' roll cover band, and The Good Dudes, a seven-piece band with a horn section. Campus Connection Night will close out the festival June 13. There will be an exclusive area on the courthouse lawn for local businesses, young professionals and college students to connect while listening to the sounds of The Debtors followed by Zach Edwards and the Medicine. After the festival, DJ Secret Stache will lead an unforgettable laser light show, Lundmark said. 'Historic City Hall will be lit up with 3-D light projection and the entire front of the building will have motion graphics and 3-D video projected on it,' she said. 'Then DJ Secret Stache will perform a DJ set in front of the light show and there will be additional lights and laser effects brought into the show so it will be a completely immersive showcase. The graphics will move with the music that is played.'
CBC
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Miami Beach withdraws call to end lease of theatre that screened Israeli-Palestinian documentary
The mayor of Miami Beach, Fla., is backing off a proposal to terminate an independent theatre's lease and financial support after it screened No Other Land, an Oscar-winning documentary about the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. The move came after multiple rights advocates and artists in recent days criticized Mayor Steven Meiner's threat and said it would violate free speech. Meiner said earlier he sought to evict and halt future grant payments to the non-profit O Cinema in South Beach. City commissioners were scheduled to vote on Wednesday on a resolution formally stating those intentions, which were introduced by Meiner and made public last week. A majority of those city commissioners said they opposed that resolution, as did dozens of people who gathered there. Meiner said he would instead introduce another resolution aimed at encouraging O Cinema to show movies highlighting "a fair and balanced viewpoint of the current war" and it would be deferred to a later meeting. No Other Land opened earlier this month at O Cinema, located at the Miami Beach Historic City Hall. Meiner had reached out several days before the premiere to discourage O Cinema CEO Vivian Marthell from showing the film. Marthell said she initially agreed not to screen it, but later changed her mind after reflecting on the broader implications for free speech and O Cinema's mission of sharing films that not only entertain but also challenge, educate and inspire meaningful dialogue. She has threatened legal action against the city if it moves forward with the eviction. No Other Land, which was shot between 2019 and 2023 and released last year, was directed by a group of Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers: Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. The film documents the destruction of Palestinian villages in the West Bank by the Israeli military. Production on it wrapped days before Hamas launched its deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel that resulted in the current war in Gaza. The film won the Academy Award for best documentary feature earlier this month, as well as previous awards.
