(October 29, 2012)

Meadows Museum hosts reception, book signing for A Unique Slant of Light

SHREVEPORT, LA — Centenary's Meadows Museum of Arts and The Community Foundation of North Louisiana will host a reception and book signing to mark the publication of A Unique Slant of Light: The Bicentennial History of Art in Louisiana November 8, 6:00 p.m. The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH), in partnership with the State Bicentennial Commission, has embarked on a statewide tour of Louisiana's great museums to celebrate both the release of the book and the bicentennial. The event is free and open to the public.

Book Cover

LEH President/Executive Director Dr. Michael Sartisky, Community Foundation Executive Director Paula Hickman, J.D., and Shreveport photographer Neil Johnson will provide remarks about the book, Shreveport's artistic heritage, and the LEH's history of support in the region.

"In A Unique Slant of Light: The Bicentennial History of Art in Louisiana, we've partnered with the leading institutions and scholars of Louisiana art to create a durable artifact that will benefit all citizens for years after the bicentennial," said Dr. Sartisky. "Aligning the book's entries with the cutting-edge online digital capabilities of KnowLA: The Digital Encyclopedia of Louisiana History and Culture, we've produced an innovative and lasting record of the state's artistic heritage."

Edited by Dr. Michael Sartisky, Dr. J. Richard Gruber, Director Emeritus of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and former LEH Deputy Director John R. Kemp, A Unique Slant of Light includes 276 entries on Louisiana artists, authored by dozens of notable scholars and more than 400 images from private collections and the state's major museums and archives, including Centenary's own Meadows Museum.

"The book reflects the remarkable range of art and artists who were inspired and nurtured by the state of Louisiana, presenting the story of that art within the context of the state's larger cultural and historical environment," Dr. Gruber noted. "It documents the diverse national and international artistic influences and developments that have shaped the art of the state from its earliest days, and showcases Louisiana's art within the framework of 200 years of American art."

Since its initial conception, the book increased from 375 to 450 pages in order to accommodate the remarkable body of artwork and scholarship the project located and generated. As Louisiana celebrates the 200th anniversary of statehood, A Unique Slant of Light provides a lasting record of the state's cultural heritage.

Books are $120 per copy. In addition to the print version, the artists of A Unique Slant of Light are featured online at KnowLA, where additional image galleries and full biographies of selected artists can be explored for free by all citizens.

For more information on the Meadows Museum, visit the Meadows Museum homepage.

The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities was established in 1972 to provide all Louisianans with access to and an appreciation of their own rich, shared and diverse historical, literary, and cultural heritage through grant-supported outreach programs, family literacy and adult reading initiatives, teacher professional development institutes, publications, multi-media documentaries, museum exhibitions, public lectures, library projects, and other public humanities programming. The LEH is the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.