Herons on the Bayou
Memphis has Tigers, New Orleans has Oysters and Bead dogs, Arkansas has pigs, and Ruston has bulldogs. Soon, Ouachita Parish will have Herons.
Brooke Foy, in partnership with the City of West Monroe, Monroe-West Monroe Convention and Visitors Bureau (MWMCVB), and University of Louisiana at Monroe, is pleased announce a new public sculpture project, Herons on the Bayou, for the local community.
We are thrilled to bring this idea to our area.Brooke Foy, Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Louisiana Monroe
“The Heron sculptures we are making will be identical in the beginning but each one will end up a unique work of art. Each sculpture will be paired with a local artist, community member, or art club/class to create a painted or mosaic design,” said Foy.
These unique sculptures will be 6-7 feet tall herons and will stand in front of businesses, local hot spots, and other areas throughout the community.
Community support of this project will be vital. Local businesses, organizations, and individuals are all invited to sponsor a heron.
Anzelmo & Creighton Attorneys at Law is proud to be the first sponsor of the Herons on the Bayou project.Charles Anzelmo
Managing Partner Charles Anzelmo shared these thoughts about the project: "Our firm recognizes the importance of supporting programs that aid in the beautification and progression of the cities that we live in and do business. The herons will do that, and so much more. These amazing works of art will bring a sense of unity to the area, while at the same time promoting diversity and culture - all in a fun way that the whole region can enjoy on a daily basis.”
The Herons on the Bayou Committee will host a competition that allows anyone with a design idea to enter including local artists, middle school and high school art departments (encouraging collaboration between the schools), the universities students and faculty, colleges, and any community member young or old who has an original design concept that they can bring to fruition.
An artist’s Q&A is scheduled on September 27 at 8:00 pm at the Isaiah Garrett Historic Law Office in Monroe.
Our hopes and goals are to see this project grab the hearts of our community from the very beginning. We want our Herons to find homes all throughout our community.Brooke Foy
Foy, the creative mind behind the project, is an Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Louisiana Monroe, and will oversee all aspects of the project. Foy, as a representative of ULM, has partnered with the City of West Monroe, Downtown Arts Alliance, and MWMCVB for 2 grants that will help reduce the cost of the sculptures for future sponsors of each Heron. Along with the primary partners, supporting organizations include the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council, Downtown West Monroe Revitalization Group, West Monroe – West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce, and Monroe Chamber of Commerce.
Painting and production of the sculptures is scheduled during the spring of 2019 with a reveal of all the herons planned in June 2019.
For more information, contact Brooke Foy at heronsonthebayou@gmail.com. Or download a packet below:
Click HERE to download a Sponsor Packet.
Click HERE to download an Artist Packet.