Thomas “Kenneth” Watkins
June 19, 2020
State reports 1,547 cases in two days; 93 percent of today’s cases are community spread
June 19, 2020
For those 2020 graduates that didn’t get a chance to sign yearbooks at the end of their senior semester, one local art studio is offering a unique way to carry on that tradition and provide a fun photo spot along the way.
Right now in Downtown Houma, Elegant Square Studio has set up a mural honoring the class of 2020’s historic and unprecedented senior year, and graduates are encouraged to visit the mural to sign it.
“The idea to have them sign it came at the end because of all of the white space,” Amanda Percle, owner of Elegant Square Studio said. “I had envisioned people taking selfies in front of it―it being a fun thing to draw people downtown and create that community atmosphere…Having everyone come and sign it, [is] almost like a yearbook. Everybody signs your yearbook, and you kind of leave a little message or whatever.”
The mural, which features silhouettes of graduates in what resembles a video call, is designed to highlight the journey of these students through their last few months of school, Percle said.
“I decided to go with the imagery of what they must have seen those last three months, which is like a Zoom meeting, so it’s kind of set up like a big screen with all the graduates in the holes,” Percle said.
In addition, Percle designed the silhouettes to be in the colors of high schools in Lafourche Parish and Terrebonne Parish, as well as colleges.
The mural is made on corrugated plastic saved from the trash, Percle said.
Percle was approached by the Houma Downtown Development Corporation to design the mural. She said she wanted it to feature something uplifting and supportive during such a challenging time. Thus, she chose to recognize the class of 2020.
“It’s to really commend them for finishing and for doing whatever it is they had to do to make it happen,” Percle said.
Percle said the mural will be up until the Houma Downtown Development Corporation is ready for another one.
Elegant Square Studio is owned by Percle and her husband Chris Stevens, who are both working artists. The studio offers everything from photography, to body casting, to pyrography, to the sale of artwork, especially pieces using recycled or upcycled materials.
