Sept. 8
September 8, 2009
Wilda Marie Boudreaux Molaison
September 10, 2009
Visual arts, literature, music, theatre or dance – they all have a place at Houma’s South Louisiana Center for the Arts.
So, too, does Elizabeth Anna Roberts, the SoLa’s new executive director. The Baton Rouge native replaces Ellis Bonaventure, a longtime Terrebonne Parish educator.
Roberts comes to Houma after working in the state’s Capitol for several years at the Baton Rouge Gallery, a contemporary art gallery, and Crafts Gallery, which has since closed.
The move to SoLa marks a return, of sorts, to the area. Roberts earned her undergraduate degree in general studies from Nicholls State University while she was working at Baton Rouge Gallery. She is studying for a master’s degree in arts administration from the University of New Orleans.
Although the Baton Rouge-based galleries focused mainly on local artists’ work, Roberts said she’s jazzed about SoLa’s blend of arts. “Here at SoLa, it is not so much about the visual arts; it’s about arts in general,” she explained. “I like the variety of it all. You can take one genre and move other aspects into it to make it that much more presentable.
“With cultural arts, you can’t just single out one genre,” she added.
As SoLa’s leader, Roberts said her chief goal is to garner needed support for the non-profit organization. It’s a role she became acclimated to as a student at Nicholls. While Roberts was there, she worked at the local United Way and Alcohol & Drug Abuse Council of South Louisiana offices.
“Though they differ from what I am doing now, they still had the same goal: helping out the community and raising awareness,” she said.
SoLa’s mainstay – the arts – has a common appeal, which unites people from all walks of life, Roberts theorized.
“When you’re riding in your car listening to music, you’re enjoying the arts,” she said. “When you dance, sing along with a song, watch a play or movie or anything of that sort, you are participating in the arts.
“Art gives you the benefit of experiencing new things and helps to get the creative juices flowing,” Roberts continued.
In the immediate future, Roberts is looking to expand SoLa’s community outreach with two new music programs – a performing arts singing group open to children ages 6 to 16 and a singing class for toddlers and their parents. Both classes meet Thursdays.
Roberts said the “Mommy, Me and Music” class is held from 10 to 11 a.m. The Glee Club practices from 6 to 7 p.m.
“Music is so powerful and inspirational,” she said. “The class is a chance for caregivers to teach children new ideas and themes through music. We use fun activities to stimulate and enhance the toddlers in the most critical stages of their life.”
The Glee Club, in the meantime, was formed as a spin-off of the Fox series “Glee.”
“A lot of kids are a part of a choir,” Roberts said, “but this gives them a chance to be a part of something different. Here, they can sing, dance and perform. They can really express themselves with the Glee Club format.”
The club will teach members an assortment of songs, including Cajun tunes. She said members will also learn proper singing techniques, with an emphasis on harmonizing and correct breathing methods.
“Those in the Glee Club will learn skills needed to be a part of any music group,” she said. “This is good training for junior high students who are looking to join high school choir.”
Registration for Glee Club is $15.
The semester registration fee for “Mommy, Me and Music” is $25. Roberts said the class also has a monthly tuition of $75.
For more information about SoLa, call Roberts at (985) 876-2222.
Elizabeth Anna Roberts, a native of Baton Rouge and Nicholls State University graduate, is the new executive director of the South Louisiana Center for the Arts. * Photo by SOPHIA RUFFIN
