Events


SOLA Giving Day
May
2

SOLA Giving Day

The Shadows is participating in SOLA Giving Day!
Early Giving begins April 4!

In May 2023, the Shadows-on-the-Teche opened with a new visitor experience that explores the lives and experiences of those who lived and worked at the Shadows and the Weeks family plantations. Together with a public historian, visitors investigate the full history of enslaved life, labor, and freedom; the Weeks family plantation life before and after the Civil War; and the gay artists and authors who worked to preserve the legacy of the Weeks family and the stories of enslaved and freed people in Iberia Parish and across Louisiana. This new experience is only the first in a multi-phase reinterpretation of the site.

Phase 2 includes installing 4 new exhibits in the Shadows Visitor Center that will provide an overview of national, state, and local history from the Antebellum to the Jim Crow period; showcase artifacts found onsite during archaeological digs; highlight the men and women who worked for Weeks Hall, the last private owner of the Shadows; and share an inside look of Weeks Hall as an eccentric artist. The Atchafalaya National Heritage Area awarded the Shadows a grant that is funding the printing and installation of the exhibit panels. But, we are still in need of exhibit cases and mounts to showcase objects from our collection and listening stations to share oral histories with visitors.

How will Shadows use the SOLA Giving Day funds?

Your donations will be used to purchase:

  • 2 exhibit cases,

  • a selection of mounts to properly display objects, and

  • 2 listening stations

What is SOLA Giving Day?

SOLA Giving Day is an online fundraising tool offered to 501(c)3 nonprofits, churches, and schools serving South Louisiana. The event provides an easy-to-use platform that connects donors and dollars to organizations and their funding needs. This annual spring fundraising campaign spans 4-weeks and culminates with a 24-hour designated day of giving to encourage the community to contribute as many charitable dollars as possible to support the participating organizations. Since its inception in 2018, SOLA Giving Day has generated over $8.47M to benefit more than 425 unique South Louisiana nonprofits.

How is the Shadows funded?

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which owns and operates the Shadows-on-the-Teche, is a private, non-profit organization. The Shadows is responsible for it's own operating budget and does not receive funding from federal, state, parish, or city government. The site supports itself through admissions, special programs and events, and donations to the Friends of the Shadows.

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Garden to Glass
Apr
13

Garden to Glass

Try original handcrafted, garden inspired cocktails from local distilleries and appetizers from a local, veteran owned community garden.

This event will take place on in the gardens of the Shadows-on-the-Teche. Tickets are $25. Advanced purchase is recommended.

Additional Info

  • Individuals MUST BE 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER to attend event. NO EXCEPTIONS!

  • Shadows reserves the right to card individuals upon arrival and refuse entry with no refund to those under 21 years of age.

  • Smoking is NOT allowed in Shadows Gardens.

  • Pets are not permitted on Shadows grounds.

  • Participants will be walking on grass, gravel paths, and brick walkways. Plan footwear accordingly.

Funds raised through this event will be used to support the work of the Shadows.

Participating Distillieries

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Coffee with the Judge
Mar
16

Coffee with the Judge

Join John Poon, Shadows Plein Air judge, for coffee, donuts, and an informal conversation about art. John will share his insight into painting en plein air, what to look for when analyzing a painting, and describe his method for critiquing this year’s award-winning artwork.

Coffee with the Judge will take place on Saturday, March 16 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the Shadows Visitor Center (320 E. Main Street, New Iberia). Some of the artwork from the competition will be on display until 4:00 p.m. The event is free to attend and open to all.

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Shadows Plein Air Awards Reception & Fine Art Sale
Mar
15

Shadows Plein Air Awards Reception & Fine Art Sale

The Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Painting Competition will host is 10th annual Awards Reception and Fine Art Sale on Friday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Shadows Visitor Center (320 E. Main Street, New Iberia). Judge John Poon, acclaimed Utah plein air artist, will announce this year’s winners and award over $10,000 in cash and prizes.

All work painted throughout the week by our 25 artists from around the country will be exhibited and available for purchase. Take home an original, one-of-a-kind work of art and support art education! Light refreshments will be provided.

The reception and sale are free to attend. Paintings will also be on display and available for purchase throughout competition week in the Shadows Visitor Center.

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Paint Out
Mar
15

Paint Out

The Shadows-on-the-Teche invites artists of all ages and skill levels to the 10th annual Paint Out to be held on Friday, March 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants will be able to paint in the gardens of the Shadows and along downtown Main Street. Starting at 1 p.m., artists will bring their artwork to the Shadows Visitor Center where John Poon, acclaimed Utah plein air artist and judge for this year’s juried competition, will present awards for the Paint Out. 

Participation in the Paint Out is free, but registration is required. All participants are to check-in at the Shadows Visitor Center prior to painting in order to complete a registration form and have their canvas stamped with the official Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air stamp. You will need to bring your own paint supplies.

If you are a high school art teacher interested in bringing students to the Paint Out, please contact the Shadows at the (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

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Plein Air Demo with John Poon
Mar
14

Plein Air Demo with John Poon

Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air invites you to attend a plein air painting demonstration lead by John Poon. The demonstration will take place on Thursday, March 14 at 2 p.m. near the Shadows. The exact location will be announced at a later date. The demo will take place outside, weather permitting, and is free to attend.

For questions, please contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org or the Hilliard Art Museum at (337) 482-0811.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

John Poon has been a working artist for over 25 years. He graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and was offered a position as an instructor of Drawing and Painting. He eventually served as Director of Foundations overseeing classes in Drawing, Sketching, Perspective, and Color and Design.

A sought-after instructor and painter, his works can be found in both private and public collections across the country. Among his numerous awards and recognitions, his most recent honors include Best of Show at the National Wildlife Museum Annual Plein Air invitational, Artist Choice 2016 Maui Plein Air invitational, and the Gold Medal Artist Choice Award at the Maynard Dixon Campout.

He resides in Utah with his seven children, and Sasha the dog.

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Art Talk with John Poon
Mar
13

Art Talk with John Poon

Shadows Plein Air Judge John Poon will share insight into plein air painting. This event is FREE, open to the public, and will take place in Fletcher Auditorium 134.

Special thanks to UL-Lafayette for co-sponsoring this program and allowing this event to take place on their campus.

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Plein Air Demo with John Poon
Mar
12

Plein Air Demo with John Poon

The Hilliard Art Museum has partnered with Shadows Plein Air to host a plein air painting demonstration on the grounds of the museum on Tuesday, March 12 at 1:00 p.m. The demonstration will be led by John Poon, judge for this year’s Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Competition. The demo is open to the public and free of charge.

For questions, please contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org or the Hilliard Art Museum at (337) 482-0811.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

John Poon has been a working artist for over 25 years. He graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and was offered a position as an instructor of Drawing and Painting. He eventually served as Director of Foundations overseeing classes in Drawing, Sketching, Perspective, and Color and Design.

A sought-after instructor and painter, his works can be found in both private and public collections across the country. Among his numerous awards and recognitions, his most recent honors include Best of Show at the National Wildlife Museum Annual Plein Air invitational, Artist Choice 2016 Maui Plein Air invitational, and the Gold Medal Artist Choice Award at the Maynard Dixon Campout.

He resides in Utah with his seven children, and Sasha the dog.

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Quick Draw
Mar
9

Quick Draw

Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air will host a Quick Draw Competition on Saturday, March 9 at 3:00 p.m. in downtown New Iberia. Artists will have two hours to complete a painting.

Ben Hickey, Interim Director & Curator of Exhibitions at the Hilliard Art Museum, will judge this year’s Quick Draw. Prizes will be awarded, and all artwork will be available for sale off the easel. Spectators are invited to watch the artists in action.

For more information, contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

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Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air
Mar
9
to Mar 16

Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air

The 10th annual Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Competition will take place Saturday, March 9 to Saturday, March 16, 2024. Juried artists will spend the week painting in seven parishes within Acadiana, competing for over $10,000 in cash prizes. All artwork completed during the event is available for sale.

We invite you to drop in at the Shadows Visitor Center (320 E. Main St., New Iberia) throughout the week to view completed artwork, watch artists in action as they paint, and support a local non-profit and an artist by picking up a painting or two.

MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON!

For more information, contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

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Shadows Arts & Crafts Fair
Mar
2

Shadows Arts & Crafts Fair

VENDOR BOOTHS ARE SOLD OUT
If you are interested in being a food vendor, please contact us.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche Fall Arts and Crafts Fair will take place in the Shadows gardens on Saturday, March 2 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Vendors from around Louisiana will display and sell their original work. A variety of hand-crafted products will be available for sale, as well as desserts, food, and beverages

Admission

  • $5.00 per person (13 and older)

  • Free for children under 12

Raffle tickets will be sold with all prizes donated by vendors.

Smoking is NOT allowed on the Shadows grounds.
Pets are NOT allowed in the Shadows gardens.

Interested in becoming a vendor? Click below to view guidelines, registration form, and to register and pay online.

  • To pay with check, please complete a paper registration form to send in with payment.

  • To pay with debit or credit card, registration and payment are both completed online. You DO NOT need to complete a paper registration form if paying online.

For more information please contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org. Any funds raised from this event will be used for the continued preservation and maintenance of the Shadows.

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Cultivating a Community
Feb
1

Cultivating a Community

Community gardens are places where neighbors can gather and cultivate plants and vegetables. Phanat Xanamane saw community gardens as a catalyst to revitalize the Westend neighborhood of New Iberia. Today, Envision Da Berry continues their work through the community garden, fresh market, neighborhood park revitalization, and champions grassroots community efforts. Join us as Phanat Xanamane explores the last ten years of community activism that started with a community garden.

Program is free to attend, registration is encouraged. This program will be livestreamed via Zoom for those that are unable to attend.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Phanat Xanamane is an interdisciplinary urban designer residing in New Iberia, Louisiana since 2010, where he initiates community revitalization projects. He co-founded a not-for-profit, Envision da Berry that has already built a combination of fresh produce market, as well as community gardens, and has hosted multiple public art festivals and community planning events successfully reframing an area in decline as part of a vibrant tourist economy with cultural, culinary and historical significance. An important part of the success has been a performance, entertainment and social media campaign. As an openly gay Asian refugee, he has led an organization that has broken down the many racial and social barriers to provide a counter-localism for the future of the small town American South. 

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History of the Louisiana Cocktail
Jan
18

History of the Louisiana Cocktail

Weeks Hall became known for hosting elaborate cocktail parties that captured the imagination of locals and visitors. Historian Dr. Kristen Burton will explore Louisiana’s famous cocktail culture that stretches back to the nineteenth century.  Join us as we sip an old fashioned and follow the creation of timeless cocktails, the elaboration of nineteenth and early twentieth-century mixology, and the powerful bond created between Louisiana culture and the art of drinking.

Cocktail Tasting at 5:30 p.m. with Program following at 6:00 p.m.

Free to attend, but seating is limited. Registration is encouraged.
Must be 21 years of age or older to attend.

Thank you to our event sponsor, Distillerie Acadian!

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Kristen D. Burton earned her Ph.D. in Transatlantic History in 2015 from the University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. Burton is a historian of cultural and social history, specializing in the history of alcohol production and drinking cultures across the early modern Atlantic World. She has taught history courses at the university level at the University of Texas at Arlington, Louisiana Tech University, and Loyola University New Orleans. From 2018-2021, she joined the staff at The National WWII Museum to create original classroom curriculum on the history of WWII, lead professional development workshops for teachers, and host the museum’s podcast, To the Best of My Ability. In the fall of 2021, Dr. Burton joined the faculty in the Department of History, Classics, and Religion at The University of Alberta to teach courses on US History, the history of gender and sexuality, and the history of food and drink.

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Shadows Arts & Crafts Fair
Oct
14

Shadows Arts & Crafts Fair

Spaces for the October show are SOLD OUT.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche Fall Arts and Crafts Fair will take place in the Shadows gardens on Saturday, October 14 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Vendors from around Louisiana will display and sell their original work. A variety of hand-crafted products will be available for sale, as well as desserts, food, and beverages

Admission

  • $5.00 per person (18 and older)

  • $3.00 for children (ages 6-17)

  • Free for children under 6

Raffle tickets will be sold with all prizes donated by vendors.

Once you've "shopped 'til you dropped," you can head down Main Street to enjoy the first day's festivities of the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff hosted by the Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce!

Smoking is NOT allowed on the Shadows grounds.
Pets are NOT allowed in the Shadows gardens.

Interested in becoming a vendor? Click below to view guidelines, registration form, and to register and pay online.

  • To pay with check, please complete a paper registration form to send in with payment.

  • To pay with debit or credit card, registration and payment are both completed online. DO NOT complete a paper registration form if paying online.

For more information please contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org. Any funds raised from this event will be used for the continued preservation and maintenance of the Shadows.

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Farm Fest
Sep
21

Farm Fest

Are you ready for the 6th annual Farm Fest? Mark the beginning of the annual Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival in New Iberia with family fun, live entertainment, and food and drinks.

Enjoy a variety of games from old-fashioned carnival games and turn a cupcake into a bumblebee with The Frosted Apron. Get crafty at the Art Tent where you can get your face painted, decorate a rock, and more.

This year, we’re excited to welcome 2KB Farm and Petting Zoo who are bringing the farm with them! Attendees will get a chance to see goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, pigs, and maybe even a cow.

Balloon animals are back and better this year!

Attendees can enjoy Bambino’s burgers, Jolet hot dogs, Chili Fritos, and other festival fare along with cold beverages, including beer and wine. Live entertainment will be on the stage during the entire event. 2NL Jazz Combo will play from 4-6 p.m. and Andy Smith will play from 6-8 p.m.

As part of the event, Farm Fest is raffling off FOUR prizes for kids this year:  John Deere ride-on tractor, John Deere pedal tractor, and 2 tractor themed holiday decorations.

Admission is $10 for the entire family. Tickets for food and games available for purchase. Minors must be accompanied by adults. Games stop at 7:00 p.m. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.

The Shadows WILL NOT be offering tours during this event.

For more information or questions about the event, contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

For information on volunteering, contact Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

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Celebrate Creole Culture & Cuisine
Jun
24

Celebrate Creole Culture & Cuisine

Chef Sheri L. Raleigh, owner of Cast Iron Skillet Culinaire, LLC and founder of @blackwomenchefs and @giftsfromtheancestors on Instagram, will host a free seminar of Louisiana Creole foodways. This program, offered jointly by the Iberia African American Historical Society Center for Research and Learning and the Shadows, is suitable for an adult audience and is being held free of charge, however, seating is limited and reservations are required. To register, visit EventBrite.

The Gifts from the Ancestors Foodways Project explores Louisiana Creole food, culture, and family heritage. The GFTA Foodways Project event will include a food demonstration and an interactive presentation including food genealogy, family heritage, and Acadiana history.

Chef Sheri will share experiences from her digital cookbook, Gifts From the Ancestors - Okra & Tomatoes, 25 Recipes Celebrating the Heart of Acadiana. She will also preview her upcoming work, Creole Celebrations, Kreyol a lété fèt!

Door prizes for the workshop have been graciously donated by Tabasco and Conrad Rice Mill.

ABOUT THE CHEF
Chef Sheri is a native of Lake Charles, La. and a graduate of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La. where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Food Hospitality and Nutrition.

Cast Iron Skillet Culnaire, LLC was established in 2012 offering culinary edutainment and team building classes. Chef Sheri served as an administrator and educator in public education for 35 years. The proceeds from the digital cookbooks help to fund the Lawrence J. and Viola M. Raleigh Education Fund benefitting aspiring black women chefs in collaboration with the Texas Restaurant Association Foundation.

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Celebrate Juneteenth
Jun
17

Celebrate Juneteenth

The Shadows-on-the-Teche holds its First Annual Juneteenth Student Poetry Contest. Using “I, Too” by poet Langston Hughes as a prompt, Iberia Parish public school students were invited to write poems to commemorate the Juneteenth National Holiday. The theme of the competition was “Freedom and Justice for All.” 

Winners of the competition will be announced in two categories: middle school and high school. Cash prizes will be awarded to first, second, and third place winners in each category. Students who placed will have the opportunity to read their poems.

Judges for the competition are Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy, current Poet Laureate of Louisiana, Darrell Bourque, Poet Laureate of Louisiana, 2007-2011, and John Warner Smith, Louisiana Poet Laureate, 2019-2021.

The event is free to the public. Student and teachers at Iberia Parish public schools are especially encouraged to attend, as well as their family and friends.

For additional information, contact John Warner Smith, Executive Director of the Shadows-on-the-Teche at (337)-369-6446.

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Sickness Season: Women, Disease, and Healing in Iberia Parish
Jun
3

Sickness Season: Women, Disease, and Healing in Iberia Parish

Historian Christopher D. E. Willoughby will present a program on health and medicine in the antebellum period. During this time, enslaved people and enslavers spread further and further West in the Deep South. With them, they brought epidemic diseases like cholera and yellow fever. In Sickness Season:  Women, Disease, and Healing in Iberia Parish, Willoughby will examine the diseases that plagued plantations but also the women who treated them. In a period of deep medical distrust, women (both enslaver and enslaved) routinely administered medicines rather than the local doctor. 

The talk will take place on June 3 at 1 p.m. at the Shadows Visitor Center (320 E. Main Street, New Iberia). The program is free to attend and open for all

Unable to attend in person? Register to attend virtually!

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Christopher D. E. Willoughby is an Assistant Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. In 2016, he received his PhD in history from Tulane University. He is the author of Masters of Health: Racial Science and Slavery in U.S. Medical Schools, which was published last year by the University of North Carolina Press. In 2021 with Sean Morey Smith, he edited the book Medicine and Healing in the Age of Slavery, published by LSU Press. In addition to scholarly articles, he has been published in various popular venues like The Washington Post and AL.com. 

Sickness Season: Women, Disease, and Healing in Iberia Parish has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.

 
 
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Studio Painting: Beyond Basics
Mar
18
to Mar 20

Studio Painting: Beyond Basics

3 Day Workshop with Acclaimed Artist Dawn Whitelaw

Take a step beyond the basics of painting by exploring color harmony and palette management, edge work and setting the value key. Students will paint from their own original reference. Subject matter is student's choice and can be any combination of people, places or things.

The workshop will include a combination of lecture, demo and easel to easel instruction. The class size will not exceed 14 students in order to insure ample personal attention. Four weeks of online help is included to help finish up the projects started in class. The instruction is designed for oil painters, but acrylic painters with a good knowledge of the medium are welcome. A color booklet of notes is included with the class.

SCHEDULE

  • March 18 - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  • March 19 - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  • March 20 - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

COST - $495

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Dawn Whitelaw is one of the artists in On Track Studios in Franklin, Tennessee. Painting Plein Air with colleagues in Plein Air Painters of the Southeast and The Chestnut Group adds a richness and honesty to her studio work.

Whitelaw is currently on the the board of the Portrait Society of  America where she serves as vice-chair. She has also been featured as faculty for Plein Air South and the Plein Air Convention and Expo. In 2016, the American Impressionist Society elected her to Master status. Whitelaw was one of ten American women artists invited to exhibit in "Inspiring Figures" at the Butler Institute of American Art. She has a painting in the permanent collection of the Rahr-west Art Museum.

“Awash with Light” by Dawn Whitelaw

“Little River Cascade” by Dawn Whitelaw

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Shadows Plein Air Awards Reception & Fine Art Sale
Mar
17

Shadows Plein Air Awards Reception & Fine Art Sale

The week of festivities for the 9th annual Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Painting Competition culminates in an awards ceremony and fine art sale. Starting at 7 p.m., Judge Dawn Whitelaw will announce the winning painting and also award prizes in a variety of other categories.

Paintings completed during competition week will be on exhibit. All paintings will be available for sale.

This event will be held at the Shadows Visitor Center, located at 320 E. Main Street. The event is free and open to the public.

For questions, please visit contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

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Paint Out
Mar
17

Paint Out

CANCELLED

The Shadows-on-the-Teche invites artists of all ages and skill levels to the 9th annual Paint Out! Participants will be able to paint in the gardens of the Shadows and along downtown Main Street in New Iberia.

Starting at 1:00 p.m., artists will bring their artwork to the Shadows Visitor Center where Dawn Whitelaw, plein air artist and judge for this year’s juried competition, will present awards for the Paint Out and give a short talk to all participants.

Participation in the Paint Out is free, but registration is required. You will need to bring your own paint supplies to participate.

If you are a high school art teacher interested in bringing students to the Paint Out, please contact the Shadows at the (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

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Plein Air Demo with Dawn Whitelaw
Mar
16

Plein Air Demo with Dawn Whitelaw

Dawn Whitelaw, judge for Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Competition, will lead a plein air painting demonstration near the Shadows in downtown New Iberia on Thursday, March 16. The demo is open to the public and free of charge. The exact location will be announced at a later date.

For questions, please contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Dawn Whitelaw is one of the artists in On Track Studios in Franklin, Tennessee. Painting Plein Air with colleagues in Plein Air Painters of the Southeast and The Chestnut Group adds a richness and honesty to her studio work.

Whitelaw is currently on the the board of the Portrait Society of  America where she serves as vice-chair. She has also been featured as faculty for Plein Air South and the Plein Air Convention and Expo. In 2016, the American Impressionist Society elected her to Master status. Whitelaw was one of ten American women artists invited to exhibit in "Inspiring Figures" at the Butler Institute of American Art. She has a painting in the permanent collection of the Rahr-west Art Museum.

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Book Reading with Debbie Williams
Mar
15

Book Reading with Debbie Williams

Join Shadows Plein Air for a book reading and signing by Debbie Williams, the author of the Evelyn Johns Mysteries!

Debbie will share what inspired her to write this art detective mysteries, and read from both of her books — The Neighborhood and Stronger Together.

The reading will take place at The Pie Bar (254 W. Main Street, New Iberia) at 4:30 p.m. on March 15. The event is FREE to attend.

ABOUT DEBBIE

Debbie Williams spent her entire professional career creating fertile and creative learning environments. For over twenty years, she worked in the field of early childhood education first as a public-school teacher and ultimately as the director of an early childhood center. In 2011, along with a band of dedicated women, she helped to envision and open a children’s museum. 

After retiring, she decided it was time to pursue a dream she had harbored for over twenty-five years, to write a novel. Although she considers herself a storyteller more than a writer, Williams’ published her first novel, The Neighborhood, in 2020. She quickly realized the characters she had created had more stories to tell thus beginning the Evelyn Johns series.

When not writing, Williams works part-time at a local history museum and enjoys gardening, spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren, and traveling with her husband, Jeff, who has found his own passion in retirement, painting with watercolors! He has participated in the Shadows-On-The-Teche Plein Air since 2019. This is Debbie’s first time to join him in New Iberia and she is excited to meet the people and experience the culture Jeff has enjoyed!

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Plein Air Demo with Dawn Whitelaw
Mar
14

Plein Air Demo with Dawn Whitelaw

The Hilliard Art Museum has partnered with Shadows Plein Air to host a plein air painting demonstration on the grounds of the museum on Tuesday, March 14 at 1:00 p.m. The demonstration will be led by Dawn Whitelaw, judge for this year’s Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Competition. The demo is open to the public and free of charge.

For questions, please contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org or the Hilliard Art Museum at (337) 482-0811.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Dawn Whitelaw is one of the artists in On Track Studios in Franklin, Tennessee. Painting Plein Air with colleagues in Plein Air Painters of the Southeast and The Chestnut Group adds a richness and honesty to her studio work.

Whitelaw is currently on the the board of the Portrait Society of  America where she serves as vice-chair. She has also been featured as faculty for Plein Air South and the Plein Air Convention and Expo. In 2016, the American Impressionist Society elected her to Master status. Whitelaw was one of ten American women artists invited to exhibit in "Inspiring Figures" at the Butler Institute of American Art. She has a painting in the permanent collection of the Rahr-west Art Museum.

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Paint Delcambre & Meet & Greet
Mar
12

Paint Delcambre & Meet & Greet

Shadows Plein Air is partnering with the Delcambre Seafood & Farmers Market, Twin Parish Port District & Port of Delcambre, Bayou Carlin Cove, and Louisiana Direct Seafood to Paint Delcambre! Artists will spend the day painting in the town of Delcambre. You're invited to travel around Delcambre, watching artists in action.

Starting at 5 p.m., the public is invited to join the artists at The Pavilion for a chance to view the paintings completed that day and speak with the artists while enjoying live Cajun music, dinner, and refreshments! There will be a charge for dinner and refreshments, if you choose to partake. Artwork completed that day will be available for sale.  

The Best Delcambre Painting, as determined by a panel of judges, will be announced at the Fine Art Sale and Awards Reception at the Shadows Visitor Center (320 E. Main Street, New Iberia) on Friday, March 17 at 6:30pm.

For more information, you can contact the Shadows at 337.369.6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

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Quick Draw
Mar
11

Quick Draw

Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air will host a Quick Draw Competition on Saturday, March 11 at 4:00 p.m. in downtown Lafayette during ArtWalk. Artists will have two hours to complete a painting.

Lafayette’s own Ben Hickey, Curator of Exhibitions at the Hilliard Art Museum, will judge this year’s Quick Draw. Prizes will be awarded, and all artwork will be available for sale off the easel. Spectators are invited to watch the artists in action.

For more information, contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

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Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air
Mar
11
to Mar 18

Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air

The 9th annual Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Competition will take place Saturday, March 11 to Saturday, March 18, 2023. Juried artists will spend the week painting in seven parishes within Acadiana, competing for over $10,000 in cash prizes. All artwork completed during the event is available for sale.

We invite you to drop in at the Shadows Visitor Center (320 E. Main St., New Iberia) throughout the week to view completed artwork, watch artists in action as they paint, and support a local non-profit and an artist by picking up a painting or two.

Schedule of Events (tentative)

  • Saturday, March 11 at 4:00 p.m. — Quick Draw in downtown Lafayette

  • Tuesday, March 14 at 1:00 p.m. — Painting Demo at the Hilliard Art Museum

  • Thursday, March 16 at 2:00 p.m. — Painting Demo in downtown New Iberia

  • Friday, March 17

  • Saturday, March 18

    • 9:00 a.m. — Coffee with the Judge at Shadows Visitor Center

    • Paintings on exhibit at Shadows Visitor Center until 1:00 p.m.

    • Studio Painting: Beyond Basics, 3-Day Plein Air workshop with Dawn Whitelaw

To view the award winning paintings from 2022, click here.

For more information, contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.

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Shadows Arts & Crafts Fair
Mar
4

Shadows Arts & Crafts Fair

We are no longer taking registrations for the following crafts as we are at show max: wreaths, tumblers, keychains, jewelry, hot sauce, pepper jelly, wood crafts, seasoning, and sublimation.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche Fall Arts and Crafts Fair will take place in the Shadows gardens on Saturday, March 4 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Vendors from around Louisiana will display and sell their original work. A variety of hand-crafted products will be available for sale, as well as desserts, food, and beverages

Admission

  • $5.00 per person (18 and older)

  • $3.00 for children (ages 6-17)

  • Free for children under 6

Raffle tickets will be sold with all prizes donated by vendors.

Smoking is NOT allowed on the Shadows grounds.
Pets are NOT allowed in the Shadows gardens.

In order to make this event as safe as possible for staff, volunteers, visitors, and vendors, the Shadows will implement coronavirus precautions that are in line with federal and state guidelines.

Interested in becoming a vendor? Click below to view guidelines, registration form, and to register and pay online.

  • To pay with check, please complete a paper registration form to send in with payment.

  • To pay with debit or credit card, registration and payment are both completed online. You DO NOT need to complete a paper registration form if paying online.

For more information please contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org. Any funds raised from this event will be used for the continued preservation and maintenance of the Shadows.

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Preserving Family Treasures
Feb
25

Preserving Family Treasures

Misty Pride, Collections and Exhibitions Manager at the Hilliard Art Museum, will lead a workshop on preserving family photographs, bibles, letters, textiles, and more.

The workshop will take place at the Shadows Visitor Center (320 E. Main Street, New Iberia) from 10 AM to 12 PM.

The workshop is FREE to attend, but registration is required as seats are limited.

ABOUT MISTY PRIDE

Misty Pride graduated from Louisiana State University in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science with a focus in Psychology. Directly after graduation, she traveled to Ghana, Africa to complete a minor in African and African-American Studies at the University of Ghana. Upon her return to the states, she moved to New Orleans, Louisiana where she began an apprenticeship with master silversmith, Ellis Joubert. In 2003, Pride was the recipient of the Rhode Island Institute Scholarship for jewelry design and craftsmanship. Following Hurricane Katrina, Pride moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana where she began her journey as the Loans and Exhibitions Registrar at the LSU Museum of Art. Pride joined the Hilliard Art Museum team in 2014. She earned a graduate certification from George Washington University in Museum Collections Management and Care in 2015. She was awarded the Louisiana Museum Professional Award in 2019 which recognizes her commitment, exemplary and distinguished achievement as a museum professional. Pride has been with the Hilliard for eight years and has written several articles on the permanent collection, printmaking, and the conservation of an early Ida Kohlmeyer painting.

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