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.