Event Recaps
In Their Honor: Preserving the Legacy of Black Veterans in Iberia Parish
In celebration of Veterans Day, three organizations partner to hold a commemorative cemetery walking tour honoring African American veterans at the St. Matthew Cemetery.
Yankees in the Garden of Eden: The Spring 1863 Bayou Teche Campaign
Loren Klein explored the stories of Union and Confederate soldiers, civilians, and those enslaved in Southwest Louisiana during the Bayou Teche Campaign.
Pelican State Goes to War
Kim Guise, Senior Curator at the National WWII Museum, presented on the contributions of the Pelican State during WWII.
Clementine Hunter and Louisiana Folk Art
Along with the National Trust’s Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios, we celebrated Louisiana Art with Tommy Whitehead, author of Clementine Hunter: Her Life and Art, in a virtual webinar.
Zebulon’s Dream
Shadows partnered with the IAAHS to host a special Juneteenth performance of Zebulon’s Dream, written and performed by acclaimed poet Suzanne Wiltz.
Murals & Street Art: Preserving & Sharing Community Culture
Paul Schexnayder led a downtown murals tour celebrating murals and street art in New Iberia.
Weeks Hall, Avant Garde Exhibit Opening
Celebrate Louisiana Art with an exhibition featuring rarely displayed Weeks Hall art that surveys work throughout his life.
Documentary Screening: Resurgence: From Ida to Recovery
Screened the documentary Resurgence: From Ida to Recovery, which explores the devastating impact of Hurricane Ida on Louisiana and the subsequent efforts to recover and rebuild.
Louisiana’s Deadliest Storm: The Great Storm of 1893
Dr. John Doucet discussed how hurricanes have shaped settlement patterns across South Louisiana.
Bayou Teche: A Brief Environmental History
Dr. Shane Bernard, author of Teche: A History of Louisiana’s Most Famous Bayou, discussed the environmental history of the Bayou Teche, the vital waterway that connects New Iberia to the world.
Education and Preservation to Heal Communities
Dr. Leona Tate, member of “The McDonogh Three,” discusses the roll of preservation in communities with Molly Baker, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s HOPE Crew.
Schooling in the Antebellum South
Dr. Sarah Hyde, author of Schooling in the Antebellum South, explored private and public education systems before the Civil War in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
The Legacy of African American Students and the Desegregation of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Ruth Foote discussed the 76 black students who integrated the Southwestern Louisiana Institute in July 1954.
Shadows Exhibit Opening
The Shadows-on-the-Teche and First Horizon Bank hosted an opening of four brand new exhibits at the Shadows Visitor Center
Juneteenth Student Poetry Contest
Using The Hill We Climb by poet Amanda Gorman as a prompt, Iberia Parish public school students were invited to write poems to commemorate the Juneteenth National Holiday.
Garden to Glass
Shadows partnered with four local distilleries for a tasting of original handcrafted, garden inspired cocktails and appetizers from a local, veteran owned community garden.
Cultivating a Community
Phanat Xanamane explored the last ten years of community activism that started with a community garden.
History of the Louisiana Cocktail
Historian Dr. Kristen Burton explored Louisiana’s famous cocktail culture that stretches back to the nineteenth century.
Cultivating Soul: The Black Farming Experience in New Iberia
The IAAHS and Shadows partnered with Provost Farm and Da Berry Fresh Market for a special program exploring the relationship between African Americans and agriculture.
Celebrate Creole Culture & Cuisine
Chef Sheri L. Raleigh, owner of Cast Iron Skillet Culinaire, LLC and founder of @blackwomenchefs and @giftsfromtheancestors on Instagram, hosted a free seminar of Louisiana Creole foodways.