16th Annual Holiday Arts Tour - November 21-24

The Ruston Lincoln Parish CVB is happy to have Jessica Slaughter on our blog today! Jessica is the Executive Director of the North Central Louisiana Arts Council and is going to tell us more about the the Holiday Arts Tour coming up November 21-24 in Downtown Ruston.

This year is the 16th annual Holiday Arts Tour for NCLAC, and we have a wonderful year lined up. I’ll start our “HAT web tour” at the Dixie Center for the Arts, corner of Alabama and North Vienna in downtown Ruston, where the Tour itself will begin on November 21-24. Tour-goers should make their first stop at the DCA to view the group exhibition, sponsored by Landry Vineyards, featuring each of the participating Holiday Arts Tour artists. You’ll be able to see the well-crafted variety of works available, from calligraphy to photography, handmade books to oil paintings, soaps to wood-turned jewelry.

In addition to the exhibition at the Dixie Center, there will also be a voting box for the People’s Choice Winner. In an effort to reward our talented artists, we will be offering two awards this year: Juror’s Choice and People’s Choice. Upon looking at the Dixie Center exhibition, and/or after making stops at each Tour site, be sure to cast your vote for your favorite artist. Awards will be announced at the end-of-Tour artists’ party on Saturday.

The Tour will begin again this year on Thursday, in partnership with the City of Ruston’s Main Street Christmas Open House. Artwork will be on display for special Open House hours of 5-8pm. Stop in and visit with merchants and get a jump on the weekend.

Friday’s Tour hours will be 4-8, so you’ll have time to head downtown after work. At the Dixie Center, Landry Vineyards, north Louisiana’s own vineyard and winery, will be holding a wine tasting. Artists will be on site in each Holiday Arts Tour location, ready to chat about their work. From 5-8pm at seven downtown Tour sites, musicians will be performing for visitors. These will be small ensembles who perform short sets so that you may talk with them about their music. At Pastry Moon, there will also be a round-robin style Poetry Reading at 6pm.

Saturday will be the big shopping day, with artists present in each of the Tour sites from 11-5. Many will be offering demonstrations, such as screen printing, spinning, flint napping, and calligraphy. Holiday Arts Tour is really a special event, as it gives you a unique opportunity in a relaxed setting to see and hear about art processes that may be unfamiliar.

Sunday will be a special day for the family. Three studios will be offering Sprout Sunday activities, which are free art projects for children. Stitchville, Brush Hour and Pastry Moon will each offer a unique activity for Tour-goers from 1-4pm. When Tour hours end, head over to the Dixie Center for the Arts for a free Community Variety Show at 4:30. Dancing, singing, theatre and more will be on the Dixie Center stage as a perfect ending to a big extended weekend. This is your perfect opportunity to check out the beautiful Dixie Center Theatre if you haven’t been in in a while.

Artwork from the Tour will make wonderful gifts; how much better to spend your holiday shopping money in locally owned businesses?!

Here is this year's route:Makers Union, featuring Jake Dugard and Joey Slaughter. Screenprinting demonstration on Saturday.

Kelly Moore Bag, featuring Nicole Duet and Stephanie Dugard. Olsen String Trio on Friday.

Serendipity, featuring Leigh Buffington. Grace Notes Quartet on Friday.

Lewis Boutique, featuring Christiane Drieling.

Chartreuse Pear, featuring Dorene Kordal.

Embellishments, featuring Suzy Berry and Shannan Inman. Calligraphy demonstration.

The Frame Up, featuring Hooshang Khorasani.

House of Flowers and the Cake Shoppe, featuring Julie Crews and Casey Parkinson.

Sundown Tavern, featuring Todd Cloe and Emily Ezell. Ken Carter Quartet on Friday.

The Fabric Shop, featuring an embroidery class on Thursday and a quilting class on Saturday.

Rodeo Boutique, featuring Whitney Caskey

Patton’s Downtown, featuring Allen Tuten and Geri Taylor. Cain Budds on Friday.

Rogers Furniture and Gifts, featuring Cindy Gibson and Julie Roane.

Fine Line Art Supply and Stitchville, featuring MC Davis and Frank Hamrick. Elizabeth Vidos on Friday.

Pastry Moon, featuring Bonnie Ferguson, Lora Lee and Frank Kelley, Jr. Poetry Reading on Friday.

Rumo’s Barber Shop, featuring Rachel Johnston. Bethany Raybourn on Friday. Spinning demo on Saturday.

Turbo Goat, featuring Peter Hay.

The Lodge, featuring Sonny Monteleone. Fred Beavers and Sara Sullivan on Friday.

Studio 301, featuring work by Kit Gilbert.

Art Innovations, featuring an on-site art installation.

Percussive Arts Institute of Ruston, featuring sculpture created during a collaborative workshop.

Townsend House Gifts, featuring Laura Glen Lawson and Michelle McGeehee.
NCLAC’s Holiday Arts Tour is supported in part by a grant from Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council as administered by the Shreveport Regional Arts Council.