Community and art in Highland: collecting the material for a Highland Spirit House, as seen by Leia Lewis and Mat Schwarzman

Keith Knight, his art teacher and Mat Scwarzman
Originally uploaded by trudeau

In Gentilly, New Orleans, the late artist John T Scott gathered images of the city from neighborhood people and built a monument to their lives. He called it Spirit House. Scott's monument is an annotated shell of a shotgun house that is elevated above a park on DeSaix Blvd (Fairgrounds neighborhood). It survived the flood that followed Katrina.

In Shreveport, Leia Lewis, education director for Meadows Museum of Art, Centenary College, has a vision of a companion monument. To be called Highland Spirit House, the project has become a class taught by Lewis at the college. She is approaching it as an outreach to the neighborhood.

Mat Schwarzman is a specialist in community-based art projects. He has written a book upon the topic and has a PhD in Transformative Learning & Change in Human Systems from the California Institute of Integral Studies. " He has helped establish arts education programs for teens, college students and adults across the United States," notes Lewis.

No one knows quite what the Highland Spirit House might be, but there's a hint in an evocative exhibit of works by John T Scott on display at Meadows. I recommend it highly as art and a start toward imagining Shreveport's project.

Mat Schwarzman, Attaway Fellow
Centenary College of Louisiana Campus Visit

Sun, Sept 16
Meadows Museum of Art
2:00 - 3:00
Lecture: National Network of Community-Based Artists and the Social Change Catalyzed by their Work

Mon, Sept 17
Meadows
9:30 to noon
Docent training on "Community-Based Arts Projects and Process"

Thur, Sept 20
Meadows
11:10 - Noon
Centenary College Convocation on "Transformative Learning, Diversity, and Change through the Arts"

Wed, Sept 19
Meadows
5:15 - 7:30
Community Partner Planning for The Highland Spirit House Project

Fri, Sept 21
Meadows
5:15 - 7:30
Highland Community Story Circle


Leia Lewis
Museum Educator
Meadows Museum of Art
Centenary College of Louisiana
2911 Centenary Blvd.
Shreveport, LA 71104
(318) 841-7271
www.centenary.edu/meadows