The opening of Louisiana's African-American Heritage Trail was trumpeted by Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu this week at the New Orleans African American Museum" located in Tremé, called the oldest surviving black community in the United States.
"Louisiana is one of the top destinations for African American travelers in the country. Through this trail, we are linking together local museums, churches, and cultural centers from across the state to tell Louisiana's rich African American heritage story," said Landrieu.There are 26 sites on the Af-Am Heritage Trail, most located in South Louisiana.
In Shreveport two sites are part of the trail: the Multicutural Center for the South and the Southern University Museum at Shreveport.
Both the Shreveport sites are classy institutions. Yet, based on anecdotal evidence, I'd say that few readers have visited either one of them. Eventually that will change. And the Heritage Trail designation is going to help the process.
Based on finding their web site, I believe that Shreveport also has a Multicultural Tourism Commission, an entity devoted to facilitating Af-Am heritage tours. Alas their calendar announces events held in 2007.
Regardless of the whole deal being in an infancy, the new Af-Am Trail is a vibacious package. Shreveport has numerous sites - such as the Calanthean Temple area along Texas Ave - that could eventually be part of an extensive ethnic tour (inasmuch as it might include historic Chinese eateries as well as black institutions).
Does the tourism bureau or the mayor have a master plan for such development?
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Painting Tip
Try not to divide any element in your artwork in half. This especially includes the temperature of the painting.
What I mean is - it shouldn't be half warm and half cool. Warm colors are like fire - red, orange, yellow and brown. Cool colors are like water and grass - blue and green.
If your painting is mostly warm, add a little cool for contrast. If it's mostly cool, add a little warm to spice it up.
Decide what you want to be the main "star" in your painting. Is it a particular tree? Or lake. Or the sky? Or group of trees? Creating a painting is like staging a play. When the leading man or lady is on stage speaking, you don't want one of the bit players attracting attention to himself.
One way you can check to see that the center of interest is actually where you intend it to be is as follows.
Turn your painting upside down while not looking at it. Walk across the room. Then turn and look at your painting.
Where do your eyes go?
You can't fool your eyes when you do this. They will go to the center of interest, which might not be the area you had in mind.
If you're still not sure, ask someone else to look at your art while it's upside down and ask where their eyes go.
They don't have to have any knowledge of art to help you locate the focal point.
It's based on the natural law of vision.
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