Hattiesburg and The Arts Council

I took a detour from my trips in Louisiana to Hattiesburg, MS where the first exhibit of the Louisiana Portrait Project will be in the spring of 2016.  The Hattiesburg Arts Council is housed in the Hattiesburg Cultural Center, an old library with beautiful gallery spaces on the second and third floors.  

Hattiesburg is a wonderful city and among other interesting things the home of the Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival.  The city of Hattiesburg is a wonderful supporter of the arts.  HAC director Rebekah Stark Johnson and her staff Alehandro Wooten and Abigail Lenz Allen run multiple gallery spaces and teach classes. 

I had the pleasure of walking around downtown Hattiesburg and visiting different art spaces, restaurants and shops.  I recommend Southbound Bagel and Coffee for bagel sandwiches and giant cups of espresso.

Southbound Bagel and Coffee

Rebekah Stark Johnson in a classroom in a rehabbed building in downtown Hattiesburg.

The work of a beginning drawing student in Alehandro Wooten's class.

Back home to Monroe, LA to be greeted by Christmas lights all over town.  Tree and fountain at the Monroe Convention Center.