New Orleans transplant creating artwork that will be used for Festival International poster and cloisonné pin.
Festival International de Louisiane announced Monday that DD Manly has been named the official 2014 visual artist.
The organization said in a prepared release that she is charged with creating one work of art that captures the spirit and tradition of the nation's largest free Francophone festival, a piece that will serve as the visual representation of the cultural connections between Acadiana and the Francophone world through music. Her art will be the inspiration for the official Festival poster and cloisonné pin.
In the past 27 years, many of the state's finest artists have been honored as the official visual artist. Manly, according to the release, was selected "for her distinctive style in her extensive body of work that celebrates the joie de vivre in southwest Louisiana and its shared connection to the global community."
DD Manly
A New Orleans native, Manly moved to Lafayette to study fine arts at UL Lafayette. After studying fine arts for three years, she changed majors and eventually obtained a master's degree in kinesiology from LSU. She continued her academic studies and recently completed her master's degree in counseling at UL.
Bold color and movement are elements that intrigue Manly as an artist, according to the release, which notes that her area of specialization as an artist includes combining meditation with intuitive painting.
"DD Manly is a visual storyteller who shares her love and passion for our culture and heritage," says Diane Harris, interim executive director of Festival International de Louisiane.
The completed art piece will be unveiled at Festival International's annual Pin Premier event in early January. Festival enthusiasts and art collectors will have the opportunity to purchase the official artwork at the organization's art auction in March.
DD Manly's work is currently being shown at:
The Lounge Gallery (behind Tsunami) through the end of October 2013
Barnel's Art and Framing Gallery in Lafayette
Ariodante Gallery at 535 Julia St. in New Orleans
Several of her pieces can be found online at her website: www.ddmanly.com.
For more information about Festival International de Louisiane, click here or call (337) 232-8086.