Mary Tutwiler

Add art to Festival International fun

by Mary Tutwiler

Arts and crafts vendors join the fun today at Festival International de Louisiane. On day three of the downtown Lafayette fest, jewelry makers, potters, glass artists, weavers, painters, sculptors and vendors of items from all over the world set up their booths to bring an arts component to the streets.

Look for local artists like Pat and Suzanne Juneau’s metal art, Don Brasseaux’s woodwork and Kenny Greig’s glass art at the Marché des Arts located in Parc Sans Souci. While you’re there, don’t forget to visit the flagship of the Louisiana Crafts Guild, Sans Souci Fine Crafts Shop.

The Marché du Monde, in front of the Federal Courthouse on Lafayette Street, is the place to buy African art. Fantastic masks, tribal sculpture, woven mudcloth, leather hats and huge baskets are some of the items offered from west African countries like Mali, Senegal, Nigeria and Ivory Coast. Work by Mauritanian silversmiths is a great find, as is Kuba cloth from Congo.

For more information about arts vendors, click here and here.

Glass sculpture by Doug Stannard, at Sans Souci Fine Crafts Gallery