Klervae' Stinson is a NCLAC intern and a graduating Senior at Grambling State University in Theatre and Performing Arts.
Hello again bloggers! This is Klervae’ here to tell you about the artists and poets at Pastry Moon this year during the HAT. The artists include Bonnie Ferguson, Lora Lee, and Frank Kelley, Jr. There will also be a poetry round-robin reading featuring Veronica Schuder, Genaro Smith, April Honaker, and Errol Miller.
Pastry Moon is owned and operated by Bonnie Ferguson. Ferguson offers handmade and vintage items for the treasure seekers out there. The store features soap, clothing accessories, as well as vintage jewelry. Ferguson says, “As artists, we harken back to the ‘craftsman' days of the industry, when technique and skill were signs of greatness.” Several local artists have contributed to an eclectic showcase of functional art.
Lora Lee of Centsations started in 2011 creating jewelry from coins and salvaged copper. Today she creates beautiful coin rings and metal work art. Lee owns and operates her own jewelry shop. She completes all the work herself. It is a hands-on company. Lee loves to create and share that with all my friends and customers. Lee is having a blast creating rings and pendants from coins and copper. Using recycled and raw materials as often as possible! Lee states, “There is something to be said for working with your hands. Very satisfying to see something come alive that was just in your imagination just hours before.”
Frank Kelley, Jr. is an artist that comes from humble beginnings. His paintings of rural, celebrated jazz and southern life reflect through his work. Kelley describes his works as, “My paintings are viewed through the eyes of a storyteller and for others who have or feel a need to express themselves in the form of visualization. I paint old and new, today and yesterday, sorrow and happiness, struggle, hope, and togetherness, and love.” Here is his site. His works are shown around the nation.
This year will be a poetry round-robin reading that will be from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, November 22, 2013. The poets include Veronica Schuder, Genaro Smith, April Honaker, and Errol Miller. Schuder, instructor of English at Louisiana Tech University, with her sequence of poems about the human condition are grounded in the personal perspective: wife, mother, women, and person. Smith, whose work has been featured in Pembroke Magazine and Blue Lyra Review, poems explore the hardships of people adjusting to life during and after wartime, the immigrant experience, and the strong family bond in a frail world. Honaker’s work has been featured in the 2River View, fall 2012 and received a Louisiana Division of the Arts Artist Advancement Grant in 2012/13. Honaker’s poetry tends to focus on family and relationships through the use of metaphor, imagery, and dialogue. Miller, a recipient of a Louisiana Division of the Arts Artist Advancement Grant, works are based on Southern peoples stories, hopes, dreams, and failures.
Pastry Moon is located at 203 W. Alabama Ave. Suite 2 Ruston, LA 71270. The tour will begin at 5pm on Thursday, November 21, 2013, with Downtown Open House shopping. For more information and a complete schedule of the Holiday Arts Tour, visit www.nclarts.org or call (318) 225-1450. Hope to see you there!