On March 28 from 6 to 9 p.m., Nicholls State University will present ArtWorks, the region’s best art auction and interactive event, in Talbot Hall. The revenues are utilized to provide scholarships and grants to Nicholls students so they can attend regional and national exhibitions, conferences, and study abroad.
The event will feature tours of the fine art studios, art demonstrations such as forging and raku ceramic firing, as well as studio workshops within and outside Talbot Hall. In addition to these interactive learning opportunities, participants can explore the works of several artists and participate in an online silent auction of great art on display at the Dan Ledet Gallery and other installation sites.
Michael Williams, chair of the ArtWorks committee, explains, “The Art program students benefit tremendously from the community’s support for this event. It is a one-of-a-kind fundraiser that allows students to express their gratitude for financial support and demonstrate their enthusiasm by engaging in activities that increase public interest in art.”
In the gallery, artist and Nicholls alumna Masy Chighizola, proprietor of Press Relief Prints in Baton Rouge, will demonstrate printmaking. In the foyer of the Danos Theater, guests can observe the “In the Kitchen” exhibit, which features hand-painted cast iron, glassware, cutlery, and other items, such as a picnic table with a Louisiana theme. At the occasion, each piece created or adorned by alumni, staff, students, and regionally or nationally renowned artists will be auctioned off.
Local sculptor Carl Danos, renowned for his carved wood decoys, is one of the featured artists in the auction. Dorothy Fratt (1923-2017), an abstract artist whose work will soon be displayed in a retrospective at the Scottsdale Museum of Modern Art in Arizona, also has a print available.
For anyone interested in art creation, Nicholls art students and faculty will be present to explain various media and assist with skill development. Throughout the night, there will be hands-on activities like as using a potter’s wheel, creating a flipbook for animation, printing silk screens and wood type revival letters, engaging in the photo darkroom experience, and producing “wipe-out” paintings requiring the removal of pigments. By popular demand, the studio workshop on hand-coloring images and the steamroller printing demonstration in the parking lot will return.
Tickets can be purchased at www.nicholls.edu/artworks for $50 per person. There will be live music by Buddy Benoit, Billy Stark, and Bobby Pitre, complimentary appetizers, and a cash bar. Visitors will be provided with art equipment and will be able to take home the unique artwork they produce during the evening studio demonstrations.
Online art will be available for direct sale and/or bidding. By registering at https://www.nicholls.edu/artworks, supporters who cannot attend the event can still purchase and bid on a number of the auction goods.
The Nicholls Department of Art seeks to provide high-quality instruction in all visual media as well as the necessary skills for employment or further study. National Association of Schools of Art and Design accredits the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program. For additional information about the Nicholls Department of Art, please visit https://www.nicholls.edu/art/.