LAKE CHARLES, La. — Four artists from Southwest Louisiana will be featured in an exhibit in Southern France this summer that highlights the intriguing history and culture behind “No Man’s Land.”
Beauregard Parish artist Joey Governale and Vernon Parish artists Isabelle Massart-Bursh, Tony McDonald, and photographer Rickie Smith will have multiple works available for viewing in the exhibit that is set to open this July in France’s Carrefour 2000 Hall, Grau du Roi. Each artist is submitting pieces they say embody Southwest Louisiana’s landscape and visual history of “No Man’s Land” folklore.
“No Man’s Land” refers to a vertical strip of land between present-day Louisiana and Texas that was a disputed ground between Spain and the United States between 1806 and 1821. Because no government body claimed ownership of the neutral zone, the area became a haven for outlaws and bandits, and is still often referred to in those times as “Louisiana’s Wild West.”
A sign artist by trade, Governale said he believes his unique folk-art work using aluminum backgrounds and stylized animal paintings will blend both storytelling and artistry in a way he hopes the international viewers will enjoy.
“I am planning to have a lot of smaller pieces that I hope will be appealing to look at while also showing some interesting approaches that are typical of my work, I would say,” Governale said.
This will not be the first time Governale’s art work has traveled out of the country. One of his pieces was recently purchased by a woman in Russia who in return sent him a photo of herself holding his art while standing in front of the Kremlin. Several of his painted Adirondack chairs can also be found outside resorts in the Caribbean.
“(This exhibit) is a big deal, it is exciting. This is something I have done on the side for 40 years and has been a way to support myself and my wife, but it’s always exciting to see other people taking an interest in and enjoying what I do,” he said.
The exhibit was the grand idea of the four artists in early 2020 who thought it would be an interesting way to celebrate the 200th anniversary of “No Man’s Land.”
Originally from Belgium, Massart-Bursh often travels to the area to visit family and she approached art officials there to pitch the idea. They were immediately receptive and the exhibit was slated to open in the summer of 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic put those plans on hold but in January, McDonald said the group was notified the exhibit was back on track.
McDonald, whose abstract artwork often blends the scenic beauty of Southwest Louisiana with industrial and graffiti influences, said he thinks the exhibit could be very popular with crowds in France given that the landscape there is similar to Vernon Parish.
“It’s a neat connection and I think that it will be a wonderful way to bring attention to our area and our culture by showing the similarities through our art,” McDonald said.
Smith is a local photographer who has recently become the backstage photographer at the Jazz Fest celebration in New Orleans. His artwork showcasing Jazz Fest and Mardi Gras images will be featured alongside the other participants' artwork. McDonald said the merging of the different artistic approaches is sure to provide an incredible glimpse of Louisiana, and one he hopes that could also spur international tourism.
The artists are now working to raise the $2,000 they will need to ship their artwork to France ahead of the exhibit’s opening. A “Freight to France” fundraiser has been posted to social media and the artists are preparing images of their pieces, and some original works, to be given away through a drawing of names from those who donate.
The exhibit will be on display in the Alexandria Museum of Art this fall, from November through February 2023, following its appearance in France.