For Shelly Frederick, the newly named Artist of the Year by the Arts Council of Livingston Parish, an important aspect of the joy and fulfillment of being an artist is the opportunity to share her love, knowledge and passion for the visual arts with others who aspire to become artists themselves.

Frederick, who has been involved with the arts council for more than 20 years, has devoted much of her time and talents to directing art classes for young children, teenagers and adults.

“For many years now, it has seemed as if I mainly had time to prepare for and then teach art classes. I have generally transferred my creativity to those who are trying to become artists themselves. For example, I will sketch or paint a picture to illustrate what I am trying to teach. In a sense, I am seeking to use whatever ability I have as an artist to help train and inspire other artists,” she said.

Serving the arts council

Frederick said that while she still paints for family and friends as requested, her chief involvement with the visual arts is teaching. More recently, she has also become more involved with the everyday activities of the Arts Council of Livingston Parish.

She is serving as assistant to the council’s board of directors, and among her duties is service as the director of the council’s gallery on Hummel Street in Historic Downtown Denham Springs.

When the gallery is open for visitors Wednesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. until noon and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 2, she is at the gallery to greet visitors and to help guide them through whatever exhibit is hanging at the time. She also assists in organizing the exhibits and is especially involved in the Arts on Mattie Street project, which is part of the Spring and Fall Denham Springs Merchants Association Antique Festivals.

“Organizing the Art on Mattie Street is very time consuming but rewarding because it gives our artists, especially those new to the field, an opportunity to show their creations and possibly sell their art to large crowds,” she said.

Love of teaching art

Frederick attended Central High School, studied art history at LSU, and has spent her professional life in Livingston Parish. She said that early in her journey as an artist she discovered that she very much enjoyed teaching art, especially to children.

“Once I started teaching classes on a regular basis, it just seemed that most of my time was spent preparing and then teaching others the things that I had learned,” she said. “Through teaching, I have had the satisfaction of playing what I consider an important role in the local art community.

“I believe that the creative arts in its many forms, visual, dance, drama, literature, is very important to a community and if we are to keep the artistic environment alive, it is important that we offer the community the opportunity to make art,” she said. “As artists we have a certain responsibility to give aspiring artists the tools and the knowledge that it takes to become a successful artist.”

Frederick said that teaching art to children is both a joy and a challenge. “Children are uninhibited. … They are not afraid of what they are drawing or painting and they don’t seem to be very much concerned about someone judging their work. They seem to enjoy getting right into a project and just can’t wait to get started. I discovered something I think is interesting: Children generally don’t like scissors. They don’t want to take the time to cut things out. They want to get involved with drawing and painting,” she said.

In contrast, Frederick said adults in her classes tend to want to practice before they begin their work. “Sometimes the adults are afraid to ‘mess up,’” she said. “The adults are more particular and fret if they make what they think is a mistake. I try to act as a cheerleader. I tell them that sometimes a mistake turns out be better than what was intended.”

She said that as a teacher she has to get her students to understand that their opinion is all that really matters. “I always have something prepared to show my classes, especially the children, but my art is only a suggestion. I tell my students that can do it their way, that they are free to be creative,” she said.

Tools of the trade

Part of being an art teacher is to demonstrate the tools that artists use. Frederick points out that the visual arts is more than a painted picture. Basic essentials such as brushes, pallets, canvas, paper, black and colored pencils, oil, acrylic and water paints are all utilized in creating pictures.

Beyond that, the visual arts include fabric art, sculpture, photography and more recently art that can be created through electronic devices. Frederick said that for the young students, she basically sticks to the basics but for her adult students, more advanced work is pursued.

Frederick said she believes that just about anyone can be taught to become n artist.

“As humans, we look at the world around us, and we are inspired by the things that we see, feel and are passionate about,” she said. “To me it is only natural that one would want to put down on paper those things that most impress them.”

She added that life brings experiences that can be expressed in many ways that is part of what is considered art. “Some want to dance, some want to sing, some want to write stories. … Life inspires us and that inspiration finds expression in one form of art or another,” she said.

“I encourage all who come here with a desire to learn more about art to take the time to explore what is their passion. I gently encourage them to just get started, to practice and remind them that eventually they will get better at what they are seeking to create. The great thing about the visual arts is that pictures can be used in so many different ways.”

Frederick said that the Arts Council of Livingston Parish provides a place for local and regional artists to showcase they gifts as artists. “At the gallery we give the community an opportunity to see just how talented so many of our local artists are. A community is enriched when it supports the arts, and the Arts Council of Livingston Parish enjoys support from the city of Denham Springs and from individuals and businesses in the community who support what we are trying to accomplish. I sincerely believe that ours is a better community because of what the arts council brings.”