SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) – The dean of Hurley School of Music at Centenary, Cory Wikan, speaks to ArkLaTex Artistry’s Brittney Hazelton about the art education and an upcoming Art Stroll.

On April 3, the historic Centenary College, 2911 Centenary Boulevard, will be hosting its first Art Stroll through all of the wonderous art the campus offers, from visual arts, poetry, theatre, opera, and music.

Attendees can expect a free-to-attend two-hour event with complimentary wine and a toast.

“A Journey Through the Heart of Campus Art promises a memorable evening that will leave you inspired,” says Centenary College on the Facebook event page.

Stroll stops

• First-time attendees will enjoy expressive student art and more at the Meadows Museum of Art.
• Then, they will stroll through the campus’s heart to the amphitheater, where they will enjoy poetry readings by current students.
• They will eventually make their way towards the Hurley School of Music, where they will hear some of the college’s upcoming opera.
• Next, the attendees will pop over to Marjorie Lyon’s Playhouse to see a bit of the theatre program on stage.
• Afterwards, the stroll will stop at the Coral building, where attendees will enjoy some of the college’s choir.
• The stroll will also visit the student publication called Pandora and enjoy their work.
• At the end, Centenary will unveil a new commissioned sculpture by artist Bruce Allen, celebrating the school’s 200-year bicentennial.

Why is art education so important?

“What we know now, especially scientifically, is how vital the arts are to all the parts of our life. To our emotional intelligence, to our spiritual enjoyment, to our actual learning, our capacity to learn at a higher level because you studied art. And, we believe that deeply as part of the liberal arts that free us to be the best that we can be,” says Wikan.

For 200 years, Centenary has been teaching art at such a capacity that the college surely has impacted northwest Louisiana’s art culture. The college itself is one of the impactful hearts for the culture of the city of Shreveport.

“Art certainly, whether that’s music, visual art, creative writing, and acting, all of those things are vital to human life, not just entertainment, truly to our health. And, we are glad that it is so vital to Centenary’s campus,” says Wikan.

The college also has programs to reach younger areas with preparatory programs, such as the Hurley School of Music’s Suzuki Program or its Piano Preparatory Program.

Be sure to RSVP for the event by visiting the form HERE, contact [email protected] via email, or call 318-869-5027

Centenary College commissioned a sculpture by Shreveport artist Bruce Allen which will be unveiled during the Art Stroll. Allen is well known for his contributions to public art in the city of Shreveport, like the blue and orange trees at Caddo Common Park and the large eye ball sculpture on Line Avenue, titled The Birth of Iris.

Allen has actively served as a civic, commercial, and academic community member, as well as a board member, juror, and consultant for a variety of both public and private art organizations. He has participated in the design and creation of several public art projects. He has a bachelor in mathematics and in art from Centenary College.

He is a mixed-media artist who has talents with multiple mediums.

“Whether it’s drawing, painting or printmaking; casting iron, bronze, aluminum, or plastics; carving in wood, stone or plastic foam; welding or sewing; he tries to use his materials to express their own unique nature and the ideas of the society in which we live and work. Irony and social comment are often a subtle presence in his works of art. However, he strives to communicate with a wide audience, especially in public works, using humor and playfulness as well as seriousness and structure,” says Bruce Allen’s artist bio on https://culturalyst.com/.

You may recognize the sculpture The Birth Of Iris by Bruce Allen and Susanna Van Norman that sit on the property of Shreveport Eye Specialists. The eyeball is often decorated by local group Lab Rat Arts artists Ryan McCutcheon, Ryan Hazelton, and Steve Zihlavsky during different seasons.

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