THIBODAUX, La. — Nicholls State University and the Friends of the Chauvin Sculpture Garden invite you to spend a day on the banks of Bayou Petit Caillou celebrating art, music and culture at the Chauvin Folk Art Festival and Blessing of the Fleet Celebration.
Free and open to the public, the event will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 7 at the Nicholls State University Chauvin Sculpture Garden and Art Studio.
The festival is held in conjunction with the traditional blessing of the fleet, an annual boat parade along Bayou Petit Caillou during which a local priest blesses shrimp boats before the start of shrimp season.
Baton Rouge artist Mary Ann Caffey, whose art will be on display at the sculpture garden through May 3, will be on hand to answer questions and discuss her work.
Guests will also be treated to authentic Cajun and zydeco music from popular local musicians Waylon Thibodeaux and Nonc Nu and Da Wild Matous.
Formerly the home of Kenny Hill, the Nicholls State University Chauvin Sculpture Garden and Art Studio, located at 5337 Bayouside Drive in Chauvin, features more than 100 concrete structures crafted by Hill during the decade he lived on the property. The property, which was gifted to Nicholls and opened to the public in 2002, provides a convenient location to observe the blessing of the fleet at around 12:30 p.m.
Festival guests are invited to bring a picnic lunch, meander through the many sculptures on display and visit the art studio. Guided tours through the sculpture garden will be hosted in both English and Cajun French.
For more information, contact Dr. Gary LaFleur, festival coordinator and associate professor of biological sciences, at 448-4175 or gary.lafleur@www.nicholls.edu.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 26, 2019
CONTACT: Jacob Batte, Media Relations and Publications Coordinator, 985.448.4141 or jacob.batte@www.nicholls.edu
