Art Associates Gallery

History:

"On October 19 Art Associates will culminate the celebration of its 40th anniversary with the annual Founder's Day reception at the historic Matilda Gray House in conjunction with the current Art Month.

As an appropriate capstone to the spotlight the group's achievements during those first 40 years the Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana recently named AA recipient of the Mayor's Arts and Humanities Aword as Art Organization of the Year.

At the Civic Center there is now complete the renovation of a fountain created by Houston sculptor David Parsons and donated by AA to the City of Lake Charles years ago in memory of Mrs. C.S. Snead, founder and first president.

Art Associates was born in the Snead home when some 30-40 interested people gathered to form Lake Charle's first art support group dedicated to encourage education, appreciation and participation in all forms of artistic expression.

Early on the fledgling group began to focus on the visual arts when guest speakers, art authorities brought in to evaluate the art climate here, found Lake Charles seriously lacking in that field as well as in activities that would attract young people to the world of art.