Every two years, the Hammond Regional Arts Center presents the Marjorie Morrison Biennial of Sculpture in honor of Marjorie Morrison, wife of former US Representative James H. “Jimmy” Morrison and longtime advocate for the arts.
The exhibition will begin with a public reception at HRAC on Friday, January 21 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will remain on display in the gallery until February 17.
Morrison was a longtime supporter of cultural efforts in Hammond and an ongoing patron of the arts in the southeastern Louisiana region. She was a key player among the original members of HRAC (formerly the Hammond Cultural Foundation), which helped get the nonprofit off the ground 40 years ago.
Morrison was one of the organization’s first presidents and has spent countless hours promoting the arts in Louisiana.
In 1985, she appeared before the Tangipahoa Parish Police Jury with a resolution to make the Hammond Cultural Foundation the official arts organization of the parish – this was unanimously approved.
In 2010, Louisiana Public Broadcasting honored her advocacy and philanthropy by recognizing her as a “Louisiana Legend.”
To celebrate his lifelong dedication to the arts, the Arts Center holds a sculpture exhibition every two years in his honor and memory. This seventh installation of the Marjorie Morrison Sculpture Biennale is sponsored by Morrison’s son, Hobby, and his wife, Lisa.
This year’s Biennale is hosted by Pat Macaluso, who is an accomplished artist with great dedication to the arts in the Hammond community. She will bring professional works of art from 14 sculptors to amaze and inspire those who visit the exhibition.
“I was fortunate to know and work with Marjorie Morrison on the creation of the Tangipahoa Parish Art Center,” Macaluso said. “I am honored to be curator of this exhibition again for 2022.”
The participating artists are exceptionally talented and showcase exceptional creative endeavors. I appreciate the dedication of each of these artists and their acceptance of our invitation to present their work to the HRAC community.
This edition of the biennial will feature works by Babette Beaullieu, Cindy Blair, Ann Boudreau, Becky Burt, Anita Cooke, Ryan Gianelloni, Jim Grice, Evan Hartmann, Sue Karmeisool, Donald Kolberg, Kristina Larson, Jeff Mickey, Martin Needom and Otto Ochs .
These artists use a variety of media including fabric constructions, painted wood, steel, ceramics, and mixed media to demonstrate an artist’s creative power.
“It is a beautiful tribute to the memory of Miss Marjorie,” said Tara Bennett, HRAC media coordinator. “You will see a range of different materials, scales and styles from each artist that showcases their talents. “
Photographer Dusty Cooper will be on display at HRAC in the upstairs Mezzanine Gallery with a solo exhibition titled “Copiosity”.
Both exhibitions are free and open to the public.
