Art Opens Doors

Mina Estrada is a whirlwind of enthusiasm. Just ask her boss, the new president and CEO of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, Renee Chatelain, who relies on Estrada’s energy to lead the wing serving the community’s artists. 

A professional dancer who moved to Baton Rouge from Philadelphia nearly three years ago, Estrada has been tasked with helping local artists obtain the resources they need to hone their crafts and reach broader audiences. “I’m interested in knowing what else artists want,” said Estrada, whose title at the Arts Council is director of artist resources. “What I’ll be doing for the artists is providing resources that I would want as an artist coming into a community.” 

Towards that end, the Arts Council spearheaded an initiative called Common Ground, which invites arts organizations to come together and discuss upcoming projects in an effort to foster collaboration and cross promotion. Estrada, who manages some aspects of the program, said, “By uniting efforts and resources, our city’s arts organizations can create more meaningful and substantial experiences for our community.” 

The council is also hosting professional development workshops for artists and organizations interested in knowing more about grant availability, grant writing, current marketing and social-media practices, and other resources that can advance their work or support their missions. 

Opportunities also lie in the community events produced by the council, like the annual spring FestForAll and monthly Baton Rouge Arts Market. “The workshops and festivals get our artists out into the community, building their audiences and customer base,” said Estrada. This year’s FestForAll, April 2—3, will place renewed focus on the performing arts as well as maintain its focus on folk and visual art. “FestForAll allows our community to see what’s happening in the art community,” Estrada said. “We want to engage our theater and dance communities and create a platform for all independent artists.” 

In addition to supporting local, established artists, the council provides painting and writing classes to the public. There are art classes for children ages 4 and older that introduce them to various techniques in drawing and painting. For adults, there are writing classes, one of which is a screenwriting workshop for those who have ever thought about writing a screenplay for film or television. More learning opportunities, for both artists and the community at large, are being planned. For more information on volunteer opportunities, artist workshops, class schedules, or membership, visit artsbr.org.