Photo by Joseph Vidrine, courtesy of the ACA
Inside the galleries at the Acadiana Center for the Arts.
Lafayette, Louisiana is a place where, when a local butchershop in a disinvested neighborhood needs a face lift, a collective of grassroots organizations and volunteers assemble to commission a mural. It’s a place where, when someone envisions a culturally resonant, more inclusive twist on a classical ballet, the ensuing production sells out for years to come. When people move here, it’s as much for the food, or the music scene, or the dynamic downtown (with its museums, galleries, and monthly artwalk) as it is for a new job. And according to the most recent economic impact report, more than $1.5 billion in annual revenue is generated by the cultural sector in Lafayette Parish, making artistic and cultural activity the single largest economic driver in the region.
Community leaders in the arts want to drive this message home for all of Lafayette, not just those that identify as “creatives,” at a new event hosted at the Acadiana Center for the Arts (ACA). The State of the Arts Symposium, to be held on June 13, is envisioned as a civic forum designed to draw the entire community into conversations about the importance of the arts infrastructure in Lafayette’s cultural identity and economy.
“I just want people to understand that the arts and the culture we create is . . .what life is really about. We want people to understand that it is also work, and it makes our lives joyful, and helps us all to express emotions, and contributes to these really important parts of our lives. If it can’t exist, where will that energy go?” —Anna Kojevnikov, the Community Development Manager at the Acadiana Center for the Arts
The arts sector in Louisiana, and the United States as a whole, has always faced a certain amount of fiscal instability with limited resources. But in early May, President Donald Trump’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget delivered a devastating blow to arts institutions across the nation with the proposed elimination of the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities. Should the budget be approved and federal funding pulled, our local arts organizations will depend more than ever on the support of their communities.
“All of the good things about living here—the culture, the music, the art, the festivals. . . that’s what brings people together,” said Anna Kojevnikov, the Community Development Manager at the ACA. “The arts make a huge impact on this community, and we really want to get everyone on board to understand why they are worth supporting and investing in.”
[Explore our Acadiana Art Guide, here.]
The symposium will feature sessions led by leaders representing sectors of Lafayette Parish ranging from government to education to business, in addition to the arts.
Tina Shelvin Bingham, Community Development Director for Lafayette Habitat for Humanity and Executive Director of the McComb-Veazey Neighborhood Coterie, will speak about her work in neighborhood revitalization, and “Culture as an Excuse to Develop Our Community.” Entrepreneur and dance educator Leigha T. Porter, founder of Lafayette’s wildly popular Christmas production, The Creole Nutcracker, will lead a session titled “Give Them What They Want: Creating and Meeting Demand for the Arts.” Other sessions include a discussion on talent retention and attracting new business to Lafayette through the arts, and a panel in which local artists and their parents discuss the challenges of pursuing, and supporting, a career in the arts.
The day will conclude with a keynote address from Dr. Christophe Jackson, a musician and neuroscientist who will present an interdisciplinary talk/performance on how creativity supports cognitive development, mental health, and social cohesion.
“I just want people to understand that the arts and the culture we create is . . .what life is really about,” said Kojevnikov. “We want people to understand that it is also work, and it makes our lives joyful, and helps us all to express emotions, and contributes to these really important parts of our lives. If it can’t exist, where will that energy go?”
The State of the Arts Symposium will be held June 13 at the Acadiana Center for the Arts. Register, for free, at acadianacenterforthearts.org.
