From paintings and photographs to sculptures and ceramics, Vernon Parish is a verdant hotbed of color and creativity thanks in large part to GALLERY ONE ElllEVEN. Nope, that’s not a typo. Named for its address at 111 3rd Street in Leesville, this not-for-profit co-op of local artists and art enthusiasts has been the force driving Leesville’s vibrant arts and crafts community for the past 19 years. In addition to hosting revolving exhibits featuring Louisiana and Southern artists as well as work by national and international visiting artists, the gallery hosts an annual ClayFest, and creative events year-round, such as belly dancing, yoga classes, children’s music, and veterans’ art programs.
In an effort to spread the creativity parish-wide, GALLERY ONE EIIIEVEN built, painted, and installed twenty Book Nooks, popular book-lending libraries. The gallery also contracted with the City of Leesville to adopt a local park, where it established and now manages the Leesville Art Park. This greenspace features nine monumental sculptures, a melody garden with playable xylophones, a performance stage for concerts, and a one-third-mile-long walking trail.
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Named for its address at 111 3rd Street, Leesville, GALLERY ONE-E111EVEN is a not-for-profit co-op of local artists that has driven Leesville’s vibrant arts and crafts community for 19 years and counting.
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Leesville Art Park serves as a showcase for sculptures by local creatives.
Across from Leesville Art Park stands West Leesville Elementary, where Forest Hill, Louisiana-based artist Liz Cornett, installed her brightly colored mural, “Vernon Parish Wildflowers,” in celebration of Vernon’s status as Wildflower Capital of the State. Cornett worked with art students at West Leesville Elementary to assist in the final design, while instilling an appreciation for the importance of public art. The Vernon Parish Wildflowers mural was made possible by a Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism grant secured by GALLERY ONE EIIIEVEN.
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Visit a Merchant & Farmers Bank branch in Leesville, Vinton, or Anacoco to view striking local photos shot by renowned photographer Rickie Smith.
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Photographs by Rickie Smith, exhibited at local bank branches.
In Louisiana’s Legend Country, the art extends beyond the gallery walls, too. Visit a Merchant & Farmers Bank branch in Leesville, Vinton, or Anacoco and you won’t be able to miss striking local photos shot by photographer Rickie Smith. Bank chairman, president, and CEO Ken Hughes partnered with Tony McDonald from GALLERY ONE EIIIEVEN to mount the exhibitions of Smith’s work. The duo also collaborated to transform a corridor connecting the Leesville branch’s old and new wings into The Lobby Gallery, which presents work by a different artist each month.
At the Texas Street Pocket Park, the Junior League of Leesville teamed up with GALLERY ONE EIIIEVEN to install “halos” suspended from a mesh grid above the park. The multi-colored rings, which were created by students from Vernon Middle School, West Leesville Elementary School, and Faith Training Academy as well as the Vernon Council on Aging, brighten the vista above the park in the Leesville Main Street District.
For more inspiration on getting to grips with Vernon Parish’s creative side, visit vernonparish.org/things-to-do
