NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@alpha.nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

7/17/2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES - An exhibit, "Spanish Influence on Contemporary Louisiana Folk Art," co-sponsored by Northwestern State University will be on display in Valencia, Spain beginning in November.

The exhibit which will run through February will include 100 objects along with 30 photographs and maps depicting Spanish influence on folk groups that entered Louisiana under sponsorship of the Spanish government from 1762 to 1802, according to NSU Dean of Liberal Arts Dr. Don Hatley, the project director.

Hatley said the exhibit will include objects from the Apachie-Choctaw (Native Americans), Acadians, Apalachee (Native Americans), Clifton Choctaws (Native Americans), Creoles, Houmas (Native Americans), Islenos, and Coushattas (Native Americans).

The exhibit has been developed with major assistance from Dr. H. F. Gregory, director of the Williamson Museum at Northwestern, and Dr. Dayna Lee, director of the Northwest Louisiana Regional Folklife Program sponsored by the Louisiana Folklife Division, Ms. Maida Owens, Director. Development of the exhibit began more than five years ago with meetings in the Museu d'Ethnologia de Valencia with Hatley, Anthropologist Joan Gregori, Dr. Miguel Fuster, and Mr. Enrique Perez Canamare, director of Museu d'Ethnologia de Valencia,. Major aspects of the exhibit were finalized in a meeting at NSU. Northwestern and the Museu d'Ehnologia de Valencia have provided major funding for the project.

Four NSU faculty along with officials from the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism will participate in a variety of activities to open the exhibit.

Lt. Gov. Kathleen Blanco and Philip Jones, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Culture Recreation and Tourism are scheduled to attend the opening of the exhibit. Blanco views this Exhibit as a key effort to direct attention to the large celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase scheduled for 2003. She will use the opening of the exhibit to emphasize Louisiana's debt to Spain and to welcome Spanish officials to the Bicentennial Celebration of the Louisiana Purchase.

Two conferences involving Northwestern faculty are scheduled in conjunction with the opening of the exhibit. One conference, "Minority Languages, Endangered Languages and Acculturation," will include a variety of international participants.

Speakers will include Dr. Xaverio Ballester, Dr. Carlos Hernandez and Dr. Miguel Fuster of the University of Valencia, Dr. Claude Lefevre, University of Montreal, NSU Instructor of Spanish Dr. Comfort Pratt-Panford and Raymond Berthelot, chief of interpretive services for the Louisiana Office of State Parks.

A second conference, under the direction of Dr. Francisco Fernandez, will be the English Annual Studies Meeting which will include lectures by Dr. Lisa Abney, Director of the Louisiana Folklife Center and assistant professor of English at NSU, Dr. George Avery, assistant professor of anthropology at NSU and site manager for the State of Louisiana for Los Adaes State Historic Area and Hatley. This conference will be sponsored by the University of Valencia.

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