2024 Judges VA DEBOSE
Randell Henry of Baton Rouge is a remarkable artist who creates vibrant and often cryptic paintings and collages that reflect an imagination and intellect drawn to the rhythms and cultures of Africa and the African-American experience.
...When not creating his own art, Henry teaches art at Southern University in Baton Rouge where he also serves as an associate professor and curator of the university’s art gallery. He moves easily between the two worlds.
Studio Artist
Mike Weary is a life long, self taught artist from New Orleans, LA. He is a current resident artist at the Arts Council of Baton Rouge. At the age of six he began sketching portraits of his mother's coworkers during their lunch breaks. His primary education in art came from his mother, a former student of The NOCCA Institute. He attended Brother Martin High School in New Orleans. During this time he honed his creative skills by creating many paintings, carvings and sketches. Afterwards, Mike studied fashion merchandising, fashion design, marketing, and art philosophy at The University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He is on the forefront of incorporating oil paintings with elements of rust and patina in a style named Dorian Gothic. His signature is that he paints much of his work for live events and completely upside down from start to finish. His fight for civil rights is not only the core subject matter in his artwork but also a part of his daily advocacy in the state of Louisiana. His work can be found in galleries, exhibitions, businesses and homes nationwide."