Krewe De Canailles Update #1

Krewe De Canailles Update #1

by | Nov 20, 2017 | Krewe de Canailles

Dear Community,

We’re completely on track to occupy the space left from the cancellation of kickoff parade this past year. Krewe de Canailles will now serve as THE Mardi Gras kickoff parade in Lafayette – and we’re bringing it back to downtown! The very talented Burt Durand has designed our logo, which allowed us to create our first official doubloons. These will be a signature throw of every parade, keeping in line with our mission of sustainability. We’re now incredibly close to launching our official website, which will allow the community to begin the signup process in preparation for the big day.

We took part in PARK(ing) Day Lafayette where we announced our inaugural theme – Local Legends! Red Lerille? Wayne Toups? The Cotton Candy Guy from the Cajundome? Pick your favorite Acadiana icon (or icons), and start planning your krewes, costumes, dance routines, and creations! This got us featured in a KATC story featuring a hilarious misspelling of board member Julie Bordelon’s name. Check it out here – https://www.facebook.com/LFTwalkingparade/videos/130458764259865/

We’re also keeping with our mission of inclusivity by reaching out to specific individuals, groups and bands to join the movement. We’re currently in the process of securing the required permits, which involves soliciting signatures from each business located along Jefferson St. It’s an arduous process but a necessary one. Once secured, we’ll reach out to the Lafayette police to schedule our escorts.

Lastly, we are utilizing the service of Casselman Beyt Law Firm to become recognized as a 501(c)7 so we can act as a non-profit organization and our own fiscal agents. This will free up the funding from the 24 Hour Citizen Project donors so that we can really get kicking.

Submit your email at krewedecanailles.com to keep updated on our progress. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @LFTwalkingparade and @krewedecanailles, respectively.

Our biggest lesson learned is that it is best to secure an attorney with the proper experience as early as possible. I did the preliminary research so we could begin collecting funds as early as possible but I ended up pushing back further than it needed to be. Paige Casselman Beyt has been instrumental in righting my wrongs and getting us back on track.

Best,
Rodney Hess (Team Leader)

Pop Up Theatre Update #1

Pop Up Theatre Update #1

by | Nov 20, 2017 | Pop-up Theatre

Dear Community,

As you may recall, I am the team leader for the Pop-Up Kids Theater, a theatrical program for at-risk children ages 6-12 in the Lafayette area. Things for this project are moving along despite my teammate, Shannon Miller, who has moved out of the area. The good news though is that he is continuing to help with promoting the program within the theater community in the Lafayette through social media outlets.
I have created a Facebook page for Pop-up Kids theater and acquired the domain name for a website. It is in the early stages of development. The website will legitimize our program when we begin community outreach. In an effort to secure a location, I have contacted Girard Park and am working with Melissa Dalcour and Ronnie Chaisson. We are working on getting several options to lower the cost of an indoor space at either Girard Park, Domingue Recreation Center or the George Dupuis Centers. Our projected completion date remains February 1, 2018.

I also attended the Create Summit that was held in August 2017, and shared the idea with attendees in hopes to recruit volunteers. I made contacts with the following people, who are interested in volunteering and promoting the program:

Daniel Ladmirault from Cite des Art
Sarah Mikayla Brown, founder of Silverbacks Improv
Bree Sargent, Education Director of ACA
Cece Cole, artist and educator
Dennis and Kerrie Skerrett, local teachers
Dayna Haynie, artist and art therapist
Blaze Petersen (volunteer)
Rona Landry and daughter Cainwyn Landry (volunteer)
Julia D. Moroux (volunteer)
Trudy Heflin (volunteer)

And lastly, I have partnered with AOC and their field reporters will be taping the program for all 6 events and promoting the show on AOC’s Community message board. It will be broadcasted thru AOC TV channels. We’ve already begun collecting boxes, containers, paints and other items for costume and set design, and we’re about to begin writing the first script in mid-November 2017. Thanks for following my project, and huge thanks (again!) to all the backers that have supported us along the way. I have much more work to be done, and will keep the community updates as we make progress.

Thanks,
Danielle Moroux (Team Leader)

SPUP Update #3

SPUP Update #3

by | Nov 20, 2017 | Safe Pass Underpass

Dear Community,

To those supporters (and backers) who have been patiently been awaiting movement on SPUP (the new acronym for Safe Pass Under Pass), thank you for your patience. Our goal to bring the best design possible while maximizing the funds provided is paying off, though it hasn’t come without a few trials. Shortly after being awarded $5K from civicside, we decided to try and make SPUP a type of private/public partnership, and applied for funds from the Department of Transportation and Development’s (DOTD) Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). The program’s goal is to work toward building a more balanced transportation system that includes pedestrians and bicyclists as well as the motoring public. The application process has been a bit of a roller coaster, but a year later (July/August 2017) we were awarded an additional $4K. Since a lot of our design was pending on matching funds, we couldn’t proceed until we were sure of the outcome of that process. The kicker…we can’t receive those funds until a later date…bare with me. We contracted with Michael Cullen of LAND Architecture to provide the plans for landscape development and beautification around SPUP. The “vegetative enhancement permit” is being submitted to Louisiana DOTD for approval (pending). We’re hoping that process is not as lengthy as the TAP application.

This quarter we also learned about “ownership” of lighting connections. The lighting for the SPUP was a mystery in-and-of itself. It took a bit of investigating to discover who “owned” the connections as they have not been active for years. We discovered that LUS did own them at one time, and they have agreed to replace them. They are in the process of purchasing and replacing the lights (approval is pending).

While our timeline has been adjusted since inception, we feel confident of our project completion date of March 2018.

Thanks,
Mark DeClouet (Team Leader)

Bus Stop Update #2

Bus Stop Update #2

by | Nov 20, 2017 | Bus Stop Shelters

Dear Community,

Since our last update in March 2017, we’ve expanded our team and vision. The project now has benefitted from the addition of Lafayette artist, CeCe Cole, architect Joel Breaux, structural engineer Alison Lognion and Lafayette Transit System Engineer Warren Abadie. Since then, the visual direction has moved away from the umbrella concept, and has taken a more creative, interactive and culturally significant design. The current design is modeled after something you would find in nature (i.e., a tree that is a natural shelter provider).  The inclusion of local artists in this process has become a living laboratory for the city of Lafayette to experiment with including more creatives in community investments and improvements for better, more innovative solutions.

Our project has stayed true to its mission, and has maintained the $1,500-$3,000 target budget per stop and maintained the same goal of providing shelter, seating, lighting, route information and trash cans to each stop. We’re currently sourcing with different vendors in town to build the components that make up the bus stop. These materials include a combination of aluminum (pole and shelter braces), polycarbonate (shelter with textured pattern) and concrete or rubber-dipped metal for seating.

We continue to learn as the project team has grown and design has changed. When approaching an improved rider experience, it is important to keep in mind: maintenance, replication, sustainability, replacement, cost, predictability and putting the rider needs first. We’ve kept this in mind throughout the entire process.

While, the offer from the Mayor to utilize a staff structural engineer has reduced the cost for research and development, it has added additional time to the process as well. As for our new timeline, we anticipate completed structural engineer drawings in December 2017, and will have a completed prototype by February 2018. This leaves our final timeline to having the final installation of the prototype completed by Spring 2018 and implementation beginning in early 2019. We realize that the timeline and vision for the project has changed since its inception, and we’ve had to sacrifice our timelines for the sake of ensuring rider experience and a quality design. We’re still very confident in the direction, pace, and bus shelter design.

Thanks,
Brittany Broussard and Kate Durio (Team Bus Stop Shelter)

Art Wall Update #2

Art Wall Update #2

by | Nov 20, 2017 | Art Wall

Dear Community,

A little background… My name is Susan, I’m the Executive Director of Freetown Studios (www.freetownstudios.org). I am also the Curator/Project Manager for The Art Wall Project (previously known as the Grafitti Wall). In 2016, I was approached by a 16 year old young man, Asher Corbell, and he asked me to help him create a Graffiti Wall (similar to HOPE Gallery in ATX). I told him I wanted to help in any way possible and became his team member. I encouraged him to apply to a 24 Hour Citizens Project, and he was awarded $1,000.

As mentioned during previous updates, locating a space was difficult as Lafayette is just jumping on the mural/street art scene. As in just barely dipping its toe in the water for the “mural/street art scene” and we still have lots of work to do with the public misconception about graffiti. Most locations fell though because the for reasons of conservatism (I guess) and (perhaps) the organic nature of the concept was difficult to grasp as most building owners want a mural to help “brand” their business and that restricts the creativity of the artist. Most artist (myself included) can see an image of what they want to paint within seconds of looking at a surface (i.e.,page, a wall, and/or a canvas).

Our team has since prevailed, and has identified a location at 124 and 126 S. Buchanan St., Lafayette, LA 70501. The property is owned by LPTFA (Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority). With that location came a change in vision for the wall. The prior ever changing “Graffiti Wall” concept has been changed to the “Art Wall,” which will be designated doors targeted for murals by artists through a formal application process. Each mural will be a permanent public street art installation.

Our team was able to negotiate a contract to include a stipend per door for the artist to use as need for materials as well as a fee for the overall curation of the project. There are a total of 7 roll up warehouse doors, with the benefit being multiple “canvases” for art and the ability to pay our artists working on the project. We also agreed to create a “Call for Art” to have artist applicants submit an application to a juried call to be chosen to work on the project. Our deadline for the artist submission was October 31st and we will announce all participants after November 15th. We anticipate the first artist to start working over Thanksgiving and through December as weather permits with the project to be completed by July 2018.

Follow us here: https://www.facebook.com/artwallatbuchanan/

Thanks,
Susan David (Team Leader)