Photos provided by Beth Terry with Phoenix Photography.
Whiskey from Japan! Whiskey from Texas! Good ol’ Irish whiskey!
Delicious food! Amazing art! And a dude who (no hyperbole) looked straight up like Season 2-and-beyond Rick Grimes!
Really, what more do you need in an evening?
The Norton Gallery recently hosted its latest after-hours event, “Water of Life: The Art of Whiskey.” Like the “Art of Beer” and the “Art of Love” before it, the eagerly anticipated fete quickly sold out and left everyone abuzz with good vibrations and a new appreciation for Shreveport’s cultural scene.
“We had people calling all day before the event asking if we had added more tickets,” said Emily Feazel, the Creative and Visual Arts Director for the museum. “We wanted to do another after-hours event because the previous two did so well, and it’s another way for people to explore the museum, since it typically closes at 5.”
So why whiskey? (I mean, why not whiskey, really, but I digress.)
“We wanted to focus on something a little more American – Bourbon was the first thing that came to mind. But as we started to find out how many different and popular types there were, it expanded to include the Japanese, Irish, Scotch, et cetera.”
Julia Brouillette, who happened upon the event while visiting from Alexandria, said, “I had no idea Shreveport had such an amazing art gallery!”
(To be fair, neither did this Heliopoliser, and she’s been here for a decade. For shame.)
All in the Norton Gallery’s not-so-devious plan. “A lot of people have never been to the gallery. It’s such a treasure to the city and an amazing establishment,” Feazel said. “When people come, they’re surprised at the amount of prestigious art we have here in Shreveport!”
Norton featured five stations with six whiskey brands: Michter’s Bourbon, TX, Hibiki Harmony, Clontarf Irish, Dalmore 12 year old Scotch, and Hellcat Maggie Irish Whiskey.
(TX stole this Louisiana girl’s heart … and a little bit of her sobriety for the night.)
Each station was paired with an art piece and an actor embodying the background and spirit of the whiskey, including an Irish leprechaun, a Japanese geisha, a Texas cowboy, a Kentucky gentleman, and a Scottish lad.
Cuban Liquor provided the culinary spread and cash bar, and AJ Haynes of The Seratones serenaded partygoers as they mingled.
“I’ve been to Norton for exhibits,” said Kelly Carlisle, one of the attendees, “but this was the first Norton at night I’ve attended. I really enjoyed the musician and selection of cheeses from Cuban’s food pantry.”
What does Emily hope people take away from events like this? “Just a new found sense of the museum. We’re breathing new life into it, and it’s always evolving and changing. We’re hoping to open it up to a whole new audience.”
“I’m usually in my pajamas with my Netflix pulled up by this time of night,” half-joked Gerald Posey, who also attended the event. “But this was great. This was worth it!”
Echoing the sentiment of the evening, his son remarked, “I can’t wait to come back and just look at some of this art! I had no clue this was even here.”
Mission accomplished.
Next up for Norton Gallery: “Hashtagging History,” an exhibit curated by the museum which will feature historical figures as if they had access to social media. Think @MarieAntoinette’s #OOTD (Outfit of the Day!)
The exhibit opens in January, and the gallery’s famed “Night at the Museum” event will also be happening later in 2016.
The gallery is open from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1 p.m.–5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
For more information:
Facebook: R. W. Norton Art Gallery
Instagram: @rwnortonartgallery
Website: www.rwnaf.org