Community Calendar

NELA Arts Council will kick off its first Brown Bag Concert series, offering a midweek outdoor performance featuring local musicians.

Attendees are encouraged to bring picnic blankets, lawn chairs, and their own lunch, or they may purchase a $6 box lunch catered by Newk's Eatery.

The series will highlight several musicians from the region, beginning with a performance by Julianne Post.

Julianne Post is a folk and Americana artist who recently earned a Golden Ticket to Hollywood on the current season of American Idol.

Her performance will serve as the opening event for the concert series.

Flying Heart Brewing & Pub are collaborating with Project4Hope( a Tiny House Village Transition Program for Veterans) for their annual Flying Heart Cares event.

Enjoy great food, a silent auction, kids coloring contest, and great tunes by DJay!

The Easter Bunny is hopping in to the Children's Museum Friday April 3 and Saturday April 4 from 9am-4pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door this year and all Easter fun is included in your admission. Enjoy Easter Bunny Pics, Make and Take Easter Crafts, Cookie DEGGrating, The Bunny Patch and more.

Corner Vet Clinic presents a fun and educational day for kids to explore the veterinary world through hands on activities including animal care workshops, interactive demonstrations and pet first aid lessons.

Each child will receive their Junior Vet for Success package, complete activities throughout the hospital, and graduate with their own Junior Veterinarian Certificate!

Call for Artists: Be Part of the School of Design Gala Fundraiser
The School of Design is thrilled to invite artists to submit work for our annual Gala Fundraiser, an evening where creativity takes center stage and art directly fuels opportunity. By donating an artwork to the gala’s silent auction, you are helping fund student scholarship, innovative programming, and transformative educational experiences for emerging designers and artists.

This is more than a fundraiser—it’s a celebration! Your work will be showcased to an engaged audience of collectors, alumni, faculty, and community supporters who are passionate about the arts. Participating artists receive a discounted ticket, 50% proceeds split upon sale of work, recognition during the event and on promotional gala materials, meaningful visibility for their practice, and the satisfaction of knowing their work is making a lasting impact. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Join us in shaping an unforgettable evening that champions creativity, generosity, and the future of design. Your contribution helps ensure that the School of Design continues to inspire, challenge, and empower the next generation of creative leaders.

Louisiana Tech University School of Design is pleased to announce
More Than Enough: The 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition
Artists’ Talks: 5pm, Tuesday April 7th, 2026
F.J. Taylor Visual Arts Center (TV AC) Room 103
Opening Reception: 5pm, Tuesday April 7th, 2026
All events are free, accessible and open to the public.
Exhibition Viewing:
School of Design: Bathea and Moffett Gallery
F. Jay. Taylor Visual Arts Center
1 Mayfield Avenue
Ruston, LA 71272
More Than Enough: The 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibitions
Featuring works by MFA s candidates Daija Essien (Studio Art) and Daisy Bright (Studio Art)
Candidates will present their thesis.
Daija Essien’s artwork investigates how identity is shaped between self-
understanding and the external gaze, where authenticity remains layered, conditional, and in flux.Daisy Bright’s
(Studio Art) exhibit, Anon & Onward, examines her identity as a disabled
woman through a constructed, immersive world that blending memory, imagination, and mixed media
to challenge societal frameworks that reduce disability to limitation. Bright’s artwork responds by emphasizing
emotional complexity, embodied experience, and human value beyond productivity.
Candidates will speak to the public
at 5pm, Tuesday, April 7th, which will include which will include a visual presentation of their
creative practice, influences, and research
results, followed by a Q &A; A session with the audience.
The exhibition in the School of Design Galleries immediately follows at 6pm.

Artist Tina Bailey Roush and her husband have traveled across America in their RV for 16 years, absorbing the beauty of the land and uniqueness of the people. Along the way, Tina has been painting what she sees. An exhibit of her artworks will be displayed in the Union Museum of History and Art beginning with an opening reception on Thursday, April 9, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Come meet Tina and see her visual celebration of America.

Spring herb and plant sale. Educational sessions on growing herbs, vendors related to plants, food truck.
Indoor event. Convenient parking . Free event.

"Coast-to-Coast, Border-to-Border -- 16 years of full-time RV life" will feature Tina and John Roush sharing their experiences as road warriors: the good, the bad, the oh-so-funny. Tina, by the way, is an artist, capturing America's intriguing sights with her paintbrushes along the way. What they'll cover in their April 11 program: •pros and cons of living in a tiny space •preparatory knowledge of RV •finding volunteer/workcamper jobs •apps/planning a route •highlights of our jobs and experiences •questions/answers
Tina's artworks will be on display in the Union Museum of History and Art from April 9-May 13, in her "Celebrate America-an Artistic Journey Across the USA" exhibit.

On the evening of April 11, 2026, the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the Society for Studio Art Students (SSAS), and Women in Architecture (WIA), along with leaders from other academic clubs within the Louisiana Tech University School of Design, will host the fourth annual School of Design Gala. This prestigious event celebrates the exceptional creativity, dedication, and innovation demonstrated by students within the university’s Design program.

The evening will commence with an exclusive donor cocktail hour from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m with a selection of house wines and cocktails. Following this intimate gathering, doors will open to students and the general public at 7:00 p.m., inviting all attendees to partake in a night of elegance and camaraderie.

Drawing inspiration from the art deco period, this year’s gala embodies a unified vision of artistic excellence. Guests are encouraged to don formal black-tie attire and join us in Ruston for an unforgettable experience that honors the rich heritage of design. Proceeds from this year's gala will directly support student organizations, events, and conferences, fostering leadership and professional growth in the field of design. Notably, the funds raised will empower all participating academic organizations with pedagogical and professional opportunities, further elevating Louisiana Tech University's School of Design on the national stage.

https://www.schoolofdesigngala.com/