peter pan centennial

Peter Pan in Shreveport? It's true! 

Pixie dust. Fairytales. Magical experiences are awaiting you during the Peter Pan-Centennial, September-December 2004 in Shreveport-Bossier's new West Edge Arts District. The Shreveport Regional Arts Council (SRAC) will bring Peter Pan to Shreveport for his 100th birthday celebration. 

With great fanfare, the community and visitors alike will be able to take part in the "Neverland Street Faire" featuring "Edwardian Era" activities and perhaps flying, Peter Pan Fan Club Birthday Parties, creation of a 40 feet "Never Tree" and a giant "Lost Boys Forest". 

The celebration will open to the public, Saturday, Sept. 18, with the faire and Peter Pan-Centennial exhibits that will span two floors of Artspace. This Artspace is Shreveport's first arts center dedicated to the creation, production, presentation, promotion and exploration of all the art disciplines and forms for multi-generational audiences, and offered in a participatory, hands-on manner. 

Under curational direction of William Joyce, author and creator of two-time Emmy-Award winning television program Rollie Pollie Ollie, the exhibitions of area artists illustrating one scene from Peter Pan, by Sir J.M. Barrie will extend Artspace's lower floor. The Peter Pan showcase also will consist of memorabilia including original manuscripts and illustrations, costumes from the first plays, and props from the Broadway play with Mary Martin and all Peter Pan movies. 

So, why Peter Pan? And, why Shreveport? 

"It is our hope that the Peter Pan-Centennial will expose new and old generations to one of the world's best-known children's book," said SRAC's Executive Director Pam Atchinson. "And Shreveport is the ideal place for a celebration of this magnitude, because of this area's love of the arts." 

Shreveport is committed to the arts and created a West Edge Arts District. Artspace will serve as a catalyst for greater activity for other arts venues such as Southern University Museum of Art, Strand Theater, and Kuumba Gallery, all in the 500 and 600 blocks of Texas Street downtown. 

The "Never Tree" outside of Artspace is just a shadow of things coming in the West Edge Arts District. This tree and the "Lost Boys Forest" are works of world-renowned artist, Patrick Dougherty. His art references architectural, sculptural and landscape forms with inventive natural, nest-like arrangements. Photos are available. 

-Pat, shreveport-bossier.blogspot.com, 2004

about
Patrick Dougherty

Combining his carpentry skills with his love of nature, says the site stickwork.net, Patrick Dougherty began to learn about primitive techniques of building and to experiment with tree saplings as construction material. 

Beginning about 1980 with small works, fashioned is his backyard, he quickly moved from single pieces on conventional pedestals to monumental site-specific installations that require sticks by the truckload. 

To date he has built over two hundred such massive sculptures all over the world.

His home base is his handmade house of log in Chapel Hill, NC where he lives with his wife Linda and son Sam.

-Robert Trudeau, May 5, 2010