HOnoring
Paula Hallman

Paula Hallman was a skilled painter and sculptor, known best for the long-necked, mostly female fantasy dolls she created. According to photographer and author Neil Johnson, Hallman’s inspiration for her dolls came from that place where creativity is kept—in that state of mind just when one is falling asleep, leaving the conscious world and entering the unconscious world of dreams.

One of Hallman’s dolls is adorned with a halo of roses upon which a fat fish with brilliant red fins sits and another is a ghostly musician with a small crescent moon for a head, but all have those elongated necks. In Paula’s words, “ with their long necks, they can see into both worlds.”

Her artist statement was, “ Life is overflowing with beauty, mystery and enchantment. Oftentimes, we are too busy or involved in our daily struggles to notice the beauty in our world (or other worlds!). My goal as an artist is to remind us to see the beauty, feel the joy or maybe just to smile!” Paula Hallman’s art has brought a smile to many people.

Honoring
Carlos Colon

Carlos Colon was Caddo Parish Poet Laureate and publisher of more than 1,000 poems and 12 chapter books. Carlos has often been credited with creating the literary community inNorthwest Louisiana. He was best known for his comical haiku poetry, which he often performed in Elvis costumes. He was a long-time librarian at Shreveport Memorial Library and curated revolving exhibits of haiku by poets from around the world for the Electronic Poetry Network from 1997-2011.

Honoring
Jane Ryder

Jane Ryder created with feathers, flowers, veiling and a design style that captured the eye and imaginations of world-wide celebrities and movie producers as well as people in her adopted home of Shreveport. Northwest Louisiana loved Ryder’s vibrancy and her spirit and often wore her hats for Derby Day at Louisiana Downs. She designed a dress that was worn to the Oscars and Joan Rivers wore one of her hats—a burgundy one with a big feather--in“ Fashion Police.” Her credits include Olympus Has Fallen, Playing the Field, Drive Angry, Battle 2 Los Angeles, Mad Money and others.