Downtown Covington comes to life with SPRING FOR ART 2010! Saturday, April 17 from 5pm – 9pm

Sponsored by, St. Tammany Homestead, Jim Carey Distributing, New Orleans St. Tammany Art Association, Homes & Lifestyles Magazine, Republic Beverage and dozens of participating local galleries and merchants, Spring for Art draws some 3,000 visitors to the historic St. John district each Spring. New work by dozens of artists from around the Southeast Region will be showcased. The free event includes live music at various outdoor and indoor locations, gallery openings, live music, art demonstrations, special sales, first-rate boutique shopping, antiques stores and fine dining throughout Downtown Covington. Columbia Street and the 200 block of Lee Lane will be closed to vehicle traffic from 4:30-8:30 pm on the night of the event. Shoppers, art lovers and music enthusiasts alike can stroll the streets, taking in the sights and sounds of this highly anticipated yearly event.

STAA Spring for Art Exhibition: Robert Warrens

The featured exhibition at the St. Tammany Art Association is Robert Warrens: The Woods and the Persuasion of Nature. Warrens is a Professor Emeritus of Louisiana State University. His extensive bibliography includes articles in major art journals and awards and grants from the Pollock Krasner Foundation, the Andy Warhol Foundation, the Contemporary Arts Center, the New Orleans Museum of Art, and the Delgado Society. He is both a painter and a sculptor. His professional career includes 45 solo exhibitions in museums, universities, and galleries throughout the United States, particularly the South, including a major museum retrospective at NOMA in 1990 which exhibited 100 works of art.

Chef's Challenge + The Bartender's Competition

Visitors can enjoy our “Chef’s Challenge Competition” on Lee Lane at 5:30 pm sponsored by Jim Carey Distributing and our newest edition “The Bartenders Competition” on Columbia Street from 7-7:30 pm. We will also have live performances by local musicians such as; The Rick Samson Band sponsored by 200 Block of Columbia Street Merchants and Robert Tasso sponsored by High Five Studio located in the 500 block of Columbia Street as well as several other locations on Columbia Street and on the 200 block of Lee Lane.

Spring for Art After Hours

Looking for something to do after 8pm? Be sure to catch some live local music at one of the many music venues sponsoring Spring for Art After Hours such as the Seiler Bar and the Tap Room which will have “Blue Meanies” performing, Calypso Bar & Grill will have Alex Peters, and Sorelli’s Brick Oven will have a live performance “Roy McGrath Jazz Trio”. Other participating restaurants include Lola on New Hampshire, Del Porto Restaurant and Buster’s on Boston, Coffee Rani, Calypso and New Orleans Food & Spirits on Lee Lane and Sorelli’s Brick Oven on Columbia Street and Mattina Bella Restaurant on East Gibson.

St. Tammany Homestead 19th Annual Spring for Art 2010 and the featured exhibition at St. Tammany Art Association are sponsored by, Jim Carey Distributing, New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles Magazine, Republic Beverage, and Covington retailers and galleries, with generous volunteer support by STAA, and the City of Covington and is supported by a grant from the Louisiana State Arts Council through the Louisiana Division of the Arts, the National Endowment for the arts and the American Recovery and Reinvestment and a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council as administered by the St. Tammany Commission on Cultural Affairs.

Programs with locations and contact information for each participating shop are available at STAA and at your favorite locations around Covington. For more information, to become a sponsor, or to volunteer during this fun event, contact the St. Tammany Art Association at 985-892-8650 or email info@sttammanyartassociation.org.