Worthy Causes: The St. Tammany Art Association's Geaux Arts Ball 
For 50 years, the St. Tammany Art Association has offered art education for youths and adults, sponsored community events and provided an outlet for its members to display and sell their work.
In conjunction with Inside Northside, STAA will hold its major fundraiser, the Geaux Arts Ball, on January 24, with the theme “Great Art Thefts Throughout the Ages.” The fourth such gala since 2004, the association plans for it to be an annual event in the future.
During the ball, art comes to life. Classic paintings and sculptures are portrayed in tableaux featuring costumed members and students. “The Geaux Arts Ball provides more than entertainment,” says ball coordinator Alison Greffenius. She notes that it’s also an educational experience, where patrons can learn about the paintings reproduced during the ball.
“It brings a totally different aspect of art,” says Cathy Deano, STAA board president. “We also do a silent auction featuring the artistic donations we receive. There’s food and music. But it’s much more like an old-time cocktail party than a formal dance.”
STAA was founded in 1958 by a small group of civic-minded individuals dedicated to bringing art to the parish community. Today, it has more than 800 members. Meghan Garcia, coordinator of the STAA Art House in Covington, says, “We are really striving to open up and become more accessible.” She adds that being accessible means, in part, “Getting people over their fear of art.” Reaching out through art education programs and having its facilities available for public rental as well as its members’ use, are ways STAA strives to meet that goal.
One well-received outreach project is STAA’s “Museum in a Box” program for schools. “We have five large boxes with artifacts from around the world,” Garcia says. Designed for grades K-6, “The teachers can formulate their own curriculum around the artifacts, or use one of the included prepared curricula.”
Museum in a Box is an example of STAA’s involvement with the greater community. The late artist Ann O’Brien started the project in the 1980s, and it’s been expanding since then. “After Katrina, our major loss was our volunteer base,” explains Garcia. “But the Girl Scouts picked up the project.” While STAA provides the supplies, the Girl Scouts maintain the inventory and develop the curricula.
STAA is also reaching out to local high schools and Southeastern Louisiana University to encourage students to become models for the Geaux Arts Ball’s tableaux.
The Art House provides a spacious venue for exhibitions and other functions, with facilities that include pottery wheels, kilns and tools. STAA offers classes in everything from watercolors to ceramics on a regular basis, all taught by professional artists or university-level art graduates. Children’s summer camp programs are very popular. A recently formed photography club meets regularly, as does a figure-drawing group. Member art is on exhibit for sale in the members’ gallery.
STAA sponsors the Fall for Art, Spring for Art and Bastille Day celebrations, and other exhibitions take place throughout the year.
“There’s always something going on here,” says Garcia.
– Stephen Faure
The St. Tammany Art Association’s Art House is located at 320 N. Columbia St. in Covington. Open Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (985) 892-8650. For a full schedule of classes and events, visit sttammanyartassociation.org.
