News & Events

SALVATION ARMY RED KETTLE CAMPAIGN KEEPS UP WITH THE AGES

2009-11-26T08:40:00.000-08:00

The Salvation Army may be 123 years old, but that doesn’t mean it can’t keep up with today’s trends! So if that means adapting to a world filled with music downloads, internet communities and credit cards, so be it.

New Orleans native and Grammy Award-winner Aaron Neville has announced that proceeds from the sales of his new single, “Please Don’t Forget,” will be donated to The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign. Neville recently visited the Army’s Center of Hope on Claiborne Ave. in New Orleans where he was crowned “2009 Kaptain of the Krewe of Christmas.” (www.theweatherchannelmusic.com) & (http://drop.io/nevilleholidayparty)

If online donations are your thing, just log on to www.KreweofChristmas.org where businesses, groups or individuals can create their own “Virtual Kettles” and race against other fundraising teams to help reach the national donation goal of $2 million. Already, the Jonas Brothers, Daughtry, the Dallas Cowboys and the National Hockey League have their own kettles. (http://give.salvationarmyusa.org/site/TR/RedKettleCampaigns/RedKettle?fr_id=1270&pg=entry)

And, in many cities, there’s no need to walk past a red kettle if you don’t have any cash: this year, a select number of Salvation Army kettle locations will have wireless credit /debit card readers. With a swipe of your card, you can donate to those less fortunate and have a receipt to prove it. Though this technology isn’t available this year in the Crescent City, the Area Command is looking for partners to make it happen next Christmas.

Nearly 33 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children.

2nd Annual New Orleans Songwriters Festival

2009-11-23T11:07:00.000-08:00

New Orleans, LA (November 15, 2009)—Songfest Foundation, Inc., a New Orleans-based charitable organization founded to benefit Louisiana and Gulf Coast music and musicians is pleased to announce their second annual New Orleans Songwriters Festival. The event, also known as “Songfest,” is being sponsored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), which has been representing songwriters, composers and publishers since its inception in 1914.

The event will take place Thursday, December 3, Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5, 2009. Scheduled featured performers are J.D. Souther (writer of Eagles’ hits “Best of My Love,” “New Kid in Town” and “Heartbreak Tonight”); Don Schlitz, ASCAP’s four-time Songwriter of the Year and multi- Grammy award winning writer of Kenny Roger’s hit song, “The Gambler” and New Orleans’ own Allen Toussaint.

Up-and-coming area songwriters will have an opportunity to showcase their talent in front of an audience at a Massive Open Mic on Thursday, December 3 at Howlin’ Wolf. This event will be hosted by Nashville’s Barbara Cloyd, who has run the Open Mic at the Bluebird Café in Nashville since its inception more than 20 years ago.

New to Songfest this year is “Urban” music night on Friday, December 4 at Howlin’ Wolf. The evening begins with an Urban Artists & Songwriter Panel hosted by writer/artist/producer Al Kapone and New Orleans’ own Wild Wayne of Q93. This event will be hosted by Reid Wick, Grammy Rep for the Mid-South. Immediately afterwards is the Urban Show featuring Baby Boy Da Prince, N.O. Capo, J Lyric & Asia Bryant.

New Orleans Songwriters Festival’s mission is to promote the composition of original music in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region as well as advance the careers of the area's writers and musicians by providing performance opportunities in front of publishing and music industry center professionals that will be at the event. Event proceeds will be donated to area music- and musician-related charities. Last year’s charity recipient was the New Orleans Musicians Clinic.

WHAT: New Orleans Songwriters Festival

WHEN: Thursday, December 3, 2009

Where:
Event: Songfest/Bluebird Open Mic hosted by Barbara Cloyd
Venue: Howlin’ Wolf
Time: 7:00 pm – 2:00 am

Event: Writer’s Round featuring John Michael Rouchell,
Mark Stephen Jones & Andrew Duhon
Venue: Tipitina’s
Time: 9:00pm - midnight

Event: Writer’s Round featuring Caleb Guillotte, Mark Adam Miller & Sam Craft
Venue: Carrollton Station
Time: 9:00 pm – midnight

WHEN: Friday, December 4, 2009

Where:
Event: Urban Artist & Songwriter Panel
Hosted by: Al Kapone, Q93’s Wild Wayne, Stu Schayot & Frank Alquist
Venue: Howlin’ Wolf
Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Tickets: $10 through Ticketweb.com

Event: Urban Show
Performers: Baby Boy Da Prince, N.O. Capo, J Lyric & Asia Bryant
Venue: Howlin’ Wolf
Time: 10:00 pm – 1:00 am
Tickets: $15 through Ticketweb.com

Event: Writer’s Round
Performers: Jim McCormick, Thom Sheppard, Gordon Bradberry &
former-Saint-turned-singer- songwriter Kyle Turley
Venue: Tavern on Vets
Time: 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm

WHEN: Saturday, December 5, 2009

Where:
Event: Americana Songwriters Workshop
Hosted by: Barbara Cloyd
Venue: Blue Nile
Time: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Tickets: $10 at door

Event: Writer’s Round
Hosted by: Jonathan Pretus, Ralph Murphy, Mark Carson and Bud Tower
Venue: Blue Nile
Time: 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Saturday, December 5, 2009 (continued)

Event: Concert
Performers: Allen Toussaint, Chuck Perkins, Dennis Matkosky, Don Schlitz,
Greg Barnhill & J.D. Souther
Venue: House of Blues
Time: 8:00 pm – 11:30 pm
Tickets: $25 in advance/$30 at door (ticketmaster.com)

WHO: Allen Toussaint, Dennis Matkosky, Don Schlitz, Greg Barnhill, J.D. Souther,
Jim McCormick & Kyle Turley

WHY: To promote songwriting in the New Orleans & Gulf Coast region

MORE For further information about the New Orleans Songwriter Festival, contact festival
INFO: organizers, Bud Tower and Buck Provosty at info@nosongfest.coml.

AARON NEVILLE’S HOLIDAY SINGLE BENEFITS SALVATION ARMY RED KETTLE CAMPAIGN NATIONWIDE

2009-11-23T08:39:00.000-08:00

New Orleans native and Grammy Award-winner Aaron Neville announced that proceeds from the sales of his new single, “Please Don’t Forget,” will be donated to The Salvation Army’s nationwide Red Kettle Christmas Campaign. Neville recently visited The Salvation Army’s Center of Hope on Claiborne Avenue in New Orleans where he was crowned “2009 Kaptain of the Krewe of Christmas.”

“[The] Salvation Army bells … bring hope, happiness and awareness to so many around the U.S.,” said Neville. “‘Please Don't Forget’ is just a reminder to reach out a hand to our brothers and sisters who may need a little extra help this holiday season and every season for generations to come.”

With this year’s difficult economic climate, the Army is facing new challenges – an increase in numbers of families seeking help and an increase in the cost of providing that help. Because 80% of the year’s total donations are made during the Christmas season, The Salvation Army is looking to the local community for extra support. Along with much-needed monetary donations, they are hoping for gifts of time and space.

“We are asking businesses in the French Quarter and the CBD to allow us to station a kettle at your location once or twice during the holiday season in hopes of reaching new people,” said Captain Ethan Frizzell, Area Commander for The Salvation Army. “And we are looking for volunteer bell ringers to donate a couple hours of time to man a kettle and help us raise vital funds for those less fortunate.”

If time is an issue, online giving is available at www.KreweOfChristmas.org where businesses, groups or individuals can create their own “Virtual Kettles” and race against other fundraising teams to help reach the national donation goal of $2 million.

Donations received during the Krewe of Christmas campaign fund ongoing programs that feed, clothe, shelter and rehabilitate thousands of needy New Orleanians throughout the year. The Salvation Army is thankful to Krewe of Christmas sponsors Rooms To Go, Dickie Brennan’s Restaurants, and Dillard’s – Lakeside Mall for “doing the most good” in New Orleans.

In addition, “Please Don’t Forget” is available by download from www.theweatherchannelmusic.com and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Annual Red Kettle Christmas Campaign.

****MEDIA*****
For video B-roll and photos of Aaron Neville, a sampling of the song and a more
detailed press release, please visit:
http://drop.io/nevilleholidayparty

To Participate in the Krewe of Christmas:

Volunteer Bell Ringer: To donate your time, please contact Gail Sherman at (504) 208 8121 or visit www.KreweOfChristmas.org.

Red Kettle at Your Business: To station a kettle at your location, please contact Gail Sherman at (504) 208 8121 or visit www.KreweOfChristmas.org.

Virtual Kettle Online: To donate online, please visit www.KreweOfChristmas.org.
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About The Salvation Army:
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination since 1865. Nearly 33 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. About 83 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services in nearly 9,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to http://www.salvationarmyusa.org.

LIMITED EDITION NEW ORLEANS SAINTS’ SILKSCREEN BENEFITS LOUISIANA CHARITIES

2009-10-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

Acclaimed artist Alex Beard, along with New Orleans Saints Owner/ Executive Vice-President Rita Benson LeBlanc, recently unveiled silkscreens of Beard’s original painting, Geaux Saints Geaux! An extremely limited number of only 500 prints will be sold, with the proceeds directly benefiting charities across Louisiana.

And, a select few can own a limited edition Geaux Saints Geaux silkscreen signed by a favorite Saints star!

Beard based his painting on the state flag of Louisiana. “The Saints are integral to the fabric of life in Louisiana,” says Beard. “I wanted my painting to reflect the importance of the relationship between the Saints, Louisiana, and its citizens. That the proceeds from the silkscreen sales will go to charities around the state shows that we are all tied together as one community looking out for each other.”

The silkscreens are available at www.alexbeardstudio.com at varying price points:

 Signed by artist Alex Beard starting at $250

 Signed by Beard and Coach Sean Payton starting at $500
 Signed by Beard and Drew Brees starting at $500
 Signed by Beard and Reggie Bush starting at $500
 Signed by Beard and Marques Colston starting at $500
 Signed by Beard and Jonathan Vilma starting at $500

 Signed by Beard, Payton, Brees, Bush, Colston and Vilma starting at $1500

“We couldn’t be happier to work with Alex Beard to raise funds for charities in Louisiana,” said LeBlanc. “Geaux Saints Geaux perfectly demonstrates how committed the Saints are to our state, our community, and our fans.”

All are available now for purchase online at www.alexbeardstudio.com. You can also link to the Alex Beard Studio’s home page through www.neworleanssaints.com to purchase.

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About Alex Beard
Alex Beard has emerged as one of his generation's most creative and successful artists. Vanity Fair magazine singled him out as “… an accomplished artist, an adventurer, and an accidental entrepreneur.” Alex’s artwork hangs on public and private walls around the world, as well as in his new gallery on the corner of Royal Street and Pirate’s Alley in the French Quarter.

“The Jungle Grapevine,” Beard’s debut illustrated children’s book, was published by Abrams Books in September 2009. In addition, this autumn will see new Alex Beard Impossible Puzzles, the introduction of the Untamed Collection, a series of party and strategy games, as well as stationery, sketchbooks and the like, that feature all new Alex Beard art.

For more information, please visit www.alexbeardstudio.com.

ARTIST ALEX BEARD EXPANDS SUCCESSFUL LINE OF IMPOSSIBLE PUZZLES

2009-10-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

When artist Alex Beard introduced his Impossible PuzzlesTM in September 2008, he knew he was taking a chance. The puzzles were unconventional, to say the least, and challenged the gamer with some pretty creative thinking. Luckily, players were ready for the challenge, and Alex Beard Impossible PuzzlesTM exceeded all sales expectations with over 50,000 puzzles sold to date.

Now, Beard is unveiling four new designs: Peacock, Nautilus, Butterflies and The Watering Hole. Each is based on an original work of art by Beard, featuring his signature complex style of Abstract Naturalist creations. The Watering Hole is the first Impossible Puzzle created in wood especially for Barnes & Noble. As with last year’s collection, each puzzle can be rearranged into a new composition, a new outline, a new image – a work of art of the puzzler’s very own.

Beard also is continuing his Impossible PuzzlesTM online contest. Participants are invited to upload images of their unique works of puzzle art to be judged by Beard at the end of the year. The winner will receive a one-of-a-kind piece of original art created by Beard. More details are available at www.alexbeardimpossiblepuzzles.com.

Alex Beard Impossible Puzzles can be found at major retailers, including Borders, Borders.com, Amazon.com, and Books A Million priced between $15 and $25. Butterflies is exclusive to Target and Target.com. The Watering Hole wooden puzzle is available only at Barnes & Noble and bn.com.

Please contact Stafford Scott at 504.491.4249 or stafford@skewedcommunications.com if you have any questions, require further press materials or would like any samples for review. As well, please visit www.alexbeardstudio.com for additional information.

# # #

About Alex Beard
Alex Beard is a painter and writer who has emerged as one of his generation’s most creative and successful artists. Through his work, Beard hopes to demystify art and share the creative experience with as many people as possible, using every tool he can find.

“The Jungle Grapevine,” Beard’s debut children’s book, was published by Abrams Books for Young Readers in September 2009. A modern telling of the classic telephone game, the book introduces the world of the Watering Hole and its inhabitants, and is based on Beard’s many experiences in Africa. A companion set of board games, card games and puzzles accompanied the book’s release.

In conjunction with a national book tour to promote “The Jungle Grapevine,” Beard is introducing his “Kids’ Day” events across the country this fall. “Kids’ Days” encourage children of all ages to embrace their inner artists and participate with Beard in the creative process; drawing and painting, and having fun with art.

Late 2009 will also see new additions to the popular Alex Beard Impossible Puzzles line, as well as the introduction of the Untamed Collection, a series of party and strategy games, as well as stationery, sketchbooks and the like, that feature all new Alex Beard art. Beard’s artwork hangs on public and private walls around the world, as well as in his new gallery on the corner of Royal Street and Pirate’s Alley in New Orleans. For more information, please visit his website at www.alexbeardstudio.com.

© 2009 Alex Beard Studio

ARTIST ALEX BEARD LETS LOOSE WITH WILD COLLECTION OF UNTAMED GAMES

2009-09-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

Alex Beard is not one to rest on his laurels. After introducing his innovative line of Impossible Puzzles last year, Beard had more ideas to expand the collection – the puzzles were just the tip of the iceberg. As a painter, writer and traveler, Beard’s days are consumed by his insatiable curiosity. His imagination runs wild… untamed, if you will. And so, Alex Beard’s Untamed CollectionTM was born.

UNTAMED GAMES
Beard’s mission of demystifying art and making it accessible to everyone was the impetus behind his new party and strategy games. HexahedronTM, Face to FaceTM and Untamed Playing Cards all feature Beard’s original art with the goal of inspiring creative thinking long after the game is over.

“After the great success of the Impossible Puzzles, we couldn’t wait to see what Alex was going to come up with next,” said Chip Voigt, CEO of Fundex Games, Ltd. “The distinctive and captivating artwork of Alex’s Untamed Games™ are a fresh approach to the game market today.”

Beard’s Untamed GamesTM can be found at Borders, Borders.com, Amazon.com, BN.com, Calendar Clubs and select Barnes and Noble stores nationally.

HexahedronTM: An Abstract Matching Game
Recreate Beard’s art one cube at a time. Choose a painting card, study it, and then race against the timer to match the artwork in 3 dimensions. Six cubes, six sides, and the sand is falling fast! ($29.99- available 10/1/09)

Face to FaceTM: A Cubist Strategy Game
Play an eye, a nose or a mouth in the right place at the right time to win the game, and in the process create a unique cubist composition. It’s a new twist on dominoes: players need to match facial features and colors. ($19.99- available now)

Untamed Playing Cards
Two decks of playing cards featuring Alex Beard’s original artwork. The back of each card is either a pair of peacocks or an abstract painting while the playing side of each card has unique images. ($10.99 –available now)

Beard, at only 38, has emerged as one of his generation's most creative and successful artists. Vanity Fair magazine singled him out as “… an accomplished artist, an adventurer, and an accidental entrepreneur redefining the New York gallery scene.” Influenced to think creatively from a young age by his uncle, noted photographer Peter Beard, Beard grew up among some of the world's most interesting and influential people -- Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, and their Pop World cohorts were familiar faces in the Beard household.

Alex’s French Quarter and New York City Studios have not just been chic destinations, but open to the public in a way that has encouraged and fostered interaction between the artist and his audience. The Alex Beard Studio has proven itself to be a contemporary phenomenon.

Beard’s debut children’s picture book, The Jungle GrapevineTM, will be published by Abrams Books for Young Readers in September 2009. During a national fall book tour, he also will introduce his “Kids’ Day” concept at events across the country. “Kids’ Day” encourages children of all ages to embrace their inner artists and unleash their creativity by drawing and painting with Beard.

Please contact Stafford Scott at 504.491.4249 or stafford@skewedcommunications.com if you have any questions, require further press materials or would like any samples for review. As well, please visit www.alexbeardstudio.com for additional information.

# # #

About Alex Beard
Alex Beard is a painter and writer who has emerged as one of his generation’s most creative and successful artists. Through his work, Beard hopes to demystify art and share the creative experience with as many people as possible, using every tool he can find.

This autumn will also see new additions to the popular Alex Beard Impossible Puzzles line, as well as the introduction of the Untamed CollectionTM, a series of party and strategy games, as well as stationery, sketchbooks and the like, that feature all new Alex Beard art. Beard’s artwork hangs on public and private walls around the world, as well as in his new gallery on the corner of Royal Street and Pirate’s Alley in New Orleans. For more information, please visit his website at www.alexbeardstudio.com.

© 2009 Alex Beard Studio

ALEX BEARD’S “JUNGLE GRAPEVINE” GAMES AND PUZZLES SHOW KIDS A ROARING GOOD TIME

2009-09-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

In The Jungle GrapevineTM (Abrams, Sept. 2009), acclaimed artist and debut author Alex Beard introduces children to the mixed-up adventures of some of the African savanna’s most colorful inhabitants. Kids will love Beard’s whimsical depictions of Lion, Gazelle, Crocodile and Elephant engaged in an uproarious game of telephone.

Along with the book, Beard has created a companion set of board games, card games and puzzles featuring The Jungle Grapevine’sTM most endearing characters.

“It is never too early to spark a child’s imagination,” says Beard. “I hope the book and games will inspire kids to think creatively and wonder about the world around them.”

THE JUNGLE GRAPEVINE PUZZLES
Three 24-piece puzzles feature images taken directly from The Jungle GrapevineTM book: Snapping Croc, Snake and Elephant and Croc! Croc! Flee! Flee! The puzzles, appropriate for ages 3+, retail for $7.99.

THE JUNGLE GRAPEVINETM BOARD GAME
In The Race to the Watering Hole board game, players choose to be Lion, Giraffe, Rhino, Gazelle, Elephant or Croc and race through the jungle by drawing cards and avoiding unexpected “wild” surprises. First player to the Watering Hole wins! The game (ages 3+) includes 64 cards and 6 playing pieces and retails for $14.99.

THE JUNGLE GRAPEVINE CARD GAMES
Kids will love seeing their favorite Jungle GrapevineTM characters in Beard’s recreation of classic card games: Go Fish, Funny Old Hippo (Old Maid) and Crazy Lizards (Crazy 8s). The 3-in-1 card games retail for $12.99.

In The Jungle GrapevineTM Matching Game, players attempt to remember and match different animals. The game includes 72 matching cards, 4 score cards, 24 tokens, and instructions for two levels of play and retails for $9.99.

Alex Beard’s colorful hand-illustrated Alphabet Flash Cards make wonderful wall art for any nursery or child’s bedroom. The 26 8x10 cards retail for $19.99

ANIMAL POP-OUT PUZZLES
Older kids (ages 8+) can also share their love of wild animals with Beard’s line of 3-D wooden pop-out puzzles. Inspired by his artwork, the pop-out puzzles can create an elephant or a giraffe, though Beard is already working on new animals for 2010. The puzzles retail for $7.95 apiece.

In conjunction with a national book tour to promote The Jungle GrapevineTM, Beard will introduce his “Kids’ Day” concept at events across the country this fall. Kids’ Day encourages children of all ages to embrace their inner artists and participate with Beard in the creative process; drawing and painting, and having fun with art. To see if a Kids’ Day will take place near you, please visit www.alexbeardstudio.com.

Please contact Stafford Scott at 504.491.4249 or stafford@skewedcommunications.com if you have any questions, require further press materials or would like a sample for review. As well, please visit www.alexbeardstudio.com for additional information.

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NEW ORLEANS JESTERS FALL TO BRADENTON ACADEMICS IN DIVISION PLAYOFFS

2009-07-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

The New Orleans Jesters lost 1-0 to the Bradenton Academics in the first round of the PDL Southeast Division Playoffs tonight in Ridgeland, MS.

Key players PJ Kee, Mark Ross and Gary Stopforth were unable to play in tonight’s game. Stopforth was suspended, Ross was injured and Kee was taking the bar exam. James Gledhill played, but was injured as well.

“Obviously, our goal was to win and continue on to the next round, and so we are disappointed,” said Jesters’ head coach Kenny Farrell. “But, I’m incredibly proud of our team and our players. For a first year organization, they’ve done a brilliant job.”

“Our goal was to raise the level of soccer in the New Orleans area, and I believe we achieved that goal,” said Jesters’ owner and CEO Dana Stumpf. “We have an outstanding team and an amazing fan base, and we are already looking forward to next season.”

For more information on the New Orleans Jesters soccer team, ticket packages, game schedule, youth camps, community appearances, or to request players for appearances, please visit www.nolajesters.com.

# # #

About the New Orleans Jesters
The New Orleans Jesters soccer team was founded in 2009 by owner Dana Stumpf and head coach Kenny Farrell to raise the level of soccer in the Greater New Orleans area, to offer the community family-friendly entertainment and to provide children with the opportunity to receive professional soccer instruction through camps, clinics and training sessions.

The team is a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL), which is the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, and plays in the Southeast Division of the Southern Conference. Home games are played at Pan American Stadium in City Park.

For more information, please visit www.nolajesters.com.

TRU COLORS PUTS THE STYLE WOMEN WANT IN GAME DAY APPAREL

2009-06-11T08:34:00.000-07:00

In the South, football is not just a sport, it’s a religion. Come fall, weekends in Louisiana will be completely focused on football: Friday night high school games, Saturday college tailgating marathons, and Sunday afternoons in the Superdome.

And each weekend, tens of thousands of people are looking for just the right color combinations to show their team spirit. For men, it’s easy: a replica football jersey or body paint.

But, if a woman wants to show her team spirit, her options are much more limited. A shrunken pink jersey? An unflattering ladies’ golf knit? Or, she can search for something that will pass for at least one of her team colors. While dressing for a Saints game in 2007, old friends Amy Chenevert and Gretchen Gilich encountered that very issue – and came up with a truly stylish solution.

The women partnered to create Tru Colors – a line of stylish, flattering tops and dresses uniquely positioned to make a game day statement. Tru Colors offers simple, clean, classic silhouettes in teams’ easily identifiable color combinations -which are often hard to find.

The concept is a fusion between women’s contemporary fashion and team colors, so women can show their spirit in a savvy way rather than having it written on their sleeves. No logos or licensed product are incorporated into the garments.

“Women want to support their team, but look good while doing it,” said Gilich, who brings her longtime sales and marketing experience to the company. “Wearing a bedazzled halter or a tank top with your school mascot stamped across your chest isn’t necessarily the only way to show school spirit.”

“There must be better options for women’s game day apparel,” said Chenevert, an Alexandria native whose background includes 12+ years in the fashion industry. “People have been settling for what is out in the market. Tru Colors offers items that customers WANT to wear, rather than what they are forced to buy.”

The partners got to work designing pieces that they knew they would be proud to wear and were ready to ship product in August 2008. In its launch season, Tru Colors apparel was featured in 53 specialty boutiques across the South. Response from retailers was overwhelming.

For 2009, their second season, Chenevert and Gilich got busy developing new styles to add to their collection. The line currently consists of 16 silhouettes in cotton knit fabrications – perfect for those day-long tailgating extravaganzas.
Tru Colors offers pieces in the team colors of LSU, University of Alabama, University of Georgia, Ole Miss, Auburn, University of Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State and SMU and is expanding the line for fans of the University of Florida, Florida State, University of Oklahoma, Texas Tech and University of Arkansas.

All pieces will be available in specialty retailers across the South by August 2009.
You may also find retail locations and more at www.trucolorsapparel.com.

The Teacher’s Guide to Copyright

2009-04-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

(March 11, 2009) – Every day universities and their students are sued for copyright infringement. Teachers have access to wonderful multi-media technology, but worry about how best to communicate with their students without running afoul of the law.

Faculty, librarians, and administrators have legitimate concerns, but there are no clear answers. How much copyrighted material can be used in class? Is the use of copyrighted material in an educational environment automatically “fair use”? May student projects use audio/visual content? What does “public domain” mean? Is a Creative Commons license sufficient protection? What if lectures are webcast or podcast? Do the same rules apply for distance learning?

Copyright expert and author, Mark J. Davis says: “Fair Use in copyright isn’t what you think it is. Traditional notions of what an educator may use for face-to-face teaching do not apply in the electronic classroom. Being wrong could cost you $150,000.”

Mark J. Davis has been practicing music and entertainment law since 1985. He has represented artists, labels, publishers, filmmakers, advertising agencies, and television studios in negotiations and copyright lawsuits. In 2000, the Librarian of Congress appointed Davis as an Arbitrator for the U.S. Copyright Office. This influential position, coupled with his previous copyright law experience, made teaching this very subject a natural next choice. He started teaching his popular class Legal Issues and Copyright in the Music Industry in 2001.

After lecturing students, teachers, administrators, and librarians on the basics of copyright, he decided to share his knowledge with a wider audience. His book, The Teacher’s Guide to Copyright is a must-have tool for teachers, aspiring musicians, and writers to educate themselves on copyright protection.

“I wrote The Teacher's Guide to Copyright to answer questions I’ve been asked by educators across the U.S. Copyright concerns shouldn’t get in the way of teaching and all too often, they do. The book is my roadmap through the intellectual property minefield for other educators.”

In addition to teaching and writing, Davis also tours the country lecturing on copyright law. He’s spoken to the New Media Consortium at Princeton University, the Louisiana Music Educators Association, Tulane University School of Law and at NSU to name a few. In 2008, his website was chosen by MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching) as a teaching supplement.

For more information about Mark J. Davis please visit buzzgig.com. To view a snippet of one of his recent lectures please visit: http://www.artistshousemusic.org/search?cx=001015262861661558902%3Ahitqwqtqx
kc&cof=FORID%3A9&as_q=%22mark+davis%22&sa=Go

The Teacher’s Guide to Copyright is available at Lulu.com, BN.com, amazon.com, and buzzgig.com in either e-book format or paperback. For review copies, please contact kelly@skewedcommunications.com.

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KIDsmART Grows Up

2009-04-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

April 2, 2009 --Almost every day New Orleanians have a similar experience. We pick up the paper and buried somewhere in its pages is a story about another way New Orleans public schools are failing its students. We all think it disappointing and wish that something could be done but usually nothing changes. For artists, Campbell Hutchinson and Alison Stewart, the line in the sand came 10 years ago when they read that New Orleans public schools could no longer subsidize the arts in its curriculum. So this husband and wife team decided to do something about it. During a long car ride they hatched an idea that would bring teaching artists to the classrooms. Their pilot program was launched at Fisher Elementary School with 20 children. KIDsmART was born.

Today, KIDsmART programs are in 11 schools throughout the city and serve over 3400 children. The visual and performance arts are taught to encourage creative thinking and are a fundamental of KIDsmART’s philosophical approach to education. This method aims for a personal connection in the classroom between teacher, student and art. Arts integration also works in professional development of teachers by showing them new ways to communicate to their students.

On Tuesday, April 21, KIDsmART will celebrate their 10th birthday by hosting a party at KIPP: McDonogh 15 School for the Creative Arts to showcase their students, teachers, programs and successes. The party will feature a Hip-Hopera performance by the students choreographed by a KIDsmART teaching artist as well as show off their new look and logo. More information on the celebration follows.

WHAT: KIDsmART’s 10th Birthday Party

WHERE & WHEN: Tuesday April 21, 2009 11 a.m.
KIPP: McDonogh 15 Elementary School
721 St. Phillip Street (between Bourbon & Royal Sts.)

WHY: To showcase KIDsmART’s programs, their new look and
celebrate their 10 years
of educating kids through art.

WHO: KIDsmART’s students, teaching artists & Board of Directors
New Orleans City Council Members James Carter & Arnie Fielkow

MORE For further information about KIDsmART please visit
kidsmart.org or contact kelly@skewedcommunications.com.

INFO:

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Natalie Scott: A Magnificent Life Released

2008-11-17T10:11:00.000-08:00

The story of Natalie Scott, New Orleans war hero, author, and adventurer, is now appearing in bookstores. In his book, Natalie Scott: A Magnificent Life (Pelican Publishing, 2008), author John W. Scott vividly documents the remarkable legacy of one of New Orleans’ most colorful and vital personalities.

Once described by author Sherwood Anderson as “the best newspaperwoman in America”, Natalie Vivian Scott (1890-1957) was widely recognized as a literary and cultural dynamo of the early twentieth century, and a celebrated writer in Mexico and the United States.

As a war zone Red Cross nurse and translator during World Wars I and II, Scott became the only American woman in WWI to be awarded the Croix de Guerre, France's medal for combat bravery. She received this medal for heroism in daring rescues of wounded soldiers during the bombings of her French evacuation hospital. Back in the war zone with the Red Cross in World War II (serving with the troops in Africa, Europe, and Asia), her field hospital was part of America’s invasion forces into Germany in 1945.

Scott was a vital figure in the talented circle of French Quarter writers who gathered there after WWI. A journalist, playwright, actress and newspaper columnist, Scott was co-founder of Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre, creator of a boarding house for artists in a rundown mansion on Pirate’s Alley, owner of the Court of Two Sisters, and an integral force within the publishing of the colorful Double Dealer magazine. Her close companions in New Orleans in the 1920s included an array of soon-to-be-famous authors, actors, and painters, including Anderson, William Faulkner, and Lyle Saxon, among numerous others.

Her indomitable and charitable spirit led her to create a peasant school and medical cooperative in impoverished Taxco, Mexico, where she was credited with bringing the first physician to the area. As an anthropologist and adventurer in the 1930s, she led horseback expeditions for museums over thousands of miles into the most remote regions of Mexico's mountains and jungles. She also opened the Kitigawa House, a pension for artists and writers in Mexico where she continued her literary influence until her death in 1957.

Natalie Scott: A Magnificent Life is permeated by Scott’s letters, photos and original narratives – many found in Tulane University’s extensive archives. It is an incredible account of the passions, causes, and adventures of an unforgettable woman.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John W. Scott is a practicing attorney in his hometown of Alexandria, Louisiana. A Tulane graduate, he received his Ph.D. in history from Louisiana State University. He is an assistant professor of history at LSU at Alexandria. Scott served several terms as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. He has been awarded the Louisiana Historical Association Presidential Memorial Award and the Martin Hardwick Award for Writing.

ARTIST ALEX BEARD DEBUTS UNIQUE LINE OF “IMPOSSIBLE” PUZZLES Puzzles Can Be Rearranged Into New Shapes and Images

2008-08-26T11:39:00.000-07:00

New York City – (August 25, 2008) -- Jigsaw puzzles are all the same, right? Hundreds of abstract, interlocking pieces fit together to produce a scene from nature or an image of napping kittens. Some puzzles have evolved to 3D versions and computer adaptations, but the end goal remains the same: to recreate the picture on the front of the box.

Artist Alex Beard has long wondered why that is the expected standard. Why can a puzzle only make one picture? In his line of work, the goal is creativity, curiosity and novelty. Couldn’t puzzles be innovative as well? With the introduction of Alex Beard Impossible Puzzles, Beard proves that by looking at the jigsaw puzzle with a new perspective, anything is possible.

Alex Beard Impossible Puzzles are based on four original works of art by Beard. However, the final result does not have to be the picture on the box cover. Each puzzle piece can be rearranged into a new composition, a new outline, a new image – a work of art of the puzzler’s very own.

“As a painter, I use shapes as the building blocks of my work,” says Beard, owner of the Alex Beard Studio. “It occurred to me that by focusing on each individual piece as its own shape, I could design a new kind of puzzle – one in which the pieces themselves are integral to the final composition.”

Because some shapes have common outlines, it appears there is more than one choice for what can fit. The pieces do not snap into each other, but settle beside one another instead, making the puzzle exponentially more challenging. While there is actually only one correct piece that combines with its neighbors to assemble the puzzle as intended, the pieces can be combined in infinite ways to create new puzzles and new shapes.

For example, the rooster creation on the right was made from the pieces of the Abstract puzzle on the left!

“When I saw the Impossible Puzzles, I knew we had to bring them to the market,” said Chip Voigt, President of Fundex Games, Ltd. which produces the puzzles. “They are fresh and original. They take puzzling to a new level of innovation and creation that is far from anything else in the marketplace.”

Beard has made a career out of thinking unconventionally. He opened his art gallery in New York’s SoHo neighborhood rather than in the Chelsea Gallery District. He housed his painting studio inside his gallery, encouraging passersby to ask him questions as he paints. A recent feature in Vanity Fair magazine acknowledged that, at only 37, he is “redefining the New York gallery scene.”

Influenced to think creatively from a young age by his uncle, noted photographer Peter Beard, Alex grew up among some of the world's most interesting and influential people — Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, and their Pop World cohorts were familiar faces in the Beard household.

After extensive travels which led him shark fishing in Panama, bush driving in Africa and stalking tigers in India, Alex spent ten years in New Orleans, where he owned a gallery in the French Quarter. Alex then returned to his Manhattan roots and opened the Alex Beard Studio in 2006.

“Art is a medium accessible to everyone,” says Beard. “I try to demystify the artistic process a bit by opening my studio to guests and encouraging questions and feedback. By creating my puzzles, I wanted to make art available in a different way to people from all walks of life, and hopefully open up a new world of creative thinking for them.”
Alex Beard Impossible Puzzles will be available by early October nationally at Barnes & Noble where they will be featured throughout the fall and holiday season and online at www.bn.com. The four titles are Fishery, Menagerie, Abstract and Audience. The 315-piece puzzles, which will retail for $14.95, are being produced by the Great American Puzzle Factory.

Please contact Stafford Scott at 504.491.4249 or stafford@skewedcommunications.com if you have any questions, or would like a puzzle sample for review. Also, attached please find images of each puzzle. In addition, please visit www.alexbeardstudio.com or www.alexbeardimpossiblepuzzles.com for further information.

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About Alex Beard
Manhattan native Alex Beard is a painter and writer who has emerged as one of his generation’s most creative and successful artists. After extensive travels across the world, Alex spent ten years in New Orleans, where he owned a gallery in the French Quarter. Alex then returned to his New York roots and opened the Alex Beard Studio in SoHo in 2006. Never one to rest on his laurels, Alex this year launched the Alex Beard Impossible Puzzles line. In addition, Alex’s work is on permanent display at Octavia Art Gallery in Uptown New Orleans.

About Great American Puzzle Factory
Great American Puzzle Factory is a division of Fundex Games, Ltd. and creates cutting-edge puzzle products including Alex Beard’s “Impossible Puzzles”, Clearly Puzzled™, Make ‘Em Move™ and licensed puzzles. Fundex Games is proud to be an industry leader in manufacturing and marketing innovative leisure time products for the entire family. We produce a wide range of games including worldwide best-seller Phase10®, multiple award-winning Alfredo’s Food Fight™ and all-time classic Gnip Gnop™. Our RecreAction Games line is the market leader in backyard and tailgate games that include Jarts™ and Bulls-Eye Washers™. Fundex produces licensed products with the world’s most powerful brands. Fundex also distributes Sybarit™ and world- renowned games from Gigamic. Based near Indianapolis, Fundex is “Where Fun Comes First”. For more information go to: www.fundexgames.com

VOODOO PICTURES WILL TURN SAINTS SEASON INTO MOVIE

2008-08-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

New Orleans, LA – (August 26, 2008) -- Voodoo Pictures announced today that it has acquired the film rights to Patron Saints: How the Saints Gave New Orleans a Reason to Believe (Center Street; September 4, 2007; $24.99), the bestselling book by Alan Donnes. Patron Saints is an uplifting account of the magical 2006 football season when the New Orleans Saints returned home to inspire a city devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Michael Arata and Jerry Daigle will produce the movie which is slated for production in New Orleans in summer 2009.

“Patron Saints is such an amazing story of determination and endurance,” said Arata. “This movie will show how an entire city came to see its football team as a symbol of its own resilience and a vehicle for its rebirth.”

“Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Spirits were shattered,” said Daigle. “But the Saints gave their fans a reason to believe – in their team, in themselves, and in their city. Their Cinderella story deserves to be told.”

“I interviewed hundreds of people - from players to coaches to politicians to fans. I heard their personal accounts of survival,” said Donnes. “I am delighted that their stories and the story of the incredibly positive impact that the New Orleans Saints and the NFL had on the region in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will be told in a motion picture. Like the book, I know Patron Saints as a movie will continue the theme of faith and hope … and a winning season!”

Voodoo Pictures is currently prepping in New Orleans for its upcoming co-production of Night of the Demons for Seven Arts Pictures as well as Bat Out Of Hell with Parallel Zide, scheduled for filming in early 2009.

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About Voodoo Pictures
Voodoo Pictures is a partnership of Michael Arata and Jerry Daigle. Upcoming films include American Summer (with Seven Arts, Warren Zide and Ray Markovich of Parallel Zide) and Autopsy, both of which were shot in Louisiana in 2007. Both are scheduled for release in early 2009.

Arata’s most recent projects include Michael Almereyda’s New Orleans Mon Amour, a selection of the 2008 South-by-Southwest Film Festival, and Deal, starring Bret Harrison, Burt Reynolds and Shannon Elizabeth, released in 2008 by MGM.

Daigle began producing films in 2002 with The Scoundrel’s Wife, directed by Cajun filmmaker Glen Pitre. He recently completed principal photography on his directorial debut, National Lampoon’s Dirty Movie, starring Christopher Meloni, Robert Klein and Mario Cantone.

In addition, Arata and Daigle are partners in Voodoo Production Services, a full-service film production services company based in Louisiana. Their Voodoo Studios is a partner in a New Orleans post-production facility scheduled for completion in spring 2009.

Patron Saints Book Highlights New Orleans Saints and Katrina

2008-07-24T08:59:00.000-07:00

Three years ago, Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, devastating a city and its people. Homes – and spirits – were shattered. Yet, throughout the destruction, an unlikely symbol of rebirth and hope emerged: the New Orleans Saints football team.

In its 42-year history, the Saints were, at most, unreliable. They rarely boasted winning records, and were more often a punch line than anything else. But when New Orleans needed them most, the Saints came through. Led by coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints gave their fans a reason to believe - in their team, in themselves, and in their city.

As we near the anniversary of Katrina and the start of the NFL season, you will undoubtedly be looking for guests who can discuss one or the other. Author Alan Donnes can do both.

Donnes was inspired by the Saints’ magical 2006-2007 season and set out to chronicle their remarkable Cinderella story in the words of those who lived it. In his book, Patron Saints: How the Saints Gave New Orleans a Reason to Believe (Center Street; September 4, 2007; $24.99), Donnes combines hundreds of personal stories from Saints players, coaches, politicians, fans and locals in a book of hope, survival and faith.

One need not have any knowledge of football or connection with Louisiana to be inspired by this book. Patron Saints is an uplifting account of courage, determination, and endurance that appeals to anyone with a heart.

Says Chris Myers of Fox Sports, “These are stories of tragedy and triumph, and when you read these pages you will feel the same emotion and drama that the people of New Orleans and sports fans everywhere felt.”

Please consider an interview with author Alan Donnes, who also covered the Saints as a sports reporter from 1986-1994. He can be available at your convenience.

I would be happy to send you a copy of the book for review, at your request. If you would like further information or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at 504-491-4249 or stafford@skewedcommunications.com. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Also, please see below for accolades of Patron Saints. I believe you will see that this story of indomitable spirit is one that deserves the attention of your listeners.

Sincerely,

Stafford Scott
Skewed Communications
Stafford@skewedcommunications.com
504-491-4249 cell

"The saga of the post-Katrina New Orleans Saints is something that could only happen in a movie, but here in our city it happened for real. Alan Donnes knows this team, these players, and these fans, and with his inspirational, heartwarming book, he brings their stories to life."
—Bobby Hebert, former quarterback, New Orleans Saints
"Never has a team been so crucial to the rebirth of a city. In New Orleans that season, there was no Plan B-just a lot of waterlogged houses and scattered people and a rising tide of despondency. But Holy Mother of God! Did the Patron Saints ever deliver! I have a rule: 'Don't connect sports and religion.' I'm breaking it this time. Almost miraculously, the New Orleans Saints brought a winning spirit back to their sagging city. What can you say but 'Amen'! Alan Donnes got everyone-I mean everyone!-to open up about this amazing football team. PATRON SAINTS is the best kind of sports book there is, a book that teaches us all something important about life."
—Ellis Henican, Newsday columnist and Fox News analyst

"Sometimes, rarely, a sports franchise becomes something more than a money machine. It becomes a part of a community, a rare human bond of heart, soul, and humanity. Such was the case of the New Orleans Saints in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This fine book explores the spirit of a team and the people whose lives were positively impacted by its inspiring run into the NFL playoffs. A great story about a great team."
—Roy Firestone, host, Face 2 Face, HD Net

Forest Retreat

2008-06-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

With gas prices increasing, airlines canceling flights, and a struggling local economy, getting away from it all has become more of a challenge. Why not stay close and enjoy a nearby escape that feels a million miles away?

Surrounded by 99,000 acres of forest, rolling hills, spring fed creeks, wildlife and offering unlimited amounts of fresh air, the Forest Retreat is a diamond in the rough. Tucked away in the woods on the edge of the Homochitto Forest between McComb, MS and Natchez MS, the Forest Retreat is comprised of four charming, secluded treehouse-style cabins.

Pristine waters from a spring fed creek are perfect for cooling off and picnicking, a well-stocked fishing lake is minutes away, and of course, there’s always historic Natchez if you’re looking for a day trip.

Built in the early 1990’s and owned by documentary filmmaker Bess Carrick, the cabins were designed and furnished by the noted architectural and historical specialist Don Didier. Didier traveled far and wide to find the unique Adirondack furniture for the house interiors. Each is filled with modern conveniences, including air conditioning, a modern bath and a kitchen stocked with cooking utensils which is appreciated given that the closest restaurant is 30 minutes away.

Carrick created the Forest Retreat out of a desire to create a haven for writers, artists, romantics or anyone seeking inspiration and solitude. The getaway is a favorite among cyclists, novelists, poets, bird watchers, hikers, adventurers and those who just want to be left alone. With no phones, television, internet connection or children allowed, tranquility is just a couple of hours away.

A cabin at the Forest Retreat is $100 a night during the week and $325 for a two night weekend stay. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 601-225-4975 or emailing info@forestretreat.com.

For more information, please visit www.forestretreat.com.

For media inquiries, please contact Kelly Rose at kelly@skewedcommunications.com.

Alex Beard - Schomburg Gallery Opening in Los Angeles

2008-06-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

Manhattan native Alex Beard is a painter, writer, and traveler and has emerged as one of his generation's most creative and successful artists. Alex’s work has been shown in one-man exhibitions in New Orleans, Los Angeles, New York, Hong Kong, and many places in between. His drawings and paintings are scattered in private collections from Japan to the West Indies and are in museum permanent collections and on public and private walls around the world.

Born in 1970, Alex was influenced to think creatively from a young age by his uncle, noted photographer Peter Beard, and his mother Patricia Beard, an author and former editor for Town & Country, Elle, and Mirabella magazines.

Alex grew up among some of the world's most interesting and influential people. Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, and their Pop World cohorts were familiar faces in the Beard household. In his early teens, Alex became a full-time doodler and filled books with sketches using a quill pen and ink. “My hands, and even feet, were always smudged and stained. I made a mess, had fun and somewhere in there learned to draw.”

In 1984 at the age of 14, Alex kicked off his unorthodox travels which included shark fishing in Panama, bush driving in Africa, diving in Australia, bone fishing in Belize, hiking the Great Wall of China through the Yan Mountains, spying humpback whales in Alaska, stalking tigers in India, hobnobbing at Basil’s Bar in Mustique, and diving the cenotes in Tulum.

In 1995, he began a ten year stint in New Orleans where he studied at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Art, opened a gallery in the French Quarter, married and became a father. In 2006, Alex returned to his roots in Manhattan and opened the Alex Beard Studio in SoHo.

This year, Alex launched the Alex Beard Impossible Puzzles line, which will be in Barnes and Nobles and other major retailers around the country in the fall of 2008. An exclusive relationship with Barnes and Nobles for additional product lines featuring Alex Beard’s art will debut for the Christmas 2008 season.

Alex currently lives with his wife and son in Manhattan.

Flim Flam Films Announces Next Project

2008-06-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release

Contact: Stafford Scott

Skewed Communications

Stafford@skewedcommunications.com

504-491-4249

New Orleans, LA – (June 10, 2008) -- Flim Flam Films, which recently wrapped principal photography on National Lampoon’s Dirty Movie, today announced its next project – “a comedy for the masses” titled Snatched. Alan Donnes, who wrote and produced Dirty Movie, will pen the script and will reteam with Jerry Daigle as producer.

Snatched is the story of a man who enters the hospital for surgery but unfortunately becomes the subject of a hilarious mishap. The month-long shoot will begin in April 2009 and will be filmed entirely in the New Orleans area, the birthplace of Flim Flam Films.

“New Orleans is my home, and I wanted to bring this project home,” said Donnes. “Plus, New Orleans offers the best of everything – tax incentives, great talent, and amazing food!”

Flim Flam’s latest outing, National Lampoon’s Dirty Movie, stars Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU), Robert Klein (The Stones) and Mario Cantone (Sex and the City). Fans can expect to see some familiar faces on the Snatched set.

While no names are attached to the film yet, “We are expecting a lot of our friends from Dirty Movie to join us on Snatched,” said Daigle.

Flim Flam Films will produce the movie in association with New Orleans-based Voodoo Pictures.

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About Flim Flam Films

Flim Flam Films is the brainchild of New Orleans natives Alan Donnes and Jerry Daigle.

Donnes has a long history in entertainment, including years as a stand-up comedian, a sports radio announcer, a sought-after boxing commentator, and producer of the National Lampoon Radio Hour. In addition, he wrote the best-seller, Patron Saints, which recounts the story of the New Orleans Saints’ magical 2006 season. Donnes continues to make audiences laugh – at the movies.

Daigle began producing films in 2002 with The Scoundrel’s Wife, directed by Cajun filmmaker Glen Pitre. Voodoo Pictures, which Daigle manages with actor/producer Michael Arata (Deal), has since produced a number of other movies, including American Summer, Autopsy, and New Orleans, Mon Amour. National Lampoon’s Dirty Movie was Daigle’s directorial debut.

Ogden Museum Presents Southern Storytellers

2008-06-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

Ogden Museum of Southern Art presents authors Julia Reed and Brad Watson

Critically lauded, internationally renowned Southern writers Julia Reed and Brad Watson will make a very special appearance together in a reading on Sunday, June 22. Two of the South's most gifted, engaging and humorous authors, Reed and Watson will read from 2-4pm at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art with a book signing following.

Julia Reed, born in Greenville, Mississippi, is a New Orleanian and Contributing Editor to both Newsweek and Vogue. She also writes for the New York Times and has been a passionate advocate for New Orleans as a frequent correspondent to CNN and MSNBC. Random House published her first collection of work, Queen of the Turtle Derby and Other Southern Phenomena in 2004. This summer marks a very important point in her career as she has two books about to be released. The House on First Street, My New Orleans Story (Harper Collins/Ecco Press 2008) will be released later this month. Additionally a collection of her food pieces originally written for the New York Times Magazine, Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Delicacies: An Entertaining Life (With Recipes) is being published by July by St. Martin's Press.

Brad Watson, a guest in our city but no stranger to the South or to international acclaim, was born in Meridian, Mississippi. Joining us from the University of Wyoming where he teaches, Watson is a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow and former professor at Alabama, Ole Miss, and Harvard. He is the author of Last Days of the Dog-Men (Norton, 1996) which received the Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters as well as the Great Lakes Colleges New Writers Award, and a brilliant novel, The Heaven of Mercury (Norton, 2002), which received the Southern Book Critics Circle Award, the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award, and was a finalist for the 2002 National Book Award in Fiction. This presentation is sponsored in part by funding from Poets & Writer's, Inc. and the Kohlmeyer Circle of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art.

For information, please contact Sue Strachan, Director of Public Relations for the Ogden Museum, located at 925 Camp Street off Lee Circle. Phone: (504) 539-9613. Email: sstrachan@ogdenmuseum.org.

INTRODUCING THE NEW OWNER OF AUDUBON VETERINARY HOSPITAL…

2008-06-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

and its owner, Dr. Stephen Bryan. Located at 731 Nashville Avenue (at the corner of Magazine St.) in Uptown New Orleans, Dr. Bryan bought the practice in October 2007 to continue the hospital’s 35 year tradition of excellent veterinary care.
Dr. Bryan is a Wisconsin native and LSU School of Veterinary Medicine graduate who returned to New Orleans post-Katrina. Although not a native New Orleanian, he does have long time ties to the city. One of seven children, he moved to New Orleans in 1975 and graduated from Jesuit High School in 1977. From there he attended Tulane before transferring to LSU. He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from LSU in 1986.
Part of Steve’s purpose in buying Audubon Veterinary Hospital is to be a part of the new frontier of entrepreneurs doing his part in rebuilding New Orleans. He married Tracey Rannals, a New Orleans native, who graduated from Tulane Law School and practices at Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer, where she has been a partner since 2005. Together they have 5 children ranging from newborn to 17 years old.
"My wife, the 'classic New Orleans girl' with deep family roots and a large extended family in this city, was never going to leave New Orleans-come hell or high water. So, we decided to make our future here, where we are rebuilding the population, one baby at a time- and trying to contribute our professional talents as well."
Dr. Bryan had been in private practice for 20 years in Virginia before relocating to New Orleans after getting married.
Audubon Veterinary Hospital is open 6 days a week offering general medicine, surgery and dentistry for dogs and cats. They also offer boarding services with a veterinarian on call at all times.