The 5th LSU Folks’ Arts and Crafts Show held at the LSU Student Union displays original pieces of art submitted by University faculty and staff from all departments.
The exhibit is an all inclusive gallery for any staff member or faculty member who submitted works. That means that many different mediums of art are present in the exhibition.
“It’s like fitting together a jigsaw puzzle because it is taking all forms of art and trying to piece them together, so the art exhibit is one cohesive gallery,” Communications Coordinator for LSU Auxiliary Services Heather Bilodeau said.
The show was formerly known only as the Folks’ Art Show, but with the inclusion of some of the more unusual pieces, the more crafty submissions began to have a strong presence.
“When people think of art, they usually think of paintings and photography. In years past we had somebody with a dollhouse, which is very crafty, or some people brought floral arrangements,” Bilodeau said. “We wanted to bring in the craft side of the gallery so people could get a better sense of what we were looking for. It’s not just paintings, it’s everything.”
One of the standout inclusions to the show is the pair of chocolate shoes. The creator Jeff Dickey, the manager of GIS and research at the Highway Safety Research Group made the shoes out of real white and dark chocolate. The reason Dickey set out to make the pair is simple.
“I saw a YouTube video of the concept from a chocolate shop in Houston. I just thought it was really cool, and it could be an extension of what I could do in the chocolate shop,” Dickey said. “I wanted to make something more than just chocolate squares.”
Using a mold, Dickey was able to craft the shoes into their current shape. In order for the shoes to form properly, a good quality chocolate is required. Mixed with high heat, the chocolate has to melt at the correct temperature. Then it cools at around 85 degrees. Then the the small window to decorate the shoes begins. Once the final design is complete, the chocolate has to stay below 80 degrees or else it will start to melt.
“I put the shoes in an ice chest and tried to find a parking spot near the Union so I could get the chocolate into the building without it melting,” Dickey said. “It was a challenge in the middle of the summer in Louisiana. But under the display at the gallery it should last months.”
Last year, the Union Art Gallery underwent a major renovation. The gallery now sports clear glass doors that passersby can look through to preview what is inside, as well as better lighting all around.
The LSU Folks’ Arts and Craft Show is free for everyone, and is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The exhibit will ongoing until August 27.