The StoryHerons on the Bayou was launched in 2018 as what would hope to be the biggest public art project in Northeast Louisiana. After receiving a grant from the Delta Regional Authority, Brooke Foy started assembling a team to help make this dream come true. Brooke is an Assistant Professor of Art at University of Louisiana Monroe and has dreamed of creating this project since seeing the Tigers in Memphis, Tn. The opportunity presented itself and Brooke Foy and Partner, Emery Thibodeaux took the chance and ran with it. Brooke and Emery have been creating public works in Monroe/West Monroe for almost 10 years now including over 10 mural projects.
The first wave of Herons produced 51 herons that found new homes in the Monroe, West Monroe, and Rayville communities in 2019. The Herons on the Bayou team never imagined the project would have such a booming success in the first round.
After Wave 1 the team decided that the community could support more Herons in our community and that this was an amazing opportunity to fundraise for the Arts. After such a great success in 2019 the Herons on the Bayou Team took a year to revamp and relaunched Wave 2 in the Fall of 2020 bringing 36 more herons to the community. The second Wave of Herons were installed in the Summer of 2021. Each year the community reminds us how much they love art and this project. The response to the Herons has been amazing.
Download the 2021 Brochure with a map!
In 2022, we launched the final wave of Herons on the Bayou with a goal to add 13 additional herons to the flock for a grand total of 100 herons. In 2023, those final 13 herons landed and completed the largest public art project in the region.
The Downtown Arts Alliance is proud to announce the launch of a new grant program, Herons Give Back, funded through its successful public art project, Herons on the Bayou. This grant program aims to bolster arts-based initiatives within Ouachita Parish, offering new opportunities for local nonprofit organizations to create meaningful and enriching arts experiences.
Herons Give Back will provide grant funding for arts-focused projects, with the first round of awards disbursing up to $30,000 in 2025 and a second round of up to $40,000 in 2026. The program is exclusively open to nonprofit organizations in Ouachita Parish, supporting projects that aim to further artistic expression and community engagement through the arts.
Applications for the first round are due by December 31, 2024. To help potential applicants, the Downtown Arts Alliance will host two workshops on October 23, 2024, at 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM. These workshops will offer guidance on developing project ideas, addressing any questions, and providing networking opportunities between nonprofits and artists.
The grant application can be downloaded here for review: (include a link to download the attached PDF)
Applications must be submitted at this link (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/39VS6ZT) by December 31, 2024.
Read more about Wave 3
Supported by 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, and as administered by the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council. Funding has also been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, Art Works.
