Members of the Terrebonne Historical & Cultural Society and guests enjoyed a brunch prepared by students of the Junior American Culinary Federation at the John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, LA while a piano and saxophone duet from the Houma-Terrebonne Community Band serenaded.

The grand buffet featured fruit salad with mint, home-baked biscuits, strawberry and fig preserves, build-your-own omelettes, brown-sugar and creole mustard glazed ham, Spinach Madeline, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, a summer vegetable medley, New Orleans barbecue shrimp, goat cheese and thyme grits, sweet potato souffle', carrot cake, banana bread, zucchini bread, blueberry bread, and New Orleans bread pudding with rum sauce.  Mimosas and Bloody Mary's were offered at the bar.

Nearly 70 people enjoyed the elegant three-hour event, which featured not only great food and music, but elite service by the culinary students as well.  A good time was had by all and the board of directors is anxious to unite with the musicians and chefs again in the future.

The 70-member orchestra put on a wonderful concert for an audience of around 200 people. 

A special thank you goes out to our sponsors of the event. Without them, we could not bring this magnificent orchestra to Houma. Our sponsors are: 

• Gold sponsors ($1000 each): Gulf Island Fabrications, David & Emily Elmore, and Cenac Marine Services 
• Silver sponsors ($500 each): Synergy Bank, Buquet Distributing Company, and Mark McChargue General Contractor 
• Bronze sponsors ($250 each): Cancienne Law Firm, South Louisiana Bank, Michel Claudet, LLC and Mid Gulf Manage.

This event was also made possible by a grant from the Louisiana Division of Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council as administered by the Houma Regional Arts Council.

Also, thank you to all those who bought tickets to sit in the reserved seating area, attended the event, and donated to our organization. 

The Terrebonne Historical and Cultural Society (THACS) is looking for businesses and individuals to help sponsor the annual Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) concert on March 18.
To increase the community’s access to music and the arts, general admission to the concert is free. Although THACS received a grant from the Houma Regional Arts Council to help with the project, it only covers about 30% of the costs associated with bringing the orchestra to Houma.
“It is great to bring this wonderful event to Houma because it allows people who may not normally have the opportunity to see an orchestra to do so,” Katie L. Portier, Southdown Executive Director said. “However, the orchestra does come with a hefty price tag and we look to community businesses for help.”
Businesses can purchase Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsorships to help. Gold sponsorships can be purchased for $1000 and include: 1) Reserved table seating under the Buquet Pavilion for 8 guests, 2) Fruit and cheese picnic basket at table, 3) Drink tickets for complementary wine and soda from the bar, 4)Recognition in promotional materials and concert program, 5) Recognition on Southdown’s website and social media pages, 6) Recognition in our May newsletter (500 printed), 7)Ability to put company informational insert in May, August and November 2012 newsletter mailings, and 8)Ability to hang company banner under pavilion during concert.
Silver sponsorships for $500 include: 1) Reserved table seating under the Buquet Pavilion for 4 guests, 2) Fruit and cheese picnic basket at table, 3) Drink tickets for complementary wine and soda from the bar, 4)Recognition in promotional materials and concert program, 5) Recognition on Southdown’s website and social media pages, and 6) Recognition in our May newsletter (500 printed).
Bronze sponsorships for $250 include: 1) Reserved table seating under the Buquet Pavilion for 2 guests, 2) Fruit and cheese picnic basket at table, 3) Drink tickets for complementary wine and soda from the bar, and 4)Recognition in promotional materials and concert program.
The concert will be March 18 from 3 – 5 p.m., with a pre-concert “Behind the Sounds” program from 2:15-2:45 p.m. This hands-on educational program lets children and families meet the musicians and see, hear and touch the instruments up-close.
General admission to the concert is free with outdoor seating on the lawn. The audience should bring their own chairs or blankets. Reserved seating for individuals is also available for $25 per person. A cash bar with wine, sodas and snacks will be available. Outside food and drinks are also permitted.
This program is supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council as administered by the Houma Regional Arts Council.
For more information on sponsorships or for tickets, please contact the museum office at 985-851-0154. Southdown Plantation is located at 1208 Museum Dr. in Houma. In the event of rain, the concert will take place at the Houma Municipal Auditorium at the same date and time.

VOICE OF THE WETLANDS FESTIVAL - OCTOBER 7-9, 2011
As always, Voice of the Wetlands was three days of jam-packed musical performances, Cajun food, arts and crafts, and most importantly - coastal erosion awareness. Visitors from all across the country traveled to the festival and learned about the importance of the wetlands.
 
Photo above courtesy of the Houma Courier

      

SAINTS SUNDAY & 5K - OCTOBER 16, 2011
We revamped this already fun event to include a band & a 5K run as part of our Challenge Grant initiative. The band Sheauxdown rocked the pavilion! They got our feet tapping and our group pumped for the Saints game. We had 90 walkers and runners for our 5K race, which helped us raise a lot of money for our Challenge Grant! The Bayou Runners Association was a big help in getting our race off the ground and we really appreciate their help and participation. Here are a few pictures from the race and our winners:
      

WWL CHANNEL 4 BROADCAST - NOVEMBER 4, 2011
WWL Channel 4 Morning News did their morning broadcast from Southdown Plantation on November 4th. The two hour show highlighted various aspects of Terrebonne Parish, including restaurants, swamp tours, and of course - Southdown Plantation!

Here our caretaker Ross gives Sally Ann Roberts a tour of Southdown in a pre-taped segment:


The news crew just minutes before going on air:


The Channel 4 News Crew with Southdown Director Katie LeCompte:

We received so many wonderful comments about the broadcast. Laura, Sally Ann, Eric and the entire news crew was great to work with and graciously signed autographs for the crowd that gathered during the show. It was a great way to showcase how unique Terrebonne Parish truly is to our neighboring cities. Thank you, Channel 4!

SOUTHDOWN MARKETPLACE ARTS & CRAFTS FESTIVAL - NOVEMBER 5, 2011
The day after the broadcast was one of our favorite days around here -- Southdown Marketplace! Our 300 vendors proudly showcased their handmade arts and crafts for almost 7800 visitors! It was a great day and was the most successful fundraiser EVER. We appreciate everyone who came to shop, eat, take a tour, and played in the kids area. Southdown Marketplace is the only reason that Southdown Plantation can stay open year-round so we appreciate each and every one of you!

 

   

Along with these events, we have also complete a few more repairs to Southdown, including completing the first series of shutters (second and final ones to be completed in the next few months), replaced our Gilbert and St. Martin sign in the Art & Literature room, and we put in a more efficient drainage system to draw moisture away from the museum.

As far as the Challenge Grant, we are well on our way to raising the $10,000 needed by May 2012 in order to recieve the $5000 donation for an endowment fund, which will help with repairs for generations to come. The endowment would be a positive step in making sure that the museum can thrive for many, many years. So far, we have raised $7731 through Saints Sunday, a $2000 donation from Dr. Allen Ellender, and a $50 donation from William Bisland. Our next event A Taste of a Cajun Christmas with special guest Susan Spicer will take place Tuesday, Dec. 6. We are expected to raise the remainder of the money needed at this event. We are well on our way to meeting our goal!

    Donna Graham’s textured-acrylic paintings depicting Cajun experiences will be on display at Southdown Plantation from Dec. 11 - Feb. 16.
    Her free opening reception will be Sunday, Dec. 11 from 3-5 p.m.
Graham’s exhibit will fixate on various aspects of the Cajun lifestyle. The first series of paintings include a variety of southern style architectural buildings and tombstones that are unique and original to South Louisiana. These structures serve as a window into elements that depict Cajun life and experiences, such as music, seafood, and art. The exhibit will also feature heavily textured paintings that showcase another Cajun hobby – fishing. Graham used modeling paste, pebbles, and sand to create a unique texture, along with rich, contrasting colors to make these paintings bold and unique.
    “I have embraced my Cajun heritage. I am inspired by the simple things around me,” Graham said. “I am doing what I love and hopefully that harmony is reflected in my work.”
Graham spent many years as an art teacher for St. Bernadette School and now owns her own studio called D-Designs Art Studio, where she teaches semi-private art lessons, adult workshops, and takes on freelance art projects. She also participates in multiple craft shows throughout the year, including Southdown Marketplace Arts and Crafts Festival.
    For more information on the artist, visit her website at www.donnagrahamartist.com.
    Southdown Plantation is located at 1208 Museum Drive in Houma. Please call 985-851-0154 or visit www.southdownmuseum.org/events for more information.

    Saints Sunday & 5K will feature live, family-friendly music by Sheauxdown from noon- 3 p.m., food, drinks, and kids’ activities and games. There will be a kids’ half mile fun run at 1:30 p.m. and a 5K for walkers and runners at 2 p.m. The New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers game will be shown under the Buquet pavilion on two 73” televisions at 3:15 p.m.
    The cost to participate in the 5K is: $20 if registered by September 30th; $25 if registered after September 30 or on race day; $10 for kids’ half mile fun run. Bayou Runners Association members receive a $2 discount. Registration for the race begins at noon on race day. Non-race participants can enter the event for a $5 admission donation.
    See the race application for more details. Please call 985-851-0154 or email info@southdownmuseum.org if you have any questions.

Published: Saturday, July 30, 2011 at 6:01 a.m.

A Terrebonne nonprofit is trying to make sure Houma's Southdown Plantation will be protected and preserved into the future.

The Terrebonne Historical and Cultural Society, which oversees the Southdown Planation and its museum, has been selected for the Greater New Orleans Foundation's Richard West Freeman Challenge.

Under the challenge, if the local nonprofit can raise $10,000 by May 2012, the Greater New Orleans Foundation with kick in $5,000 to help create an endowment.

“It's an all-or-nothing kind of deal,” said Katie LeCompte, executive director of the Southdown Plantation and museum.

It's not meant to be a quick source of money. The endowment will generate interest that the nonprofit can use over time to help maintain Southdown.

“This is something that 30 years from now we'll still be collecting interest on. It's a way to create predictable income so we can have extra money for repairs and upkeep,” LeCompte said.

That will help them avoid situations like the one the group found themselves in after Hurricane Gustav in 2008 did significant damage to the plantation house's roof and caused some water damage to the inside of the house. They had to work quickly to find money for repairs.

“It's been a long road,” LeCompte said. “Our roof is done, which was our biggest concern. Now we're trying to get a proper gutter and drainage system, which caused some of the problems in the first place.”

After that, LeCompte said, they hope to work inside the museum, replacing doors and floorboards and eventually updating the exhibits.

Richard Martinez, program officer for the Greater New Orleans Foundation, said the challenge encourages nonprofits to set up endowments because that money is put aside for long-term survival. It also signals to people who are interested in donating to a nonprofit like the Terrebonne Historical and Cultural Society that the organization is here to stay.

“It shows they're thinking about their long-term viability,” Martinez said.

In an effort to raise the $10,000 needed to start the endowment, Southdown will hold a series of fundraising events, as well as appeal to donors and the community, LeCompte said.

On Oct. 16, Southdown will host Saints Sunday and 5K, a race paired with a Sunday spent on the plantation watching the Saints play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on 73-inch televisions.

There will be music, food, drinks and beer. Registration for the race begins at 1 p.m., and the kids run will start at 2 p.m. The 5K race begin at 2:30 p.m., and finish in time for the Saints' kick off.

Admission prices are still being determined, LeCompte said. The museum hopes to get some donations of food and drinks to offset the price.

On Dec. 6, the museum will host “A Taste of a Cajun Christmas” with special guest Susan Spicer, a New Orleans celebrity chef. Spicer owns Bayona restaurant and has a character modeled after her on the HBO series “Treme.”

For race registration or more information on these events, visit www.southdownmuseum.org/events.

Call 851-0154 for more information.

Nikki Buskey can be reached at 857-2205 or nicole.buskey@houmatoday.com.

Find original article at: http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20110730/ARTICLES/110739990/1211/news01?p=2&tc=pg

We held our first-ever Painting at the Plantation Thursday, July 7th. One of our long-time Southdown Marketplace vendors and private art instructor Donna Graham offered to teach a 3-hour class on painting the front of Southdown Plantation. We had 12 people (both kids & kids at heart) sign up for the class. It was a great success! I'll let their artwork speak for itself:

The great thing about art is that even though everyone was painting the same image, each painting is unique and different. Great job, painters!

We are looking forward to doing this event again!

On Sunday, July 10th, Darlene Eschete debuted her art exhibit called "A Song of Silence," which reflects on her time spent as a volunteer in the aftermath of the oil disaster of 2010. The exhibit features photography, paintings, and sculptures. This exhibit is extremely interesting and tells a story of tragedy, anger, resilience and hope.

The exhibit is on display until September 23rd. It can be viewed Tuesday - Saturday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Admission to view the art exhibit only is $2. To take a tour of the museum, which includes the art exhibit, is only $6.

The first-ever Painting at the Plantation will be Thursday, July 7th from 5-8 p.m.

The event will include a 3-hour art class by artist Donna Graham, owner of D-designs Art Studio and former St. Bernadette School art teacher. The class will include proper technique and skills to create an acrylic rendering of Southdown Plantation and Museum.

The cost is $30 per person, which includes everything needed to create the artwork: 16 x 20 canvas, paint, and brushes. The cost also includes a pizza slice and a beverage.

The class is for kids ages 10+ or adults. Registration is required to attend the class, with a maximum of 15 spots open. Spots can be reserved by calling 985-851-0154 or info@southdownmuseum.org.

“This is a great project that families can work on together,” Katie LeCompte, Southdown Executive Director, said.

The museum’s portion of the proceeds will benefit the non-profit Terrebonne Historical & Cultural Society and their efforts to preserve, operate and promote Southdown Plantation House and Museum.

Southdown Plantation is located at 1208 Museum Drive in Houma. Please call 985-851-0154 for more information.

    Martin Benoit will display his pen and ink drawings from May 16 to June 28 at Southdown Plantation.
    His free opening reception will be Sunday, May 22 from 2 - 4 p.m.
    Benoit, a resident of Covington, has been capturing images with pen and ink since the early 1980’s. Benoit says he uses a very fine-tipped technical pen and spends hours in the preliminary pencil sketching.
    “Every line is measured and calculated to produce a drawing of exact proportions,” Benoit says. “It requires an hour per square inch to complete an original ink drawing.”
    Because of the intricate nature of his artwork, Benoit says some drawings take as long as months to complete.
    Benoit’s exhibit, entitled “Of Times Gone By,” includes the uniqueness of South Louisiana, the Midwest, the eastern seaboard and the Sierra Nevadas.
    The exhibit is available to view from Tuesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission to view the exhibit only is $2. Admission to tour the museum, including the art exhibit, is $6. Benoit’s artwork is for sale with prints ranging from $15-$40 and originals from $35-$4500.
    Southdown Plantation is located at 1208 Museum Drive in Houma. Please call 985-851-0154 for more information.

As promised, we picked from two facebook friends (find us @ Southdown Plantation & Museum) who tagged Southdown in a post about Marketplace to feature in our blog and let readers know a little bit about them:

Papa B’s Workshop features handmade wooden intarsia and scrollwork. Brian Broughton, the mastermind behind these creations, cuts each piece out individually and then pieces together like a puzzle. As you can see, each piece is truly unique! Brian will be at booth #312 at Marketplace – check out his booth to see more of his work.

Christy’s Luxury Under $20 & Painting with a Twist, two popular local businesses on Corporate Drive, will bring their own handmade products, including hand poured fleur de lis plaques and embellished umbrellas. They will also be giving away free paintings! Be sure to check out their booth #35.

Southdown Marketplace will also feature great Cajun & festival food, including jambalaya, gumbo, white beans, red beans, hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, roast beef poboys, and more.

We will also have activities for kids! Kids In Motion Playhouse Museum will help us put on a kids’ activity tent in front of the Gift Shop. It will include plenty games and crafts for all ages, storytelling, play time, local author presentation, nail painting, bubbles, bounce houses and inflatable games. It is a great area for kids to be entertained and have a great time!

Southdown Marketplace will be open from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission is $4 per person and children under 12 enter for free. All proceeds fund the operation, maintenance, exhibits, and educational programs of Southdown Plantation and Museum.

We hope to see you there!

Congrats to them for a record crowd!

Here are some of the pictures we captured on our camera of the event:

This is such a cute event for kids to come play and learn about the environment.

Here is what I learned at the event:
- Ladybugs eat small garden-destroying pests like aphids and even discourage birds and other large pests from consuming your crops. And they are completely harmless to humans! Who knew such a cute little bug could be so helpful!
- Kids dressed as ladybugs are quite possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen.
- That being said, do not try to get in the way of a kid trying to get to a ladybug. They will knock you over.

I'd like to thank everyone who attended the concert. We put this concert on for you - the community!

A very special thank you to our sponsors as well, because without their generous donations, we simply could not afford to put this production on. Our sponsors for the concert were: Gold Sponsors - Buquet Distributing Company, Gulf Island Fabrication, Cenac Marine. Silver Sponsors - Synergy Bank, Diesel Source, David & Emily Elmore. Bronze Sponsors - Ledet Insurance, Cancienne Law Firm, South La. Bank, Michel Claudet, LLC, Mid Gulf Manage, and Dalton LeBlanc Insurance. If you do business with any of these companies, please tell them thanks for sponsoring the LPO at Southdown! 

We also received a grant from the Louisiana Division of Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in cooperation with the La. State Arts Council as administered by the Houma Regional Arts Council. (Can't say that 3 times fast, but we still thank them!)

Also, thank you those who donated money or bought concessions - every little bit helped.

Here are some pictures from the event:

Kids' Behind the Sounds Program:

Our "guest conductor" - Olivia. She was a natural!

 Thanks again to everyone who came and we hope you enjoyed the concert!