Baton Rouge Community College’s Arts Fest XIV, held March 30–April 2, 2026, is a celebration of creativity featuring free events open to the public. The festival includes artist talks, film screenings, poetry readings, music and dance performances, workshops, and interactive experiences that highlight visual arts, writing, film, music, and interdisciplinary learning. Guest speakers and artists—from award-winning filmmakers and bestselling authors to poets, musicians, and local creatives—share their work and insights while students and community members participate in open mics, hands-on workshops, and discussions. The event aims to inspire creativity, showcase emerging and established talent, and connect the community through the arts.
"Activate Your Creative Soul" Arts Fest Kickoff Showcase
9:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Magnolia Theater
Join us for an energetic and uplifting program of music, dance, creative writing, and culinary creativity that will activate the creative soul! Performances featuring AV Mitchell, a Dual-Enrollment partner high school marching band, Winter Dance Company, BRCC’s Creative Writing Club, Alumni and author, De’Lisa Brown, and published authors featured in the newest volume of BRCC’s literary journal, Black & Rouge. Snacks will be provided and at the end of the event, the mic will be open to any audience members willing to share their audience-appropriate poetry or song.
Sound Installation Opening
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM
Recital Hall, Gov. 139
Music and Recording Technology Instructor, Scott Nelson, presents sound installations that combine imagery and sound to create an immersive experience. Join us for the opening of the sound installation on Monday 3/30 at 11:30 AM, and, throughout the week, come back to enjoy the space for relaxation, writing, drawing or contemplation. See website for times.
Terrance Osborne Artist Talk
12:00 PM-1:00 PM
In-person: Recital Hall, Gov. 139
Virtual: Terrance Osborne Zoom
Terrance Osborne is a celebrated New Orleans artist whose vibrant, color-saturated paintings capture the city’s spirit. Osborne gained national acclaim for his Rebuild series after Hurricane Katrina and has since become one of the city’s most recognizable creative voices. In this presentation sponsored by The Great Questions Foundation, Osborne showcases his art and discusses the inspiration behind his pieces.
"Live Art" Experience and Reception
1:00 PM-1:45 PM
Bienvenue Student Center
Grab a bite to eat, watch a live painter at work, and enjoy a soulful musical performance from the local artist collective, Yellow Door, an organization that aims to showcase underrepresented artists in our local community.
Open Mic
2:00 PM- 3:00 PM
Bienvenue Student Center
BRCC’s creative writing club invites you to the mic to share music, original poetry, or short fiction.
"Writing Across All Genres" Virtual Discussion
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Virtual: Writing Across All Genres (Zoom)
Have you ever wanted to write a script for TV or film, a book of poetry, a sizzling piece of fiction-- or-- are you ready to write the story of your life? Join on Zoom to meet a panel of celebrated writers who can help you jump-start your career and get published. Moderated by BRCC Professor and novelist Clarence Nero, this panel will feature Arthur Harris, Walter Johnson, Ronlyn Domingue, Mark Armacost and Monique Kelley.
Lights, Camera, Action:
How to Make it in the Entertainment Industry
9:00 AM - 10:15 AM
In-person: Nursing & Allied Health Bldg. 110
Virtual: Lights, Camera, Action (Zoom)
Join us for a talk from a trailblazer in the film industry and a two-time Academy Award winner for sound, Willie Burton. Burton is known for his work on films such as Dream Girls, Oppenheimer, and The Green Mile as well as the short-film, Voices, which was inspired by the faculty and staff-written collection, Voices From the Bayou. Audiences will also be treated to a special virtual appearances from surprise celebrity guests!
Betty in Blue, Short film screening and Producer Q & A
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM
In-person: Nursing & Allied Health Bldg. 110
This event is no longer available for a Zoom audience.
In Betty & Blue, a Black musician, now in the later stages of his life, harks back to the magical moments in his childhood, career, and his relationship with his father who introduced him to his first true love: his trumpet named Betty. A Q & A with the film’s producer Dan Clarke will follow screening along with discussion of the creative process and ambition required to get a film made.
Math + Art: Interdisciplinary approaches to Math Education
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM
In-person: Nursing & Allied Health Bldg. 304
This event is no longer available for a Zoom audience.
Join us to discover where poetry, visual art, and math intersect. BRCC Professor Laurie Potter discusses the value of interdisciplinary approaches in Math education and presents student work.
Student Short Film Screenings
12:00 PM - 1:15 PM
Magnolia Theater
Come celebrate our current and former film students who will showcase and speak about their short films. These screenings will be led by Film Professor, Shea Stephens, recent was one of just 18 professors nationwide selected for the 2025 Alex Trebek Legacy Fellowship by the Television Academy Foundation in Hollywood
Sound Installation
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Recital Hall, Gov. 139
Drop in during these hours to experience a sound installation created by Music and Recording Technology Instructor, Scott Nelson. Enjoy the space by relaxing, writing, drawing, contemplation or simply soaking in the sound.
Photography Workshop
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM
Magnolia Gallery
Professor Eric Elliott will lead a hands-on photography workshop, teaching students how to let present-moment inspiration lead them to unexpected photography subject matter.
One Man’s Escape from Modern Slavery (A memoir-in-progress discussion)
3:00 PM - 4:15 PM
In person: Dumas Conference Rm.
Virtual: Escape from Modern-Day Slavery (Zoom)
In this session BRCC Faculty Lisa Namikas tells the story of Hadish Mehari’s escape from Eritrea’s indefinite National Service, widely known as modern slavery. Prison, escapes, and betrayal left him facing an impossible choice, accept a long prison sentence at a remote base, or risk death in the desert. He chose to run. Through their six-year collaboration, they explore one man’s courage against oppression and his fight to choose his own life. Dr. Namikas was awarded the Jane French Manship and Board of regents Endowed Professorship for her work.
"Voice and Vision" Workshop series
9:00 AM- 11:30 AM
Magnolia Theater
Animation Talk: Sharika Mahdi & Jerome Vernell
9:00 AM - 9:40 AM
Animator and visual artist, Sharika Mahdi, is a New Orleans–based artist and animator whose vibrant, jazz-infused work celebrates the city’s cultural spirit. Her paintings inspired key visual concepts for Disney’s The Princess and the Frog. Mahdi will showcase her artwork and discuss how to maintain inspiration while navigating a career in the arts, offering advice to those aspiring to “make it” in the art industry and encouraging audience members to see culture and identity as powerful forms of storytelling. BRCC’s Graphic Artist and Illustrator, Jerome Vernell will join Mahdi to discuss his work and self-publishing.
Songwriting Workshop
9:40 AM - 10:30 AM
Dexter Jackson will teach audiences how to take a song from the seed of inspiration to lyrics to instrumentation and beat. Jackson is a Baton Rouge–based arts leader, lyricist, and musician.
Men in Fiction” Workshop with Omar Tyree
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Omar Tyree is a New York Times bestselling author, NAACP Image Award winner, and professional journalist from Howard University. Tyree is known for his influential contributions to contemporary urban fiction, including the award-winning For the Love of Money.
“Legacy of Scholarship: Dream, Degree, Deliver —
A Women’s Month Panel for Rising Women Scholars”
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Magnolia Library 2nd. Floor
Celebrate Women’s Voices with the authors of The Legacy of Scholarship. These scholars will share personal stories of persistence, the lessons that guided their journeys, and practical steps rising young women can use now to begin a path to success. Who, me — a scholar? Yes, you. Break barriers, claim your future, and start your legacy
Sound Installation
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM
Recital Hall, Gov. 139
Drop in to experience a sound installation created by Music and Recording Technology Instructor, Scott Nelson. Enjoy the space by relaxing, writing, drawing, contemplation or simply soaking in the sound.
Julie Kane: Reading and Workshop
12:00 PM - 1:15 PM
Recital Hall, Gov. 139
Award-winning poet and former Louisiana poet laureate, Julie Kane, will present a poetry reading and workshop. Kane is the author of six books of poetry, including Rhythm & Booze, winner of the National Poetry Series; Jazz Funeral, winner of the Donald Justice Poetry Prize; Mothers of Ireland, winner of the Poetry by the Sea Book Award; and Paper Bullets, a lighthearted collection of humorous poems. New in 2025 from LSU Press is Naked Ladies: New and Selected Poems.
Wild Paths, Wild Songs: Duane Schexnayder and Pierce Pettis
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Recital Hall, Gov. 139
Come hear what the wild inspires as writer Duane Schexnayder presents his memoir, “One Foot in Front of the Other,” which vividly documents his completion of the 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Joining him is Pierce Pettis, an acclaimed singer-songwriter, with several of his compositions covered by artists like Joan Baez and Ricky Skaggs.
Multimedia Poetry Workshop with Sha’Condria iCon Sibley
9:00 AM - 10:15 AM
In-person: Nursing & Allied Health Bldg. Rm. 110
Virtual: Sha'Condria Icon Sibley Poetry Reading
Multiple-time national poetry slam champion, Sha’Condria “iCon” Sibley, presents a multi-media poetry workshop and reading from her new poetry collection, My Name Is Pronounced Holy: A Collection of Poems, Prayers, Rememberings, and Reclamations. Sibley is a multidisciplinary artist whose work fuses spoken word, visual art, performance, music, and film.
Nature Printing/ Linoleum Printing Workshop with Pippin Frisbie-Calder
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
BlackBox
Pippin Frisbie-Calder is a Louisiana-born artist acclaimed for her printmaking, woodcutting and silkscreening works that bridge art and environmental science. Frisbie-Calder uses her art to inspire environmental stewardship and invite audiences to see how creativity and science together can foster solutions to pressing ecological challenges.
"The History of Blues and Jazz"
10:30 AM - 11:15 AM
Recital Hall, Gov. 139
Learn about the history of the Blues and its development into Jazz music. BRCC Professor, Eric Baskin, an accomplished trumpeter, pianist, composer, and arranger will present an interactive performance and discussion.
The Art of Finding Stillness through the Science of Sound
12:00 PM - 1:15 PM
Recital Hall, Gov. 139
Occupational therapist and sound practitioner, Tanya Gautier, presents the science-based art of sound therapy. Participants will experience a 30-minute sound bath experience.
“Becoming Fit to Place: New Materialism & Hyper-Local Ecological Art” Heather Bird Harris Artist Talk and Reception
12:00 PM - 1:15 PM
In-person: Nursing & Allied Health Rm. 108 or 110
Virtual: Heather Bird Harris Artist Talk link
In this event, ecological artist and activist Heather Bird Harris discusses her recent solo exhibition, love as large as grief demands, which transforms mapped industrial scars left by fossil fuel and AI companies in Georgia and Louisiana into regenerative landscapes made with natural materials that reflect the local ecology. This presentation is sponsored by the Great Questions Foundation.
Mindful Art Workshop
Important! 30 person max., registration is required.
Register for the Mindful Art Workshop.
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
BlackBox
Local artist, Chasity Sherer, owner of To Dream in Color, will present on the power of mindfulness and the role of the nervous system in the creative process. Participants will paint custom-made wooden wall hanging using paint and simple design techniques in this relaxed, hands-on workshop that explores how working with one’s hands can help reduce stress and bring focus to the present moment.
Narrative Medicine Reflections
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM
In person: Nursing & Allied Health Building Rm. 108 or 110
Virtual: Narrative Medicine Reflections (Zoom)
Dr. Valerie Holliday’s Intro to Biomedical Ethics students present narrative medicine reflections that explore how storytelling can be a source of healing. These personal narratives from students planning to enter the health-care field take on the perspective of both patient and caregiver, revealing the importance of self-advocacy, the power of connection in moments of crisis and loss, and the surprising places where true healing springs.
Alison Pelegrin Poetry Reading
3:00 PM - 4:15 PM
In person: Dumas Conference Rm.
Virtual: Alison Pelegrin Poetry Reading (Zoom)
Learn how to use poetry as a powerful teaching tool in this event sponsored by the Great Questions Foundation. Alison Pelegrin, the 2023–2025 Poet Laureate of Louisiana, reads her work and shares her experience in the Lifelines Poetry Project, an initiative that brings poetry workshops into ten prisons and jails as well as multiple community centers across Louisiana.
PTK Sneaker Ball
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Location TBD
Arts Fest XIV will close out in style as BRCC’s Pi Theta Kappa Honor Society and the Office of Student Life host a Sneaker Ball! Express yourself through fashion with your best dress, suit and sneakers. There will be food, music, and a special guest performance that will have your sneakers moving. Be sure to bring a guest!
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