News Release Distributed 03/10/15

BATON ROUGE, La. – The fifth annual Brush With Burden art exhibition will be held at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden March 22-29.

This event celebrates Louisiana’s talented artists and their depictions of the state’s cultural and natural resources, said Jeff Kuehny, director of the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden.

“A juried multi-media exhibition, Brush With Burden features all types of art inspired by Louisiana's natural beauty, flora and fauna under the theme ‘The Nature and Culture of Louisiana,’” Kuehny said.

The Brush with Burden exhibition will be open to the public in the Steele Burden Memorial Orangerie and the Ione Burden Conference Center 1-4 p.m. Sundays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. other days March 22-29.

The exhibition will kick off with a free reception from 4-6 p.m. on March 21. A ceremony at 5:30 will present awards for Best in Show, Judges’ Choice, People’s Choice and Merit for the best artwork in various categories, including painting, 3-D work and photography.

Earlier that day, Phil Sandusky, plein air impressionist from New Orleans will conduct a workshop from 9 a.m. to noon in the Ione Burden Conference Center.

Sandusky will show his landscapes and cityscapes of south Louisiana through a lecture and artwork demonstration, “Practical Applications in Painting.”

Registration for the workshop is $25 if received before March 20 and $30 at the door. Advance registration is suggested because seating will be limited.

To register, send your name, address and email contact, along with the registration fee, to LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens, Attn: Michelle Fuller, 4650 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. Make checks payable to BHS, with the notation “Sandusky Lecture” in the memo line.

Sandusky also will serve as juror and judge for the art show.

Jurors and judges for photography will include John Balance, director of photography for The Advocate; Marie Bissell Constantin, an internationally known still photographer; and William Greiner, a renowned American artist.

The event is sponsored by the Burden Horticulture Society and the Botanic Gardens.

In addition to this exhibit, winning artwork will be displayed at the Shaw Center for the Arts during the month of April.

All artwork will be priced for sale. Commissions from any sales will be used to support initiatives of the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden, which is located on Essen Lane near I-10.

For more information about Brush With Burden, contact Margaret Blades at 225-505-3105 or mblades@cox.net. Information also is available online at www.LSUAgCenter.com , and searching for Brush With Burden.