Salad Days student art exhibit now on display at Slidell City Hall

On Friday, March 15, 2024, arts students from around St. Tammany Parish were joined by family and friends in the George Dunbar Gallery in the Slidell Cultural Center at City Hall for the opening reception and award ceremony for the 33rd annual Salad Days Juried Exhibition of Student Art.

“We are incredibly blessed to have so many talented students here in St. Tammany Parish and I would like to congratulate all the Salad Days artists,” said Slidell Mayor Greg Cromer. “I invite everyone to come to City Hall and see these amazing works of art.”

This year’s juror is Mary Christopher. Christopher received a Bachelor of Art Education from Oklahoma State University in 1977 and a Master’s Degree in Management and Supervision from Central Michigan University in 1989. She has worked in a variety of fields including social work, marketing and volunteer services. She retired from teaching art at Cypress Cove Elementary in 2016. While at Cypress Cove she received recognition as Teacher of the Year and Educator of Distinction. She was selected as the Slidell Art League’s Master Artist of the Year in 2010 and was featured by the City of Slidell with a one woman show in 2015. Her art was selected as the Arts Evening 2018 Poster Artist and was featured on the cover of Slidell Magazine.  She has served on Slidell’s Commission on the Arts for many years and remains active in the Slidell Art League. She completed two murals commissioned by the City of Slidell along with five pelicans for the Pelicans on Parade public art project.

Salad Days entries are divided into four age categories. First, Second, Third and Honorable Mentions are awarded in each category.

Category A (5 to 8 year olds)

• 1st –  “Louisiana Pelican” by Matthew Landry
• 2nd – “Shotgun Houses” by Laura Chin
• 3rd – “Happy New Year India” by Chloe Lewis
• HM – “Whale” by Peiton Munguia
• HM – “Nativity” by Kambrie Simmons
• Participating Artists: Lilly Claire Hatt and Emerald O’Toole

Category B (9 to 11 year olds)

• 1st – “Wicked” by Ella Sue Ryan
• 2nd – “Knarly” by Gemma Patterson
• 3rd – “Mr. Z” by Ashley Mannino
• HM – “Freedom” by Dylan Landry
• HM – “The Birds and the Bees” by Ashley Mannino
• HM – “Fruit Loops” by Morgan Roberts
• Participating Artists: Olivia Loomis, Olivia Yi, and Olivia Vicidomina

Category C (12 to 14 year olds)

• 1st – “Seeing Red” by Camille Hicks
• 2nd – “Blue Skies” by Camille Hicks
• 3rd – “Woodie” by Jack Cox
• HM – “Trapped” by Chloe Landry
• HM – “Untitled (Dog)” by Currynn Orr
• HM –  “Magical Dust” by Clara Tullis
• Participating Artists: Melanie Clapp, Aiden Finchis, Max Jones, Shyanne Mealer, Kalet Posadas, Alexis Smith, and Hadley Stroud

Category D (15 to 19 year olds)

• 1st – “Beignets, Madame” by Connor Carollo
• 2nd – “Orange You Glad You Called an Ambulance?” by Kaiden McKleroy
• 3rd – “Birds of Paradise” by Ella Steele
• HM – “The Peanut Vendor” by Connor Carollo
• HM – “Created” by Ella Gex
• HM – “Tonight” by Isabella Vindel
• Participating Artists: Catherine Owen, Nhi Nguyen, Alexis St. Romain, and Hana Wall

The George Dunbar Gallery in the Slidell Cultural Center is located at 2055 Second Street, on the first floor of Slidell City Hall. Gallery Hours are Mondays – Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Gallery viewings are by appointment only by calling the Department of Cultural & Public Affairs at (985) 646-4375. Same day appointments are available. Admission is free.