Revel attracts more vendors for 38th year

A walk-in sculpture that allows visitors to enjoy a color-andlight-induced art experience and a public performance by Dallas Black Dance Theater are just two of the new artistic expressions on the program of the 38th Red River Revel Art Festival on Oct. 5-12 in downtown Shreveport’s Festival Plaza.

The Revel (as it is commonly known), began in 1976 as the Junior League of Shreveport’s bicentennial gift to the residents of the region. The goal is to provide the community with a celebration of visual and performing arts.

Initially, there were nine food booths, about 40 artists and a couple of performance stages. Today, the festival attracts some 180,000 visitors who come to revel in the 75 live performances, shop at the 108 juried artists booths and feast at the 30 food booths.

“We strive each year to keep to our core mission which is to ‘Celebrate the Arts,’” Kevin Stone, executive director, said. “This means providing as much artistic representation as we can over the course of the eight-day festival.”

That artistic representation ranges from dance performances including: tap, ballet, modern, hip-hop and middleeastern; music performances including:

opera, symphonic, big band, rock, blues, bluegrass and country; and visual artists working with ceramics/pottery, computer-generated art, drawing, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, oils/acrylics, photography, sculpture, watercolor and wood.

“There’s something for everyone at the Revel,” Stone said.

This year at least two new expressions will grace the grounds of the Revel:

Exxopolis, a walk-in plastic ‘luminarium’ sculpture featuring a maze of tunnels that open into spaces bathed in a fusion of color and light and the Dallas Black Dance Theater, offering a public performance as well as intermediate and master level instructional classes.

“We always try to bring at least one artistic element to the Revel that is typically only found in major cities across the country,” Stone said. “Exxopolis is a good example of this.”

What keeps the crowds coming back though are the familiar entertainers, artists and food vendors who return annually and with whom diehard Revel fans have come to know and love.

Stan Routh has sold his drawings of architectural and historical landmarks at the Revel since 1980. “The Revel sets the highest standard in every way,” Routh said. “It is truly inspirational.”

Oil painter Lorrie Drennan, a fifthyear Revel veteran, enjoys reuniting with loyal customers. “There are several customers that buy from me every year,” she said. “It’s wonderful getting to come back and see people that I now consider friends.”

This will be the fourth Revel for Cody Cooke and the Bayou Outlaws, a country music band. Band member Jackie Brock said, “We enjoy playing the revel partly because of the musical diversity the festival offers. We love the fact that fans of all ages can come enjoy the show.”

Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet artistic director Kendra Meiki says the ballet has performed at the Revel every year since 2001.

“It’s such a great experience for all young dancers to see so many artists working in a cooperative effort for the arts in Shreveport/Bossier,” she said.

The Revel is not only an artistic coup for Northwest Louisiana but also benefits the community economically, educationally and by making the arts accessible to everyone.

The Revel generates both direct and indirect economic impact through

GOING TO THE REVEL?

The Red River Revel Arts Festival is Oct. 5-12. Tickets, travel information, activities, and more can be found on the Revel’s website, www.redriverrevel. com or by calling 424-4000. Advance “Reveler” eight-day passes can be purchased on the website or at the Revel office (101 Crockett St.). The Revel opens at 11 a.m. daily.