UNSCENE! honors local music icon Stan Lewis
Another UNSCENE! weekend event drew crowds as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Urban Studies and Planning recently featured Shreveport Common as one of 13 “stand out” communities creating positive, transformational in a nationwide study on “creative placemaking.”
The report recognizes the threeyear, arts-led community revitalization process for Shreveport Common as having “laid the foundation to become one of the leading examples of creative placemaking in the country.” MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning defines placemaking as an innovative approach to transforming communities by creating and revitalizing open, public spaces around the needs and desires of the community.
Events like UNSCENE! were attributed to the placemaking listing.
UNSCENE! paid tribute to Shreveport legend Stan “The Record Man” Lewis on March 8. Lewis opened Stan’s Record Shop in 1948 on Texas Street and has been instrumental in shaping the careers of various artists including Kenny Wayne Sheppard, Bobby Rush, Aretha Franklin, Buddy Guy, Big Joe Turner, John Lee Hooker, Brady Blade, Fats Domino and even the Rolling Stones.
Lewis, 87, said he was overwhelmed by the UNSCENE! event held in his honor.
“I’ve received so many honors in my 65 years in the business, but it meant so much to me to be honored by the local community. I felt like the honor should be for the customers that patronized me, and my employees that helped me through all those years. It takes a lot of people to make up that puzzle,” Lewis said. “It was just tremendous. I thought we would have 50 people but about three or 4,000 people showed up. I think these [UNSCENE!] events will continue to be great.”
Along with UNSCENE! events, Shreveport Regional Arts Council continues to drive the district’s rebirth, and to date, more than $6 million has been invested from public and private sources that included national grant awards and matching funds.
Successful projects to date include (but are not limited to):
-Renovated and repurposed the 1922 unused Central Fire Station to become the Central ARTSTATION, the new headquarters for SRAC and local arts initiative. It is the first adaptive re-use of a historic building and first major capital investment for the district in 50 years.
-A bond issue made possible major improvements to historic Oakland Cemetery on the western boundary of the district, the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium and the design and soon construction of the Grand Avenue Promenade on Elvis Presley Boulevard.
-Acquired the land needed for new public green spaces in the district and 20 percent of all land needed for Shreveport Common initiatives.
“Creative placemaking – working at the intersection of culture, community development, transit and housing-is allowing us to leverage local, national, public and private funding resources,” Wendy Benscoter, project manager of Shreveport Common, said. “Placemaking doesn’t need big cities or hot markets to be successful; it just needs committed leaders and an enthusiastic community.
“One of the vital strategies for achieving a cultural economy is equipping the creative workforce. Shreveport Common and SRAC are doing just that, linking over 35 major stakeholders and projects to enhance historically creative neighborhood with entrepreneurial opportunities for artists and other creative fields,” Benscoter said.
The MIT study, combined with improvements in the area such as the renovation of Central ARTSTATION, Municipal Auditorium, and Oakland Cemetery provide incentive to developers to take another look at investing in Shreveport Common, said Jeff Everson, Shreveport City Councilman, District B.
“This well-deserved national attention MIT should lay the groundwork and strengthen the confidence for private sector investment,” Everson said.
The next UNSCENE! event will be April 12 with Theresa Anderson’s new multidisciplinary performance. The event will encompass the Holiday In Dixie Parade and Makers Fair.
– Mandy Byrd
