The North Central Louisiana Arts Council and the Lincoln Parish Library are partnering to host “Our Hats: Our Crowns” Exhibition, Nov. 6-21 at the Library.
The exhibition of women’s historic and contemporary church hats will be curated by Dr. Susan Roach, folklorist for the Regional Folklife Program at Louisiana Tech University.
Women in the community are invited to bring their Sunday hats to the library from Oct. 30-Nov. 1 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to be loaned for the exhibit. Roach will have loan forms and tape recorders available so that the hats can be documented and stories collected for the exhibition information.
Roach says, "Wearing hats for church on Sunday morning is an important tradition that reaches back into the 1800s. Most of us in the South grew up in churches where hats were worn, although the tradition is less strong today."
The exhibition will use lighted, locked display cases on the main floor of the library and expand into the large meeting room, if necessary; the library will have security measures for the room if used.
Dr. Roach will also document the exhibited hats and develop an online photo essay of hats and narratives for the Louisiana Regional Folklife Program website. The library, located at 919 N. Trenton St., is open to the public during the library hours: Monday – Thursday: 9 a.m.- 8 p.m.; Friday – Saturday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Sunday Evening: 1 – 5 p.m. There is no charge for viewing the exhibit.
The library will also host two free two-hour hat-design workshops; one for children on Nov. 16 at 4 p.m. and one for teens on Nov. 17 at 4 p.m. The two free workshops will be presented by Jennifer Purdy, coordinator of the Webster Parish Library’s Children’s Department.
Art supplies and materials for the workshop will be provided by NCLAC and the Lincoln Parish Library; refreshments will also be furnished by the library. The hats made by the children will be displayed after the workshop in the children’s area of the library also (if the artists consent).
These activities are being held in conjunction with the NCLAC performance of Crowns by Mahogany Theatre on Nov. 17, at the Dixie Center for the Arts in Ruston; call 255-1450 for tickets and information.