What inspires an Artist?

By Madelyn Miller, the Travellady

Do you ever look at a wonderful piece of art and wondered where the artist got the idea?

What influenced him in his choice of media and expression of his vision.

On a recent trip to Shreveport I got great insight into the works of Dale Chihuly, one of my favorite artists.

I had never been to Shreveport but when I read that they were having an exhibit of his personal Navajo blanket collection, I knew I had to see it. I adore anything Southwestern. I am fascinated by textiles. And of course, as I mentioned, I love Dale Chihuly’s work.

The exhibit, “Wrapped in Tradition” is based on the Chihuly Collection of Native American Trade Blankets is an exceptional installation at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum. Wisely displaying each glass masterpiece besides the blankets that inspired it, the curator clearly shows the impact of the colors and patterns of the blankets on Chihuly’s work.

Brightly colored blankets became a medium of exchange as early as the 1500’s when Indians in what is now Canada and the Eastern United States began trading beaver pelts of European goods. Early blankets were produced by the Hudson’s Bay Company as practical items valued for their warmth.

The 1880’s introduction of the Jacquard loom, which could produce complex patterns, resulted in a proliferation of more intricate and colorful designs, with many based on ancient Indian motifs. Within the history of European-Native American trade, at one time an important component of international commerce, trade blankets stand out—for their extraordinary visual impact, as well as their direct association with native people.

Over 400 years later, trade blankets continue to be visible at powwows and sacred ceremonies, are awarded to individuals as symbols of friendship and acceptance, and are presented as gifts during important rites of passage. They make a powerful statement of personal and cultural identity and express a connection to the older, more traditional ways.

The machine-made trade blanket was also known as the “wearing blanket.” There is a mystical dimension to wearing the blanket, and this is reflected in Chihuly’s work.

When the blanket is wrapped around the shoulders with the two sides joined in front, the design comes together and completes itself.

For Dale Chihuly the person wearing it becomes a “Blanket Cylinder.”

He explains it best, “After studying weaving and textiles, I would up falling in love with both Navajo blankets and trade blankets. A turning point came in 1974 That year, I built a glass shop for the Institute of American Indian Art in Santa fe, visited the first major exhibition of Navajo blankets ( at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston) and along with Jamie Carpenter and Italo Scanga, developed a “drawing pickup” technique that led to the creation of my “Navajo Blanket Cylinders.”

We created drawings inspired by Indian blanket designs, using glass threads that we then picked up onto the surface of the hot cylinders. These blowing sessions were some of the most exciting and challenging of my career. Looking back, I think it is possible to say that in the “Navajo Blanket Cylinders,” the pieces were wearing their drawings just as the Indians were wearing their blankets.

I was so mesmerized I could not take my eyes off the visuals until it was time for me to leave to drive back to Dallas. But I realized there was so much more to see at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum and in Shreveport.

I think I have to thank Dale Chihuly for that.

Louisiana State Exhibit Museum
3015 Greenwood Road
Shreveport, Louisiana 71109
318-632-2020
Free Admission until Nov 30, 2007
http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/tabid/241/Default.aspx
http://www.chihuly.com/collections/blankets/

WHERE TO STAY

Horseshoe Casino & Hotel Bossier City
606 luxury suite hotel, 24-hour gaming action, 1,500+ slot machines including Video Poker & Video Keno, 50+ table games, Riverdome Entertainment Center featuring headliner entertainment and world-class events, fabulous restaurants, shopping and more.
711 Horseshoe Blvd
I-20 Exit 19B
Bossier City, LA 71111
318-742-0711
800-895-0711
Reservations: 1-800-HARRAHS
http://www.horseshoe.com

WHERE TO EAT

Dinner at Bistro 6301
Lovely upscale dining establishment. Master mixologist with specialty cocktails including blood orange martini, chocolate martini, gingerbread martini. Fine wines and food.
Bistro 6301
6301 Line Avenue
Shreveport, Louisiana 71106
(318) 865-6301
http://www.bistro6301.com
Menus: http://www.bistro6301.com/menu.cfm
dining@bistro6301.com
Hours
Restaurant and Bar
Tuesday _ Thursday 5-10p.m.
Friday - Saturday 5 - 11 P.M.

Ichiban Japanese Restaurant
4414 Youree Dr
Shreveport, LA 71105
318-219-9900
Popular spot among locals in the popular Broadmoor neighborhood. Traditional Japanese favorites including sushi. Home of the Shreveport Orgasm!

Ristorante Giuseppe’s
4800 Line Ave BLDG A
Shreveport, LA 71106
318-869-4548
contactus@ristorantegiuseppe.com
http://www.ristorantegiuseppe.com/
Menu: http://www.ristorantegiuseppe.com/menu.html
Chef Giuseppe Brucia: By the age of ten, Giuseppe Brucia was attending culinary school on Palermo, Sicily. Graduating at thirteen from Instituto Alberghiero Profesionale, he served as apprentice at Bagutta Ristorante in Milan. With his long family tradition and superb culinary training, Chef Giuseppe began his lifelong culinary career quickly becoming an award-winning chef in Italy and later in the United States.

In 1976, after working in Italy, Germany and Switzerland, Giuseppe introduced his brand of Italian food in Shreveport with the opening of Firenze Ristorante. In the last thirty-one years, Giuseppe has elevated the art of fine Italian and Mediterranean cuisine in Shreveport-Bossier City. His inspiration and accomplishments have culminated in the creation of Ristorante Giuseppe- and experience that celebrates intimate dining with family and friends together with the graceful art of cooking.

Glenwood Village Tearoom
3310 Line Ave
Shreveport, LA 71104-4255
http://www.glenwoodvillagetearoom.com/
Lunch menu - http://www.glenwoodvillagetearoom.com/LunchMenu.html
History - http://www.glenwoodvillagetearoom.com/OurHistory.html

WHERE TO SHOP

Line Avenue shopping corridor
Five-mile stretch of Line Avenue in the Pierremont neighborhood of Shreveport with antique stores, specialty shopping, boutiques and more.
String A Bead
6020 Line Avenue
Shreveport, LA 71106
(318) 868-3223
http://www.stringabead.com/catalog/

Shopping at Louisiana Boardwalk
Outlet shopping at more than 50 stores including Chico’s, White House Black Market, Rue 21, The Children’s Place, Gap, Reebok, Nike and more.
Also home to Cajun Coffee House, Chocolate Crocodile, Joe’s Crab Shack, San Francisco Oven, Hooters, Saltgrass and more.
Louisiana Boardwalk
390 Plaza Loop
Bossier City riverfront - I-20 Exit 19-B
Bossier City, LA 71111
www.louisianaboardwalk.com

Boutiques and antique shops on Kings Hwy. near Centenary College

TIPS FOR CHOCOHOLICS

Lila’s Cakes & Chocolates
Great selection of wonderful chocolates and pastries. The store is named after the owners’ daughter, Lila. All the tips go to Lila. They also serve breakfast and lunch.
Lila’s Cakes & Chocolates
440 Olive Street
Shreveport, Louisiana 71104
Phone: (318) 676-1407
Fax: (318) 676-1408
Menu: http://ktal.nexstardeals.com/promo/restaurant/28449_Lilas%20Cakes%20menu.jpg

WHAT’S BREWING

PJ’s Coffee
Based out of New Orleans. HaS doggie treats for drive-thru customers, and pet dishes available to use outside. . Two locations in Shreveport. i visited the one in the popular Broadmoor neighborhood. Will soon be opening a location in Bossier City.
3950 Youree Dr., Suite 200
Shreveport, LA 71105
318-868-9738
8510 Youree Dr.
Shreveport, LA 71115
318-797-6388
http://www.pjscoffee.com/

Columbia Café
Contemporary cuisine, large selection of boutique wines, renovated home into a restaurant, selection of chocolates, in-house coffee roasting. Chefs have freedom to create their own ideas. Owner is Matthew Linn. Influenced by his mother’s cooking which blended cultures from their early travels.
Columbia Café
3030 Creswell
Kings Hwy at Creswell Ave
Shreveport, LA 71104
318-425-3862
www.columbiacafe.com
coffeeman@columbiacafe.com

BEST MASSAGE

The Hands of Peace Massage Therapy
696 Boardwalk Blvd
Bossier City, LA 71111
318-742-7070
www.thehandsofpeace.net

MARVELOUS MUSEUMS

Ark-La-Tex Antique & Classic Vehicle Museum
One of the top five car museums in the country. Originally a car assembly plant and showroom. Mannequins in period dress. Notable exhibits included a Corvette with only seven miles on it – a promised college graduation gift to a poor (lazy) soul who never met the goal.
Ark-La-Tex Antique & Classic Vehicle Museum
601 Spring St
Shreveport, LA 71101
318-222-0227

Chihuly Blanket Installation at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum
Wrapped in Tradition: The Chihuly Collection of American Indian Trade Blankets
Exhibit of 80 blankets and a number of glass cylinders by Dale Chihuly.
Louisiana State Exhibit Museum
3015 Greenwood Rd
I-20 Exit 16B
Shreveport, LA 71109
318-632-2020
http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/tabid/241/Default.aspx

BEST BARGAINS

Lila’s Cakes & Chocolates has half-off gift certificates at http://arklatexhomepage.com/content/marketplace/discountdining