2nd 'Herons on the Bayou' art installation comes to Ouachita

MONROE, La. (AP) — Thirty-six new Herons on the Bayou were unveiled last weekend at Bayou Park on the University of Louisiana Monroe campus.

Brooke Foy, who teaches at ULM and created the community art project, thanked local people and the organization who have helped with the project, including sponsors, artists and people who help weld, seal the paint jobs and install the pieces around the community.

The designs were inspired by the Great Blue Herons that are native to the area, and the project links local artists with businesses willing to invest in art.

A wonderful aspect of this project, she said, is that the community has reached out and gotten involved. She said she’s meeting artists she never knew before the herons, and that’s a great thing.

Two Herons with Heart are going to local nonprofit groups — Grace Place and the Northeast Louisiana Delta African American Museum.

HERONS PROJECT IS BUILDING CONNECTIONS

Julia Sweeney decided to paint a heron after her students at Sterlington High School pointed out that she’d developed it as a lesson plan for them, but she had not painted her own yet.

During the fall election season, she quickly designed a patriotic bird with freehanded stars and stripes.

The family of Matthew Cameron had the option to choose a heron to honor his memory from donated funds, and they chose Sweeney’s design.

Cameron was a founding member of Downtown Monroe Renaissance. The director of strategy and business development for CenturyLink also served in numerous leadership roles at local nonprofits and in state leadership.

Patricia Cameron said her husband was passionate about shopping for American-made goods. He and his friends blogged about it and launched “We Shop American” at the American Legion building. (It’s also where...