Oral History with pARTiculars Founders

Description

In this interview conducted on September 11, 2024, four of the founders of Lafayette’s art gallery and studio, pARTiculars, discussed the blooming arts community in Lafayette. Suzanne Connolly-Howes, Peter Steele, Jeff Becker, & Jeanne Hogen were interviewed as a group by Wendy Mills, all of whom were integral aspects of the gallery's development. For background on pARTiculars, read “Genesis of the Arts in Lafayette” by Wendy Mills, an oral history assistant for this project, below: In 2008, the so-called ‘old town’ along South Public Road was dotted with many abandoned buildings marring the look of the town. To remedy this, the Lafayette Arts Commission (LAC) developed a program called, An Invitation to Stare. The concept of the program was to display artwork in the windows of the abandoned buildings until occupied. The city advertised a call for artists. Many replied and the vacant windows of Lafayette’s ‘old town’ were filled by various mediums of beautiful art. This is one story: When Elizabeth’s Embellishments moved down the street, their first location stood empty for a while. The paintings of Wendy Wham Mills were chosen for the picture window in the space. On the night of installation of the works, members of LAC, Mills, and landlord Nancy West were cleaning the dusty, dirty, cobwebbed space while speaking of dreams for the renaissance of the Lafayette and art’s part in the process. Wistfully, West said that she had always dreamed of a gallery to occupy the space (Prior to Elizabeth’s Embellishments, the building was home to Wests Antiques). The idea grew, summoning another call for artists for a new cooperative gallery which became pARTiculars. Loosely based on the Boulder Co-Op, the artist/owners of pARTIculars set up shop, cleaning and refurbishing the one-hundred-year-old abandoned building. Nancy West graciously provided financial support so the gallery could get off the ground. Nine original members shared their passion for art with Lafayette. Soon, pARTiculars obtained an event liquor license and hosted the first Art Night Out urging the participation of other merchants along South Public Road to join in. but after putting in a day’s work, most of the nearby merchants did not want to participate, balking at tacking on three hours on to an already long day. Nonetheless, some did. However, the event was in its infancy and foot traffic was minimal. One by one, the few participating merchants dropped out, but pARTiculars charged on, hosting Art Night Out in good weather, and Art Night In in the winter. The event began to make traction. Eventually, the City of Lafayette took on the event and the rest, as they say, is history.