Our Approach
OUR MISSION
Freetown Studios is a non-profit studio production dirty workspace located in a warehouse in the unique and diverse neighborhoods of Freetown and Port-Rico in Lafaeytte Parish, LA. We are dedicated to promoting emerging contemporary artists who work in Printmaking, Drawing, Painting, Installation, Theater and other Multi-Media disciplines.
We encourage artists to undertake projects that have meaningful community involvement; a chance many emerging artists have not yet had so far. We have established a perfect space to work, teach, and learn; a space that inspires both struggling/established artists and members of the community to exchange ideas, work in different genres, and to understand the extraordinary role art plays in everyday life.
Our Story
Meet the Team
Susan David, AKA Scuze, is a two time recipient of ArtSpark, an Individual Artist Stipend administered by the Acadiana Center for the Arts and funded by the Lafayette Economic Development Authority to implement Project Rooster Teeth (PRT) in 2016. PRT is a community funded public art grant based in Lafayette, Louisiana. The PRT movement is still going strong. She also received the Artspark award in 2019 to implement Emerge, a site specific immersive sculpture installation along with a having a documentary concerning process of this social sculpture, and to host a public arts discussion on what installation art is. She was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, obtained her Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Painting from UL of Lafayette in 2004 and her Master's of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies at Vermont College of Fine Arts, in Montpelier, Vermont in January 2016. She was nominated by Country Roads Magazine as an up-and-coming regional artist in 2012. For the past 13 years she has been the set designer ensemble cast member and sometimes photographer for The Milena Theatre Group under the vision of director Dayana Stetco. She exhibits her work regionally and nationally and has works in the permanent collections of KRVS Radio Acadie, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, The University of Tasmania, The Southern Graphics Print Council Archives, University of Mississippi, and the Print and Drawing Collection, New Orleans, Museum of Art.
Burt is a mid career artist learning the printmaking ropes. He is a resident of Lafayette, Louisiana, and a self taught artist who has made his home base in ATX & San Fran before moving back to Lafayette in 2013. His work is playful and illustrative. Some of his influences are Mike Reedy, Felipe Pantone, Ron English, and Erik Jones to name a few.
Burt keeps Susan sane. Loves plants (I mean, who doesn't), his menagerie of animals, and IPA's & chicken tacos.
He's diligently working in the studio for his upcoming show, details to be announced.
Our Volunteers
AKA Our Fairy Godmothers
We'd be lost without 'em....Freetown Studios' Board Members are Carissa McDaniel, Lucius Fontenot, Chris Deshazo & Giorgio Russo. These cats help with programming, marketing, general CAM. We are also comprised of an Contemporary Visual Arts Advisory Board, namely, Jessica Ann Wagner (visual artist), Veronika Cross (visual artist), Holly Harrison (gallerist & collector), and Kelly Russo (Architect & Visual Artist) to research, discuss, and solidify new and engaging art opportunities to ultimately benefit not just the arts community but to all involved and beyond. We also could not operate without our interns, volunteer instructors, & community service workers.
Thank you all! Each and every one of you!