Escapes
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AT ONE WITH THE GOOD GOOD
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Bonne Terre
A THOUGHTFULLY CURATED ESCAPE IN THE GREEN HEART OF CAJUN COUNTRY
Story by Ashley Hinson • Photos by Paul Kieu
Proprieter of Bonne Terre Artists’ Retreat Jennifer Gray—pictured right with writer Ashley Hinson, left—has lived on the property since 1979, and she has been inviting creatives from around the world to be inspired by the natural beauty of Acadiana since 2016 .
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estled deep in the forests of Poché Bridge in St. Martin Parish, where paved roads wind into gravel trails and the sky feels endless, there is a gem. The aptly named Bonne Terre Artists’ Retreat is rich with the sounds, textures, and pace of true country living designed to work with nature, not against it. Proprietor Jennifer Gray, a cheerful native of New Iberia, feels more a steward of the land than an owner of property. Walk50
ing the grounds, the ten acres are rife with the life she cultivates. She nurtures the fruits, herbs, and vegetables she grows the same way she tends to her menagerie of rescue goats, bunnies, birds, and a horse named Rio. “I try to be an ambassador to the area,” she said. “People come, and we live in such a beautiful area that is so unique and special. So, anything I can do to try to show that off, I try to.” The structures on Bonne Terre’s lush
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property are an homage to rural, Southern living. The complex includes three buildings. The Cottage, where carpenter bees hum, is where Gray resides with her dog, Siro. The Main House Gray referred to as “a labor of love”; the one-hundredplus-year-old beauty with long-leaf pine floors had to be transported from New Iberia. In the back, there is the invitingly open and pattern-draped artists’ studio, where I stayed and wrote this story. Energy toward care is palpable, and the studio is packed with thoughtfully hand-picked items. You may pour your coffee, a dark roast blend with a hint of
citrus crafted by Rêve Coffee Roasters, into artisan-made stoneware, which goes perfectly with the multicolored farmfresh eggs in the fridge. Every corner of the studio is bathed in warm light that illuminates regional treasures. Posters of musical icons Clifton Chenier and David Egan, as well as modern artists like Motel Radio and Dylan LeBlanc, overlook vintage organs, a washboard and triangle, and an acoustic sunburst guitar. Binoculars hang by the window, and yoga mats rest, rolled up in a wicker basket. The bookshelf houses Confederacy of Dunces, alongside I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, and guidebooks for ayurvedic yoga.
