ENTERTAINMENT Baton Rouge Gallery hosts Surreal Salon Soirée art event

Awards, poetry and more: Black History Month at LSU

BY ARIS WILLIAMS @jonetaw

Baton Rouge Gallery: Center for Contemporary Art hosted the first installation of its Surreal Salon Soirée since 2020 on Saturday, Jan. 21.

The unique event successfully fuses a costume party with its current exhibition, Surreal Salon 15. The exhibition features the work of over 60 artists hailing from 21 states and nine different nations.

The guests came dressed to impress in surrealist costume. Face paint, eccentric gowns and fur coats filled the space and made the festivities even more special. From Victorian queens to walking canvases, Baton Rouge Gallery’s commitment to full throttle artistic expression shows in the locals who frequent its events.

Guests are encouraged to dress as outlandish as possible. A highlight of the night was the costume contest that allowed attendees’ work to be recognized.

Raving about the amazing turnout over charcuterie and wine was followed by a performance by Austin-based experimental rock band, The Golden Dawn Arkestra. The band’s approach to performance is best described as cosmic, with go-go dancers and the performers in exuberant costumes fitting right into the scenery.

As the music played and the guests made their way to the stage, the feeling of complete freedom to let loose was undeniable. Guests danced and cheered.

An afterparty at The Radio Bar followed.

Baton Rouge Gallery’s mission is to connect audiences with contemporary art through innovative exhibits and program - ming, and it accomplished just that with this event.

With over 55 years of operation under its belt, Baton Rouge Gallery continues to evolve with the times while maintaining the founding value of art belonging to the people. The gallery is controlled by the artists themselves.

Only artists can add or remove other artists from the gallery, according to its website. The goal of this is to give a different viewpoint of contemporary art in Baton Rouge, other than the view of “a single curator or gallery owner.”