Glenbrook Students to Publish Book for Spring Arts Festival...

4th and 6th grade students from Glenbrook will have their own book published in time for this year's festival. The students wrote and illustrated their own book as part of Dee Scallan's "We Want to Be Authors" program sponsored by Cultural Crossroads. The fictional book featuring the funky chicken will go on sale at the festival.

Cultural Crossroads has been instrumental in bringing this literary art program to area schools. This will be the fourth book published. Richardson Elementary students wrote the first book. Central Elementary wrote the second and Glenbrook students have completed two books. Both books feature the funky chicken as the main character.

The opportunity to write and illustrate their own book is awarded to the "Most Talented School in Webster Parish," an honor that is determined at each year's Spring Arts Festival.

Dee Scallan, creator of the program and award winning author instructed the children in the art of writing while Chris Broussard gave instructions on how to illustrate a book. Here's a peak at the beautiful illustrations by area children.

Alice Guffey Miller is Coming to This Year's Spring Arts Festival!

Alice Guffey Miller, one of the nation’s leading female artists, is coming to Minden in April for this year's Spring Arts Festival!

The Arkansas native is 'one of the great unsung art geniuses of our time,' says poet laureate Robert Moore. Kids love her; contemporaries marvel at her abilities. You may have seen her art around the state or region…or even in Pottsdam, Germany.


Miller worked with 600 volunteers from the Waldron school district to construct "Pop, the Magic Dragon." Alice creates grant scale 'involvement sculptures' always emphasizing environmental awareness and community creativity. She uses a variety of recyclable materials in her work. "Pop, the Magic Dragon" contained 2,000 green plastic (Sprite and 7-up) bottles, inner tubes, tires, Styrofoam, wire and rebar.

The 'trashformer' as she calls herself is this year's featured artist for the Spring Arts Festival. Ms. Miller will be working with more than 250 third graders on Thursday and Friday, April 28 and 29 to create the newly adopted Farm mascot, the Funky Chicken.


While Miller claims her favorite art piece is the 'one I just finished,' Miller gives art a boost by "turning on" school children to the discipline through hands-on projects that display a "play" spirit and child-like quality that is both joyful and humorous. "She's a magician with kids! Every little thing that turns children on to their artistic talents is a benefit to all mankind." –Robert Moore.

Third graders from area elementary schools will be bused in to the Farm on Thursday and Friday(April 28-29) of festival week for a full day of hands -on art interaction with professional artists including Alice Guffey Miller. This art experience for many of these children is their first! It is provided free of charge thanks to local corporate support and grants from the Webster Parish Tourism Commission, the LA Div. of the Arts, the LA Ofc. of Culture, Recreation & Tourism and the Shreveport Arts Council.