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The Celtic Nations
by
Candice Alexander

The Celtic Nations Heritage Foundation (CNHF) will commission a Lake Charles artist to design,
print, and hand paint a series of eight original woodcut/lithographic prints that depict artisans,
musicians, and the folklife of each Celtic nation—Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany, Galician,
Asturias, and Isle of Man. The prints will realistically depict the artists performing their crafts in
their natural context, yet will capture the spirit of the Celtic culture as well. The Celtic Nations Festival
in Lake Charles features similar artists in workshops, live concerts, demonstrations, and exhibits. A first
printing of twenty originals (160 total) will be produced, promoted, and offered for sale.
The collectible prints will create an awareness and appreciation for the Celtic arts, connecting pristine
pockets of Celtic culture and modern audiences. Content research and consultations will be guided by cultural
agencies of the eight Celtic nations and local Celtic artists and artisans. Subject matter will depict unique
artists such as the Aran Island basket makers who still create the type of basket once found in every Irish
household and used to strain potatoes, carry seaweed to the fields, and haul turf from the peat bogs. Today
only two authentic basket makers remain in Ireland. Similarly, a Uileann (elbow pipe) player may be depicted
playing the only bagpipe played in the sitting position. The elbow pipe was created in the 16th century as a
result of Queen Elizabeth’s penal laws which restricted the Irish from standing to play. Other prints may
depict Galician lace makers, Aran Island knitters, tartan spinners, balladeers, dancers performing the Sailor’s
Hornpipe or a Strathspey and Reel, fiddlers, or Gaelic poets.

Candice Alexander, American printmaker and Lake Charles resident, assisted by studio apprentices and other
printmakers will design and print the series. Alexander has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Arts, was
trained in Athens, Greece and Rome, Italy, and now designs, produces, and exhibits her work in a studio in
the Arts andHumanities Center in Lake Charles’ Central School. She was selected for nine solo exhibits in
the past few years, and has received awards and grants such as the Best of Show at the Bay Area Renaissance
Festival in Florida and The Acadian Experience, a state of Louisianateaching grant.

Short-term, this project and artist will be introduced at a press conference and VIP reception prior to the
October Celtic Nations festival in Lake Charles. Region-wide advertising and promotion of the festival will
include this project. Furthermore, sets of prints will be presented to eight nations’ representatives at the
festival’s opening ceremonies; they will also be available for sale at $59.99 per print at the festival, in
galleries and shops, and on the Celtic Nations website. As demand grows, more prints will be produced. Later,
the prints will become collectible as a series and will be introduced to markets in the eight Celtic nations,
to Celtic enthusiasts in theUnited States and across Louisiana. Their appeal will help create interest in the
Celtic “revival” worldwide—and now in Lake Charles—and will help establish Lake Charles as a destination for cultural tourism. Eventually, the prints may be produced in other formats such as on fine stationery/cards and marketed as such—making the art even more affordable and accessible to larger numbers. One print each year may be adapted for a festival full-size poster. Furthermore, the artist may serve as a foundation spokesperson in schools, demonstrating the art of printmaking. Overall, the project will promote the local artist and her craft, traditional Celtic artists, and the Celtic Nations Heritage Foundation/Festival—linking artists to audiences through a very manageable project. The Executive Director of the Celtic Nations Heritage Festival, Jeanne Owens, will oversee the project, working closely with consultants and the artist(s). One hundred percent of the grant funds will go to artist as payment; additional artist fees will be paid by the foundation. Income generated by sales of the prints will support the Celtic Nations Heritage Foundation.