Episode 7 of Strait Talk, produced by Civic Journalist Jake Boudrot, with camera work by Jake Boudrot, takes place at an art exhibition held on Thursday, July 4 at Centre La Picasse in Petit de Grat.

The event was organized in memory of Ronald a Gonzague, a local artist who was a strong promoter of the Acadian language and culture.

The event was also an opportunity for Centre La Picasse to celebrate winning the Louis E. Deveau Award for Excellence for its role in the promotion and preservation of the French language and Acadian culture.

La Picasse President Rochelle Heudes told host Connor Samson, a summer student at Telile, that the award was an honour.

“They actually look at what an organization brings in certainly, promoting the French language, the culture, and the Acadian background,” said. “The Picasse has been open for 27 years and it’s a home, as you can see here, for a lot of the artists…”

Centre La Picasse Director Monique Marchand said they received the award the last week of June at Université Sainte-Anne.

“It’s recognition of not just those who are working here now but it’s recognition of 27 years of work here at La Picasse,” she said.

According to La Picasse, they hosted over 40 local artists in a wide variety of mediums during the exhibit.

The evening started with short speeches in French and English by Heudes and Marchand, then a message from Van Colden about the deep impact Ronald a Gonzague had on her life as an artist, which was read by her father Leo Landry.

Folk artist Terrence Fortune then did a demonstration of how the “Little Wooden Men” can be made to step dance.

Host Connor Samson spoke with artists Mark Connors and Ian McKinnon, who are new to Isle Madame but have been inspired by the natural beauty and unique culture of the island.

Samson also spoke with Dobson Boudreau, a younger artist, creating more realistic duck decoys.