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The Gallery

The Gallery at 118 Cotton

For the first time in it's 40+ year history, the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council is proud to debut The Gallery at 118 Cotton, located in our brand new office location. This beautiful exhibition space features a state of the art hanging system, boasts beautiful historic brick walls and offers the perfect amount of space for an art exhibition, workshop or initmate private event.

Upcoming Exhibition...

HEADED TO THE GALLERY!

The Arts Council is honored to showcase the work of Region 8 artist Natalie Armstrong in a solo exhibition here at The Gallery at 118 Cotton Street in Downtown West Monroe from July 28th through September 11th. The opening reception will be held August 7th from 5pm to 9pm, in conjunction with the Downtown Gallery Crawl!

Natalie Armstrong is a self-taught mixed media and collage artist based in North Louisiana, originally from Metairie, LA. Her work explores the layered contradictions of femininity through playful, female-centric compositions that blend nostalgia with subversion, and romance with grit.

Armstrong’s earliest creative influence was her spirited grandmother, who taught her to paint on everything from canvas to roof shingles. Her grandmother’s home, filled with the dreamy elegance of Louis Icart prints, the boldness of Betty Boop, and the folk vibrancy of Clementine Hunter, left an indelible mark on Armstrong’s aesthetic. She often recognizes echoes of these styles—especially Icart’s romanticism—in her own work. Like her grandmother, she’s drawn to breaking the rules, embracing experimentation, and staying open to nontraditional surfaces and techniques.

Armstrong earned her BA from Louisiana State University and later completed a master’s degree in composition and the teaching of writing in Northern California. She spent several years traveling and teaching English in Costa Rica, Honduras, Thailand, and Mexico before returning to North Louisiana, where she taught high school Spanish for many years. In 2022, she launched her art practice, !Fifi Gi! Storied Collage Art, naming it after her two daughters, Gigi and Phoebe.

Her pieces blend digital and traditional analog techniques, vintage ephemera, found imagery, and tactile materials to construct vivid, layered narratives. She is especially drawn to maximalism and the vintage glamour of Art Deco and Art Nouveau. Armstrong has long been inspired by artists like Louis Icart, Pearl Frush, Henry Clive, and Clementine Hunter—each offering a unique perspective on femininity, elegance, and spirit. She enjoys reinterpreting these influences through a distinctly Southern lens, drawing from the rich visual language of the bayou—lush florals, fading grandeur, slow heat, and deep-rooted storytelling—to craft what she calls “playful, contradictory re-imaginings.”

She believes people are made up of tiny, often conflicting details—and collage allows her to gather those fragments and stitch them into new narratives within intimate, female-centric worlds. Her art is a space where romance and grit, softness and edge, excess and simplicity all coexist. It’s where she feels most free.

*images courtesy of the artist & Bayou Life Magazine

Natalie has been featured in few articles, including  in the October 2024 issue of Bayou Life Magazine as Bayou Artist. You can read those articles by clicking the buttons below!


Are you a practicing artist interested in showing your work in The Gallery at the NELA Arts Council?

We’re happy to offer the opportunity to submit your exhibition proposal for consideration.

Visual artists working in any medium are encouraged to apply below.


Applications are open year-round and proposals reviewed twice a year.
How it works:
  • Submit your exhibition proposal by providing the following: Artist Biography, CV, Artist Statement, Exhibition Statement, & artwork examples in the form below.
  • All works submitted will be reviewed by Region8's Gallery Committee. While artists may provide a specific goal for an exhibition, the scope, final selection and layout of works will be determined by Region8’s Gallery Coordinator & Committee in consultation with the artist.
  • Artists should bear in mind the need for a consistent and very strong body of work when submitting.
  • Following each review, artists selected will be notified.

First Name *
Last Name *
Country
Address Line 1 *
City *
State/Province *
Postal Code *

Please reference the example above then upload CV in list form below as a PDF. Accepted file types: pdf, Max. file size: 128 MB.

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Provide a 200-300 word statement that summarizes your background and significant experience as an artist. Begin by introducing yourself with your name, medium, and some background information. This can include where you were born, where you work, and when you first became interested in the arts. Discuss any art training or schooling you have completed, along with any awards, exhibitions, or other relevant achievements. If none, state that you are self taught. You can also mention if you’re featured in any important collections or prominent art publications. Include any recent shows or important projects you’re working on.

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Write a short paragraph about your general artistic practice. This can include your inspirations, technique, interests, or topics you frequently find yourself addressing throughout your body of work. When writing, ask yourself the following questions: What am I doing? How am I doing it? Why am I doing it? What influences me most? How does my art relate to the art of my contemporaries? What do I want others to understand about my art?

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In under 500 words, provide a concise plan for the exhibition that tells us what the physical work is, the general theme, and a sense of the exhibition’s scale (how many pieces, size, etc.). When writing your exhibition proposal, consider the following items: A brief overview of the concept behind the show. What does this body of work communicate? Tell us about the influences or inspirations behind this work. How are the methods or techniques you use important to this body of work? Tell us how, or what, the choice of medium or process contributes to this work. Number of works and description of works to be included. Specifics of installation. If your work requires specific installation techniques or equipment, let us know what those are. For example, numerous electrical outlets, audio-visual equipment, or specialized wall mounts.

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Terms & Conditions

By clicking submit I confirm that...

  • I have thoroughly reviewed and comprehended the provided instructions.
  • I understand if chosen, I will be responsible for the transport of my work to and from the gallery.
  • I understand all works submitted will be reviewed by Region8's Gallery Committee. While artists may provide a specific goal for an exhibition, the scope, final selection and layout of works will be determined by Region8's Gallery Coordinator and Committee in consultation with the artist.
  • I understand all work selected for the exhibition must arrive ready to install. Works not gallery-ready may be omitted from the exhibit. Accepted work that differs significantly from the submitted images may be omitted.
  • I understand artists should be aware that they are responsible for the retrieval of their art within the loan period. Any artwork that has not been retrieved within the loan period becomes property of the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council.