Join an intimate conversation with the brilliant visual artists featured in the National Conference of Artists’ 25th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Exhibition. Tune in to hear how they each drew inspiration from “A Gift of Love: Sermons From ‘Strength To Love’ and Other Preachings” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to create the work featured in this year’s exhibit.
The Art of Conversation: A Gift of Love, Episode 1 features Louise Mouton Johnson, Angel Omoike, Nettie Brooks Roché, Debra Alexander Austin and Cheryl Tate Santa Cruze (mother of artist Brandon C. Tate).
About The Art of Conversation:
The Art of Conversation series provides engaging conversations and in-depth interviews spanning disciplines and generations in hopes of creating space for thought-provoking, investigative and compassionate dialogue, exploring issues of equity, legacy and social awareness in the arts.
About the Artists
Debra Alexander Austin, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana is a self-taught artist. Debra received her BA degree in Sociology from Dillard University in 1974. She received a Master of Social Work from The Atlanta University School of Social Work in 1976. She has practiced as a social worker since that time and obtained her LCSW license in 1982. Debra recognized in high school that she was able to draw and describes herself as a ferocious doodler, noting that you could tell how interested she was in a class or workshop by the doodles on her papers. In her role as an Appraisal Social worker in the Orleans Parish Public School System, Debra met Charlie Johnson, an itinerant art teacher and President of the National Conference of Artists. In the 1990s Debra became a member of the National Conference of Artists. She gives credit to the organization for giving her support and encouragement to develop her artistic skills.
Louise Mouton Johnson, visual artist and arts educator was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. After graduating from Xavier in 1976 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, she went to Cranbrook Academy of Art earning her MFA in printmaking. She taught visual arts in the New Orleans Public Schools system for 33 years, including the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. After retiring in 2016, Louise Mouton Johnson continues to practice professionally and exhibit her work. Her prints, drawings, and quilts are included in the collections of the City of New Orleans through commissions from the Arts Council of New Orleans, Ashé Cultural Arts Center, the Amistad Research Center, and other private collections. Her work also appears on album and book covers by New Orleans creatives. Johnson designed the official 1990 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Poster. In 2018, Louise was an Artist-in-Residence at the Joan Mitchell Center in New Orleans.
Angel Omoike is a Louisiana native, residing in New Orleans, a mixed-media portrait painter and visual storyteller. Omoike aims to tell stories of Black and African culture through her creative works. She is an alumnus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a Talented Art instructor who has a passion for inspiring youth and helping them discover and develop their creativity.
Nettie Brooks Roché was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and grew up south of New Orleans in Plaquemines Parish. She is the mother of two and the grandmother of three children. Her interest in art began at the age of six while drawing rabbits with her father. She studied Drafting and Design at Jefferson Parish Technical School. She continued her technical studies at New Orleans Regional and Technical Institute where she learned Computer Aided Drafting and became ACAD Certified. Additional formal education was furthered at Southern University at New Orleans where she received her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She earned a Master of Arts Degree in Museum Studies. Roché has been employed as a Senior Electrical Designer in the oil and petroleum industry for more than 20 years.
Brandon C. Tate is a New Orleans native. After graduating from John McDonogh High School, he attended Southern University at Baton Rouge, majoring in Architecture. Although Brandon is gifted in art, he did not have a passion for it at first. His early training at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), and the New Orleans Museum of Art, helped him to develop his skills. Now, Brandon has developed a love for art. Time and life experiences have helped him to cultivate his appreciation.