Home is where the heart is. Following suit, the newest gathering for the arts isn’t a center or a studio, it’s a house. The Art House, a blending of visual and performing art, is a new place in an old space connecting creative, but diverse souls.
Singer-songwriter/wood artist Chris Fry and visual and instrumental artist Cheri Fry are the faces of the Art House, which Chris Fry operates with business partner Davis Havard, chef and owner of the Oyster Bar on the local river landing.
All three are known figures in St. Francisville, but the Art House was born more of providence than planning. Cheri Fry was finishing an art show at the previous Backwoods Gallery owned by artist Joe Savell when something “spontaneous” happened.
“Really, it was one of those things,” Cheri Fry recalled. “When I had a show here in October, and Joe featured me as the guest artist, he told me he was tired and ready to retire.”
Cheri Fry was finishing a 30-year career with Livingston Parish schools as a speech pathologist and had retirement dreams of her own, but Chris Fry, the businessman at heart, was excited about the potential.
“Was it a rash decision?” she said with a chuckle.
Havard, a St. Francisville native, knew plenty about breathing new life into old space. He helped restore the flood-battered Oyster Bar into a popular dining spot that often features live music.
The Art House multitasks. It is an art gallery, live music venue and event space that also offers custom framing, art classes and more.
Cheri Fry is an accomplished artist, member of the Louisiana Watercolor Society and national juried River Road Show winner. The walls are filled with her art, but during music sessions, she plays cello and accompanies on guitar.
Chris Fry is a singer-songwriter who plays local and regional venues like the Muddy Water Songwriter Festival. His guitar is a natural fixture, but he is also a creative visual artist and wood carver. He created one-of-a-kind collectable utensils through a business called the Spoon Mill.
Chris Fry passed down the passion and skill of wood carving to his nephew Tommy Fry, and a section of the Art House is dedicated to the unique spoons and collectibles.
The Art House caters to the creatives who walk the fine line dividing music and visual arts. Cheri Fry explained that brain centers stimulated by the arts will lead to multiple manifestations. The Frys don’t have visual art sides and musical sides; they each have one creative soul capable of diverse artistic expression.
The Art House’s soft opening showcased featured artist Gabrielle Dinger, a wood and metal artist and painter. Next on tap will be the Listening Room Series on Sunday, Aug. 31, featuring a slice of Americana with singer-songwriter Ryan Harris and Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra percussionist Melissa Wilson.
For more on the Art House and a line-up of its events, visit www.facebook.com/arthouse.stfrancisville.
