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"I want everybody to know the red cows," said artist Lisandra Di Liberto Torres, known for her winged red bovines. Now, hundreds of thousands of people will.

Di Liberto Torres was one of 12 artists chosen from more than 60 who applied to have original works in the lobby and halls of the soon-to-open Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana in Bossier City.

For artists looking to make a business of their art, eyeballs matter and Live! Vice President of Marketing Josh Robinson says placement in Louisiana’s newest casino could be a catalyst.

"Visitation is going to be high- we think about all the corporate and convention travelers that are going to be visiting from all over and will have exposure to the local art. I think it is going to be amazing for the artists."

Live! General Manager John Chaszar hopes to bring the "spirit of the community" into the casino while spotlighting local talent. "The creativity of these artists perfectly captures the essence of Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana."

Artist Ashley Hall has been teaching at Bossier High School since 2020. She followed her mother into the teaching profession and loves working at a job she feels she has a gift for.

Finding affirmation in her work

Being chosen to have a work displayed at Live! gives her affirmation on another of her gifts- her talent with art. A fine arts graduate from Southern University Baton Rouge, Hall has been thinking about the possibility of becoming a full-time artist.

"A lot of time as artists we get that imposter syndrome- we’re our hardest critics, honestly. To get validation from outside sources, it really makes you feel good. My art means something, you know."

Over the past several years, Hall, whose artist name is "Eyerratic", has taken a break from creating. "I did, it was that work-life challenge." "This really helps light a fire under me," she said, while talking about another artist call she will be applying for soon. "Two incomes are better than one," she jokes while talking about being paid for her work.

Both Hall and Di Liberto Torres say they were surprised, thrilled and honored that their works were chosen. Di Liberto Torres says the casino placement gives the artists a stage to share their work and brand.

"All the time we’re going to have better artists, more amazing, but I think I think I have something special that other people can remember me. I have my symbol, the meaning of my red cows with wings."

It was always cows

Torres talks about being obsessed with cows as a child and being surrounded by them in her hometown of Hatillo, Puerto Rico, the "Dairy capital of the Caribbean." She laughs when she says that the sign coming into Hatillo notes the population of both people and cows.

Making the move to a new place and life was challenging and she says it took time to find her voice and her art. "Because first, I fall in love with the culture, but it’s not my culture. It’s not my language, it’s my second language and sometimes I’m scared to speak…but I stop all that. I need to be me, and if they don’t understand me, I need to find a way for them to understand me." "I tried to touch every door, I search for every opportunity to grow my business and my brand."

In 2013 she decided to make her red cows her brand. They are red, she says, to connote spicy, hot, red crawfish, the Red River. They have wings because "I want to fly all the time."

Her art, she says, now represents about 60% of her income. "I have faith. I keep fighting every day, every day, every day."

Live! Casino’s Robinson says he hopes the publicity about the selections and the artist information that will be exhibited beside the paintings will help…and there is always a possibility for more.

"I think this has been a phenomenal experience not only for live but for the artists…I think we will definitely be looking for opportunities to do things like this in the future and really involve the arts communities in Shreveport, Bossier and beyond."

1 of 12

"Bayou" by Karin Ebbeson.

"Live Layers" by Ken Beatty.

"Louisianimal" by Ashley Hall, aka Eyerratic.

"Joie De Vivre" by Erica M. Branch.

"FLaming Cow" by Lisandro Di Liberto Torres

"Jackpot" by Whitney Tates

"Huddie Leadbelly Bluesman" by Ron Smith.

"Eternal Bets of the Blackjack Bayou" by Jenn Ryland.

"Balloon Dogs Playing Poker" by Brittany McCoy.

"High Stakes Ride" by Karen Kinberger.

"Being" by Dorothy Hanna.

"By the Roulette Table" by Shatney Wilson.

The 12 artists chosen

Ken Beatty, of Shreveport

Erica M. Branch, of Bossier City

Ash Danielle aka Eyerratic, of Shreveport

Karin Ebbesson, of Shreveport

Dorothy Hanna, of Shreveport

Karen Kinberger, of Shreveport

Brittany McCoy, of Shreveport

Jenn Ryland, of Stonewall

Ron Smith, of Shreveport

Whitney Tates, of Shreveport

Lisandra Di Liberto Torres, of Shreveport

Shatney Winslow, of Shreveport

Email Liz Swaine at Liz.Swaine@theadvocate.com.

Published: Oct. 29, 2024 at 2:14 PM PDT|

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — Before early voting wraps up, residents throughout the ArkLaTex took to the polls to vote.

Early voting for the Nov. 5 elections in Louisiana began Oct. 18 and ended Tuesday (Oct. 29).

[RELATED: Early voting continues in Arkansas, Texas]

“I think it’s so cool that this many people are coming out and participating. [It’s] really what makes America, America,” Shreveport resident Michael Wise said.

“On Election Day, I won’t be able to vote. I will be out of the country,” Shreveport resident Susan Resendez said. “So I needed to vote early, and I just kept putting it off. And I was like, ‘I have to do it today’.”

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Hundreds of people were in line to vote early at the Hamilton branch of Shreve Memorial Library in south Shreveport. Voters there said getting through the line was a quick process.

“The lines are long, but they move fast. It is very well organized,” Bossier resident Jessenia Rodriguez said.

“The line was extremely long, but still the whole process, maybe 20 minutes. It was very quick,” Resendez said.

As of Monday in Caddo Parish, more than 35,000 people had cast their ballots, according to the Louisiana secretary of state’s website. In the 2020 presidential election, the total number of early voters was 30,000.

So far, more than 24,000 people have voted early in Bossier Parish. The total number in 2020 was 28,000.

“Whether you do it early or whether you do it next Tuesday, this is by far one of the most important elections we have had in 150 years. Go vote,” Wise said.

Resendez said she has seen an increase in younger voters during this election.

“Now, I have children that are 21 and 23, and everything that they see in social media, their friend groups, everything is a big push for them to get to the polls and to realize the importance of that.”

Copyright 2024 KSLA. All rights reserved.

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — Hundreds of people turned out Tuesday (Oct. 8) for Multipack Services’ first job fair at its Shreveport facility.

“I came today to apply for a job at the company and I hope to get hired,” Michael Hawlthrone said.

The beverage bottling and canning company has said it expects to create 141 direct new jobs with an average annual salary of more than $51,000. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in an additional 228 indirect jobs, for a total of 369 new jobs in Northwest Louisiana.

“We are doing our very first job fair, and it’s amazing,” said Justin Wilkinson, co-founder and vice president of operations for Multipack Services. “All of these people are showing up early, even before we were here today. They are bringing a fantastic energy. We are excited to talk to all of them.”

Some people were interviewed on the spot Tuesday.

“We are doing on-site interviews today, and some will be scheduled to come back another day,” said Randy Miller, president of employment agency Career Adventures. “As you can see right now, it’s a line. I am going to guess at least 200 people to interview today, if possible. But, obviously, you’ll have to have some come back.”

The company expects to fill more than 100 positions in different phases.

“We are going to try to hire at least 40 right off the bat today, and we are going up to 141 people here in Shreveport,” Miller said.

Some of the open positions include machine operators, warehouse workers, forklift operators, quality technicians, packaging technicians and many others.

“Right now, we have a small bottling production line going. And we are maybe a month or two away from our canning line,” Wilkinson said. “So once the canning line speeds up, we will have another greater demand for more people.”

“Multipack is a beverage co-packer. We manufacture beverages, sodas, coffees, teas, flavored water, just about anything you can find at your local grocery store that comes in a can or a bottle, we produce,” said Sam Alexander, Multipack Services president.

He added that they expect to stay and grow in Shreveport.

“And this is very unique because they are staying for their starting positions, they are offering $18 an hour,” said David Smith, executive director of the entrepreneurial accelerated program at BRF. “And this is great for Shreveport and exciting for us because we go out and meet a lot of companies and we want them to move to Shreveport.”

The job fair was held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2791 Valley View Drive in Shreveport. If you missed it, you still can drop off your resume at employment agency Career Adventures at 324 Fort St. in Shreveport.

Copyright 2024 KSLA. All rights reserved.