10/01/2026
River Oaks Brings Midnight at the Met and New Exhibitions to Alexandria
River Oaks Square Arts Center is preparing for a fall evening when the costumes will be as imaginative as the artwork. The Annual Van Gogh Gala returns Saturday, October 24, beginning at 7 p.m., with Midnight at the Met, a museum-after-hours theme that brings the glamour of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art to the historic Arts Center grounds. The celebration leads into a November exhibition season featuring miniature works from across the country, a hometown graphic designer’s retrospective, Matt Dawson’s view of Alexandria, and artwork created through River Oaks’ community outreach programs.
For the Gala, the invitation is to dress in Haunt Couture. Guests can draw inspiration from a favorite painting, sculpture, artist, myth, or period of fashion, with room for gothic elegance and the theatrical possibilities of Halloween. Costumes are encouraged, and the theme gives guests plenty of ways to participate, whether they arrive as a recognizable masterpiece or create something entirely their own.
Inside, candlelit galleries, immersive displays, and haunting décor will set the scene for an evening of cuisine, signature cocktails, and silent and live auctions. J. Lance Harris will serve as auctioneer, with River Oaks Executive Director Rachael Dauzat as mistress of ceremonies.
At the heart of the Van Gogh Gala are the collaborations between community guest artists and experienced mentor artists. River Oaks resident artists and other local artists guide their partners through the creation of original works, which are then offered in the evening’s live auction. The process gives participants an opportunity to experience the work behind a finished piece, while collectors have a chance to take home art with a connection to the people who make Central Louisiana their home.
This year’s Star Artists and Mentor Artists include:
Star Artist - Mentor Artist
Tammi Salazar - Sandy Patton
Miriam Kimison - Lindsay B. Moore
Emmie Smith - Snooks Handy
Allen Bryant - Aubrey Bolen
Chris Antoon - Julie Blackwell Wood
Kristen Guillory - Sylvia Kerry
Katie Vanderlick - Carla Guillory
Amy Richmond - Lindsay B. Moore
Ali Kinberger - Carla Guillory
Anne Duke - Amber Tate Voorhies
Lesley Saucier - Laura Gates
Donna Lacombe - Simonne Soileau
Ralph Hennessy - David Crain
Kim Ashy - Carrie Bruyninckx
Rachel Thompson - Leslie Carmouche
Lauren Painter - Dr. Krista Redmond
Brooke Hardwell - Megan Hale
Candance Bain - Chastity Sayer-Smith
Jenifer Gilchrist - Leah Morace
Natalie O’Quin - Donna Barron
Sheena Patel - Julie Blackwell Wood
Matt Ritchie - Matt Dawson
Kayla Edwards - Leah Morace
Dr. Amanda Biehl and Dr. Karie Lafleur - Amber Tate Voorhies
Jennifer Forest - Aubrey Bolen
Rachel Lacroix and Noemi Ray - Megan Hale
Marian Templeton - Brian Neal
Lynn Sanders is also among the featured artists.
“The Gala is our largest annual fundraiser, and its impact extends well beyond one evening,” said Rachael Dauzat, executive Director at River Oaks. “It helps us provide affordable studio space for working artists, present more than fifteen exhibitions each year, and support educational programs, artist residencies, community outreach, and Summer Arts Studio. Every ticket purchased helps keep those opportunities available to our community.”
Tickets are $70 per person or $75 at the door. Reserved tables seating ten are $750, with limited availability. For tickets and table information, contact River Oaks at (318) 473-2670. The 2026 Van Gogh Gala is sponsored by Rapides Regional Medical Center, Red River Bank, Southern Heritage Bank, and Explore Alexandria Pineville CVB.
In November, visitors will find a different kind of invitation to look closely. The 11th Annual 5x5x5 Show National Call for Miniature Works opens November 12, with an opening reception from 5-7 p.m. The exhibition will remain on view through February 6, 2027. The small format gives each artist a compact space in which to make an impression and offers visitors the pleasure of discovering details that might otherwise pass unnoticed.
Guest Juror Tyler Barnes returns to his hometown as a graphic designer, educator, and second-generation artist. Originally from Alexandria and now based in Oxford, Mississippi, Barnes has maintained his own practice, T.Barnes Graphics, since 2009. He is in his tenth year at the University of Mississippi, where he teaches as an Associate Professor of Art in graphic design.
Barnes’ professional work focuses on brand strategy, visual identity, and packaging, with particular attention to how design shapes communities and commerce. His work has earned twenty American Advertising Federation awards and has appeared in publications including For Print Only, Creative Quarterly, Graphic Design USA, and the LogoLounge book series.
Alongside the miniature exhibition in the Bolton-Davis Gallery, Barnes will present Graphic Gumbo: A Mid-Career Design Retrospective. The exhibition draws from the past ten years of his work, bringing together branding, packaging, and fine art. Client projects, personal work, and experimentation offer visitors a broader view of the creative decisions behind the visual identities they encounter every day.
Barnes will also lead two beginner-to-intermediate design workshops, each priced at $40. Full Bottle: Package Design and Storytelling takes place November 12 from 1-2:45 p.m. Logos and Such: Behind the Scenes and Outside the Artboard follows November 13 at the same time. Both use examples from his design practice, with the second class including a custom-button activity. Registration information is available at RiverOaksArtsCenter.com/workshops.
In the Galerie des Amis, River Oaks resident artist Matt Dawson will present Alexandria: A City Seen. A Louisiana native originally from Natchitoches, Dawson now lives in Pineville and has been creating art for the public since 1994. His current work concentrates on acrylic and watercolor, with a style reminiscent of the Ashcan artists of the early twentieth century. The exhibition turns his attention to Alexandria, including the acrylic painting Third and Desoto.
Dawson’s work has reached buyers in all fifty states and on four continents. He was the featured artist for the 2025 Louisiana Book Festival, and his paintings appeared on the November 2025 and April 2026 covers of Country Roads Magazine. His River Oaks exhibition gives local audiences an opportunity to spend time with an artist whose subject is close to home.
The Stokes-Harris Gallery will feature ART for ALL - Outreach Programs, a celebration of student work from ARC Rapides, OLS Community Homes, Central LA Supports & Services Center, Matthews Memorial, and Hope House. Instructors Chastity Sayer-Smith, Carla Guillory, and Lindsay B. Moore work with participants across these programs.
The presentation includes mixed-media work, ceramics, and collaborative projects, reflecting the range of ways participants explore materials and share their ideas. Displayed alongside the national miniature show and the exhibitions by Barnes and Dawson, these works give visitors a fuller picture of the creativity supported by River Oaks throughout the community.
The November exhibitions share the November 12 opening reception and run through February 6, 2027. Exhibition support includes the Louisiana Project Grant administered through the Arts Council of Central Louisiana, The Roy O. Martin Foundation, LA Charities Trust, Central LA Community Foundation, Rotary Club of Alexandria, Huie Dellmon Trust, Coughlin Saunders Foundation, and the Bill Hess Memorial Fund.
Additional exhibition sponsors include Explore Alexandria Pineville CVB, the City of Alexandria, Hotel Bentley, the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development, Red River Bank, Cleco, The Bentley Room, The Mirror Room, RoyOMartin, Legacy Floral, and Diamond Grill.
For more information about the Van Gogh Gala, upcoming exhibitions, or design workshops, call (318) 473-2670, visit RiverOaksArtsCenter.com, or follow River Oaks Arts Center on Facebook. River Oaks Square Arts Center is located at 1330 Second Street in Alexandria.
