More Than a Masterpiece: Behind the Scenes of the Hope Art Show
At Hope for Opelousas, we believe that love changes everything, and sometimes that love looks like paint-splatters, broken glass tile, and a rainbow-colored sea of Mardi Gras beads.
On Thursday, September 4, from 6 to 8 p.m., our campus will once again be transformed for the 10th Annual Hope Art Show, a community-wide celebration of our students’ creativity, growth, and expression. But what most people don’t see, what lives quietly behind the colorful canvases, is where the true transformation happens.
Because the Hope Art Show isn’t just about the art.
It’s about what the art has built.
From the very start of the year, our first-grade through high school students have been crafting, exploring, and flexing their creative muscles in our art program. Each grade focuses on a different medium: the littlest ones swirl colors with alcohol ink and spin art; our middle grades break into glass tile mosaics and beads; and the older students bring beauty to life through string art.
Whether it’s gluing repurposed Mardi Gras beads in carefully designed patterns or grouting tile mosaics to shine like stained glass, each piece takes an incredible amount of time, teamwork, and tenacity. Most of the art is created in small groups, and passionate students often take on more than one project.
Some kids come into the process full of excitement. Others hesitate - unsure, doubtful, convinced they’re “not creative.” But that’s where the magic begins because here, our kids don’t just learn how to make art.
They learn how to believe in themselves along the way.
More Than One Night
While the Hope Art Show culminates in one joyful evening where their artwork is sold in a silent auction format to raise funds for our enrichment programs, the impact lasts far beyond that night. Students discover that their commitment matters. That their ideas have weight. That their work has value.
We’ve seen kids who didn’t want to pick up a paint brush end up standing by their piece the night of the show, proudly ushering guests over to bid on it. We’ve watched them glow as their parents see their creations for the first time. We've seen confidence, joy, and a contagious sense of pride that carries into every part of their lives. For our older students, the show has become something deeper: a legacy. Many see their art as a way to give back, knowing that the money raised goes straight into the very programs that support the siblings and cousins who will attend Hope once they graduate.
Each piece is a masterpiece. Not just because it’s beautiful, but because it tells a story of discipline, courage, faith, and growth. Kelly Babineaux, Lower Elementary Director and coordinator of the Art Program, reminds the kids that hard work leads to reward. She hand-draws all of the templates, ensures quality that rivals professional galleries, and reminds each child that their art and effort matter.
The goal is never perfection. It’s a transformation.
Come See It for Yourself
So come. We invite you to be part of the joy. See what happens when a child is given the space to imagine without fear and the tools to create without limits. Every bid is a belief in their potential. Every painting is proof of hope in action.