After 20 years, the Lake Charles Symphony is rebooting the public art display “Gators on the Geaux.”

“We felt like it was time to have a resurgence,” said Beverly Jones, president-elect for the Lake Charles Symphony Board of Directors. “It was a time for everyone to come back and show that we are Lake Charles strong.

“We decided to bring the gator back after years so that we can have gator hunts and have a lot of fun, bringing all the artists together and bringing so much joy to the community.”

Jones said many of the gators created 20 years ago have been destroyed by many things — the elements, time, and two years of pandemics and natural disasters. There has been a public desire for more gators to be produced to replace the originals.

“We’ve received so many messages about the gators,” said Beth Dawdy, executive director of the Lake Charles Symphony.

For those at the Lake Charles Symphony, the exhibition is the result of a passion for local arts.

“We are part of helping to support the arts in our community,” Dawdy said.

Three of the originators of the Gators on the Geaux art installation, Julie Gani, Marianne Kaiser and Sam Wilkinson, were in attendance to celebrate the reboot.

“The beauty of it is that it supports arts in the community,” Wilkinson said. He said through the program, local artists had an opportunity to get commissioned to paint a gator. This opportunity then supported artists by providing them with financial compensation and artistic exposure.

The original public art display included about 70 gators.

Kaiser previously served as president of the board for the Symphony. Gani and Wilkinson formerly served as board co-chairs.       

On display at the celebration was the first new Gator on the Geaux, designed by local artist Candice Alexander, who said it was “an absolute honor” to be a part of this revival.

The gator was inspired by the hurricane recovery that Southwest Louisiana has faced. “I designed it with the two-year anniversary of the hurricane in mind,” she said.

It features many recognizable symbols, including cardinals, pelicans a hurricane, and pieces of glass from the Capital One building. The gator will be on display in Alexander’s shop until it is auctioned off. Raffles for the gator will take place during the 2022-2023 Symphony Season, Oct. 2 -April 16.

Lake Charles artists are encouraged to submit design proposals to the Arts & Humanities Council of SWLA. These proposals will be considered to be added to a catalog that Gator on the Geaux sponsors will choose from. To do so, visit artscouncilswla.org/events/gators-on-the-geaux.