How sad that when I "googled" Frances Drew, I had only one hit...this close-up of a detail on one of the 2 Texas St. kiosks that she and Barbara Abbot created. Dear Frances died a month ago according to her son's communication with SRAC. Most recently I was wowed by her paintings in the reception hall of the Flournoy-Lucas Catholic church. They glow with dense color and religious fervor. When I called to tell her how beautiful they were, we had our usual hourlong chat and she did tell me that her physical condition had deteriorated. I wish I'd made the time for a visit.
I met Frances about a yr. after she'd gotten her B.A. from Southern, S'port. I was amazed by her expressive brushwork and use of color. If she didn't have enough $ to buy canvas, she painted on cardboard, on discarded pieces of panelling, anything that would hold paint. Our next meeting was in Joe Kincheloe's doctoral class at LSU-S. By that time she had a solid vita with a Master's degree and teaching experience. She absorbed the curriculum theory like a sponge and by the next semester was in Baton Rouge absorbing more. A car accident prevented her from fully completing her doctorate, and she returned to teach in Marshall, and worked at her art in her Egan St. home. I visualize her, wearing one of her mom's dashiki creations, sitting among her paintings, ceramic works and poetry tapes at Revel and Downtown Neon Sat. Night.
Shreveport's arts community has had a great loss. Could we do something special in her memory...any ideas?
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