The Big Easel Returns with New Leadership and Renewed Fine-Art Focus
The long-running Lafayette art event is entering a new chapter, returning to its original fine-art mission while expanding into music, dance, performance, and hands-on arts experiences.
The Big Easel returns to River Ranch on Saturday, October 17, for its 17th year under new leadership, featuring more than 65 local and regional artists alongside music, dance, performance, and culinary experiences.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE BIG EASEL RETURNS TO RIVER RANCH FOR ITS 17TH YEAR, CELEBRATING FINE ART, MUSIC, DANCE, AND THE CREATIVE SPIRIT OF ACADIANA
New leadership ushers in a renewed focus on fine art while expanding the event into a multidisciplinary celebration of creativity
LAFAYETTE, LA — October 4, 2026 — The Big Easel, Lafayette's annual outdoor fine art event, returns to The Town Square at River Ranch on Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., bringing together more than 65 local and regional artists for a day celebrating original fine art, music, dance, performance, and creativity.
Established in 2009, The Big Easel enters its 17th year with new leadership and a renewed commitment to the event's original mission: providing a professionally curated platform for artists while inviting the community to experience and engage with original fine art.
This year's event features a curated selection of more than 65 artists working across painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, and sculpture, creating a diverse presentation of contemporary visual art in the open-air setting of River Ranch.
Set within the scenic landscape of River Ranch, The Big Easel invites guests to experience original work firsthand, engage with artists, and connect with the creative process.
For the new leadership team of Malia Pettit Schacht, Dailey Thibeaux, and Stephen F. L. Barker, the 2026 event represents both a return to the roots of The Big Easel and the beginning of a new chapter.
"The Big Easel was founded with a clear purpose: to celebrate fine art and give artists an opportunity to share their work directly with the community. As new leadership, we felt a tremendous responsibility to honor that original vision while bringing new energy, creativity, and ideas to the event. Over the past year, the three of us have worked closely together to reestablish The Big Easel as a thoughtfully curated fine art exhibition and to create an experience that reflects the extraordinary depth of the arts community in Acadiana.
Together, we bring a shared understanding of the creative process, the importance of presenting artists and their work professionally, and the business of building a successful art event. We wanted to create a place where artists are presented thoughtfully, where the public can engage directly with original artwork and the people who create it, and where the arts can intersect in unexpected ways. That is why this year we are bringing visual art together with music, dance, performance, young artists, and local culinary experiences.
This has truly been a valiant team effort, and we are incredibly proud of what we have built together. Our hope is that The Big Easel becomes more than an annual art event—it becomes a signature celebration of creativity and culture in Lafayette and a place where people of all ages can experience the arts in a meaningful and memorable way."
— Malia Pettit Schacht, Dailey Thibeaux, and Stephen F. L. Barker, Co-Chairs, The Big Easel
ART IN MOTION
This year, The Big Easel will introduce "Art in Motion," an innovative collaboration between Basin Arts and the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra that brings dance and performance into the visual arts environment.
Dancers will perform alongside musicians, incorporating movement and improvisation in response to selected pieces of music. The collaboration creates a dialogue between visual art, music, and movement, offering audiences a new way to experience the creative process.
The multidisciplinary programming continues with performances and collaborations involving the Acadiana Youth Symphony Orchestra and the University of Louisiana's Dance Department.
Together, these partnerships reflect the belief that the arts do not exist in isolation. Painting, sculpture, music, dance, and performance can inform one another and create experiences that are greater than any single discipline alone.
THE YOUNG ARTISTS STUDIO
The Big Easel welcomes families and young artists with the Young Artists Studio, presented by the Hilliard Art Museum.
Young visitors will be invited to take a seat, choose a still life, and create their own masterpiece. The studio will be staffed throughout the day by instructors from the Hilliard Art Museum's Create & Play Café, with all art materials generously provided by the museum.
Young Artists Studio: $5 per budding artist. The program gives children an opportunity to move from observing art to becoming artists themselves, encouraging hands-on creativity and helping introduce a new generation to the visual arts.
A TASTE OF ACADIANA
The Big Easel will also feature a collection of thoughtfully designed pop-up food and beverage experiences throughout the day, created in collaboration with local businesses.
Participating partners include Laura's II Soul Food, Domochi, and POUR Restaurant & Bar, which will be serving a signature cocktail created special for The Big Easel, Picasso Punch, as well as a delicious select menu themed for the occasion.
The culinary component adds another layer to the open-air experience while highlighting the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of local businesses.
CELEBRATING ACADIANA'S ARTS COMMUNITY
The Big Easel is made possible through the support of local businesses and cultural organizations that recognize the importance of a vibrant arts community.
2026 Sponsors: First Horizon, Hilliard Art Museum, Dermatology Center of Acadiana, Party Central
Community Partners: POUR Restaurant & Bar, Laura's II Next Generation, Domochi, Scrappie Studio, Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, Acadiana Youth Symphony Orchestra, University of Louisiana Dance Department, Basin Arts
AN OPEN INVITATION TO EXPERIENCE FINE ART
From its founding in 2009 through its 17th year, The Big Easel has provided Lafayette and Acadiana with an opportunity to encounter artists and their work in an accessible, welcoming environment.
Under its new leadership, the event is returning to its roots as a fine art exhibition while looking toward the future—creating opportunities for audiences to experience visual art alongside music, dance, performance, and hands-on creativity.
EVENT INFORMATION
THE BIG EASEL
Saturday, October 17, 2026
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. CST
The Town Square at River Ranch
Lafayette, Louisiana
Free and open to the public
Email: thebigeaselriverranch@gmail.com
Instagram: @thebigeaselriverranch
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheBigEasel
MEDIA CONTACT
Stephen F. L. Barker
Event Co-Chair, The Big Easel