"A Dream Too Long Deferred!"

Luis Colmenares is perhaps the most talented and versatile artist you may have never heard of.  Before Katrina in 2005, he employed over 25 artists in his New Orleans studio designing and building restaurant interiors.   Today, his designs and craftsmanship can be seen in many upscale Crescent City venues such as Emeril's, Nola's, K. Paul's, Red Fish and others.  Quite a bit of Luis's art appears in movies starring Sylvester Stallone, Seth Rogan and others.  Then, in the blink of an eye New Orleans was flooded after Hurricane Katrina .  When the water receded, Luis metal art studio was destroyed, his equipment missing and his artists scattered.  Then a mere 5-years later a BP Oil platform exploded and burned in the Gulf of Mexico.  With these back to back catastrophes, the economy of southern Louisiana was destroyed causing the demand for art to dry up overnight.  

                       Luis' TV Documentary with George Mason University

Over ten years have now passed and there are still thousands of businesses throughout the region who are still left un-whole.  Though they may have survived, the unbearable wounds inflicted upon them by the flood has prevented them from coming anywhere close to their former selves. 

Every year Luis Colmenares contributes many thousands of dollars worth of art to causes such as the annual WHITNEY ZOO-TO-DO fundraiser for Audubon Zoo . This year will be 29th year that Luis has donated as many as 50 pieces per annual event.

The goal of this Indiegogo campaign is to help undo the damage inflicted upon Luis Colmenares by returning him to his own "metal art studio". 

You can help by selecting one or more gifts in exchange for your contribution.   Even more importantly, help spread the word about this funding campaign to encourage others to come and contribute as well.  

WHAT IS NEEDED  This campaign is set with the goal of raising two hundred thousand dollars, which is an amount adequate to buy the facility we want to acquire.  Our ultimate wish is to raise twice that amount to enable the purchase of the building and to perform a complete structural upgrade of the facility.  That amount would also allow the complete outfitting of the building with all new equipment and supplies as well.  This is very necessary because, like his Miller 185 welding machines (which was submerged by Katrina flood waters), every piece of equipment was wetted.  They all are far beyond their serviceable lifespans.  

MASTERS ART RETREAT SCHOOL Should this campaign go viral and become wildly successful, we'll use funds to create a resident Art Masters Retreat School. Seasoned artists will spend up to five days learning under the direction of Luis Colmenares. These students will receive hands-on training in all aspect of unconventional art creation in the use of stainless-steel, canvas, foam and other esoteric materials.  They will use the Plasma torch and Welding tips as paint brushs upon various metals as their canvas.  We will establish a scholarship award so that every class will include one student who, otherwise, might not be able to afford to participate. CLICK HERE TO VISIT ART METAL STUDIO

GIFTS FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS We have an amazing collection of unique gifts to choose from in exchange for your contributions.  You simply choose one or more items from Luis' wide selection of art inspired gifts.  For the serious art collector, there is even a couple of original Bleudreaux prototype paintings that are signed and dated.  They will one day become very valuable because, 2016 is going to be remembered as the year that Bleudreaux, the blue Crawfish, made his debut. 

                                                                  .....

LUIS COLMENARES

ABOUT THE ARTIST, LUIS COLMENARES  

If you have ever had an opportunity to chat with Luis, you will quickly discovered that few artists anywhere in the world can match his eclecticism and artistic output.  A good example would be the 2015 Whitney "Zoo-To-do" at Audubon Zoo--for which he designed, fabricated, delivered and set up over 50 unique pieces of Art.  The zoo's four signature art pieces were each 15 feet tall above the water, and three feet below in the elephant pool. 

                                                               *******

THE BIRTH OF A BLEUDREAUX The typical image of an artist while painting is perhaps the one featuring him or her standing, or sometimes seated before an easel.  Of Luis however, you'll almost always find him seated comfortably on his overstuffed sofa with two large pillows for back support.  Invariably, the television will be tuned in to some abstract program.  Peeking over Luis' shoulder while he is working is an exciting opportunity to witness the birth of some of the most incredible art projects ever.  Here we find him Luis putting the finishing touches on "Mardi Gras 2016", the largest Bleudreaux ever at over six feet tall.                                                                     

MARDI GRAS 2016

BLEUDEAUX'S "Bayou All-Stars" Band

THAT BANDAGED HAND                                                                

In the closing day of completing the Challmette Hurricane Katrina Sculpture, Luis experienced the first of two potentially career-ending accidents.  He walked a bit too closely to the razor sharp edge of a piece of stainless steel and cut tendons in his right hand.  Despite the severity of his wound, he pressed ahead with completing the "Will Power Park" Memorial Sculpture in time for the August 29th dedication.  

Annually, Luis makes trophies for the "New Orleans Track Club's" Thanksgiving Day Marathon.  Here we see him out lining the shape of a roadrunner upon rolled sheet metal to be cut with a plasma torch.  As you can see, after his accident, Luis had little time for healing because everyone knows, "Great Art Waits For No One!". 

SCULPTURE Will Power Park Memorial in Challmette

THAT BANDAGED LEFT ARM  Less than a year after the hand accident, misfortune struck Luis again for the second time.  While stopped at a red light of Claiborne Avenue, Luis' truck was struck from behind by a car traveling at high speed.  The impact thrust him forward, causing his seatbelt to exert great pressure against Luis' left shoulder.  After enduring several months of excruciating pain, he went in for surgery to repair his damaged rotator cup.  After the repair of a 12-inch tear, Luis was left with 26 stiches and his arm in a sling.  Again, despite the severity of his wound, Luis forged ahead with completing his obligation, commissioned by the St. Bernard Parish "CY  PRES Committee".  Compare the photo above to the one below and you will discover that up top, Luis has his right arm in a white sling versus below, where his left arm is in a sling of a different color.

  

Two weeks following Luis' rotator-cup surgery, he was commissioned to create this piece for Kim Bullock as a gift for celebrity businessman Paul Michell.  Despite excruciating pain from the operation, Luis delivered the Bleudreaux on time.  If you look closely, you might see a hint of a smile that I coaxed out of Luis for this photo. 

PAUL MITCHELL

Luis first commission immediately after his rotatorcup sugery, was to create a piece of art for Kim, a former intern of Luis and family friend.  The art piece was to be a gift for a celebrity businessman, Paul Mitchell, whose prominence arises from the womens beauty industry.  Though the piece lived up to Luis' high standards, it was very obvious that throughout the design and creation of it, he was experiencing a great deal of physical pain and discomfort.  Nonetheless, we were told that Paul Mitchell was ecstatic about his Bleudreaux. 

WHITNEY BANK "ZOO-TO-DO", AUDUBON NATURE FUNDRAISER  

2015 "ZOO-TO-DO" SKETCH AND DESIGN LAYOUT 

                                                                        *****                                                                

SCULPTURE "Paso Fino" 

The commission to sculp PASO FINO was one of the most amusing observations I've had of my client, Luis Colmenares.  A well known Chalmette attorney has a passionate love for the Paso Fino breed and wanted a sculpture created.  I happened to have over-heard the attorney's inquiries about Luis's ability to take on the task.  He asked Luis, "have you ever sculpted a horse before?".  Luis's answered "No! But I bought a book on horses, and I've visited a friends farm to see his horses!  It was all that I could do to keep from laughing as he reminded me of a popular television commercial.  In the end, the sculpting of Paso Fino was a true work of art which enabled Luis to stand out among his peers. 

SCULPTURE Christian Brothers School Falcon

The only time I was ever indoubt about Luis's ability to deliver a project on time was in the sculpting of this mascot for "Christian Brothers School".  Each and every feather had to be cut with a plasma torch, shaped, bent, chisled, welded and buffed. Then, on the night before it was to be delivered, the commissioner of the falcon said that she wanted to cancel the project.  Its beek did not look anything like she was anticipating.  Luis reassured the client that he'd rework the beek.  Undetered, Luis removed, reworked and completed a new beek for the falcon by 8:AM the next morning .  Even as the bird was being loaded into the van for transporting, he was still sculpting, bending and tweeking to get it perfect.  This project more than any other taught me that Luis Colmenares produces at his very best when he is under the extreme stress of an approaching deadline.   

SCULPTURE OF FOAM

A client commissioned a wearable costume inspired by the late artist Georgia O'Keeffe. There is no denying that Georgia’s flower paintings helped to perpetuated the belief about women artists as flower painters.  Though it is easy to view a suggestions of the female sex organ among her paintings, Georgia vehemently denied an association of the female anatomy with her beautiful flowers paintings.  None the less, Georgia exploited long-standing gender associations with flowers and helped to recast the genre. In the process, Georgia O'Keeffe enabled herself to be seen as an uninhibited “modern” woman and vanguard artist.   Luis Colmenares's Foam art was worn at a recent ball in New Orleans and was said to have been the center of attention.

                                                                  *****

                                                                            

  

INTUIT'S 2015 TURBO-TAX television commercial featured the art work of Luis Colmenares.  "Carl Mack Presents" commissioned Luis to furnish two colonial era costumes for an Intuit Turbo-Tax TV commercial. The backdrop for the shoot setting was a typical Mardi Gras scene. The filming was completed in time for the broadcasting in the latter part of January 2015.  To view Intuit's commercial, visit this link:  CLICK HERE TO VIEW COMMERCIAL!   

                                                                    

                                           *****  FAMILY MATTERS *****

                                                                

                  Emma's miracle! Four or five days following the accident.                                                                    
A little less than two months ago, Emma, Luis' younger of two daughters was injured in an accident.  Though it could had been far more serious, she was blessed and she is recovering very well.  However, Emma has some very high hurdles to climb on the road to complete recovery.  Luis and the Colmenares family would like to thank you for your prayers, well wishes and support.   

                                                     *****  OUR OBJECTIVE  *****

 

                      A METAL ART FACILITY FOR LUIS COLMENARES  

The goal of this campaign is to buy, rehabilitate and equip an industrial grade building  for Luis Colmenares.  It will serve as his art metal construction facility and art studio. The upgrade of the facility includes residential area to temporarily house students who visit to participate in Luis' Art Retreats and Boot Camps. 

                                                                           *******

                                                             A SPECIAL THANKS 

MIKHALA IVERSEN  We owe so much to "Team Bleudreaux" member Mikhala Iversen.  It is her voice that is heard singing background on his videos.  I especially enjoy listening to Mikhala sing Bleudreaux's theme songs, "Squeeze Me" & "Nature Boy".  To you Mikhala, we owe a debt of gratutude.  Thank you, Allen Kimble     

Mikhala as an infant upon the arm of the late, great LOUIS ARMSTRONG.  Her mother was a profession jazz singer from Minneapolis, and father, a Danish lover of the jazz.  Mikhala's home in her native Copenhagen was a favored stop-over for many of the Jazz greats who were touring Europe.  

Inspired by her up close and personal association with so many jazz greats, Mikhala was destined to come to New Orleans to sing Jazz.  We are very happy to have her Iversen as the voice "Team Bleudreaux".  To hear hear Mikhala Iversen sing 

Bleudreaux's theme song "Squeeze Me", CLICK HERE!

 Thanks Mikhala!

                             Go forth!  Treat yourself to gifts of Style and Jazz!

                                                      The Perfect Combination! 

End

 

  

 

 

The Impact

Feel free to explain more about your campaign and let people know how the difference their contribution will make:

• Explain why your project is valuable to the contributor and to the world.
• Point out your successful track record with projects like this (if you have one).
• Make it real for people and build trust.

Risks & Challenges

People value your transparency. Be open and stand out by providing insight into the risks and obstacles you may face on the way to achieving your goal.

• Share what qualifies you to overcome these hurdles.
• Describe your plan for solving these challenges.

Other Ways You Can Help

Some people just can't contribute, but that doesn't mean they can't help:

• Ask folks to get the word out and make some noise about your campaign.
• Remind them to use the Indiegogo share tools!

And that's all there is to it.