Ancestral Artistry Film Screening
Ancestral Artistry traces the enduring influence of Africans and Creoles of Color on Louisiana’s architecture, revealing how centuries-old building traditions—rooted in African and European craftsmanship—shaped a distinct cultural landscape now at risk of being lost if a new generation doesn’t carry them forward.
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Ancestral Artistry: The Influence of Africans & Creoles of Color on Louisiana Architecture explores a powerful yet often overlooked legacy. Produced by the Louisiana Architecture Foundation (LAF), this documentary traces 300 years of building traditions brought by enslaved Africans to French colonial Louisiana—crafts like carpentry, masonry, ironwork, and plastering that shaped the region’s iconic architecture. Passed down through generations, these trades empowered Louisiana’s Creoles of Color, offering wealth and social mobility in a time of widespread racial inequality.
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The film connects the past to the present through master craftsmen Jeff Poree, Darryl Reeves, and the late Teddy Pierre, who are working to preserve these endangered traditions and mentor the next generation. Ancestral Artistry is both a celebration and a call to action—to honor this heritage before it fades.
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This film was made possible by grants and generous donors. The LAF reserves special thanks to the film’s initial donors and partners, AIA Louisiana and the Louisiana State Office of Cultural Development | Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism.