LSMSA hosts April 27th art show reception

The LSMSA art gallery presents The League of Notions – Ruined Paper, a collaborative work by Alan Gerson and Jesse Poimboeuf. The exhibit is currently on view in the art gallery, and the school will host a reception with the artists Thursday, April 27, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The reception is free, and the public is welcome to meet the artists and enjoy light refreshments.

The League of Notions began on a whim when artist Alan Gerson began marking a sheet of paper pinned to the studio wall of fellow New Orleans artist Jesse Poimboeuf with the statement, “I’m ruining this paper.” The two collaborated back and forth, “ruining” each other’s work by marking and editing what each other created until both were satisfied with how they “ruined” that work. What started as an experiment led the two to embrace the process and joy they shared together. Over several years, Gerson and Poimboeuf continued to draw and paint over each other’s work, adding splashes of color and unforeseen marks. Like jazz musicians, the artists react to each other creatively with intuitive, immediate marks and are strengthened by each other’s exertions. 

Alan Gerson received his BFA in philosophy from Boston University in 1974, followed by his MFA from the University of New Orleans in 1979 and his law degree from Tulane University in 1989. He was the Visual Arts Director of the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans from 1980 to 1985, then practiced law from 1989 to 1992. Since then, he has been a full-time artist and occasional professor in the New Orleans area, where he currently lives with his wife Beth. 

Jesse Poimboeuf received his BFA in Painting & Graphic Design from the University of South Louisiana in Lafayette (now ULL) in 1969 and earned his MFA in Drawing & Painting from Tulane University in 1972. He has held many jobs in the arts from Lafayette to Denver to New York, including teaching at the university level. Poimboeuf is a full-time artist in Arnaudville, where he and his wife Nancy live with their cats. 

LSMSA is a tuition-free, residential, public high school for high-achieving rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a nominal room and board fee to cover housing, meals, and campus activities. The LSMSA Foundation offers assistance for families in need.