<< Back library public art project, Faces in the Windows, dedicated (Sep 16, 2006)

Beginning in the summer of 2004, Neil Johnson worked within the disadvantaged Shreveport neighborhoods of Hollywood and Caddo Heights to gather portraits to create five montages to put into 6-by-8-foot interior windows in the Hollywood/Union Avenue Library. The library held its grand opening celebration on September 16, 2006 with a huge neighborhood crowd eager to make use of the beautiful facility. The building was designed by a team led by Mischa Farrell, who did the design work on Neil's studio in 2000. The five windows were commissioned by the Shreveport Regional Arts Council. SRAC project manager was Tarama Davenport. The neighborhood chose the subjects. Neil Johnson did portraits of 50 living individuals and co-artist Walter Washington did pencil sketches of 21 deceased subjects. And, finally, Neil Johnson merged the 71 images into five montages. The final five montage images were printed onto 6x8 foot pieces of film and sandwiched between two pieces of glass for each window. Grand opening photo was taken by Stan Carpenter.