FIRST PERSON: Lee Ann Stenvick-Executive Director of Arts & Humanities Council of SWLA

The arrival of Lee Ann Stenvick at the Arts & Humanities Council of SWLA earlier this year has already changed the trajectory of the organization. In June, the organization presented a forum for local artists and other community members in which the public could give their feedback on what they need and would like to see available to them. Arts & Humanities, in collaboration with the City of Lake Charles, also recently hosted Alison Pelegrin, the Louisiana poet laureate, for an evening poetry reading. Next is White Linen Night, a rebrand of the Gallery Promenade, on September 6.  

Stenvick is a native of Gonzales, Louisiana, and moved to Lake Charles in 2023 when her husband accepted a position as assistant professor and director of theatre productions at McNeese State University. She has a background in nonprofit fundraising and support through her work at the LSU Foundation. She spoke with Thrive on what she hopes to accomplish at the Arts & Humanities Council of SWLA to further support local arts and culture. 

You obtained your Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana State University. How did being a theatre major prepare you for the work you’re doing today? 

You’re about six or seven when people ask you what you want to be when you grow up. I had about 17 iterations of what I wanted to be. Then I realized that as an actor I can be all of those things. I was originally not a theatre major but in political communications because my parents wanted me to get a practical degree. Then a luminary from Lake Charles looked at me and told me I was wasting my potential. It was like Lebron James looked at you and told you you were wasting your basketball potential. That set me up on the trajectory I needed to be where I am today, which is a fundraiser and arts administrator. 

A theatre background is so helpful in my day-to-day work life. I’ve learned motivation and empathy, how to see stories from other angles and perspectives that might be different from my own, how to navigate partnerships and conversation effectively. 

While I was at LSU, I worked for the LSU Foundation, which introduced me to how nonprofits work and run. I stayed on until I graduated and then they offered me a full-time position. I wanted to continue working there for two years, build a nest egg and then move to Chicago, but I graduated in 2018 . . . . In 2020, everything collapsed. It made me think I have more purpose staying in nonprofit work to ensure arts organizations were ready for the pivot that would need to occur after the pandemic.  

What is your earliest memory of the arts? 

My parents were season ticket holders to Swine Palace, the seasonal theatre attached to LSU. I saw A Christmas Carol and it was a lifechanging experience. The audience interacted with the performance and so much fun was happening. It felt like a safe place to be. 

Would you ever consider returning to theatre and taking the stage again? 

When I find the time. I’m currently a part of the biggest theatre production of my life, which is being a mother. It’s the biggest game of improv. It would have to be the right time and a dream role. 

You’ve hit the ground running since you started working at the Arts & Humanities Council of SWLA. What initiatives have you worked on and what’s coming in the future? 

When I came on, I looked under the hood to see what was there. I realized our mission hadn’t changed since our inception and that we weren’t doing our best at fulfilling that mission. We’ve worked with real intention to find where we should go next. We need initiatives that really serve that mission. The services we provide should be inclusive, accessible and serve the entire five-parish area. We offer four grants but only one covers all of SWLA. I’m looking to change that. 

Our Poetry Out Loud program . . . I want to scream it from the rooftops. High school students learn three poems and recite them, competing at the regional, state and national level, and they can win prizes. We only had 12 students involved last year. I want us to get into schools more. 

We have Spring Art Walk, Chuck Fest, and the upcoming White Linen Night. These events fuel our work for the rest of the year. Chuck Fest is not just a variety of concerts, it’s how we can ensure we have the funding to fuel our initiatives for the next year.  

I want to create a regional arts award celebration and bring together all of the different artistic disciplines. Great art is happening here. 

But we can’t build our programs in a vacuum. We can come up with ideas all day long, but we need to be in touch with local creatives in order to be in tune with what they need from us.  

As funding for the arts is shrinking, how can people better support the arts? 

The arts are so integral to who we are as a state, but they’re so underfunded. People can support the arts by becoming annual season ticket holders or members for the various arts organizations. If you love these organizations, support them. Share events. Become an everyday advocate for the arts. 

Without the arts and humanities, the world would be a bleak place. They bring life. They are the reason we work . . . to enjoy things on weekends. This includes the culinary arts, visual arts, fashion, media . . . . We have such a strong history of storytelling in Louisiana. We bond over food and family. And food has its basis in creative expression. 

Research shows for communities that invest in arts, its residents have a better quality of life, better student outcomes, better mental health. There’s the added benefit of a more involved civic public. Who doesn’t want to live in a community like this? 

What should community members expect in the future from the Arts & Humanities Council of SWLA? 

So much. We’re going to unveil a new mission soon, and pillars that will directly impact our creative community. Look out for our promotion of the Culturalyst, which will be a one-stop shop for individual artists and organizations. It will list events and provide information on grants beyond what we can do. We’re helping organizations grow in professionalism and adaptability, ensuring they can thrive—not just survive—over time. 

Keep an eye out. There are tremendous things to come. I don’t want another person to say there’s nothing to do in Lake Charles. Sign up for our newsletter and it will tell you what you can do every weekend. 

Learn more at artscouncilswla.org