Kate Bangle, past president of the Louisiana Gourd Society, showed off her gourds at the show Saturday whem the Louisiana Gourd Society held its ‘Gourding on the Bayou.’
Sue Haberer often incorporates earth themes and aspects into her gourds. Haberer showed her creations during the ‘Gourding on the Bayou’ event Saturday in New Iberia.
Kate Bangle, past president of the Louisiana Gourd Society, showed off her gourds at the show Saturday whem the Louisiana Gourd Society held its ‘Gourding on the Bayou.’
McKenzie Womack / The Daily Iberian
Shelia Guidry displays an impressive display of Santas.
McKenzie Womack / The Daily Iberian
Sue Haberer often incorporates earth themes and aspects into her gourds. Haberer showed her creations during the ‘Gourding on the Bayou’ event Saturday in New Iberia.
The Louisiana Gourd Society held its second festival “Gourding on the Bayou” on Saturday in New Iberia, where gourd artists from Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, Georgia, Arkansas and Louisiana showed off their talents.
Gourds are part of the squash family but are not edible, said Society past president and show chairwoman Kate Bangle of Mermentau.
Gourd artists take the gourds and turnthem into works of art, Bangle said, but they also can be functional.
Gourds were the earliest vessels of primitive societies, who used them for plates, cups and saucers, she said.
Artists atthe show Saturday had made them into Santas, bowls, rainmakers, canteens, animals and more.
New Iberia native Shelia Guidry of Corpus Christi, Texas, won best in show for her carved, wood burned bowl that was stained and had woven leather on the top.
She makes a lot of Santa gourds, which are her most popular pieces, she said, but she also makes Halloween gourds and gourds with a Southwest theme.
Some gourds can take about 100 hours to make, while others take just 45 minutes, Guidry said.
“It varies so much,” she said. “So much of it is imagination.”
Gourd makers were giving classes to less experienced artists who wanted to learn different techniques. Bangle said the festival was in Haynesville last year. The society hopes to attract members from around the state, she said.