Black Heritage Gallery

Located in Lake Charles’ historic Charpentier district, the Black Heritage Gallery is on the second floor of the Historic City Hall built in 1911, across the street from Calcasieu Courthouse. Today, the building is an arts and cultural hub which houses three floors of gallery space spotlighting local and regional artists. In addition to hosting numerous cultural programs and events, it’s also the sole institution in Southwest Louisiana with permanent gallery space showcasing African American arts and culture.

The Black Heritage Gallery highlights the work of emerging and mid-career artists with free exhibits every other month representing a range of mediums. Exhibits have included oil paintings, watercolors, and sketches, as well as woodwork, sculptures, interactive installations, and traditional quilting. Showcases run for roughly seven weeks each, with past exhibits ranging from “Documenting the Cane River Creole Legacy” to graphic design to the legends of the National Negro Leagues. The live gallery also offers a mentorship program to up-and-coming artists.

The gallery was one of the first stops on Louisiana’s African American Heritage Trail, with locations in every corner of the state honoring the legacy of African American trailblazers from politicians to musicians to activists. 

The gallery is an extension of the Black Heritage Festival, an event that takes place every March in Lake Charles. The springtime celebration features live gospel, zydeco, blues, and spoken word performances as well as traveling exhibits, guest speakers, and dozens of food vendors selling traditional Louisiana food.