By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – The River Region Arts and Humanities Council’s upcoming event, “The Artist, the Builder and the Kid,” will showcase not only the extraordinary cultural legacy of the area but also the interconnectedness of so many who call the River Parishes home.

The fundraiser will take place in the Maurin-Ory Home, the idyllic green house on West Fifth Street in LaPlace that recently underwent a bit of a makeover after it was purchased by its current owner, R.J. Ory.

Ory is the grandson of Antoine Verret, a painter of some renown of Louisiana landscapes and a native of St. John the Baptist Parish.

According to RRAHC President Harold Flynn Jr., “Mr. Verret liked a drink, and he paid his tab many times with his paintings.”

Consequently, many local families who owned bars or restaurants during Verret’s career also own paintings by the artist. Ory himself has collected 10 of his grandfather’s works, and for the event Saturday, the RRAHC has managed to assemble about 25 more. Also, Ory has created a photo catalogue of many of Verret’s paintings.

More than just a mere gathering of artworks, however, Ory has also gathered many of the stories behind the paintings, and these hold as much in many cases as the artworks themselves.

Flynn noted one painting Verret gave to a local bar owner with whom he used to fish on Blind River. Verret and the bar owner apparently had a falling out, so the painting depicted the bar owner fishing alone.

While an exhibit of this colorful artist’s works would be worth the price of admission, the home itself also has an interesting story.

The home was built in 1911 by John Ernest Pastureau, who is responsible for many of the area’s structures of the period. The house was built at the request of John L. Ory, who owned the Woodland Planting Co. His son-in-law was from New Orleans, and to keep him and John L. Ory’s daughter close, he had a “city house” built for them in what was somewhat of a backwater in those days.

In addition to actually seeing the house itself — the subject of fascination for many who frequent West Fifth Street — the event will also include sketches from Pastureau’s grandson, Eddie Pastureau, who has drawn many of his grandfather’s iconic houses.

There is a third Ory involved in this story, and that is Edward “Kid” Ory, the famous African-American jazz trombonist who was born in the LaPlace area in 1886.

“He is, according to the family tree, related to R. J.,” said Flynn.

“Kid” Ory, by his late teens, led a well-regarded jazz band, and during his career he played with numerous jazz legends, including Louis Armstrong, Bunk Johnson, King Oliver and Sydney Bechet. His music will be playing in the background as guests move from exhibit to exhibit.

The event is a bit a departure for the RRAHC of late, as the group’s more recent fundraisers have skewed toward the more traditional route recently.

“We’ve done teas. We’ve done fashion shows,” said Flynn. “This one’s pretty interactive. We’re exposing people to the culture we foster.”

Tickets for the fundraiser, which takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 26, are $40 in advance and are available at Iberia Bank, 113 Belle Terre Blvd., LaPlace. Admission is $50 at the door.

Guests will receive not only exposure to some of the greatest and most interesting cultural aspects of the local area but will also be treated to food from Wayne Jacob’s Smokehouse as well as wine and beer. Attendees will also help foster the future of the arts in the River Region as the event is one of the ways the RRAHC raises money for the grants it awards each year.

“We’d like to give another 24 to 25 thousand in grants this year,” said Flynn.

The Maurin-Ory Home is located at 277 W. Fifth St. in LaPlace. Overflow parking will be available at Riverlands Surveying, 505 Hemlock St. in LaPlace, where a shuttle will take guests to the home.