Downtown’s  the Agora Borealis, 421 Lake Street,  is celebrating Year #9 of being downtown’s premier art marketplace with a day filled with art, creative inspiration, and activities.

When you look at the ‘traditional’ 9th year wedding gift, you see that it is pottery and willow, symbols of molding, shaping and flexibility, a yin and yang. Agora owner Katy Larsen has done this in many ways in her not-traditional space.

Katy (center) with Trill and Brittani from Pop N’ Pizza.

She is the face and creative inspiration of the Louisiana Fashion Prize yearly event that she created, she is the curator of multiple exhibit venues, she gives voice and space to under-represented local and regional artists, shares her store with photo and video shoots, classes, talks, and exhibits, and prior to Covid, hosted the popular Cirque du Lake street festival on Lake Street.

Agora photo shoot.

More recently, she has opened her space to Sanctuary Glass Studio, which has elevated another local art form and given hundreds the opportunity to try their hand at it.

An event at the Agora Borealis.

If you drive by today, you will see her newest public art project, a new mural by artist Kalandra Jones.

Kalandra Jones’ mural taking shape, 421 Lake St.

It is all in a day’s work for Larsen’s ‘light and love’. Nine years and counting. We hope for many more.