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211 N. Main Street, Farmerville, Louisiana
318-982-8020 [email protected] HOURS: Tue-Fri, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays for special events FREE ADMISSION Click button below for YouTube video - "First People of Union Parish" talk by archaeologist Jeff Girard Visit the museum's archaeology website by clicking the second button below |
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The mission of the Union Museum of History and Art is to promote an understanding of history, culture, and art, and to instill a spirit of community pride.
We're all about connections. Connections with each other...with the past...with beloved traditions... with dreams of the future. Come join the conversation!
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SEE CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS AT LOWER END OF THIS PAGE
We're all about connections. Connections with each other...with the past...with beloved traditions... with dreams of the future. Come join the conversation!
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SEE CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS AT LOWER END OF THIS PAGE
It's OK to be weird --
"Fantastic Vizions" exhibit to open May 26 with surreal opening
Let your imagination go wild for the Surreal Costume Party-opening reception on Tuesday, May 26, 5:30 to 7 p.m., in the Union Museum of History and Art! The event will launch the "Fantastic Vizions" art exhibit, May 26-June 26, featuring works by seven local artists : Garrett Carlson, Lindsay Carraway, the late Rickie Cox, Heather Gill, Pam Hallman, Kelley Kimble, and G. Scott Smith.
Those attending the May 26 reception are invited to don their most outlandish costumes that express surreal art and fantastic ideas. But weird costume is not required to attend!
For inspiration on costumes, visit the website of the Surreal Salon Soiree, an annual event in Baton Rouge: https://www.batonrougegallery.org/surreal-salon-soiree-2025 (See photo above)
The exhibit is generously sponsored by Benoit Motors, Judge Bruce Hampton, and Union General Hospital.
"Fantastic Vizions" exhibit to open May 26 with surreal opening
Let your imagination go wild for the Surreal Costume Party-opening reception on Tuesday, May 26, 5:30 to 7 p.m., in the Union Museum of History and Art! The event will launch the "Fantastic Vizions" art exhibit, May 26-June 26, featuring works by seven local artists : Garrett Carlson, Lindsay Carraway, the late Rickie Cox, Heather Gill, Pam Hallman, Kelley Kimble, and G. Scott Smith.
Those attending the May 26 reception are invited to don their most outlandish costumes that express surreal art and fantastic ideas. But weird costume is not required to attend!
For inspiration on costumes, visit the website of the Surreal Salon Soiree, an annual event in Baton Rouge: https://www.batonrougegallery.org/surreal-salon-soiree-2025 (See photo above)
The exhibit is generously sponsored by Benoit Motors, Judge Bruce Hampton, and Union General Hospital.
Old growth cypress trees subject of May 28 talk
How do we know how old a cypress tree is? What are the oldest cypress trees in Louisiana? Harvey Stern, an expert on cypress dendrochronology, will answer these questions on Thursday, May 28, at 5:30 p.m., in the Union Museum of History and Art, 211 N. Main St., Farmerville, LA.
Stern is founder and director of The Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy Project. The organization is a conservation and education initiative dedicated to identifying, mapping, and protecting bald cypress trees in Louisiana that were alive in 1803—the year of the Louisiana Purchase. These trees are considered living historical witnesses to the state’s pre-colonial and early settlement history.
How do we know how old a cypress tree is? What are the oldest cypress trees in Louisiana? Harvey Stern, an expert on cypress dendrochronology, will answer these questions on Thursday, May 28, at 5:30 p.m., in the Union Museum of History and Art, 211 N. Main St., Farmerville, LA.
Stern is founder and director of The Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy Project. The organization is a conservation and education initiative dedicated to identifying, mapping, and protecting bald cypress trees in Louisiana that were alive in 1803—the year of the Louisiana Purchase. These trees are considered living historical witnesses to the state’s pre-colonial and early settlement history.
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Livingston to lead "Backwoods Blacksmithing" class May 30
Veteran blacksmith Cody Livingston will teach the basics of the ancient craft on Saturday, May 30, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Union Museum of History and Art, 211 N. Main St., Farmerville. Adults interested in enrolling should call the museum to pre-register at 318-982-8020. Fee is $40. This is another in the series of Folkcrafts classes offered by the museum. |
Children’s watercolor class slated June 20
Local artist, illustrator, and art educator Diane Nale Anders will teach a children’s watercolor art class on Saturday, June 20, in the Union Museum of History and Art. The class, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., is designed for ages 7 to 12. Participants will get hands-on experience by creating their own artwork to take home. Fee of $15 includes all materials. Register for the class at 318-982-8020 by June 15. Anders is art/STEM teacher at D’Arbonne Woods Charter School.
Local artist, illustrator, and art educator Diane Nale Anders will teach a children’s watercolor art class on Saturday, June 20, in the Union Museum of History and Art. The class, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., is designed for ages 7 to 12. Participants will get hands-on experience by creating their own artwork to take home. Fee of $15 includes all materials. Register for the class at 318-982-8020 by June 15. Anders is art/STEM teacher at D’Arbonne Woods Charter School.
Papier-mâché art class series planned for ages 12+
Artist Lindsay Carraway will lead a three-day hands-on workshop in creating papier-mâché surrealistic sculptures June 22-24 in the Union Museum of History and Art. Participants will learn all steps in creating papier-mâché art, from building an armature (framework) to the final painting. The class is designed for ages 12 and up. Fees are $75 for ages 12-18, and $100 for adults. Pre-register at 318-982-8020 by June 17.
Artist Lindsay Carraway will lead a three-day hands-on workshop in creating papier-mâché surrealistic sculptures June 22-24 in the Union Museum of History and Art. Participants will learn all steps in creating papier-mâché art, from building an armature (framework) to the final painting. The class is designed for ages 12 and up. Fees are $75 for ages 12-18, and $100 for adults. Pre-register at 318-982-8020 by June 17.
ATTENTION: Artists and crafters
The Bayou D'Arbonne Folk Festival will rock the town on Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the plaza of the Union Museum of History and Art, 211 N Main Street, Farmerville. If you create and sell your handmade crafts or artworks, we'd love to talk to you about being a vendor at the festival. Or if you make traditional crafts and are not interested in selling your items, consider demonstrating your skills at the festival. For information, call the museum at 318-982-8020, or click here.
This will be the sixth year of the family-friendly folk festival, which has grown in size and popularity each year. It features live bluegrass music, dance, arts, traditional crafts, food, re-enactors, Dutch Oven cookers, and even a pie-eating contest. What a fun way to bring history to life!
Thanks to our sponsors: Case Farms Chicken, Union General Hospital, Judge Bruce Hampton, Benoit Motors, and Reeves Memorial Medical Center.
[For more information on the advantages of sponsoring this event, call 318-982-8020]
The Bayou D'Arbonne Folk Festival will rock the town on Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the plaza of the Union Museum of History and Art, 211 N Main Street, Farmerville. If you create and sell your handmade crafts or artworks, we'd love to talk to you about being a vendor at the festival. Or if you make traditional crafts and are not interested in selling your items, consider demonstrating your skills at the festival. For information, call the museum at 318-982-8020, or click here.
This will be the sixth year of the family-friendly folk festival, which has grown in size and popularity each year. It features live bluegrass music, dance, arts, traditional crafts, food, re-enactors, Dutch Oven cookers, and even a pie-eating contest. What a fun way to bring history to life!
Thanks to our sponsors: Case Farms Chicken, Union General Hospital, Judge Bruce Hampton, Benoit Motors, and Reeves Memorial Medical Center.
[For more information on the advantages of sponsoring this event, call 318-982-8020]
Freedom 250 Truck visits Farmerville, wows visitors
Some 964 people visited the Freedom 250 Mobile Museum when it was in Farmerville May 3-5, bringing a large interactive exhibit celebrating America’s semiquincentennial. The 18-wheeler rolling museum was located in the Union Parish Courthouse parking lot (Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m., and on Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) with free admission. Several regional schools brought groups of youngsters, who enjoyed the technological gadgets while learning about our nation’s history. Union Museum of History and Art, in partnership with the Town of Farmerville and the Union Parish Police Jury, was proud to present this event to the entire region. The museum thanks Speaker Mike Johnson's Congressional office for assisting in making the Freedom 250 Truck a reality for Farmerville.
The fleet of six Freedom 250 trucks was developed by Freedom 250, a nonpartisan initiative created to commemorate the anniversary of the United States’ founding. Additional collaborators were Hillsdale College (Michigan) and PragerU based in Oklahoma. The initiative was also supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal agency that helped fund and facilitate the creation of the trucks.
For more information, visit freedom250.org/freedom-truck or view this reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iSNQjxcwJA
Some 964 people visited the Freedom 250 Mobile Museum when it was in Farmerville May 3-5, bringing a large interactive exhibit celebrating America’s semiquincentennial. The 18-wheeler rolling museum was located in the Union Parish Courthouse parking lot (Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m., and on Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) with free admission. Several regional schools brought groups of youngsters, who enjoyed the technological gadgets while learning about our nation’s history. Union Museum of History and Art, in partnership with the Town of Farmerville and the Union Parish Police Jury, was proud to present this event to the entire region. The museum thanks Speaker Mike Johnson's Congressional office for assisting in making the Freedom 250 Truck a reality for Farmerville.
The fleet of six Freedom 250 trucks was developed by Freedom 250, a nonpartisan initiative created to commemorate the anniversary of the United States’ founding. Additional collaborators were Hillsdale College (Michigan) and PragerU based in Oklahoma. The initiative was also supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal agency that helped fund and facilitate the creation of the trucks.
For more information, visit freedom250.org/freedom-truck or view this reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iSNQjxcwJA
Together, we achieve more! --
Museum seeks support from friends
Union Museum of History and Art - Discovery Place depends on the public for support in order to continue serving the people of this community. Put simply, we need a little help from our friends.
We ask that you give a gift to your community by making a tax-deductible donation to the Museum. Gifts of any amounts are welcome! Donors may designate gifts in memory of a loved one.
Below are the levels of giving to be an official Friend of the Museum:
$100 Bronze
$250 Silver
$500 Gold
$1000 Platinum
$1500 Champion
$3000 Patron
$5000 Benefactor
You may send a check to the museum at 211 N. Main St., Farmerville, LA 71241. OR, to make your donation via credit card, click on the red “DONATE” button at upper right of this page. CLICK HERE FOR A DONATION FORM with more information.
THANK YOU!
Museum seeks support from friends
Union Museum of History and Art - Discovery Place depends on the public for support in order to continue serving the people of this community. Put simply, we need a little help from our friends.
We ask that you give a gift to your community by making a tax-deductible donation to the Museum. Gifts of any amounts are welcome! Donors may designate gifts in memory of a loved one.
Below are the levels of giving to be an official Friend of the Museum:
$100 Bronze
$250 Silver
$500 Gold
$1000 Platinum
$1500 Champion
$3000 Patron
$5000 Benefactor
You may send a check to the museum at 211 N. Main St., Farmerville, LA 71241. OR, to make your donation via credit card, click on the red “DONATE” button at upper right of this page. CLICK HERE FOR A DONATION FORM with more information.
THANK YOU!
We appreciate the generosity of Union General Hospital, Judge Bruce Hampton, and Benoit Motors --- our Museum Sustainer Sponsors --- who are supporting the entire work of the museum in 2026:
New "Eyewitness to History" video is on YouTube
Cleo Gatson and Tom "Tuffy" Fields, both lifetime residents of Union Parish, are featured in the latest "Eyewitness to History" video created by the Union Museum of History and Art in Farmerville. The video, which premiered December 4, features Fields and Gatson discussing the earliest days of integration at Farmerville High School, 1968-69.
To view the video, entitled "The Times, They Were A-Changin'," go to the museum's You Tube channel or use this link: https://youtu.be/CAhMOEFcH60
The documentary was filmed at the old Farmerville High School on September 19, 2025, as the two men shared their thoughts about those long-ago days when they were teenagers. Carter Carroll of ReCollect Media shot and edited the video, preparing it for public viewing.
This is the third in a series of "Eyewitness to History" videos created by the Union Museum of History and Art to document memoirs of local individuals who have been part of historic events. All of the videos can be accessed on the museum's You Tube channel.
The first interview, with 102 year-old Mrs. Ida Belle Albritton, is also viewable on the museum's You Tube channel. Mrs. Albritton recalls her experiences as a young bride and mother during World War II, and other experiences in her lifetime. The second video features Brenda Hobson Abercrombie, current member of the Union Parish Police Jury, and Doris Redden Kyle Russell, who served on the Police Jury in the 1960s and '70s. They are the only women ever elected to the Union Parish Police Jury. In the video, the two discuss why they entered public service, their challenges, and accomplishments.
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PHOTO: Cleo Gatson (left) and Tom "Tuffy" Fields during the video shooting session on September 19, 2025, on the grounds of the old Farmerville High School, where the two attended in the 1960s.
Cleo Gatson and Tom "Tuffy" Fields, both lifetime residents of Union Parish, are featured in the latest "Eyewitness to History" video created by the Union Museum of History and Art in Farmerville. The video, which premiered December 4, features Fields and Gatson discussing the earliest days of integration at Farmerville High School, 1968-69.
To view the video, entitled "The Times, They Were A-Changin'," go to the museum's You Tube channel or use this link: https://youtu.be/CAhMOEFcH60
The documentary was filmed at the old Farmerville High School on September 19, 2025, as the two men shared their thoughts about those long-ago days when they were teenagers. Carter Carroll of ReCollect Media shot and edited the video, preparing it for public viewing.
This is the third in a series of "Eyewitness to History" videos created by the Union Museum of History and Art to document memoirs of local individuals who have been part of historic events. All of the videos can be accessed on the museum's You Tube channel.
The first interview, with 102 year-old Mrs. Ida Belle Albritton, is also viewable on the museum's You Tube channel. Mrs. Albritton recalls her experiences as a young bride and mother during World War II, and other experiences in her lifetime. The second video features Brenda Hobson Abercrombie, current member of the Union Parish Police Jury, and Doris Redden Kyle Russell, who served on the Police Jury in the 1960s and '70s. They are the only women ever elected to the Union Parish Police Jury. In the video, the two discuss why they entered public service, their challenges, and accomplishments.
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PHOTO: Cleo Gatson (left) and Tom "Tuffy" Fields during the video shooting session on September 19, 2025, on the grounds of the old Farmerville High School, where the two attended in the 1960s.
CULTURAL CENTER UPCOMING EVENTS
May 26, 5:30 to 7 p.m. -- Surreal Costume Party reception to open the "Fantastic Vizions" art exhibit. Come be weird (if you want to) as you browse the surrealistic art produced by seven local artists.
May 26-June 26 – “Fantastic Vizions”, exhibit of fantasy works by seven area artists. Artists: Garrett Carlson, Lindsay Carraway, the late Rickie Cox, Heather Gill, Pam Hallman, Kelley Kimble, G. Scott Smith
May 28, 5:30 p.m. -- Archaeology talk: "Old Growth Cypress in Louisiana," by Harvey Stern.
May 30, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. --Folkcrafts class: "Backwoods Blacksmithing," led by Cody Livingston. $40 fee.
June 13, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. -- Folkcrafts class: "Sheath-making," led by Ron Butler (aka Buckskin Billy).
June 20, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. -- Art class: "Watercolor Art for Kids," taught by Dianne Anders, recommended for ages 7-12. Fee $12.
June 22-24, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily -- Art class 3-day workshop: "Papier-mâché Surrealism Art," led by Lindsay Carraway. Youth ages 12-18, $75. Adults, $100.
May 26, 5:30 to 7 p.m. -- Surreal Costume Party reception to open the "Fantastic Vizions" art exhibit. Come be weird (if you want to) as you browse the surrealistic art produced by seven local artists.
May 26-June 26 – “Fantastic Vizions”, exhibit of fantasy works by seven area artists. Artists: Garrett Carlson, Lindsay Carraway, the late Rickie Cox, Heather Gill, Pam Hallman, Kelley Kimble, G. Scott Smith
May 28, 5:30 p.m. -- Archaeology talk: "Old Growth Cypress in Louisiana," by Harvey Stern.
May 30, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. --Folkcrafts class: "Backwoods Blacksmithing," led by Cody Livingston. $40 fee.
June 13, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. -- Folkcrafts class: "Sheath-making," led by Ron Butler (aka Buckskin Billy).
June 20, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. -- Art class: "Watercolor Art for Kids," taught by Dianne Anders, recommended for ages 7-12. Fee $12.
June 22-24, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily -- Art class 3-day workshop: "Papier-mâché Surrealism Art," led by Lindsay Carraway. Youth ages 12-18, $75. Adults, $100.
Board of Directors
Union Museum of History and Art
Mary Barrios
Mildred Ferguson
Dawn Frasier
Pam Gale Hallman
Ramsey Hallman
Lesa W. Lawrence, Ph.D.
Richard Royal
Jamie Taylor
Brittany Unkel
Museum Director
Vickie L. Wheelis, Ed.D.
Union Museum of History and Art
Mary Barrios
Mildred Ferguson
Dawn Frasier
Pam Gale Hallman
Ramsey Hallman
Lesa W. Lawrence, Ph.D.
Richard Royal
Jamie Taylor
Brittany Unkel
Museum Director
Vickie L. Wheelis, Ed.D.
The Museum is forever indebted to the Union Parish Chamber of Commerce, which began the museum idea as a special study project in 2011. The Chamber's Board of Directors enabled the concept to become a reality, and launched the Union Museum of History and Art as an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization in 2014. For its first five years, the Museum was housed in the Chamber of Commerce building. In March 2020, it moved into the building at 211 N. Main St. , Farmerville, thanks to the generosity of the building owners Paul and Kelly Coburn. With the help of community financial supporters and Capital Outlay funds from the State of Louisiana, the museum board of directors purchased the building in August 2025.