Meet the Artists Painting The Northshore
BY BETH D'ADDONO
Four eye-catching murals celebrating Northshore life and culture are the first in a series of permanent art displays that Visit The Northshore commissioned to bring focus to each of St. Tammany’s individual towns.
Abita Springs
Dave Kelsey retired a few years ago from a four-decade career that started with sign painting and ended with designing sets for dozens of movies, including O Brother, Where Art Thou?. But he still picks up a brush for fun, dedicating time and talent to beautifying his adopted hometown, Abita Springs. He and his wife Michelle have lived there with their family for 35 years and are an integral part of the local arts community.
When he had the chance to “paint an Abita Springs sign,” as he puts it, he relished the chance to bring his signature retro style to the back wall of the park office building by the Abita Springs Trailhead Museum. Framed by a rainbow above and a rushing stream below, the scene is dominated by a fetching princess pouring a jug of water in a splashing cascade. An audience of comical critters cheers her on, including an alligator, opossum, racoon and white heron, all against a backdrop of palmettos and cypress trees.
Inspired by the legend of Princess Abita, who was supposedly restored to health by Abita Springs’ water, the whimsical mural invites onlookers to become part of the action. Stand or take a seat in front of the painting, and that cool blue water looks like it’s splashing directly onto your head — just another sign that Kelsey’s view of Abita Springs will make you smile. Click for more about Dave.
Covington
Inga Clough Falterman Alters Perspective
Take a stroll along Columbia Street in historic downtown Covington, and along with its funky array of shops and cafes, a heavenly mirage awaits on the alley side of the St. Tammany Art Association, also known as Art Alley, where members of the organization sell their wares during community events. There you will find a split-level scene that shows what’s going on above the waterline and below, a stunning portrait of Louisiana natural life by artist Inga Clough Falterman. “I thought the two views were appropriate,” said the artist, who moved to Mandeville in 2002. “We have close connections to the rivers and the Gulf in this region.”
Down below, alligator gar seem to be assembled for an important meeting amongst watery reeds of blue and green. The sky’s view, with its grasses and pussy willows, is crowned by an oversized monarch butterfly, giving the scene a surreal, down-the-rabbit-hole vibe. Falterman was commissioned to paint a section of the two-story wall. “I proposed painting the whole wall for a more exciting effect. When I rented the lift and then looked at the space, I thought, ‘what have I done?ʼ” she recalled. “But once I established some landmarks and the water line, I knew it was going to be a fun project.”
Falterman grew up in the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. After she moved to Louisiana, her work became rooted in the state’s watery landscapes.
The artist, who identifies her specialties as all genres within the printmaking discipline, as well as painting and drawing, sits on the advisory board for the Covington-based Art Association. Click for more about Inga.
Mandeville
A Slice of Northshore Nature from Mickey Asche
An ancient live oak spreads its mighty branches, wrapping mossy boughs around the Mandeville Trailhead’s concession stand facing the Tammany Trace. This vibrant mural from artist Mickey Asche captures the beating heart of the bayou. There are herons in flight, a snowy egret and a grinning alligator, waiting in the wings. Perhaps they are listening to the three-piece band playing a jazzy tune on a dock over the water.
During the months he worked on the mural, Asche created quite a stir. “I was blown away by how many people came by here, walking with their kids, riding their bikes, and so many stopped to talk with me.” A self-described “bird nerd,” Asche was always drawn to nature. The Louisville native moved to Louisiana with his family as a teenager, settling first in Slidell. Although passionate about drawing and sketching, he became an aviation mechanic like his dad, a job he had for 20 years. When an injury sidelined him right after Katrina, he started painting while he recovered. “I went back to work for a few months, but I was miserable. So, I quit. I’m poorer but so much happier.”
Asche, who now lives with his wife in Covington, began with watercolors before transitioning to oils. Most of his work is sold in galleries, but the chance to do something large-scale, a passion project in his backyard, meant the world to him. “I just love wildlife, the swamps and the bayous and the woods." Click for more about Mickey.
Slidell
Grab One of Matt Litchliter's Umbrellas for That Selfie
The idea of suspending colorful umbrellas as an art installation over neighborhood streets started in Portugal with the Umbrella Sky Project in 2012. The playful public overhead art spread to cities around the world, from Cartagena, Colombia, to Redlands, California, and ultimately to Slidell, Louisiana, in 2023.
The Antique District of Olde Towne funded the project, with 80 brightly colored patio umbrellas suspended over First Street from Erlanger to the triangle intersection of Front and Fremaux. Eye-popping and vibrant, the umbrellas flutter in the breeze, adding a touch of romance by night and a brilliant canopy of sunshades overhead during the day.
For artist Matt Litchliter, a Slidell native, the chance to paint a mural to accompany the bumbershoot skyscape was a thrill. A graphic designer by day, specializing in logos and brands for small businesses, Litchliter supported the project from the start, creating the Antique Umbrella Alley logo. He loved that his work would boost the many small shops in the downtown antiques district.
Captured with water-based acrylic paints on a brick wall at 2001 First St., the scene is set against a blue sky with hints of white, puffy clouds. Umbrellas seem to be raining down, in shades of red, green, purple and orange. Installed in March 2024, Litchliter’s vision for the piece was particular. “I didn’t want the umbrellas to be overlapping,” he explained. “I wanted the scene to be interactive, so people of all heights and abilities could seem to be holding one of the umbrellas in a photo.” And the folks who stroll #AntiqueUmbrellaAlley do just that, posting whimsical selfies and group shots as they wander. Click for more about Matt.