Introducing Lucia Moon

Lucia Moon is a multidisciplinary artist based in Lafayette, Louisiana. She uses visuals, found objects, sounds, and written words cut and pasted (sometimes all together, sometimes separate) to create collages.

Her works have been displayed at the LOUDHOUSE X ARCHIVES 2024 Exhibition and featured at the 14th annual Southern Screen Festival Writing Competition. Her most recent works are on display at ARCHIVES Whimsy Exhibition at The Hallway at the Warehouse on Garfield.  You can listen to her KRVS program, Beat Current (sound collages for robots,) on 88.7 fm at 11 pm on Fridays.

As a passionate storyteller, Lucia began her journey in Lafayette as a journalism and creative writing student at ULL, where she honed her craft and fell in love with Acadiana. She has since expanded her storytelling to include visual art and sounds. She believes all creative expressions tell a story - whether consciously or subconsciously - and that through intentional expression we can transform, find purpose and healing, and (ideally) inspire others to do the same.

Who makes up your art circle?

My art circle isn’t so much a circle as it is a large mass of everyone I interact with (or observe.) I think everyone is an artist in their own right - though perhaps they’ve forgotten somewhere along the way - their childlike imagination and creativity is still waiting to be discovered within. I find inspiration in the ladies who put together the ever-growing collection of flower arrangements at Albertson’s Grocery Store; The girl sitting next to me at the coffee shop wearing the beaded necklace that she made herself; The guy selling fresh vegetables in wooden boxes at The Farmer’s Market that he grew and harvested with his own hands, etc. 

I’m not sure if that really answers the question - but I’ll also say all of the local/global artists I follow on social media make up my art circle. There are circles you can press to view the art they share online. You can access the art anytime, anywhere. You can even send a digital heart to the art (and artist.) Who says social media is all bad?

How do you expand your art circle?

Externally: Following local artists and organizations (subscribe to The Current and AcA newsletter!) on social media. Attending/participating in more community arts based events (for example, the ARCHIVES live figure drawing event held at the AcA, or their 2024 art installation collaboration with LOUDHOUSE.) Connecting with other artist’s works and talking to them about it. To me, art is really about finding connection with ourselves and each other: always working on expanding our internal and external world.

Internally: By being able to fight the fear of some vaguely preconceived notion of failure and putting my art and self out there to be either accepted or rejected. By saying “Yes,” to opportunities even if I’m scared to. By picking up scissors and glue (or audio editing programs for sound collages) or putting words to paper, whether or not I feel like it. By understanding that in order to create good art and/or good writing, I have to create bad art and/or bad writing.

What value do you see in having a creative community?

The value is endless. When we share our art with each other, we are holding up mirrors to one another - they reveal our memories, realities and fantasies - allowing us to expand our horizons in unpredictable ways. It gives us a sense of belonging and feeling seen; it allows us to witness the perspectives of others who live radically different lives; it opens our minds and fosters understanding; it offers infinite inspiration.

We are - all of us - surrounded by art at all times. Art is found in the architecture of every building (with that said I deeply despise the modern day buildings popping up built only for function and cutting costs!) It’s found in the colorful clothes people wear while strolling Downtown; It’s found in the strange but delicious combination of ingredients put together to make a meal at that local restaurant you love; it’s found in the musicians shredding at The Loose Caboose (and the crowd moshing) or strumming along at Blue Moon Saloon’s Cajun jams (and the dancers two-stepping.) All of these things affect our day to day experiences and art is the heart and soul of a community worth living in.

How does your artistic approach contribute to your community?

I make a lot of zines featuring collages with phrases or words (normally from old nat geos) cut and pasted as poetry. I feel as if I’m guided by some external force - or a collective unconscious - while putting them together (the process becomes very meditative.) It doesn’t make sense until I see the finished product and find meaning in it. This is the case with most of my work.

I like to leave the zines for people to find in places like Carpe Diem or music venues. One, it’s free art - I believe art should be accessible to everyone - and two, it’s fun to find surprises in places that you wouldn’t expect. I hope that the people who find them can see it and realize they can do the same thing, so it creates this cycle of more art being put out there, leading to more people finding inspiration and sharing, etc.

My radio show, Beat Current, is an extension of the idea that art should be accessible to all: KRVS is a free public access radio station showcasing and documenting our culture and world music! Each host’s approach to recording, curating and documenting is a gift to the listeners. Whether that be the gift of cultural education and preservation, or the gift of weirdo avant-garde sounds ;), there’s something there for everyone.

You can find the latest episodes of Beat Current at https://www.krvs.org/show/beat-current-on-krvs

Our weekly Art Circle series profiles artists throughout the community and is sponsored in part by Lafayette Visitor Enterprise Fund managed by Lafayette Travel.