Banners History

Our History

Banners was established in 1992 under the direction of Dr. Robert Hebert, former president of McNeese State University.

 

Because many events coordinated by the School of Liberal Arts were occurring at the same time, Dr. Hebert’s idea was to organize these events into a cohesive unit and give the community access to each show. A committee was formed, consisting of one representative from each Liberal Arts department, served with the task of forming an organization to oversee the series – thus Banners at McNeese was born.

 

By the program’s second year, the Cultural Season was formally constructed as a full-fledged series, featuring artists such as Ellis Marsalis, an American jazz pianist and educator. During the third year, Banners hired its first full-time director, Mary Richardson.

 

Today, Banners has expanded to include a three person staff, a student-driven outreach program, a widely popular annual fundraiser and more!

Cultural Season Archive

2016-2025
2025 SEASON

• March 6, 2025 – Preview / Membership Rally

• March 8, 2025 – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

• March 14, 2025 – Tom Briscoe

• March 15, 2025 – ZEBRA

• March 20, 2025 – Swan Lake / Peter and the Wolf

• March 25, 2025 – A Day in Colonial Haiti 

• March 27, 2025 – 38th Works on Paper Art Exhibit

• April 3, 2025 – A Blessing: Not a Burden

• April 8, 2025 – Atakapa Ishak – Maailyah Papillion

• April 10, 2025 – Bobby Sanabria & Quarteto Ache

• April 15, 2025 – String Art 

• April 18, 2025 – CPPJ Movies Under the Stars

• April 24, 2025 – YAGODY

• April 25, 2025 – JIGJAM

• April 29, 2025 – McLeod Lecture Series

• May 1, 2025 – Ballets with a Twist 

2024 SEASON
  • March 1st – Broadway’s Next Hit Musical
  • March 7th – Ugly Duckling presented by Lightwire Theatre
  • March 8th – Anything Goes
  • March 10th – Yesterday and Today: The Interactive Beatles Experience
  • March 14th – Bob Coopers returns!
  • March 20th – Enjoy a film with family and friends in Bulber Theatre.
  • March 21st – The 37th Annual McNeese National Works on Paper Exhibition
  • March 23rd – The Jimmy Carpenter Blues Band
  • March 24th – Keagan LeJeune – Finding Myself Lost in Louisiana reading and book signing.
  • April 5th – Chasing Fire documentary film by Justin Roberts / Echo Bravo Productions.
  • April 11th – McLeod Lecture Series: Crisis of Journalism in America.
  • April 12th – Movies Under the Stars!
  • April 19th – ACCORDION KINGS
  • April 25th – QWANQWA
  • April 26th – Trout Fishing in America
2023 SEASON
  • March 4 – Tartan Terrors
  • March 9 – McLeod Lecture Series: Inspiring Generations to Civic Engagement
  • March 10 – Sons of Mystro
  • March 11 – Right in the Eye
  • March 18 – War Journalists: Chasing Fire
  • March 23 – May 5 – Works on Paper Exhibition
  • March 25 – Robin Spielberg
  • March 26 – Relay of Voices: A River Connected
  • March 31 – Ruthie Foster
  • April 2 – The Moonlit Princess
  • April 13 – Flamethrowers Dance Party
  • April 14 – Family Film Night on the Lawn
  • April 19 – Wizard of Oz
  • April 21 – Mames Babegenush
  • April 26 – Six Hearts: Vishten/The East Pointers
  • April 29 – Nashville Hurricane with Chase Padgett  
2022 SEASON

    • disABLE Art
    • Violectric
    • La Poet Laureate Mona Lisa Saloy
    • McLeod Lecture Series
    • Finding Joe
    • 90 Lies an Hour
    • The Queen’s Cartoonists
    • Three Friends of Lincoln
    • Cha Wa
    • Works on Paper
    • Leon Chavis and the Zydeco Flames
    • Leo P.
    • WALL-E
    • Jeff Boyer’s Big Bubble Bonanza
    • Poems and Stories from a Traveller
    • The Flying Balalaika Brothers
    • Louisiana Rising
2020 SEASON
  • March 4 – Members Only Reception
  • March 5 – Lecture: Robin Spielberg: “The Healing Power of Music”
  • March 7 – Robin Spielberg (pianist)
  • March 11 – Lecture: Christa Maria Lerm-Hayes: “Beuys”
  • March 12 – Wit & Wrath: The Life & Times of Dorothy Parker
  • March 13 – Leyla McCalla (folk)
  • March 14 – “Solo From the Pit”, Elias Faingersh (theatre, trombone)

The following events were postponed or cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing quarantine:

 

  • March 20 – Jeff Boyer’s Big Bubble Bonanza
  • March 21 – The Flying Balalaika Brothers
  • March 26 – 33rd Annual Works on Paper exhibit
  • March 29 – Documentary Screening: “American Epic”
  • April 2 – “Pokes in the Oaks” free outdoor concert series, with The Flamethrowers
  • April 3 – “JunNk” (music and comedy)
  • April 19 – McLeod Lecture Series: “Hands Across the Great Divide” with guest panelists Dr. John Fletcher, Jim Beam, Robert Gambrell Jones, and John Alario
  • April 21 – Lecture: Kelly and Courtney Litvak: “Childproof America – Safeguarding Families from Sex Trafficking”
  • April 23 – “90 Lies an Hour”, Paul Strickland (theatre, music)
  • April 24 – Doolin (Irish music)
  • April 30 – Lecture/Workshop: Rus Blackwell: “Inside the Creative Mind”
  • May 1 – Taj Mahal (blues, folk)

Following two hurricanes and amidst a pandemic, Banners at McNeese teamed up with the Lake Charles Little Theatre and KBYS McNeese Radio on a live adaptation of the classic 1938 radio play by Orson Welles, “The War of the Worlds”.

 

The production, which streamed online to listeners all over the globe, featured cameos by Southwest Louisiana luminaries like Mayor Nic Hunter and KPLC’s Ben Terry.

 

Listen to the full broadcast on YouTube.

2019 SEASON
  • March 7 – Members Only Reception with “Josephine Baker”
  • March 8 – “Josephine, a burlesque cabaret dream play”
  • March 9 – Billy Strings (bluegrass)
  • March 12 – Lecture: Ilse N. Bulhof: “The Tree Between Heaven & Earth”
  • March 16 – Jazz ‘N Bossa (with Ken Peplowski, Chuck Redd, Leif Pedersen, John Mahoney, Ed Wise, and special guests, Brazilian guitarist Diego Figueiredo and drummer Duduka da Fonseca)
  • March 17 – Film screening: “A Celtic Pilgrimage with John O’Donohue”
  • March 24 – Freedom Brass (United States Air Force Band of the West)
  • March 26 – Red Hot Chilli Pipers
  • March 29 – Peter Gros from the Original Mutual of Omaha’s ‘Wild Kingdom’
  • March 31 – Film screening: “Abdullah Ibrahim: A Struggle For Love”
  • April 1 – Puddles Pity Party
  • April 6 – Jazz Master Abdullah Ibrahim
  • April 9 – Lecture: “Unthinkable: Inside Criminal Minds with William Aprill”
  • April 11 – Poetry reading: “The Poetry & Travel Stories of Robert Cooper”
  • April 15 – The Americans (performance/lecture on pre-war recording era)
  • April 17 – Chase Padgett: “6 Guitars”
  • April 28 – Film screening: “Sing”
  • April 30 – Lecture/discussion: “A Digital History of Engagement with Jarret Lofstead”
2018 SEASON
  • March 2 – “One Night in Memphis” tribute concert with Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash
  • March 6 – Rhythm Future Quartet (acoustic gypsy jazz)
  • March 8 – Artrageous (performance troupe: artists, musicians, dancers)
  • March 10 – Film screening: “Walk the Line”
  • March 15 – Moscow Nights & Golden Gate Dancers (Russian/Georgian folklore, song, and dance)
  • March 24 – The Stepcrew (Celtic dance)
  • March 28 – Lecture: Alina Fernandez, Castro’s Daughter
  • April 11 – Lecture: Reed Timmer, Extreme Storm Chaser
  • April 14 – Film screening: “Hell on Earth – The Fall of Syria and the Rise of Isis”
  • April 17 – Lecture: Zeb Hogan, host of National Geographic’s “Monster Fish”
  • April 21 – Film screening: “Mary Poppins”
  • April 22 – Arturo Sandoval Sextet (jazz trumpet)
  • April 26 – The Malpass Brothers (americana, honky tonk)
  • April 28 – Film screening: “The Eagle Huntress”
2017 SEASON
  • March 10 – Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder (Members Only Opening Party)
  • March 14 – Etienne Charles (jazz trumpet)
  • March 16 – Lecture: Matt Mogk, “Zombies, Run!”
  • March 17 – Rodney Marsalis Big Brass Band, “Brothers on the Battlefield” theatrical production
  • March 21 – Shadow Theatre Fireflies
  • March 24 – The Doo Wop Project (featuring stars of Broadway’s “Jersey Boys” and “Motown: The Musical”
  • March 25 – Film screening: “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”
  • March 30 – “Churchill” one-man play by Andrew Edlin
  • April 4 – Film screening: “The Wrecking Crew”
  • April 7 – Acrobats of Cirque-tacular
  • April 13 – Film screening: “Mystic Iran: The Unseen World”
  • April 22 – Film screening: “Free State of Jones”
  • April 25 – Lecture: Dr. Jack Levin, “Extreme Killing”
  • April 27 – Tiempo Libre (Afro-Caribbean jazz)
2016 SEASON
  • February 19 – Larry Gatlin (Opening Party)
  • February 23 – Paul Taylor Dance Company
  • February 27 – Film screening: “Selma”
  • March 3 – Cirque Zuma Zuma (African circus)
  • March 5 – Film screening: “The Princess Bride”
  • March 11 – Lecture: David Sears, former U.S. Navy Seal
  • March 15 – Popovich Comedy & Pet Theater
  • March 17 – Reading: Erin Entrada Kelly
  • March 19 – Film screening: “Timbuktu”
  • March 23 – Poetry reading: Robert Cooper
  • April 7 – Lecture: David Wrobel, “John Steinbeck’s America – A Cultural History of the Great Depression”
  • April 8 – Lecture: Henry Glassie, “The Cultural South”
  • April 12 – Film screening: “Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me”
  • April 16 – VISHTEN (Acadian and Celtic folk music)
  • April 19 – Lecture: Jacob Blevins and Dafydd Wood, “Creating New Television – ‘Breaking Bad’ and the Golden Age of TV”
  • April 22 – Cimarron (Andalusian, Indian, and African roots music)
  • April 24 – Cecile McLorin Salvant (jazz)