Canvas and Cadence

Canvas and Cadence is an immersive exhibition by Shreveport artists Ron Smith and Karen LaBeau, bringing together nearly 70 paintings and sculptures that trace how Black music has shaped American history. Mounted in downtown Shreveport for Black Music History Month, the show blends visual art, sound, and storytelling, with interactive installations that invite visitors to connect that history to their own lives. One wall honors Sam Cooke, who wrote 'A Change Is Gonna Come' after being denied a hotel room in Shreveport. Smith and LaBeau frame the work around a simple idea: the canvas is what they express, and the cadence is what they live by. The pair use the exhibition to follow the rhythm running through Black history, from the era of slavery through the civil rights movement to the present, and to argue that musicians and entertainers have long been at the center of social change. One interactive piece, a painted toolbook where visitors write down a song that changed their life, is set to become an installation in a future show. Canvas and Cadence opened with a reception on June 7, 2026, featuring live music and dance, and remains on view through July 30 at the Uneeda Biscuit Artist Lofts, 711 Milam Street, in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana.