Ida Bell’s House - An Exhibit
RLCF invites you to join us in honoring a staple of the area where our namesake, Ross Lynn, grew up. Scheduled to be displayed during the 2024 Sunflower Festival, the Ida Bell’s House exhibit will share the stories new and old that surround with festival attendees. After its debut, the exhibit will move to Shreveport, LA to the Meadows Museum in late summer.
For years, Ida Bell’s House has caught the attention of artists, inspiring many works that reflect its likeness and spirit. The work shown above was a sketching created by Ross Lynn in 2011. Artwork capturing the local landmark are being accepted with the deadline for submissions being April 26th, 2024.
IMPORTANT DATES
APPLICATIONS OPEN IN January 2024
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: APRIL 26th
NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE: MAY 10th
WORK DROP OFF DUE DATE: MAY 24th
EXHIBIT IS IN JUNE 2024 DURING THE SUNFLOWER FESTIVAL
Ida Bell’s House is located on Lynn Farms right off of Highway 3049 between Belcher, LA and Gilliam, LA. It sits roughly 500 feet south of the Lynn Farms Commissary at 11580 LA-3049 Belcher, LA 71004. You can google “Lynn Farms Commissary” and it will send you to the right location.
Our cover image for the exhibit is a sketch that Ross made in his sketchbook during 2011. Ross grew up knowing Ida Bell and she was very important to him.
Ida Bell’s House is featured on the cover of the Spring 2024 issue of 64 Parishes! Photography by 2019 North Louisiana Resident Artist, Leah Floyd, will be featured in the issue highlighting her exploration of North Caddo Parish.
Pictured above is a photograph of Ida Bell’s House made by 2019 North Louisiana Resident Artist Amanda Brietbach during her residency.
More Info about Ida Bell’s house
Walkthrough of Ida Bell’s House
Ida Bell’s House is a classic example of the typical tenant’s home that was found along the Red River area during the early 1900s. Once a common site with numerous tenant homes along Highway 3049 north of Shreveport, now few houses remain. Folk artist MC 5 Cent Jones (who lived and worked at the J.W. Lynn Plantation) often included the houses in his paintings of rural life in the region.
Ida Bell’s House as it sits today is a structural example of what the houses looked like. Ida Bell was not the first person to live in it, but when it was hers it was furnished and decorated as she saw fit, reflecting the care and sincerity she carried with her in daily life. The structure features a covered porch protecting two front doors with each entering into separate rooms that occupy the majority of the building. Centered between the two rooms is a chimney with two back to back fireplaces to provide heating during winter. Beyond the left room is another space that would have been the kitchen, with a door leading out the back of the house. Beyond the right front room is a smaller room that leads into the kitchen and on to a bathroom addition.