Covington Downtown: November 2024

To say that downtown Covington supports the arts is an understatement.

Downtown Covington business owners are artists themselves in many ways, both in the traditional ways of thinking about art, and in more outside-the-box creative techniques of showcasing art as well. Here are the stories of the central business district merchant/artists who demonstrate skills central to the creation and appreciation of art.

In the middle of it all stands the landmark St. Tammany Art Association building, originally a toy store 100 years ago, now a resource providing outstanding classes, gallery exhibitions, and a mission of promoting the arts throughout the community. It was damaged in Hurricane Ida and classes are now being taught a block over on New Hampshire St.

Below is a sampling of art galleries.

Abby Sembera Art Studio and Gallery, 434 N Columbia Street

Saladino Gallery, 409 E Boston St
Brunner Gallery, 215 N. Columbia St.
The Rutland Street Gallery, 828 E Rutland St
Gallery 421, 421 N Columbia St
Tripolo Gallery, 323 N. Columbia St
Marianne Angeli Rodriguez Studio Gallery, 430 Gibson St
Savoye Originals, 1601 N Collins Blvd
BB's Eclectic Creations, 203 N New Hampshire St
Covington Art & Frame, 529 N Florida St

Abby Sembera and her latest work

The list of artistic businesses is also quite impressive.

Several incredible restaurants showcase the culinary arts across downtown Covington, in every setting from elegant evening eating to the daily lunch cafe encounter. The unique Louisiana style of delicious menu favorites is well represented, but there is an array of unique dining experiences available that cater to all tastes.

The Southern Hotel corner

There are clothing stores that range from avant-garde fashion to vintage collectibles you can wear, apparel for the young and the young-at-heart. The downtown Covington offerings include general merchandise and sporting goods stores, as well as shops for the discriminating cigar-smoking aficionado and artists who need supplies, easels, and frames for their finished products.

Since Covington is a courthouse town, there are a number of attorney offices scattered about, but even the attorneys show off their artistic skills, with one attorney the recipient of many national awards for his essays, poems, and humorous cartoon books on the legal profession itself. Google the "Bard of Boston Street" to see what we mean.

The Tammany Trace Bike Trail runs through the middle of downtown Covington.

One place of business specializes in the beauty of glass, for pieces of art as well as large corporate architectural installations.

And speaking of art, there's a galaxy of galleries, from exhibit galleries that offer works by a wide variety of artists in a wide variety of media, to individual galleries that spotlight the creations of individual artists, many of whom are nationally-known. Art schools are also a favorite, and visitors often seek out places where the famed writer Walker Percy used to hang out.

Photographers are among the artists with their own galleries and studios. You can often see them taking clients for a downtown walk-around for pictures and posing in front of the classic old town storefronts.

For visitors who can't see it all in just one day, award-winning boutique hotel suites and several nearby bed & breakfast accommodations are available.

As time goes on, we will be adding to this website the stories of downtown Covington merchant artists, how they discovered their niche in the art of business (and the business of art), how they laser-focused their creativity, and most of all, how they packaged and promoted their art through successful merchandising.

So sit back, take out a map (or a smart phone GPS app) and chart your course to downtown Covington, Louisiana.

It's the place to be to be the artist you are.

Here's a link to Google Maps

showing where Covington downtown can be found.

Antiques and Uniques Festival
Walker Percy
The Southern Hotel
Three Rivers Art Festival Flows Into Covington
The Columbia Street Landing Archways
Movies Filmed In Downtown Covington
Fall For Art
Covington Art Market

More information about Covington area artists:

John Akers - The Wildlife Environment Artist

Artist Ann Gauthier

Florence "Winky" Chesnutt

Artist Claire Rohrbough

The Stained Glass Windows of Carol Lapari

John Hodge, Pottery Artist Extraordinaire

Hasslock Re-creates New Orleans Street Name Tiles

Mrs. Miriam Barranger, Artist

Lyn Hill, Artist Teaching Art

Artistry in Woodworking

Covington Artist Famed for Stage Scenery

Covington's favorite poster artist Suzanne King,
showing off her 2016 St. Tammany Parish Fair Poster. Her 2019 fair poster won first place statewide at the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals annual meeting.

For more information about Suzanne, CLICK HERE.

Belinda Miley of Covington is well-known for her creativity and design excellence. Now Living in Houston, Texas, Belinda began by designing custom items for special events of friends and family, and has risen in the industry as a national licensed designer. From Frames to shadowboxed crosses, wedding items, wall decor and other decor or celebration products, every Belinda Miley design sparkles with an inspirational touch. Many of her items can be seen at Once In A While Gift Shop in the old Alexius Brothers Hardware store building on Lockwood Street.

A sculpture dedicated to the late Becky Gelatt, area yoga teacher and community activist, was unveiled at the foot of Columbia Street Saturday afternoon, with former Mayor Keith Villere formally introducing the latest addition to public art in downtown Covington.

Video of the ceremony. Click on the "play triangle" to view the video.

Gelatt, who died on October 30 of last year, was appreciated throughout the city for her work in promoting community landscaping, pursuing health and wellness goals for the citizens, and her long-established yoga studio.

Former Mayor Keith Villere and Becky Roth

Click on the images to make them larger.

Keith Villere pulls the cover from the sculpture, at left, and artist Michael Eddy, at right, explains how he created the artwork and what it means.

Many of Gelatt's friends and students attended. Mayor Mark Johnson was present for the event.

Several people shared their memories of Becky. She had been active in the Covington Old Town Festival, the Covington Gardens Partnership, and the Mayor's Council on Health and Fitness. She was also a promoter of the downtown "pocket parks."