Ouida Best - Theatre

Ouida became involved with Le Petit Theatre de Terrebonne in the production of Cactus Flower in 1970.  At the urging of a friend, she and her husband Kent tried out and were given the lead roles, much to her dismay.  Neither had ever been in a play before.  After that, she was hooked on theatre. 

She has served on the board of directors for Le Petit since 1976 and served as president for the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons.  She has directed, produced, performed, and stage managed many productions during the past years.  She has received thirteen of Le Petit’s Esther awards for best director, producer and actress. 

Ouida received a master’s degree in mathematics and taught for thirty-five years at both high school and college levels.  The majority of her years in the classroom, twenty-eight and a half, were spent at Terrebonne High School where she was very involved in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities including class sponsor, student council, cheer leader sponsor, and drama club sponsor.

Gail LeCompte - Visual Arts

Gail has been drawing for most of her life, even remembering a third grade picture that the teacher did not believe she drew.  After she married and began raising her family, she had the opportunity to take oil painting classes and has been studying art since.  She now attends the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts where she studies oil painting, drawing and design.

The joy of volunteering to teach art in her children’s classrooms afforded Gail the opportunity to obtain the position of artist in residence for Terrebonne Parish Public Schools.  Serving as an ambulatory art teacher in the K-3 schools allowed her to meet many wonderful teachers and talented students.  She has taught art for the Terrebonne Parish Library System, DePaul School for Dyslexia and Lefevre’s.

Gail is a founding member of the Houma-Terrebonne Arts and Humanities Council, now the Houma Regional Arts Council, where she also served as president.  She has also been a member of the Terrebonne Fine Arts Guild since 1975 and has chaired several committees including the Spring Art Show, Children’s Art Show, and the Children’s Summer Art Program.

Juana Woodard - Advocate

A native of Mississippi, Juana was reared on a farm in an environment that was much attuned to nature.  Her mother was an artist who taught her to draw and “see” with an artist’s eye at an early age.  She majored in business and worked for a few years until being a Mom to her three children became a full time job.  In 1986 she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer for the first time.  Following the advice of her mother, she returned to art as a means of therapy and attended The New Orleans Academy of Fine Art. 

She formed her company, Juana’s Originals, in 1989 and accepts commissions for portraits and landscapes, creates historical settings for old homes as well as produces custom cards for companies. She has been a recipient of many awards for her paintings of local scenery as well as portraits.  One of her pieces of art was one of two hundred pieces selected for a juried Impressionism Exhibition by Art-Exchange.  Her work has been described as polished primitive or impressionistic with a touch of realism. 

“If I can use light, shadow and color to create a mood that touches the viewer in a meaningful way, then I have achieved my goal.”

She is a member of the Louisiana State Arts Council, the Degas Pastel Society, Portrait Society of America, Inc., Houma Regional Arts Council, Terrebonne Fine Arts Guild and the Houma Chamber of Commerce.  She also serves the Houma Downtown Development Corporation as a past President and current Treasurer, South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center as Board Member and Capital Campaign Chairman, the Bayou Region Affiliate Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Board, the Houma Historic Commission and the Terrebonne Garden Club.

Jessica Martin - Dance

Jessica graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi University in 1997, and received a BFA in dance.  She has performed professionally at the local, state, and regional level. Her last major performance took place at One River Mississippi which was outdoors at the Woodland Plantation located in Plaquemines Parish on the Mississippi River.

Jessica has provided professional development for fellow teachers and dancers through guest lectures at local Universities and served as program director for an 8(g) grant entitled an Education Dance Experience which brought dance to numerous schools within Terrebonne Parish.

She has also facilitated workshops for educators at the State and the National Level for LAIEA (Louisiana Institute for Education in the Arts) and AAPHERD (American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance).  Jessica currently serves as the chairperson for elementary dance with the Louisiana Dept of Education in order to develop the curriculum to be used throughout the state by classroom teachers.

She is also the director and choreographer of Mehlika’s Mirage dance troupe, a belly dance troupe dedicated to promote Middle Eastern dance in the Terrebonne-Lafourche area.