54th annual Tom Peyton Memorial Arts Festival 
April 22 - May 1, 2022

The  Annual  Arts  Festival  of  First  United  Methodist  Church, Alexandria, Louisiana, was established in 1967 to  encourage  use  and  understanding  of  the  arts  as  a  means of healthy expression. The First Annual Festival presented  the  first  juried  art  competition  in  Central Louisiana. For more than five decades since, the Festival has offered a variety of exhibits as well as programs of music, film, literature and drama.

The festival was renamed in 1980 to honor the memory of the Rev. Tom Peyton, a former associate minister whose ministry to the entire community’s arts and educational efforts  was  especially  significant.  An  endowment  in Peyton’s  memory  contributes  to  the  Festival’s  budget,  which  is  supported  otherwise  by  patrons’  gifts  and  grants. The Festival enjoys the guidance and services of the church’s staff and the use of its facilities. The core of the Festival remains the competitive juried exhibit, which retains the respect it has earned from artists.

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In 2019 Clay Hislop helped complete an entire inventory of the First United Methodist Church, Alexandria’s art collection.  His efforts were part of the service component of his Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout project.

To view the collection please click the link below.

Use the form to register for Children's Day at the Tom Peyton Memorial Arts Festival. Artists from River Oaks Summer Arts Studios will lead children in creating 2D birdhouses using different materials and textures.