Life in Lafayette this past month has been unbelievable in so many ways.
For one, Lafayette was rocked by an atrocity I never imagined I'd be so close to. It shook me and it shook the city, and it left us all feeling broken, asking hard questions, and trying to find positives to help us all heal. I attended one heart-breaking vigil for the victims of the shooting, and it was just so sad and so beautiful. The event closed with the crowd singing "You are my Sunshine", and now that song plays in the back of my mind every time I think of Jillian Johnson.
Photo by Paul Kieu / The Daily Advertiser
I can say this is the first time in my life I've felt so close to the saying "Bad things happen to good people." I've also abandoned "Everything happens for a reason."
Now the community is trying to honor Jillian's contributions to Acadiana by finding ways to give back. TownFolk, a non-profit started by Jillian and some friends (which Jacob and I recently joined) is working to bring a community garden designed by Jillian to life. It will be called the Victory Garden, because "victory" was Jillian's favorite word. The garden will be four lots down from my apartment, down the street I where we can see the sun set from our window.
One event being planned to raise money for the garden is a festival scheduled to happen in the lot next door to the gallery. It will be called the Victory Festival, and during the event there will be a screening of Jillian's favorite movie and food trucks on the property. The event coordinator, Kelly Russo, came to Jacob and me with an idea for the gallery during the event. Kelly proposed that during the festival, we open up the gallery and display a show of art inspired by Jillian, her work, and her life as a whole. We currently have over 15 artists set to display pieces at this time, and the festival will take place on September 27th.
We are so excited for it all! Especially the beautiful garden so close to us.