Fall at River Oaks Brings Midnight at the Met, #Triple5 and Holiday Traditions

Fall is always one of the most exciting seasons at River Oaks Square Arts Center, and 2026 is shaping up to be no exception. Over the next several weeks, the Arts Center will welcome the return of its signature Van Gogh Gala, prepare for the 11th Annual 5x5x5 Show National Call, celebrate the remarkable work being created through its outreach programs, and look ahead to the Annual Christmas Porch Sale. It’s a busy stretch of the calendar, but one that beautifully reflects the many sides of River Oaks - exhibitions, education, outreach, fundraising, and plenty of opportunities for the community to experience the arts.

Leading the excitement is the Van Gogh Gala, River Oaks’ largest annual fundraiser and undoubtedly one of its most imaginative traditions. This year, guests are invited to experience Midnight at the Met on Saturday, October 24, beginning at 7 p.m. For one night, River Oaks will take on the atmosphere of a candlelit museum after hours, where the grandeur of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art meets the mystery of All Hallows’ Eve. Black-tie elegance, gothic glamour, art, fashion, and fantasy will all come together for an evening unlike anything else on the River Oaks calendar.

The dress code is Haunt Couture, and guests are encouraged to become part of the art themselves. Inspiration can come from iconic paintings, celebrated artists, mythology, sculpture, fashion, or fantasy. Think museum gala meets Halloween, with plenty of room for the kind of creativity River Oaks guests have become famous for bringing to the Gala year after year. The evening will include cuisine, signature cocktails, live entertainment, silent and live auctions, and the kind of theatrical touches that turn the entire Arts Center into part of the experience.

“The Van Gogh Gala has always been the night when this community gives itself permission to be as creative as our artists are,” says Rachael Dauzat, Executive Director at River Oaks. “People plan their costumes for months. They arrive as paintings, as myths, as things nobody has ever seen before. It is a fundraiser, absolutely, but it is also one of the truest expressions of who we are as an arts center.”

At the heart of the Gala is one of River Oaks’ most beloved traditions: the collaboration between guest artists from the community and seasoned Mentor Artists. Over a period of months, these pairings work together to create original pieces that ultimately become part of the Gala auction. Before the event itself, those collaborations will be placed on public display during the Van Gogh Gala Exhibition - Collaborations with Mentor Artists. The exhibition gives patrons an opportunity to see the work up close and appreciate the time, imagination, and collaboration that go into each piece.

Proceeds from the Gala help support River Oaks programming throughout the year, including exhibitions, educational opportunities, artist residencies, community outreach, and Summer Arts Studio. Individual tickets are $70 per person, with reserved tables available for $750 and seating ten. Tables are limited, and tickets go on sale in September. The 2026 Gala is sponsored by Rapides Regional Medical Center, Red River Bank, Southern Heritage Bank, and Explore Alexandria Pineville CVB.

While plans for the Gala move into high gear, artists across the country are working within a much smaller format for another River Oaks favorite. The national call for the 11th Annual 5x5x5 Show is now open, with entries due October 17. Affectionately known as #Triple5, the exhibition challenges artists to create meaningful work within roughly 25 square inches - no more than five inches in any direction - in either two or three dimensions and in any medium. The size restriction is part of what makes the exhibition so compelling. It asks artists to distill an idea, composition, or emotion down to what matters most, and it invites viewers to step closer and spend time with the details.

This year’s Guest Juror is Tyler Barnes, a second-generation artist originally from Alexandria. Barnes earned his BFA in graphic communications from Northwestern State University in 2008 and his MFA in graphic design from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in 2016. He has taught at the university level since that year while maintaining his own design practice, T.Barnes Graphics, which he founded in 2009. His work focuses on brand strategy, visual identity, typography, and packaging, and his career has earned him 20 American Advertising Federation awards, including five district ADDYs. His work has also appeared in Creative Quarterly, Graphic Design USA, UnderConsideration’s For Print Only, and the Logo Lounge book series.

Artists may submit up to three entries for $15 per artist through CallForEntry.org, commonly known as CaFÉ. All submitted work must be original and available for sale. Awards include $500 for Best in Show, the $100 Beck Crowell Creative Award, two $100 merit awards, and honorable mentions. Accepted artists will be notified October 23, with artwork due at River Oaks by November 3. Full specifications for the call are available at RiverOaksArtsCenter.com.

The 5x5x5 exhibition opens November 12 with a reception and awards presentation and will remain on display through February 6, 2027, placing the show right in the middle of the holiday season when collectors and gift-givers are looking for something truly original. Opening alongside the national call will be an exhibition by Matt Dawson and a major presentation of work from River Oaks’ outreach programs. Participating organizations include Rapides ARC, OLS Community Homes, CLSSC, Hope House, Matthews Memorial, and The Honduras Cookie Project, working with instructors Lindsay B. Moore, Carla Guillory, and Chastity Sayer Smith.

Outreach remains an essential part of the River Oaks mission and an important component of the annual exhibition calendar. These programs give participants access to professional artists, quality materials, and the opportunity to express themselves creatively while having their work presented with the same care afforded to every other artist exhibiting at River Oaks.

“Outreach is not something separate from what we do - it is very much part of the heart of River Oaks,” Dauzat says. “These programs give people the opportunity to discover what they are capable of creatively, and then we get to celebrate that work right here in our galleries. Sharing the building with a national juried exhibition reinforces something we believe strongly: every artist deserves to have their work seen and valued.”
And just when it seems the calendar couldn’t get any fuller, December brings one more River Oaks tradition. The Annual Christmas Porch Sale returns Saturday, December 5, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., bringing more than 100 regional artists and fine craftsmen together for one of Central Louisiana’s favorite holiday shopping events. For many families, the Porch Sale has become the unofficial beginning of Christmas shopping, offering original art and fine crafts that simply cannot be found in a big-box store.

In the meantime, visitors still have time to enjoy the current fall exhibitions, which remain on display through October 10. Featured are Reflections of Home by Larry “Kip” Hayes in the Bolton-Davis Gallery, Through the Cypress Veil by Leah Morace in the Galerie des Amis, and The Shape of Place: Childhood Memories by Katy Keppinger Arbour in the Stokes-Harris Gallery. Together, the three exhibitions explore Louisiana through memory, landscape, home, and the enduring connection between people and place.

For more information about the Van Gogh Gala, the 5x5x5 National Call, the Annual Christmas Porch Sale, or upcoming exhibitions and classes at River Oaks, call (318) 473-2670, visit RiverOaksArtsCenter.com, or follow River Oaks Arts Center on Facebook.