LAFAYETTE PARISH — Terry Palmer, manager of Art Gallery San Souci in Lafayette, Louisiana, has spent his life immersed in creativity. Whether through graphic design, watercolors, or mixed media, Palmer’s artistic journey has been about self-expression and exploration. "I just like being creative," he says, reflecting on a career that spans decades.
Palmer’s passion for the arts began in the 1970s, when he studied graphic design at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. After graduating, he worked for a design agency, but it was his involvement in local art communities that truly shaped his career.
Palmer finds greater joy in creating art that gives him room to experiment, "I really enjoy the fine art work. There’s a freedom to it that I don’t always get in design work".
This freedom allows him to incorporate unlikely materials into his pieces—something he finds particularly thrilling. "I’m gonna do a piece with an actual whale bone," Palmer laughs, explaining how he’s been holding onto a whale bone in his garage, still figuring out how to incorporate it into his art.
A long-time member of the Lafayette Arts Association (where he served as president for two years) and the Louisiana Crafts Guild, Palmer has consistently found ways to contribute to the regional arts scene.
As manager of Art Gallery San Souci, Palmer helps foster an environment where art lovers from around the world can connect with the works on display, “We meet people from all over the world, all over the world people come here from all over the state, and all over the country but all over the world too.”
Palmer encourages them to engage with art in a personal way. "If you find a piece and you walk away from it, you’re almost there. If you walk away a second time and the third time you come back to it, buy the piece," he advises, emphasizing the importance of finding a piece that resonates emotionally.
