Creative Louisiana to feature blues icons Henry Gray and Maxine Crump

Creative Louisiana, a monthly morning meetup for creative types, will hold its May event on Friday, May 31, 2013 at the Glassell Gallery, located at 100 Lafayette Street in the Shaw Center for the Arts. The featured guest speaker will be Maxine Crump, with a special appearance by blues musician Henry Gray.

The event starts at 8:30 a.m. for a special musical treat provided by Henry Gray, coffee, and mingling, followed by a creative lecture at 9 a.m., then a group discussion. Everyone is off to work or school by 10 a.m., and the event is free.

It will be a blues-inspired morning. Surrounded by the Glassell Gallery exhibit, "Raining in My Heart: Baton Rouge Blues Project," guests will listen to Maxine Crump, one of the founding members of the Baton Rouge Blues Foundation. The morning will kick off at 8:30 a.m. with a short blues performance by Henry Gray, famed blues piano player and singer.

Maxine Crump is a founding member of the Baton Rouge Blues Foundation. The Foundation's mission is music education in the state of Louisiana, through blues music presentations in schools. The Baton Rouge Blues Foundation recognizes individuals who have been contributors to the legacy and importance of the music.

Henry Gray is an African-American blues piano player and singer. He has been playing for more than seven decades, and has played with a multitude of artists including Robert Lockwood, Jr., Billy Boy Arnold, Morris Pejoe, the Rolling Stones, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf among many others. He has more than 58 albums to his credit, including recordings for the Chess Records label. He is credited as helping to create the distinctive sound of the Chicago blues piano.

Creative Louisiana was founded in June 2011 with a mission to support and accelerate Louisiana creativity and innovation. For more information about Creative Louisiana, visit creativelouisiana.com. Follow Creative Louisiana on Twitter @WeAreCreativeLA and on Facebook. Creative Louisiana is supported by LSU Continuing Education.

LSU Continuing Education acts as a leading university provider of educational outreach and engagement to help people achieve their goals and improve their quality of life, their organizations and their communities. Visit www.outreach.lsu.edu for more information. Follow LSU Continuing Education on Twitter @LSUCE and on Facebook.