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Marc and Ann Savoy Photo Gallery

By the early 1980s, Chris was a regular guest at the Savoy home in Eunice, which became his home base for musical excursions around Southwest Louisiana. Marc, Ann, and their growing family always made “Uncle Chris” feel right at home, and Chris was always drawn back to Eunice by their warm hospitality and the lively gatherings they hosted, where he could always count on good food, good music, and good company. Thankfully for us, Chris’s camera was never far from hand during these visits. The result is a rich collection of photographs documenting his time at the Savoy house through the years. From quiet moments around a gumbo pot to big communal jams in the yard, Chris’s photos capture the way that music and community were woven into daily life at the Savoy house. With appearances by Michael Doucet, D.L. Menard, Queen Ida Guillory, and Santiago Jimenez Jr., these photos are a wonderful document of Marc and Ann and their world, and of a family home that became a central to the ongoing preservation of Cajun music and culture. 

The gallery below features some of these photos taken at the Savoy house in Eunice, along with various concert photos of the Savoys and photographs from Chris and Marc’s 1990 “accordion” trip to Austria and Germany.

Dear friends,

On Giving Tuesday, we announced the capital campaign to purchase our building at 10341 San Pablo Ave in El Cerrito — home to the Arhoolie Foundation (and before that Arhoolie Records), Les Blank Films, and Down Home Music Store since 1976. We’ve been heartened by the community’s response to our fundraising announcement. To all who have donated so far: thank you. We couldn’t do this without you.

Now, while there is a contract in place to buy the building in partnership with Les Blank Films, we need to raise $1.2 million — our half of the purchase price — by April 15. Donations to the campaign can be made via the link below, by check, or by bank transfer. (To make a bank transfer, please email us at info@arhoolie.org).

In the new year, we look forward to collaborating with Les Blank Films and Down Home Music to bring more public programming to our community. We plan to revive Les Blank and Chris Strachwitz’s tradition of in-store film screenings and will host more informal, free performances and gatherings in the store as part of our outreach work. We believe this collaboration will result in a vibrant community gathering place dedicated to music, film, and deep roots culture.

If you’re interested in donating and would like to discuss our plans for the building, please don’t hesitate to email director Adam Machado at adam@arhoolie.org.

Thank you for your support as we begin this exciting new chapter!

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