“High Flying and Living Large: The Paintings of James Michalopoulos” is currently on display in the third-floor gallery of Lake Charles’ Historic City Hall.

Featuring fifty colorful compositions that span Michalopoulos’ career, his style is “quintessentially New Orleans,” Matt Young, director of cultural affairs, said.

The exhibit includes landscapes, architectures, animals, flowers and cityscapes, all of which have earned Michalopoulos an award-winning career.

“We’re thrilled to showcase the work of an artist of Mr. Michalopoulos’s caliber in Southwest Louisiana,” Young said of the artist whose work has been celebrated both across the United States and abroad.

The exhibit was originally scheduled to open at City Hall last year, but Hurricane Laura put a major delay on the plan, Young said.

“Strangely enough, one week before the show was scheduled to ship to us, Hurricane Ida hit New Orleans. Thankfully, his gallery on Bienville Street in the French Quarter sustained only minor damage and none of the works in the exhibit were damaged. This particular collection is every bit worth the wait!”

The old city courtroom is the perfect place to show off the grandeur of the pieces, he added. “With many of the paintings measuring more than eight feet in length, the third-floor gallery is perfect for this exhibit.”

To enjoy the show, Historic City Hall will be open with extended hours, until 9 p.m., on Friday evening as part of the Art and Humanities Council’s Gallery Promenade.

To add to the atmosphere, the F.G. Bulber Youth Orchestra will be playing on the back lawn, Young said.

While visiting, patrons are invited to view “Melanin in the Canvas” by Lloyd G. Wade in the Black Heritage Gallery and “Rising Above” in Gallery by the Lake. Both exhibits close Saturday.

Historic City Hall is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free. For more information visit, www.cityoflakecharles.com.