The awards and special recognition are part of the LDOA s Artist Programs, which include Artist Fellowships, State Artist Roster and the Crafts Marketing Program. These artist programs provide the state with a mechanism to acknowledge some of the enormously gifted people who are creating first-rate art in Louisiana communities, said Lt. This is our way of saying thank you to these artists in particular and to all artists in general for the important, though often unheralded, contributions they make to our culture, our economy and to our quality of life. The Crafts Marketing Program provides marketing assistance to craftsmen working in contemporary, revivalist or traditional crafts.
Selection is based on quality of skill, creativity and marketability of the craft.
Peggy Ann Bass, a fabric craftsperson from Lake Charles, has been added to the program for 2000. The State Artist Roster is a list of accomplished artists who are outstanding representatives of their artistic disciplines. The next application deadline for artist programs is September 1, 2000. The Division is advised in its efforts by the Louisiana State Arts Council, a volunteer body appointed by the governor. The Division receives funding from the Louisiana Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.