The Native Arts & Cultures Foundation is accepting applications for its Artist Fellowship (spanning performing arts, music, film, literature, traditional arts and visual arts). The deadline to apply is April 6. Learn more here.
|
USArtists International provides support for American dance, music and theater ensembles and solo artists to perform at international festivals
and performing arts markets
anywhere outside the United States and its territories. The next deadline to apply is April 17. Learn more here.
|
The National Endowment for the Arts is accepting applications for research fellowships, which support individuals pursuing advanced research of value to humanities scholars or general audiences. The deadline to apply is
April 30. Learn more
here.
|
The Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation awards grants for preservation projects with support from the National Park Service's Historic Preservation Fund. The deadline to apply is May 1. Learn more here.
|
South Arts' Literary Arts Touring grant program offers presenting organizations the opportunity to receive funding support to engage writers who reside outside their home state. The deadline to apply is May 1. Learn more here.
|
The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors grants support to National Main Street Network members. The deadline to apply is
May 1. Learn more
here.
|
The Hart Family Fund for Smalls Towns encourages preservation at the local level. National Main Street Network members should apply by
May 1. Learn more
here.
|
The Johanna Favrot Fund for Historic Preservation aims to save historic environments and appreciate our nation's diverse cultural heritage. Interested Main Streets should apply by
May 1. Learn more
here.
|
The National Endowment for the Humanities is accepting applications for its Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions program. The deadline to apply is
May 5. Learn more
here.
|
The Louisiana Division of the Arts is accepting applications for Artist Career Advancement Grants, which support Louisiana artists in the development of their work and careers. The deadline is
May 15. Learn more
here.
|
The Louisiana Division of the Arts is accepting applications for the Fast Track Presenters Grant, which supports performing arts in Louisiana by funding presenters. The deadline is
May 15. Learn more
here.
|
The Aesthetica Art Prize is a juried contest with diverse categories offering artists an opportunity to advance their profiles on the international art scene. Apply for the Main Prize (£5,000) or the Student Prize (£1,000) by
August 31. Learn more
here.
|
The Joan Mitchell Foundation's Creating a Living Legacy (CALL) program supports visual artists in a variety of ways to preserve their legacies. Learn more
here.
|
The Pollination Project awards social entrepreneurs seed grants of up to $1,000 for projects that promote compassion to life, environmental sustainability, justice, community wellness and social change-oriented arts and culture. Learn more
here.
|
New Orleans Theatre Association, a presenter of touring productions, funds diverse projects in the arts and presenting fields. Learn more
here.
|
|
 |
|
|
Register for Culture Connection 2015
|
|
Event to be held April 14 - 15 at Baton Rouge's Capitol Park Museum
|
Registration for Culture Connection 2015 is now open! Click
here to view the event's agenda and register. Culture Connection is the Office of Cultural Development's annual convening of the state's culture stakeholders, and this year's event is certain to be productive and fun for attendees. Stay up-to-date on everything Culture Connection-related by following us on
Facebook and
Twitter, and remember to complete your registration if you haven't yet. We look forward to seeing you!
|
|
Louisiana leads the nation in historic rehabilitation projects
|
Louisiana is ranked first among the states in the number of buildings certified as historic for adaptive reuse in the National Park Service's 2014 annual report on historic tax credits. During the federal fiscal year from Sept. 1, 2013 to Aug. 31, 2014, Louisiana had 159 initial applications for the Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit, surpassing the second-highest state, Virginia, by 26 applications. Louisiana also ranked first in the number of proposed rehabilitation plans received.
The Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit program leveraged over $254.7 million in private investment in 71 of Louisiana's historic, income-producing buildings during this time period, and state historic tax credit programs leveraged over $74.1 million in an additional 59 income-producing, owner-occupied historic homes. Paired together, the two programs leveraged $318.8 million in direct, private investment in 130 of Louisiana's historic buildings.
See the National Park Service's full 2014 Annual Report here and 2014 Statistical Report here.
|
|
Zachary High student wins Louisiana Poetry Out Loud contest
|
Kyla Bates, a student at Zachary High School in Zachary, was named this year's Louisiana Poetry Out Loud champion following an intense competition with students from across the state Saturday, March 7, at the Capitol Park Museum in Baton Rouge.
Bates will now represent Louisiana at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals at George Washington University in Washington, DC, April 28 - 29.
Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation contest for high school students sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. The competition is administered in all 50 states, which hold finals to determine a champion to compete at the national finals.
Learn more about Poetry Out Loud
here
.
|
|
New Poverty Point book to debut in Monroe April 2
|
Poverty Point World Heritage Site
archaeologist Diana Greenlee and photographer Jenny Ellerbe will debut their new book, Poverty Point: Revealing the Forgotten City, at a book signing at Big Room Gallery in downtown Monroe Thursday, April 2, from 5 to 9 p.m. (with an artist's talk by Ellerbe at 7:30). Don't miss this event!
Learn more about the beautiful new book here.
|
|
Southern Exposure: Performing Arts of Latin America offers booking support
|
|
Presenters may apply until funds run out
|
Southern Exposure: Performing Arts of Latin America is a national initiative that provides support for the presentation of exemplary performing artists from Latin America in communities across the United States. Fee support grants are available to nonprofit presenters located anywhere in the United States and its territories that book artists for engagements taking place between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2016. Learn more about the program and apply
here.
|
| Opelousas' Palace Café named a 'must stop' for travelers |
The Palace Café in Opelousas, one of city's oldest continuously operating restaurants, has been named one of eight "hot spots" where traveling motorists can find quality seafood in the state. The travel website Visit South compiled the list.
Finding the business, located on Courthouse Square in downtown Opelousas on U.S. 190, is also a little easier than before. Thanks to a matching redevelopment incentive grant through the Louisiana Main Street program, its historic marquee is back in operation. "It is our same sign, we just had it refurbished," Munroe said of the neon sign that has graced the front of the business for decades. Opelousas tourism director Melanie Lee-Lebouef, who is also head of the city's Main Street program, praised the downtown business. Read the full Daily World story here.
|
| Division of Archaeology staff profile False River site in New Roads |
The Louisiana Division of Archaeology makes site visits throughout the state to assess changes at historic sites. In early March, Julie Doucet and Paul French visited a site at False River in New Roads to investigate erosion around the bank. After walking the shoreline, they chose an area of the bank to profile to determine if there were any intact cultural layers, which would represent the different occupational periods of people living along the river. The material recovered indicated there was a post-Civil War occupation covered by two feet of soil, perhaps indicative of slump erosion from the slope leading to the river. The loose soil from the profile was assessed for artifacts. Of special interest to the archaeologists were the number and variety of shells they found, including oysters not native to the area (meaning they were likely brought to the area by humans).
|
Learn more about the work of the Louisiana Division of Archaeology
here.
|
|
Discover America: "How Poverty Point Became a World Heritage Site"
|
"Poverty Point National Monument
, located in the northeast corner of
Louisiana
(about 150 kilometers west of Jackson,
Mississippi
), is rich in historic and cultural significance. The proof lies in its recent designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of only 22 such sites in the United States. According to UNESCO criteria, Poverty Point bears 'unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared.'
In order to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Poverty Point had to be nominated, prove that it is of national significance and that there is enough protection in place to ensure long-term preservation."
Read the full Discover America article here, and learn more about Poverty Point at its new website PovertyPoint.us.
|
Organization highlight:
Louisiana Folklore Society
|
The Louisiana Folklore Society was founded in 1956 to encourage study, documentation and accurate representation of Louisiana's traditional cultures. Members include university professors, professional folklorists in the public sector, teachers, museum workers, graduate students and other individuals interested in Louisiana's traditions and cultural groups.
The society publishes Louisiana Folklore Miscellany annually. Members receive the Miscellany as well as information on the annual meeting and other occasional informational mailings. Louisiana Folklore Miscellany publishes articles, notes and commentaries on all aspects of Louisiana folklore and folklife. Click here to see articles online from the Louisiana Folklore Miscellany, see Louisiana Folklore Miscellany Index: Contents from Previous Journals. Learn more about the Louisiana Folklore Society at LouisianaFolklore.org.
|
|
|
