FACT 1: Mission Statement
The arts are an essential and unique part of life in Louisiana to which each citizen has a right. The Louisiana Division of the Arts in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council is the catalyst for participation, education, development and promotion of excellence in the arts. It is the responsibility of the Division to support established arts institutions, nurture both emerging arts organizations and our overall cultural economy, assist individual artists, encourage the expansion of audiences and stimulate public participation in the arts in Louisiana.

FACT 2: Grants
$2,427,879 State General Fund Dollars
$ 374,460 Federal Funds
$2,802,339 214 State Arts Grants Awarded
$2,998,122* 456 DAF Grants in 64 parishes
$5,800,461 Total Grant Dollars

State Arts Grants - are grant funding opportunities open to Louisiana citizens and organizations. Eligible organizations are nonprofits domiciled in Louisiana with 501 (c) 3 status that have an independent board of directors and an organizational mission to provide cultural programming to the public, and provide educational outreach for children and/or adults. Other organizations also eligible, include public or private educational institutions, public or private universities, and agencies of local, parish, or state governments. Opportunities for individual artists include artist fellowships and artist career advancement.

Decentralized Arts Funding - The Louisiana Decentralized Arts Fund Program (DAF), initiated in 1995, makes the arts available in every parish in the State of Louisiana by providing grant funding for artists, nonprofit organizations, community groups, and local government agencies. Funding is allocated to each parish on a per capita basis utilizing U.S. census figures. It is based on population, not on any additional factors.

FACT 3: Impact
Through grants and services the Arts impacted over 7.7 million people

State Arts Grants impacted over 4.8 million people

DAF Grants impacted 2.9 million people

Arts grants assisted in generating over $104 million dollars in project/organizational expenses

State Grants generated over $79 million dollars

DAF Grants generated over $25 million dollars

State Arts Grants had an average $28 return on every $1 invested

DAF Grants had an average $10 return on every $1 invested - no match required

DAF supported 6,400 artist's residencies

DAF supported 6,258 performances

DAF paid artist's over $6 million

FACT 4: Jobs Supported
Total jobs supported through arts grants = 24,046

State Grants supported 14,347 artists and arts administrators both full and part time

DAF Grants supported 9,699 artists and arts administrators both full and part time

FACT 5: Arts-In-Education
The Arts committed over $500,000 to the arts-in-education initiative for Louisiana in last completed fiscal year (2008-2009).

The Kennedy Center trained over 60 teaching artists across the state

FACT 6: Federal Funding
The Arts received $762,700 in federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)

FACT 7: National and Regional Partners
Provide advocacy, financial support, and program support to the Division along with regional and local arts presenters and producers.

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)

National Association of State Arts Agencies (NASAA)

Americans for the Arts

South Arts

FACT 8: State Partners
The Louisiana Division of the Arts (LDOA) oversees the Decentralized Arts Funding (DAF) program, disbursing funds to each of nine Regional Development Agencies (RDA's), which in turn re-grant those dollars to parishes in their region.

Arts Council of New Orleans

St. Tammany Arts Commission

Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge

Houma Regional Arts Council

Acadiana Center for the Arts

Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana

Arts Council of Central Louisiana

Shreveport Regional Arts Council

Northeast Louisiana Arts Council

FACT 9: Three year State Funding Levels - a vanishing!

FACT 10: EVEN INCLUDING FEDERAL STIMULUS DOLLARS, ARTS FUNDING IN LOUISIANA HAS ERODED BY 60% OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. WE MUST STOP THIS TREND NOW!

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