Louisiana Office of Cultural Development

05/16/2026

Reminder: The Division of Historic Preservation grant application period is open! Louisiana Main Street Restoration Grant applications are due by Friday, May 29th, and Historic Preservation Fund grant applications are due by Sunday, May 31st.

Follow the links in our bio to find grant application guidelines, eligibility requirements, and application instructions.

05/15/2026

The Louisiana Art Educators Association announces its Summer Retreat, featuring a keynote speech by Leea Reese Russell, Executive Director of the Division of the Arts, and a hands-on ceramic presentation by Sarah House.

📆 June 13, 2026
📍Lafon Performing Arts Center - Luling, LA
💰Free for LAEA members, $25 for non-members
➡️Learn more and register here
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/laea-summer-retreat-2026-tickets-1988829147518?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser
Louisiana Art Education Association
Louisiana Department of Education
Louisiana Partnership for the Arts
Arts New Orleans
Arts Council of Greater Baton RougeBayou Regional Arts Council
Acadiana Center for the ArtsArts & Humanities Council of SWLA
Arts Council of Central Louisiana
Shreveport Regional Arts Council
Northeast Louisiana Arts Council
St. Tammany Commission on Cultural Affairs

05/04/2026

The Louisiana Office of Cultural Development and Division of the Arts are pleased to announce that the cycle for the Louisiana Cultural Districts Program opens today, May 4, 2026. Communities are invited to take the first step toward becoming an officially recognized Cultural District by submitting a Letter of Interest, which is the initial part of the program’s two-stage application process.

Existing Cultural Districts may also apply for a boundary change.

Learn more here: https://www.crt.state.la.us/cultural-development/arts/cultural-districts/forms-applications/index

Photo ID: Making It Home: From Vietnam to New Orleans exhibition at The Historic New Orleans Collection, located in the French Quarter Cultural District, 2025.

04/29/2026

Mallory Lott advances to the finals of the Poetry Out Loud competition. Watch the livestream tonight beginning at 6:00 pm central on www.arts.gov.

Meet Mallory!
https://nationalendowmentforthearts.app.box.com/s/av864qp9qcz8a7x221m2jlnvx4h7fqxd/file/2213596180354

Congratulations Mallory!🎉

04/27/2026

This week, Mallory Lott of Covington High School will be representing the state of Louisiana at the national Poetry Out Loud competition in Washington, D.C. Champions from 56 U.S. states, jurisdictions, and territories will compete for a chance to win up to $20,000 in awards. You can support Mallory from anywhere in the world by livestreaming the competition at www.arts.gov.

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

National Semifinals 2 - 1:00 p.m. ET (12:00 pm central time in Louisiana) —Champions from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

The state and jurisdictional champions will compete in one of three National Semifinals between 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET at Lisner Auditorium, the George Washington University, 730 21st Street NW, Washington, DC. Each poem recitation will be judged on criteria including physical presence, voice and articulation, interpretation, evidence of understanding, overall performance, and accuracy. The top three students from each semifinal, nine in total, will move on to the National Finals on April 29.

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

National Finals - The National Finals, hosted by actress Justine “Icy” Moral, will take place at 7:00 p.m. ET (6:00 pm central time in Louisiana), also at Lisner Auditorium, the George Washington University, and will culminate with the announcement of the 2026 Poetry Out Loud National Champion.

Closed captioning in English and Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided for both the Poetry Out Loud National Semifinals and Finals.



St. Tammany Commission on Cultural Affairs Billy Nungesser Lt. Governor of Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise Senator John Kennedy U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest

04/17/2026

📢Attention Acadiana!

Louisiana Project Grant Applications open on May 4th!

LPG provides funding for innovative art projects with the potential to have lasting impacts on the community, using the arts to meet local needs!

As your Regional Arts Council for Acadiana, we will be hosting an LPG information session for the 2027 FY over Zoom on May 4th from 10:00AM - 11:00AM.

Sign up link in the comments!

04/02/2026

Have you seen Atchafalaya National Heritage Area's "Year of Foodways" postcard series yet? Last year, artist Aileen Bennett brought the flavors of the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area to life through 12 beautifully illustrated postcards. From crawfish to okra to pecans and beyond, each design offers a glimpse into our region’s rich foodway traditions! Check out the article below for more information. 🦀

Lafayette artist creates postcards to support this Louisiana national heritage area bit.ly/4lX8wOK

These postcards from a Lafayette artist highlight Louisiana foodways with charming illustrations.

04/02/2026

The Railroad Avenue Historic Cultural District is now accepting submissions for a mural in their district! Submissions opened April 1 with a deadline of May 1.

There’s a wall in Jeanerette…
and it’s ready to tell a story.

The Railroad Avenue Historic Cultural District is now accepting submissions for a featured mural located at 1400 Martin Luther King Dr.

✨ SUBMISSION DETAILS
Submissions Open: April 1
Deadline to Apply: May 1, 2026
Location: Railroad Avenue Historic Cultural District, Jeanerette, LA
Project Site: 1400 Martin Luther King Dr.

APPLY NOW
Click the link to apply: www.rrahcd.com

03/27/2026

The Louisiana Main Street Program is seeking applicants for a part-time Contracts/Grants Reviewer 3. This position administers grants and assists in managing the activity in the 38 designated Main Street communities across Louisiana.

This is a part-time position located at the Capitol Annex Building in Baton Rouge, LA.This position administers the funds and assists in managing the increased activity in the 38 designated Main Street communities across Louisiana. Work experience in grant administration and grant development/appl...

03/27/2026

The Louisiana Division of the Arts’ General Operating Support (GOS) grant application period closes on April 3, 2026. The GOS Grant Program provides funding to eligible nonprofit arts organizations to strengthen organizational infrastructure, sustain ongoing operations, and support a stable and diverse arts ecosystem throughout Louisiana. Grant funds support general operating expenses that advance the arts organization’s mission and core activities.

Access the application at

Welcome! Below you will see all of our current opportunities.  You will need to create a free Submittable account or sign in with Google or Facebook credentials to submit to these forms. You can save a draft of your work if you would like to finish filling out the form at a later date. If you need ...