As part of Culture Connection 2016 held May 24th at the Capitol Park Museum in Baton Rouge, Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser presented Mayor Mike Cooper with the 2016 Louisiana Culture Award in the category of “Cultural District”. Sixteen honorees from eight other cities were presented awards in additional categories relating to arts preservation and education, folk life and preservation heritage, culinary arts, and preservation leadership. The Louisiana Culture Awards recognize the best efforts to highlight and cultivate the state’s rich cultural resources. Award categories are open to any individual, organization or community whose efforts contribute to preserving or enhancing the state’s culture.
The City of Covington was selected to receive the 2016 Cultural District Award. This award recognizes a cultural district that exemplifies the strategic use of creativity, arts and culture to build a climate for cultural expression, improve quality of life, enhance existing assets and strengthen economic opportunity while respecting the quality of the area. “This prestigious State of Louisiana award presented to the City of Covington genuinely personifies our place-making initiatives, validating our labors and inspiring creativity in our ongoing efforts,” stated Covington Mayor Mike Cooper.
For additional information, contact Pam Keller, Executive Assistant to the Mayor & Special Projects Director: pkeller@covla.com Visit covla.com
The State selected their first 29 Cultural Districts in 2008, which included Covington’s historic downtown district. The City’s award winning formula has been to orchestrate the Cultural District benefits with the City’s ongoing utilization of the successful formula of “Main Street” practices to enhance the District’s qualities by showcasing its cultural arts to serve as an economic catalyst while enriching the quality of life in the community. Covington’s desire to cultivate and spearhead a cultural arts mecca in the city has been constant and much of the renewed energy and excitement is attributed to the direction of the Covington Cultural District. Public events held in the downtown Cultural District attract countless visitors, in addition to local residents. In 2012 the State granted expansion to Covington’s Cultural District to include a partnership between the City and St. Tammany Parish covering approximately 18.5 square miles of additional City and Parish property contingent to the original District.
Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and the Office of Cultural Development, in partnership with the Louisiana State Arts Council, the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation, the Louisiana Archaeological Survey and Antiquities Commission, the Louisiana Folk Life Commission and the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana are sponsors of the 2016 Louisiana Culture Awards to recognize individuals and organizations making outstanding contributions to Louisiana’s culture.
