City of Monroe, LA

(Monroe, LA) The City of Monroe is proud to announce the designation of a new Louisiana Certified Cultural District, the Divine Nine Cultural Arts District, and the expansion of the Riverside Monroe Cultural District. This statewide network - facilitated through the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development in Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser’s Dept. of Culture, Recreation, & Tourism - gains access to state historic tax credits and can exempt qualifying artworks from local sales tax. This valuable tool in a community’s toolbox can lead to revitalization, an increased sense of community identity, and an overall elevation of artists, cultural assets, and heritage.

The Divine Nine Cultural Arts District bears the distinction of being the first geographybased arts and culture district in the nation with the title of Divine Nine, and the City is thankful for the partnership and collaboration with the National Panhellenic Council of Presidents and Councilwoman Kema Dawson.

“It is an honor to bring this distinction to District 5. I am so thankful to the Divine Nine and the National Panhellenic Council of Presidents for allowing us to use a name that is so well-known nationwide. I am excited to see the good that will come from this Cultural District and the unity that it’s going to bring amongst local Divine Nine chapters,” says Dawson.

The Riverside Monroe Cultural District expansion brings the National Register Garden District neighborhood boundary into alignment with the Cultural District boundary, and now includes Forsythe Park as a cultural asset.

Monroe is home to the Riverside Monroe Cultural District, established in 2008, the Lida Benton Cultural District, established in 2021, and the newly named Divine Nine Cultural Arts District in 2022. The program was founded in 2007 to help communities revitalize their historic buildings, leveraging arts and culture as economic development, and has grown to include over 120+ Districts across the state. For more information, head to crt.state.la.us.

Please share with your audience. Thank you!

Michelli Martin

Media Relations Director

michelli.martin@ci.monroe.la.us

318-372-7640

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