Louisiana Culture Project/Russia 2014 is a collaborative effort led by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and international cultural specialist Tony Micocci based in New Orleans, and involving a growing number of individuals and organizations in both Louisiana and Russia.
Russia 2014 is a multi-genre sharing of an indigenous slice of American culture intended to provide Russian citizens with accessible and engaging visual and aural experiences of these unique forms so much a part of the lives of Louisianians. While a broad cross section of the State of Louisiana’s culture is represented, special attention is paid to the history and contemporary vibrancy of the iconographic City of New Orleans – the “Crescent City” – one of America’s great international ports and visitor centers, located near the mouth of the Mississippi River, through a significant portion of America’s export goods have passed for nearly 300 years. The programmatic choices in Russia 2014 represent some of the many diverse cultures that formed and continue to influence this highly unique city.
Framed within a larger context of the Louisiana Culture Project, the model of Russia 2014 holds exciting future potential both for continued cultural and business collaboration between Louisianians and friends in Russia, and for similar cultural engagement elsewhere in the world.
The U.S. management of the Louisiana Culture Project/Russia 2014 is by the New Orleans/New York City-based Micocci Productions, LLC., with nonprofit fiscal agency support from the New Orleans-based nonprofit National Performance Network. The Russian management is through various hosting institutions, with the support and coordination of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.