By Andy Graham, Herald-Times
agraham@heraldt.com
Eric Freeman hit the road this past Thursday in Hamilton County, visiting artists and artisans gathered in Arcadia. Two days before, he'd been in Bloomington. This Tuesday, he'll go to Elkhart.
And he's hoping lots of people will be following suit soon - traversing the state and enjoying what Indiana artists and artisans have to offer.
Freeman is program director for Indiana Artisan, an initiative generated by Bedford native Becky Skillman, Indiana's lieutenant governor, to provide coordinated state support for Hoosiers producing fine art, crafts and foodstuffs.
"We've seen this type of program before in Indiana, over the past 30 or 40 years and from various sources, but not from a state government perspective," Freeman said via cell phone. "None of the others really took root, but the lieutenant governor thought putting state resources behind it could really help sustain it."
Joining the venture as partner organizations are the Indiana Arts Commission, Indiana Office of Tourism Development, the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.
Goals include: