BATON ROUGE — The 2025 Louisiana Arts Summit kicked off Thursday by highlighting the deep culinary traditions of the Bayou State.

The Lunch and Learn Plenary, The First Course: Culinary Arts and LPG event was held at the River Center Branch Library on Thursday afternoon.

Described as an "immersive dining experience," the event demonstrated how Louisiana's "storytelling, history and innovation come together through food." Attendees dined on a specially curated lunch spotlighting Louisiana cuisine. 

Additionally, the Louisiana Division of the Arts announced it will expand its Louisiana Project Grants to include culinary arts projects. Local chefs and cooks who "preserve and elevate Louisiana's food heritage will now be celebrated alongside other artistic disciplines." The first recipients of the culinary arts grants were honored at the summit.

"Louisiana's food is more than something we eat, it's a story we share and one of the reasons people travel to our state," Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser said. 

The 2025 Louisiana Arts Summit will continue through Friday.