WRKF's Tegan Wendland talked with Louisiana State Museum Division Director, Bill Stark, and Baton Rouge artist Diane Hanson about this year's event and why they are compelled to participate.

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WENDLAND: It's turned into the largest multimedia, juried show in state in just eight years. That seems really astounding to me. Why do you think it's so popular?

Idil Acar/WRKF Bill Stark and Diane Hanson

STARK: Well, I think the reason for its popularity is that it has real grassroots origins - it's been built by people who care, opposed to from some larger organization that's used to putting on festivals. It's really been built with a lot of love and a lot of sweat by the people who put it on.

WENDLAND: It's actually a fundraiser for Forum 35, right?

STARK: I believe that the way they run it is they break even. They want to do it as an event that comes out, so there is some income generation that goes on with it. It's mainly intended to offset the costs. It's really something that gives back to the community. It's something that they bring here and it brings people into Baton Rouge and brings people to downtown Baton Rouge for the evenings of the events. With the last couple years, its given people a reason to come back because we've been able to, with hosting the exhibit there at the museum, to give people a reason to come back and visit for longer stretch of time than it has been in the past.

WENDLAND: Are you actually showing something this year Diane?

HANSON: Yes, actually I do have one piece in Art Melt this year.

WENDLAND: Can you describe it?

HANSON: It's called "Precautionary Disasters" and it's actually a painting about how sometimes we can be our own worst enemy. It depicts a man who's terrified of being swept away in a flood and so he's trying to take all these precautions if that event would ever take place. It ends up not working out in the best for him. You have to come take a look at it.

WENDLAND: It sounds like maybe you've been inspired by your surroundings here?

HANSON: Actually, what's funny is that painting came prior to all the flood news, so I wasn't predicting it. It is kind of funny that has that kind of connection now.

WENDLAND: What was your experience with the event last year? What compelled you to come and show your stuff again?

HANSON: Actually, I first heard about Art Melt back in 2008. I moved to Louisiana in 2007, to Baton Rouge. I was looking for ways to get involved into the arts community here and also to just learn more about artists here and what people are making in their studios. So, I had a friend of mine from the Baton Rouge Gallery who had a piece in the Art Melt in 2008 invited me to the show and I went and we had a great time, the event was well attended, the show was great, and I decided from there I wanted to participate in the future. Last year, I entered a piece and ended up getting first place by surprise. I think what's great about it is you do get a nice snapshot into what artists are creating in their studios, so it was a really nice way for me to be introduced into my new back yard in what other artists are doing.

WENDLAND: It sounds like a really diverse, multi-medium type show too?

HANSON: Absolutely, they do also have different jurors every year, so it's really great opportunity to your work in front of other art professionals too, that serve as the jurors.

WENDLAND: Do you want to add anything else about why you participate in it or what's so different maybe about this show versus other shows you may have experienced?

HANSON: What I think it great about Art Melt is that it focuses on Louisiana. I think Louisiana has a lot of great, creative, hard-working people here and artists in the state and it's nice to be able to celebrate that.

STARK: That's exactly why ties in so nicely with the Louisiana State Museum. With our mission to promote the history, art, and culture of the state - and not only within the museum but also in the broader Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism. We have our other divisions involved with it as well (the Division of the Arts). We've really been given an emphasis to work more collaboratively across our divisions to support the arts and the programming. It's an initiative that's come through the Lieutenant Governor's office to help and encourage us to support that. It's really been a fantastic thing. It's a great event for us because we focus a little more on history and this brings us a little more into the art and is a little more contemporary and it sometimes opens more crowds to the museum as well.

There's a preview party for Art Melt on Thursday, July 13, while the main event is this July 16 at 5pm. It's free and open to the public.