North Dakota Blue Book, 2003 - 2005

Eight North Dakota artists are profiled in the new 2003-2005 North Dakota Blue Book. All of these artists - Joy Flynn, Kent Kapplinger, Dan Koeck, Patrick Luber, Robert Matz, Linda Olson, Walter Piehl, and Linda Whitney - have been awarded artist fellowships from the North Dakota Council on the Arts.

All are profiled in the Blue Book feature chapter entitled "Ever and Always" which, in addition to visual artists, also profiles state writers and poets. The poets included are those who have been recognized by the State Legislature as Poets Laureate, such as David Solheim and Larry Woiwode; and the writers are a sampling of those living throughout the state who wrote short essays about why they chose to make North Dakota their home, such as North Dakota Humanities Council Executive Director Ev Albers, NDSU history professor Tom Isern, and Bismarck Tribune managing editor Ken Rogers.

Brief biographical information, including work samples, on each Blue Book artist is in the "Featured Artists" section of the Web site.

This is the 29th edition of the North Dakota Blue Book published by the North Dakota Secretary of State's office. Since 1995 it has been published biennially by staff from the Secretary of State's office and a group of volunteers. This new edition contains more than 600 pages in 12 chapters that include an almanac of North Dakota's interesting facts and statistics, and biographies of all state elected officials and legislators, the Congressional delegation, and judges as well as all past and present state tribal leaders. Other chapters cover North Dakota's elections, education, water resources, agriculture, and commerce. 

The 2003-2005 North Dakota Blue Book was unveiled this past October during a ceremony at the State Capitol. The book is available for $20 at the museum store at the North Dakota Heritage Center, 701-328-2666.