The weekend of April 15-17 was an exciting one for all of us! In recognition of your good work sharing time and talent with visitors during the Open Studio Tours, Oregon Crafted was awarded the prestigious 2006 Oregon Tourism Industry Achievement Award for Creative Tourism Development. This award recognizes innovative programs, promotions or products created by a business, person, group or region in Oregon that demonstrates a new way of thinking about the visitor industry. It was presented in front of more than 400 attendees from all over Oregon on Sunday, April 15 during the Awards Ceremony at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Sunriver. Joan accepted the award (to enthusiastic applause!) on behalf of all of us from Jeff Jobe, Oregon Tourism Commission Chair and Todd Davidson, CEO of the Commission. “We’re pleased and proud to receive this award,” she said. “It recognizes our vision to build cultural tourism and support our rural communities. It also is a way for Oregon Crafted, and the state of Oregon, to honor and publicly thank all of our artists for believing in our dream and enriching Oregon with their immense skill and creativity.”