North Carolina’s new state map celebrates more than highways – it showcases the state’s heritage of craft tradition, its artisans and the world-renowned works they create.

The 2004 state map, printed by the N.C. Department of Transportation, prominently features the 2004-05 Celebration of North Carolina Craft, which honors the state’s craft artists and products.

The Celebration of North Carolina Craft includes the 75th anniversaries of Penland School of Crafts in Mitchell County and the Southern Highland Craft Guild on the Blue Ridge Parkway, as well as the 80th birthday of the John C. Campbell Folk School, the oldest folk school in the nation. The celebration is sponsored by the N.C. Craft Coalition, 19 craft organizations who collectively promote North Carolina as a cultural tourism destination.

The map gives an overview of the celebration and a glimpse of Tar Heel artisans and artworks. The map prominently features Seagrove potter Ben Owen III in his studio, as well as a northern pintail decoy from the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum near Beaufort, a basket by Western North Carolina textile artist Billie Ruth Sudduth and a piece by Western North Carolina glass artists John Littleton and Kate Vogel.

The map features a new Web site, www.discovercraftnc.org, which directs visitors to craft-based organizations, including museums, galleries, schools and art centers. To order a free copy of the state map, citizens may call the NCDOT Customer Service Office toll free at 1-877-DOT-4YOU from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by visiting the department’s website at www.ncdot.org/public/publications.