The Degas Pastel Society was invited by Pastel Society of France (the oldest pastel society in existence) to be "Guest of Honor" at the "International Pastel Festival" this summer in Feytiat, France. The festival attracts over 20,000 people and is advertised widely all over France. Ten New Orleans area DPS members were asked to send two pastels each. In the brochure for the exhibition it states"The Societe des Pastellistes de France pays homage to these American artists of Louisiana, who still preciously preserve the French district of New Orleans and who chose Degas as their emblem".