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(Indianapolis, Indiana) Governor Eric Holcomb and the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) today announced Fort Wayne and Sweetwater Sound, Inc. will host the 2017 Indiana Governor's Arts Awards.
"The arts provide jobs for thousands of Hoosiers, lend focus to community revitalization efforts, enhance critical thinking skills for children and inspire creative learning opportunities," Governor Holcomb said. "On behalf of the Indiana Arts Commission, I welcome the opportunity to recognize individuals who embrace the arts through their significant contributions to Indiana."
Fort Wayne has a long association with the Governor's Arts Awards. The city administration in 1995 earned the award for community arts support; Fort Wayne-based Lincoln National Corp., the Fort Wayne FAME Festival, Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, and Sweetwater Sound are past recipients.
"It is a distinct pleasure to host the 2017 awards ceremony at our facility in Fort Wayne," Sweetwater founder and President Chuck Surack said. "We look forward to introducing arts leaders from across Indiana to our state-of-the-art theatre and unique campus."
The awards ceremony will be held Saturday, October 21, 2017 in the Sweetwater Sound Performance Theatre. The time of the awards program will be finalized soon by the local planning committee and performance venue. The 2017 Governor's Arts Awards program marks the fifth time the event has been hosted outside Indianapolis as a commitment by the IAC to share the state's highest recognition of the arts with communities throughout the state.
"The arts play such an important role in creating vibrant, thriving communities of all sizes and in all regions of our state," IAC Executive Director Lewis C. Ricci said. "Fort Wayne is one such community, and Sweetwater Sound is not only a major employer in Indiana's creative economy, but also an outstanding example of significant corporate support of the arts."
More than 50 new nominations were submitted online for the 2017 award, with more than 30 nominations deemed eligible for consideration from 2015 submissions.
The Indiana
Arts Commission is dedicated to the vision of the arts everywhere, every day,
for everyone in Indiana.
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