 Three hundred people attended the inaugural Indiana Arts Homecoming October 5 - 6 and the Indiana State Museum.
The statewide convening of the arts focused on the role of the arts in community engagement and creative placemaking, and featured presenters and panelists from across the state, the Midwest, and beyond.
"We are overwhelmed by the response to our first Indiana Arts Homecoming and convinced the interest is there to make this an annual event," said Lewis C. Ricci, IAC Executive Director. "To have so many community leaders, tourism professionals, and educators join with artists, arts administrators, and advocates in exploring the impact of creative placemaking exceeded our expectations, but is very promising for our state."
Read the full press release.
(photo by Dan Axler)
 A high point of the Indiana Arts Homecoming was voting for the awarding of a $2,500 InstaGrant recognizing outstanding projects in arts-focused community engagement.
Eleven projects from throughout the state were eligible for review by conference attendees who voted to select the "Final Four" contestants for the InstaGrant award.
After compiling the ballots, Charles L. Smith Fine Arts Academy, Martinsville, Indiana was selected as the winner of the grant which will be used to further the impact of their program.
Art teacher Chapin Schnick (above) represented the school at the Arts Homecoming.
Read the full press release.
(photo by Dan Axler)
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The City of Goshen, Indiana, a presenter at the 2017 Indiana Arts Homecoming, has been named the 2017 Indiana Chamber of Commerce Community of the Year.
The Elkhart County community is being honored for what Chamber President Kevin Brinegar calls a "tremendous" economic turnaround story.
Among the accomplishments highlighted is the transforming of an 1870s-era factory building into the Hawks Arts and Enterprise Center, which includes low-cost living and working space for artists and entrepreneurs.
Goshen will be recognized November 7 during the Indiana Chamber's 28th Annual Awards Dinner at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.
Read the full story.
(source: Inside Indiana Business)
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A new city website aimed at promoting the arts and local artists within the City of Goshen could be ready to launch early next month, according to officials close to the project.
Amy Worsham, the newly hired creative arts coordinator for the city, provided a brief update on the website project during a meeting of the Goshen Redevelopment Commission.
A local artists and entrepreneur, Worsham was selected as the city's new creative arts coordinator this past spring with the goal of helping implement initiatives from the Mayor's Arts Council.
Read the full story.
(source: Indiana Economic Digest)
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 Tim Kennedy, (left) a woodworking artist from Fishers, Indiana, has been selected to create the 2018 Indiana Governor's Arts Awards.
"I'm so honored to represent the woodworking community in Indiana by being selected to create the next Governor's Arts Awards, and have my work symbolize the outstanding achievements or contributions of others in the arts in Indiana," Kennedy said.
Kennedy is best known for using a lathe to achieve graceful curving lines in his wood art. With rustic and classic elements incorporated into simplistic, contemporary design, his work ranges from small spinning tops to large wall hangings. Every piece focuses on the natural beauty of wood, which is often enhanced through weathering, burning, or sandblasting.
Read the full press release.
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 Thirteen Indiana communities have been approved for creative placemaking consultancies as part of the Indiana Arts Commission's Open Scene Creative Placemaking program.
The selected communities and consultants are:
- Anderson / Kimberly Franklin Nyberg
- Batesville / Kimberly Franklin Nyberg
- Burns Harbor / Julie Warren
- Greenfield / Joe LaMantia
- Logansport / Sean Starowitz
- Muncie / Julie Warren
- Nashville / Joanne Taft
- Plymouth / Brian Blackford
- Rising Sun / Sharon Canaday
- Rockville / Jim Walker
- Rushville / Rose Scovel
- South Bend / Brian Blackford
- Terre Haute / Terry Whitt Bailey
Each community has been matched with a consultant experienced in that community's specific cultural goals and / or needs outlined in their project proposal.
Read the full press release.
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The City of Greenfield plans a public kickoff meeting for their arts consultancy at 10 a.m. Saturday, October 28, 2017 at 20 North Gallery, Greenfield, Indiana, home on the Hancock County Arts Council.
Consultant Joe LaMantia will lead discussion about art in the community, what the consultancy project could look like, and his experience with public art.
Greenfield was among 13 communities selected for an Indiana Arts Commission cultural planning consultancy.
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 The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), has announced the opening of the latest round of grant funding available for Indiana Main Street communities through their Downtown Enhancement Grant (DEG) program.
The program provided grant funding between $5,000 - $10,000 per project with a 1 : 1.5 match, designed to foster innovative approaches to activities which support and promote community based planning, pre-development, and research.
Qualifying projects are ones which promote economic development in the downtown areas and will enhance quality of life in the community.
Deadline for application is 4:00 p.m. (EST) Friday November 11, 2017.
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 Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Tourism Development (IOTD) recently announced that the application period for its Destination Development Grant program is now open.
Cities, towns, counties, and nonprofit entities located in Indiana that are involved with tourism promotion and development are eligible to apply for the grant. Projects should target the development of tourism amenities, attractions, and facilities that enhance the visitor experience and foster connectivity with the specific destination or geographic area.
Deadline for the grant application is December 1, 2017.
Finalists will be announced February 1, 2018, and an announcement of award recipients will be made March 3, 2018.
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 The September 15 - 30, 2017 run of "Sister Act" at South Bend Civic Theatre raised a total of $6,519.81 that has been contributed to the American Red Cross to help with relief efforts in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
In keeping with the setting of "Sister Act," the cast (above left) "passed the plate" in the audience just before the intermission of each show.
"We at the American Red Cross are deeply grateful and humbled by the generosity of the patrons and staff of the South Bend Civic Theatre for their donation for disaster relief in Puerto Rico," said Sue Gulley, Executive Director, American Red Cross, Northern Indiana Chapter. "This has been a month of unprecedented disasters for our citizens, and we've deployed thousands of disaster-trained volunteers in service to those affected by these tragedies. This gift greatly supports those efforts."
(source: South Bend Civic Theatre press release)
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 Older adults who create art and attend arts events have better health outcomes than adults who do neither. This is one of the conclusions in a new report published by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
Staying Engaged: Health Patterns of Older Americans Who Engage in the Arts presents the first detailed look at arts participation habits, attitudes toward the arts, and related health characteristics of adults aged 55 and older.
Staying Engaged is based on results from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), conducted by the University of Michigan with primary support from the National Institute on Aging within the National Institutes of Health.
Among the report's key findings were that 84 percent of respondents 55 and older reported they created art or attended art events. Among that specific group, 64% said they created art of their own, 68.7% said they attended art events, and 48.6% said they did both.
Attitudes about the arts revealed 63.8% felt the arts are important in their lives, and nearly 55% said the arts helped them be more active and engaged.
Older adults who created art and attended art events reported higher cognitive functioning and lower rates of hypertension and limitations in physical function compared with those who neither created nor attended art activities.
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 This month, Audiences Unlimited, Inc. launches "ME at L.A.D.A.", a music enrichment program created with L.I.F.E. Adult Day Academy (L.A.D.A.) to serve the academy's clients: adults with physical and developmental disabilities.
The pilot program, funded by AWS Foundation, is grounded in AUI's mission to serve people with limited access to the arts. With guidance from Certified music therapist Heather Palmer, AUI designed the program to offer L.A.D.A.'s clients access to live shows that are tailored to their needs and musical preferences.
The program will feature more than 50 interactive performances over 18 weeks and a six-week choral performance class. The music is expected to promote social, physical and emotional well-being.
(source: AUI press release)
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 In late July the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) and Americans for the Arts (AFTA) signed the first-of-its-kind collaboration supporting the military and their families.
The State Military and Veterans Arts Initiative seeks to increase visibility, understanding, and support for the care of persons across the military continuum (including active duty and reserve service members, veterans, their families, and caregivers) and the role the arts can play in their health and wellness.
Sixteen NLGA members signed the agreement as founding partners and witnesses to the goal to promote the use of arts and art therapy with the nation's military continuum.
Read the press release.
(source: Americans for the Arts)
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 Legendary prizefighter Jack Johnson, the people of Appalachia, the care of aging parents, and life in the desert landscape of the Southwest are the subjects of the latest additions to the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read, providing communities around the nation with increasingly diverse selection of contemporary works for exploration and discussion.
The four new books will join 26 other titles available for organizations applying for an NEA Big Read grant for projects between September 2018 and June 2019.
Read the full press release.
Deadline for application is 4:00 p.m. (CST) Wednesday, January 24, 2018.
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Grant to boost Purdue School of Music in Fort Wayne
The Fort Wayne-based English Bonter Mitchell Foundation has awarded $1 million to IPFW to assist in the creation of the Purdue School of Music. Learn more here. (source: Inside Indiana Business)
Early Warhol works come to downtown Indy
While multi-colored images of Marilyn Monroe and Mick Jagger may come to mind when one thinks of Andy Warhol, an upcoming exhibit at the Long-Sharp Gallery in Indianapolis (running through November 4) is looking to acquaint guests with the works of Warhol in the late 1950s, when he got his start. Learn more here. (source: NUVO)
Installation of La Porte sound sculptures nearly complete
A ceremony to mark the installation of five large-scale percussion instruments in public places across the city of La Porte, Indiana will celebrate the community's passion for art and music. Read the story here. (source: Indiana Economic Digest)
Public art project highlights Terre Haute's Coke history
A Terre Haute public art project featuring painted 6-foot-tall, 65-pound Coca-Cola bottle sculptures will carry the name of the family whose company created the contour design in 1915. Click here for the story. (source: Indiana Economic Digest)
Crawfordville's Vanity Theater unveils $3.1M renovation
The Sugar Creek Players has raised the curtain on a $3.1 Million project to renovate Vanity Theater, part of a master plan to improve the cultural landmark's appearance and make better use of the space for actors and crew. Read more here. (source: Indiana Economic Digest)
An upstart theater in the shadow of The Palladium
A new 150-seath theater on the periphery of Carmel's Art & Design District is a true multipurpose stage. Click here for the story. (source: NUVO)
Greenfield performance space receives funding
Leaders of a downtown performance venue are heaving a sigh of relief after receiving funding to keep the theater's doors open. Read the details here. (source: Indiana Economic Digest)
Student-run record label launches in Fort Wayne
The University of Saint Francis is bringing together its Media Entrepreneurship Training in the Arts and Music Technology programs to create a student-run music label. Learn more here. (source: Inside Indiana Business)
Mural helps unite veterans with community at IU Southeast
On a wall along an entrance to Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, Indiana, hands a community art piece, a reminder to cherish freedom so many have fought for. Read about it here. (source: Indiana Economic Digest)
Lincoln Amphitheater: Theater of History in Spencer County
History has crossed the Lincoln Amphitheater stage for years. In the last two years, that history has represented different eras. Along with productions that focus on the life of America's 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, bands have also graced the stage performing music from other eras like the 60s and 80s. Click here for details. (source: Indiana Economic Digest)
Carmel Symphony names new director
Janna Hymes and the Carmel Symphony bring a new era of orchestral excellence with the season's opening concert, "Clay Township Orchestral Showcase," on Saturday, October 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Palladium, with a pre-concert conversation, "Music Matters," at 6:45 p.m. Read more here. (source: Carmel Symphony press release)
Campaign seeks $2.4M for Arts Place expansion
Arts Place has served as a cultural center for a half century, providing access to music, theatre and art for the Jay County community. Thousands pass through the facility's doors each year to take lessons, participate in programs and enjoy performances. Its leadership is now embarking on an effort to improve those experiences for its patrons. Click here for details. (source: Indiana Economic Digest)
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Cities investing in the arts to enhance creativity and engagement
Mayors understand that an investment in the arts can turn communities into vibrant cultural centers, making them better places to live for residents of all ages. Examples from across the country show how mayors are using the arts to enliven their communities. Read more here. (source: Governing)
Does Philly need another performing arts venue?
The city has spent the last two or three decades carving out new art spaces. Ready or not, in about a year, yet another will come: a compact new performance space at the foot of North Broad Street. Click here for the story. (source: The Inquirer)
National Museum of African Art hires new director
Augustus (Gus) Casley-Hayford, a curator, historian and filmmaker who focuses on African culture, has been appointed director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art. Learn more here. (source: The Washington Post)
Cincinnati Enquirer fires sole arts critic
The sole arts critic for the Cincinnati Enquirer, covering classical music over two decades and adding visual arts in recent years, for a total of 26 years with the company, was laid off September 19, along with four other newsroom employees at the Gannett-owned paper. Read the full story here. (source: MusicalAmerica.com)
Kansas City Symphony increases endowment
After a five-year fundraising campaign, the Kansas City Symphony announced recently that it had accomplished its goal of raising $55 million for its endowment fund, which will now total more than $100 million. Click here for details. (source: KCUR.org)
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Indiana
Jobs
Design & Technical Director, DePauw University, Greencastle, IN
Director of Technology, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art, Indianapolis, IN
Payroll Administrator, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN
Quality of Life Director, South Indy and Big Car Collaborative, Indianapolis, IN
Region 7 IAC Grant Information Sessions, Butler University, various locations and October / November dates
Set, Costume, Sound and Prop Designers, Storefront Theatre of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN (Deadline January 31, 2018)
Special Events Manager, Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN
Teaching Artists, Tipton County Public Library, Tipton, IN
Teaching Artist, Arts Place, Portland, IN (Deadline February 2, 2018)
Theatre Technical Coordinator, Marian University, Indianapolis, IN
Workshops
Arts & Entrepreneurship Workshop, Central Indiana Community Foundation and The Tube Factory, Indianapolis, IN (1 - 4 p.m. Tuesday, October 24, 2017)
Capacity Building Deep Dive Day, Indiana Philanthropy Alliance, Indianapolis, IN (10 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. EST Tuesday, November 7, 2017)
Other states
Fellowships
Arts Management Fellowship, DeVos Institute of Arts Management, University of Maryland (Deadline December 15, 2017)
Jobs
Assistant Professor, Department of Dance, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Director of Communications, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, Vienna, VA
Director of Development, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Cedar City, UT
To submit an opportunity listing for Arts: 92, email your listing, including a link for details / application, name of the opportunity, organization, location, and deadline to rvanzant@iac.in.gov |
