Indiana Arts Commission celebrates Fort Wayne, Goshen, Kokomo, and Wabash as Spotlight Communities
(Indianapolis, IN) On December 11, 2020, the Indiana Arts Commission voted to approve Fort Wayne, Goshen, Kokomo, and Wabash for Spotlight Community recognition as part of the Creative Community Pathway program.
The Creative Community Pathway is a roadmap for any Indiana community to start, focus, or deepen arts and culture-based strategies to grow community wellbeing. As a capacity-building program, the Pathway aligns local creative assets – artists, arts and culture strategies, partners, and resources – to support a community’s unique goals and dreams. Simultaneously, it organizes a sustainable, healthy creative environment for artists and cultural organizations.
About the Spotlight Communities
Communities along the Creative Community Pathway are supported by a diverse team of eager experts and peers from around the state, including:
- Andy Beck, Indianapolis Neighborhood Association
- Rena Bradley, Bridge of Grace
- Brandon Burgoa, Indiana Department of Transportation
- Maria Davis, City of Angola Downtown Services
- Carrie Lambert, Indiana Tourism Association
- Danicia Malone, Purdue Black Cultural Center and independent artist
- Danielle McClelland, Independent Consultant
- Nicole Poletika, Indiana Historical Bureau
- Michael Sinnet, Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs
Each member of the Support Team brings a wealth of knowledge in their own field to this process. Individually and as a group, they’ve spent significant time getting to know these communities. As consultants, they've reflected back to each community areas in which the community is a leading innovator, and the aspects the community can grow. They’ve coached each community in ways their thriving arts and cultural scene can help the community reach its goals.
These four communities have been invited to apply for Cultural District Designation, a designation held by only ten Indiana communities. Established in 2010, Indiana Cultural Districts are well-recognized, labeled, mixed-use areas of a community, in which high concentrations of cultural assets serve as the anchor. Indiana Statewide Cultural Districts promote the exploration of and participation in the arts and humanities through cultural experiences that are unique to our communities.
