Arts United have announced their 2024 Arts United Award nominees, presented to people, organizations, and projects that make significant contributions through arts and culture to communities throughout our 12-county region.
Recipients will be honored during the 2024 Arts United Awards ceremony March 20 in Arts United Center.
This year’s nominees include:
Individuals
Tyler Bennett; Aquilla Carpenter; Layne Denton; Cyndy Elick; Lynn Funk; Kimee Gearhart; Carter Hammon; Mark and Alayne Johnson; Jody Hemphill Smith and Castle Gallery; Beth McLeish; Nolah Merritt; Taylor Morris; Christopher Murphy; Suzanne Rhee; Ben Wedler; and Macie Wilson.
Organizations
Apple Orchard Knewz; Clean Drains Fort Wayne — Be River SmART; and Creator Space Fort Wayne.
Projects
2023 Spring Concert (50 Years of Growing Through Music — The Fort Wayne Children’s Choir Celebrates Its Golden Anniversary); Fort Wayne Civic Theatre Costume Shop Workday Events; Honeywell CommUNITY Arts Teaching Artist Residency; Horace Mann Elementary School Cafeteria Mural; Indelible by Wrecklords; Jewish History and Art Illuminated: 175 Years of Congregation Achduth Vesholom; Marian: The True Tale of Robin Hood; The Inclusion Mural by Audiences Unlimited; and The Neurodiversity Project: Aesop’s Fables.
To learn more about award criteria and find further details, go to artsunited.org/advocacy/awards.
Local art featured on library cards
Allen County Public Library has three limited edition library cards featuring work from mural artists Theoplis “Phresh Laundry” Smith, Bryan Ballinger, and Tim Parsley.
Parsley’s design, Arouse! For you must justify me, honors Walt Whitman and is taken from his mural between South Calhoun and South Harrison streets.
Smith’s design depicts Rosa Parks from his Citilink bus mural.
Ballinger’s design is taken from his mural The Blue Birds.
The cards are available to Allen County residents, whether they have a library card or not.
New cardholders can apply online or in person. Existing cardholders will need to apply in person at any branch. They will receive a new library card number and PIN along with their new card.
To apply online or view the card designs, go to
acpl.lib.in.us/library-card.
Nonprofit opens outdoor classrooms
Early Childhood Alliance, a leading nonprofit dedicated to providing quality early childhood education, has opened its Nature Explore Outdoor Classrooms at the Beacon Street Learning Program.
These outdoor classrooms, developed in collaboration with Nature Explore and built by Tonn and Blank Construction, aim to provide a dynamic and interactive learning environment for the children in their child care facility.
The Nature Explore Outdoor Classrooms are designed to foster creativity, exploration, and a connection with the natural world.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at a later date.
PFW hosting musical performances
The PFW Choral and Band Concert, Love Is in the Air, at7:30 p.m.Monday, Feb. 26, will feature love songs from multiple musical eras including classics from the Great American Songbook.
Held in Auer Performance Hall, the concert will feature Chamber Treble Singers, Choral Union, University Singers, and the Symphonic Band with collaborative pieces for band and choir.
Conductors include Emily Bird, Jonathan Busarow, Chris Dessent, Dr. William Sauerland, and Dr. Daniel Tembras, with collaborative pianists Irene Ator and Dr. Geoffrey North.
Also at Auer Performance Hall, the PFW Jazz Ensemble will present a program of jazz festival classics along with recommended tunes that are sure to become future favorites on Wednesday, Feb, 28.
On Thursday, Feb. 29, a Clarinet Studio Recital featuring solo performances by the students of Dr. Kylie Stultz-Dessent and the PFW Clarinet Ensemble will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Rhinehart Recital Hall.
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