Fort Wayne theater fans will want to mark April 6 on their calendars to celebrate the 50th anniversary of First Presbyterian Theater, one of the many theater venues in the city and one which always brings interesting and thought-provoking pieces to their beautiful stage.

The evening will include dinner, dessert, silent auction, entertainment arranged by John Tolley and Thom Hofrichter, an opportunity to share memories and meet old friends, and a proclamation by the mayor, all for only $10. The evening starts at 5 p.m. and continues until 8 p.m. at First Presbyterian Theater, and it is sure to be a wonderful evening of memories and a look ahead to the future.

For reservations, call 260-426-7421 ext. 121 or purchase online at firstpresbyteriantheater.com.

Put your art on our alleys

Art is everywhere we look these days, with public art and murals increasingly visible throughout the city.

In that spirit, the Art This Way program has announced a 2019 Artist Call for Entry. The Art This Way Alleyway Activation Project is building an outdoor art gallery in the alleys and pedestrian corridors in downtown Fort Wayne. Thus far nine projects have been installed in the alleyway network, and the goal of this program is to continue to saturate the area with art.

The selected mural design will be installed on the west and north wall of 840 S. Calhoun St. with the mural design expected to account for the scale and scope of the passage. This project is meant to make use of the west wall and the design should wrap around to the north wall. Extra consideration will be given to designs that best utilize the space.

Deadline for consideration is May 1. The selected artist will receive a stipend and will install their work in summer or fall of 2019. More information and an artist application can be found at ArtThisWayFW.com.

Have an event idea? Now’s your chance

The Downtown Improvement District is looking for some event ideas and is calling on community members to send them their best concepts.

In a recent press release, DID President Bill Brown said, “We are looking forward to return of the Winter-Spring Events Contest. This program has fostered vibrancy in Downtown Fort Wayne during the off-season months and has supported the launch of multi-year productions such as Weather the Fort, the Art This Way Art Crawl, Maumee Mary and Joseph Comedy Festival, and Spring Forward Fest.”

Details about submitting a concept — it must take place in the downtown area as designated in the submission — can be found at DowntownFortWayne.com/New-Events. All submissions must be made by May 1 at 5 p.m. with finalists notified by July 1 and winners announced in September. Winning events will be awarded funding, as well as an event consultation session.

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