Arts awards to come to town

The Indiana Arts Commission announced this week that Bloomington has been chosen as the site of the 2007 Governor’s Arts Awards on Oct. 27. The awards have been presented every two years since 1973, but the ceremony has never been held outside of Indianapolis in its 34-year history. The presentation ceremony will be held at the Musical Arts Center on the IU campus and the post-ceremony dinner will be at the Bloomington Convention Center, 302 S. College Ave., according to an Indiana Arts Commission news release.\n“I support the Indiana Arts Commission’s desire to share this important opportunity to recognize the importance and value of the arts with other communities in our state,” said Gov. Mitch Daniels in the press release. “These are the Governor’s Arts Awards, and the history of them has been to recognize contributions to and for the arts throughout our great state. It seems only fitting that we share the spotlight with other communities too.”\nThe Governor’s Arts Awards honor those who raise public awareness of the arts in Indiana, from individuals to large corporations. Some past winners have included IU’s own Herman B Wells, the late author Kurt Vonnegut and musicians Cole Porter and Hoagy Carmichael, according to the IAC Web site. \nAside from honoring recipients, the Governor’s Arts Awards also present an opportunity to see the arts in action. The award is being designed by Bloomington artist Karen Green Stone and it will represent the state flower, the peony. The ceremony will also feature performances, according to the press release.\nThe list of award recipients, chosen from over 70 nominations, will be released within the next two weeks.