‘Bout time!

Since 1973, the state of Indiana has presented the Governor’s Arts Awards in Indianapolis, but on Oct. 27 this year, Bloomington will host the awards for the first time. We’ve always known Bloomington was a world-class city for the arts, and this decision only solidifies that position. \nIt’s certainly appropriate for Bloomington to be the site of the awards. Is there any better place for an art award whose recipients include Bloomington icons such as Joshua Bell, Herman B Wells and Hoagy Carmichael than good ol’ Bloomington, Ind.? \nAs Gov. Mitch Daniels noted in the press release announcing the site of the awards, the award belongs to all of Indiana, and as such, deserves to be presented in different locations across Indiana, not just in Indianapolis. We applaud Daniels on his decision and agree that moving the site of the ceremony around the state will help bring visibility both to the awards, artists and patrons that they recognize, as well as communities such as Bloomington that work hard to provide opportunities for artists to showcase their work regularly. \nConsider the wide range of cultural venues Bloomington offers. Of course, any discussion of Bloomington’s arts community must begin with IU, the beating heart of Bloomington’s art scene. From the art museum to the School of Fine Arts to the Jacobs School of Music, we’re brimming with cultural activity and advocacy on an extremely high level. We’ve got opera, ballet, theater and symphony orchestra performances that put many larger cities to shame. \nBeyond IU, the city itself offers endless activities, from the Lotus Music Festival to movies at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater to variety shows and theater at the John Waldron Arts Center. Various art galleries dot the Bloomington landscape, including the studio of the designer of last year’s Governor’s Art Award, Jack Brubaker. John Mellencamp’s presence in the area surely vaults us into the arts stratosphere. Our status as a beacon of the arts in Indiana makes us an excellent choice for the first Governor’s Arts Awards ceremony outside of Indianapolis.\nFittingly, the award this year is being designed by yet another Bloomington-area potter, Karen Green Stone. It will be nice to see yet another award crafted by Bloomington hands, a recognition that Bloomington belongs to Indiana as much as the award belongs to Bloomington residents. \nYet, perusing the list of former recipients on the Indiana Arts Commission Web site, we’ve found that a number of municipalities have been recognized with one glaring omission. While cities including Jasper and Fort Wayne have received the award, along with Bloomington events like the Lotus Music Festival, the city of Bloomington has never received the award. \nWe certainly hope that the IAC considers the placement of the ceremony this year as portentous of a certain deserving city that could receive the award, but in the meantime, we congratulate the IAC for choosing Bloomington as host. Even after the awards are gone, we hope Bloomington will continue to be rightfully regarded as a center of the arts for Indiana.