The City of Lee's Summit has been selected by the Missouri Arts Council (MAC), a division of the Missouri Department of Economic Development, to receive the 2010 Missouri Arts Award for Creative Community. The Missouri Arts Awards honor individuals and organizations that have made profound and lasting contributions to the cultural and artistic climate of the state.
Lee's Summit is the only community in the Kansas City area with a comprehensive Cultural Arts Plan. Thanks in part to that plan, which was developed in 2007, and the commitment and support of the arts by the Mayor and City Council, Lee's Summit is recognized as a community that appreciates the value of arts and culture.
"The arts in Lee's Summit touch every sector of the community, which is a great example of many organizations working in harmony to create a creative community," said Lee's Summit Mayor Karen Rose Messerli. "Lee's Summit's commitment to creativity is evident in the magnitude of involvement from various community players." The award nomination compiled and submitted by the Lee's Summit Economic Development Council and candid marketing encompassed the following organizations:
• City of Lee's Summit
• Lee's Summit Economic Development Council
• Lee's Summit Arts Council
• Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street
• Lee's Summit Parks and Recreation
• R-7 School District
• New Longview Foundation
• MCC-Longview Cultural Arts Center
• Summit Art
• Lee's Summit Symphony
• Many businesses in the community like banks, hospitals and shopping centers
"As we continue to move ahead under the guidance of the Cultural Arts Plan, the 2009 Lee's Summit 360°: Charting Tomorrow Strategic Plan, the Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan and the Downtown Redevelopment Master Plan, we will continue to see positive results both in our quality of life standards and our economic development opportunities," Mayor Messerli added.
Established in 1983, the Missouri Arts Awards nominees are reviewed by a committee of citizens throughout the state who are knowledgeable, experienced and highly respected in the arts. The awards will officially be presented in a ceremony at 2 p.m. on February 10, 2010 at the Capitol Rotunda in Jefferson City.
"I commend the 2010 Missouri Arts Awards recipients for their commitment to the arts," said Beverly Strohmeyer, executive director of the Missouri Arts Council. "Their hard work and dedication has continued to help bring quality arts to the state of Missouri."
All 2009 Missouri Arts Awards winners are:
• Arts Education: Dr. Robert Gifford, Cape Girardeau
• Arts Organization: Opera Theatre of St. Louis, St. Louis
• Creative Community: The City of Lee's Summit, Lee's Summit
• Individual Artist: Jim Leedy, Lake Lotawana
• Leadership in the Arts: Marie Nau Hunter, Columbia
• Philanthropy: Joseph L. Gray, St. Joseph
About MAC
The Missouri Arts Council provides over $8 million a year to nonprofit organizations through grants that increase participation in the arts in Missouri, grow Missouri's economy using the arts and strengthen Missouri education through the arts. MAC awards grants to organizations to stimulate the growth, development, and appreciation of the arts in Missouri. In addition to financial assistance, MAC provides expertise in community development, fundraising, marketing, grant writing, arts education, artistic disciplines (visual arts, music, literature, theater, dance, festivals, and film/media) and more. For more information, contact MAC at (314) 340-6845 or visit www.missouriartscouncil.org.
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