The 2010 Missouri Arts Award for "Creative Community" was officially given to the City of Lee's Summit during the awards ceremony on Wednesday, February 10, in the Rotunda of the State Capitol Building in Jefferson City, Mo.
The prestigious honor was given by the Missouri Arts Council, a division of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. 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 Mayor Karen Rose Messerli accepting the award on behalf of the City's many artistic endeavors said, "We cherish much in our community and the arts and culture are considered among those treasures. It touches every sector of the community and is a true testament to our philosophy of strengthening and enhancing the arts through partnerships."
Among some of the community's contributions to the arts are the rotating artist exhibitions at the Gamber Center; displays of artwork in City Hall by local artists and students, the unveiling of the City's first downtown public art sculpture; and the tremendous work of the Lee's Summit Arts Council to further strengthen and enhance the City's cultural arts scene.
"Lee's Summit's level of commitment to cultivating the arts in all of its forms is evident in the magnitude of involvement from various community players," Mayor Messerli said. Besides the City, some of those entities contributing to the community's efforts to cultivate the arts and culture are:
¦Lee's Summit Parks and Recreation
¦Lee's Summit Arts Council
¦Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street
¦Lee's Summit Economic Development Council
¦Lee's Summit R-7 School District
¦New Longview Foundation
¦Metropolitan Community College - Longview Cultural Arts Center
¦Summit Art
¦Lee's Summit Symphony
¦Private Arts Organizations
¦Businesses
Lee's Summit is one of the first cities in the greater Kansas City area to develop a comprehensive Cultural Arts Plan to identify the needs and opportunities for arts and culture in our community. This plan is also supported by the City's newly adopted strategic plan, Lee's Summit 360°: Charting Tomorrow.
The award nomination was compiled and submitted to the Missouri Arts Council by the Lee's Summit Economic Development Council and candid marketing.
To learn more about the City's Lee's Summit Arts Council, visit their new Web site at www.lsartscouncil.net.
