Building Better Communities, the outreach and engagement division at Ball State University, announced today that the Nickel Plate Arts Initiative, serving eastern Hamilton and southern Tipton counties, is one of four recipients of the 2014 Primacy of Place Community Awards.
The awards, presented at an awards ceremony luncheon at the Minnetrista Cultural Center in Muncie, recognize Indiana communities’ exemplary approaches to improving quality of life for their residents, businesses and visitors. Fellow winners include Riverside Park Amphitheater in Rushville, Big Four Bridge and Big Four Station in Jeffersonville, and the Read to Succeed program in Greater Lafayette/Tippecanoe County.
“A community’s investment in quality-of-place is one of the top-drivers of economic development within that community,” stated Bill Davis, executive director of Indiana’s Office of Community and Rural Affairs, one of the organizations partnering with Ball State to present the awards. “It helps attract a talented workforce as well as cultivate increased interest for new businesses to move to the community. These communities are among those that are truly focused on determining their economic futures.”
Nickel Plate Arts, which is headquartered in Noblesville, serves a population of approximately 150,000 people in eastern Hamilton County and Tipton. The community arts initiative supports, promotes and provides arts experiences in the six communities along the historic Nickel Plate Railroad.
“The Nickel Plate Arts community understands the unique role that arts can play in creating, strengthening and transforming communities,” said Dick Heupel, director of economic and community engagement for Ball State’s Building Better Communities. “We were impressed by the initiative’s reach across counties and the number of partners involved in connecting residents and visitors with local art talent.”
The Primacy of Place Community Awards Program was launched in 2013 to showcase Indiana communities who have made the strategic decision to invest in areas such as arts, education, wellbeing, community design and effective governance to strengthen local economies. The program is part of BBC’s larger “Primacy of Place” initiative that is helping communities attract and retain top talent through quality of life efforts.
The 2014 recipients were chosen by a panel of representatives from the Association of Indiana Counties, Ball State University, the Indiana Arts Commission, Indiana Department of Transportation, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, and the Indiana Office of Tourism Development.
Award winners will be further highlighted at BBC’s second annual Primacy of Place conference on Oct. 16 at the Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre.
