The Eastern Iowa Arts Academy offers multidisciplinary and multicultural arts programs to enrich the learning of kindergarten through 12th grade students in the Greater Cedar Rapids metro area. Photo: Easter Iowa Arts Academy.
Last week, the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs bestowed a slate of Governor’s Arts Awards upon artists and arts groups who have contributed in big ways to the arts in Iowa.
The list of honorees included Robin Anderson, an advocate for historic preservation in Mason City; Amber Danielson from the Marshall County Arts & Culture Alliance; Jeff Fleming from the Des Moines Art Center; Penny Furgerson, the founding director of Gateway Dance Theatre in Des Moines; A. Alanda Gregory, an arts leader in Dubuque; and Leon Kuehner, a longtime music teacher in Hampton and champion of arts education. Additionally, several organizations were singled out for praise, including Brucemore and the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy, both in Cedar Rapids, and Mainframe Studios in Des Moines.