Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame Making Its Home in Elgin

Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame Making Its Home in Elgin

/ February 5, 2015 / Comments Off on Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame Making Its Home in Elgin / Arts & Entertainment, Clubs and Organizations, Nonprofits

 

Hemmens exterior night

This spring, the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame will move from its longtime Aurora home and become a permanent display at The Hemmens in Elgin.

The FVAHF board voted unanimously to move the 48-plaque display to Elgin following a presentation about the city and its commitment to the arts by Mayor David Kaptain.

“The board was ecstatic over the offer to keep the display in such a marvelous arts setting,” noted Susan Starrett, FVAHF president.

The plaques are expected to be removed from The Paramount in Aurora and be brought to their new home at The Hemmens in February.

“This is a great honor for Elgin,” said Elgin Mayor David Kaptain. “This showcases our city as the arts and entertainment center of the northwest suburbs. We are very proud to be chosen as the host site.”

The Hall of Fame was founded in 2001 in recognition of the artists from the Fox Valley who excelled in their profession nationally or internationally over a 20-year period. Of the 48 artists recognized, 12 are from Elgin. Local Hall of Fame inductees include Elisabeth Spalinger Boehm, ballerina and choreographer; Robert Hanson, conductor; Trygve Rovelstad, sculptor, designer and painter; Daniel Brewbaker, composer; Douglas Steensland, musician/pedagogue; Martin Brody, composer; Floyd Brown, radio/television performer; Carolyn Hove, symphony musician; John Qualen, actor; Dominic Walsh, ballet/choreographer; Jane Peterson, visual arts; and Randal Swiggum, performing arts.

FVAHF spans an area that reaches north of Elgin, south into Yorkville, east into Naperville and west of Aurora.

SOURCE: city of Elgin press release

About the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame

The Aurora Fine Arts Recognition Committee evolved into the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame, a not-for-profit organization, founded in 2001, to give public recognition to artists associated with the Fox Valley by birth, education, residence, or service that have achieved national or international acclaim and to ensure a strong cultural legacy for future generations.  Areas of contribution include:  visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, media arts, and educator/curator/benefactor.  Inducted artists must have 20 years in their profession.
 
Inductees into the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame are honored with engraved plaques, which were displayed at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Aurora through 2014.  Starting in the spring of 2015, the plaques may be viewed at the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin.

About Elgin

Nestled along the banks of the Fox River, Elgin Illinois is approximately 38 miles northwest of downtown Chicago and is home to more than 108,000 people. The growing city enjoys ready access to public transportation, diverse housing stock and a mix of commercial establishments. Many national and international businesses have taken advantage of Elgin’s close proximity to the Elgin-O’Hare Tollway and to the “Golden Corridor of Technology and Commerce” along Interstate-90. A recent recipient of the Governor’s Hometown Award, Elgin features a nationally-acclaimed library system, an array of healthcare options and educational opportunities for all ages. Residents and visitors enjoy a thriving cultural arts community, world-class parks, historical museums and over 200 places of worship. This vibrant, diverse community is a registered Cities of Service in recognition of its volunteer-rich community and history of civic engagement. For more information, please visit the city of Elgin’s website at www.cityofelgin.org. For on-the-go updates, like the city on Facebook and follow it on Twitter @ElginIL.

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