IMIN Announces Indiana Performing Arts Hall of Fame Inaugural Inductees

The Indiana Media Industry Network (IMIN), a not-for-profit trade association representing the film, television, new media, music and commercial production industry, announces the inaugural class of historic inductees to the Indiana Performing Arts Hall of Fame (IPAHF).

They are director Robert Wise, playwright Booth Tarkington, actors Scatman Crothers, James Dean, and Steve McQueen; actresses Irene Dunne, Carole Lombard, and Marjorie Main; comedian Red Skelton, lyricist Noble Sissle, composers Hoagy Carmichael and Cole Porter, and jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery.

 “Hoosiers have made enormous contributions to the performing arts dating from the earliest days of film through today,” said David Smith, Chair of the IPAHF and author of Hoosiers in Hollywood.  “The Hall of Fame will help our citizens learn more about our rich history and celebrate the vast talent of our native sons and daughters in the arts.”

Nominations for the Indiana Performing Arts Hall of Fame were solicited from the general public and from experts in film history, theatre, music, education and film and music production. A panel representing each of these areas considered the nominations and selected the inaugural class based upon each artist’s contributions to the

performing arts and to bringing honor to the State of Indiana.

An induction ceremony will take place in Indianapolis on June 19th, 2008 to honor these 13 historic inductees and 6 living ones, who will be announced next spring.  A collective video tribute for the historic inductees and individual tributes for the living inductees will be presented during the ceremony.

The initial induction class includes 19 individuals, representing the 19 stars in the Indiana state flag, Indiana being the nineteenth state in the union. This larger class will kick off what will become an annual tribute to Hoosiers when 10 new inductees are added each year.

Initially, the Hall of Fame will be web-based, with the artist’s biography, photos, filmography/discography, and video and recording references. A permanent “walk of fame” with multi-media interpretation area is also planned for future development.

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I am a member of the committee. The induction ceremony will be June 19th. Contact me if you want details. We are looking for family members of to contact and hope that they can come.