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And the ICKY nominees are...

Mark you ballots.

On Jan. 24, winners of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance’s Excellence in Innovation Awards (a.k.a. the “Ickys”) will be announced in a ceremony at Coe College’s Sinclair Auditorium in Cedar Rapids.

Recipients of the awards will be determined in voting by ICCA’s 150 member arts and culture organizations located in the 11-county area around the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City corridor.

Local celebrity presenters for the fourth annual show, including Rep. Dave Loebsack and local TV anchor Bruce Aune, will hand out awards for demonstrating innovation in cultural programming in 12 categories. Awards will also be presented to individuals and groups that have excelled in advocacy and collaboration.

The formal-but-fun awards show serves as the signature event and annual meeting for the cultural nonprofit.

Hosted by Scott Schulte and Ric Swann from the Schulte and Swann radio show on KZIA 102.9, the event will be preceded by a Red Carpet reception that will include a complementary hors d’oeuvres buffet, art and history exhibit and cash bar.

In addition to the awards, the ceremony also will offer live recreations of 2009 performances by cultural groups that have celebrated a milestone anniversary this year. Groups scheduled to perform include those representing Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre, Harmony Hawks Barbershop Chorus, Iowa City Early Keyboard Society, Iowa City Public Library, Nolte Academy of Dance, Preucil School, Public Access Television – Iowa City, Riverside Theatre, Starlighters II Theatre, University of Iowa Museum of Natural History and Ushers Ferry Parlor Theatre Company.

Tickets for the event are $20 and available through the Orchestra Iowa box office at (800) 369-TUNE.

Here’s what’s on the 2010 Icky ballot, which covers calendar year 2009:

Children’s Programming (for an intended audience of children to age 18)

"Middle Eastern Day at the CRMA" by the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

"Pied Piper Preschool Chamber Concert Series" by the Cedar Rapids Public Library/Orchestra Iowa

"Aladdin at Jefferson High School" by the Children’s Theatre of Cedar Rapids/Playtime Poppy

"Eastern Iowa Arts Academy After-School Programs" by the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy

"10,000 Eggstravaganza" by the Engert Theatre, Iowa Children’s Museum and City of Coralville.

Dance Programming

"Iowa Dance Fest by the ACE Experiment Barn Dance" by the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center

"Dance Gala" by the UI Division of Performing Arts

"Hawkeye Swing Festival" by the UI Swing Dance Club.

Educational Programming (educational experience for an audience of any age)

"Conquer the Corridor" by CR Downtown District and Priority One

"Creative Connections: Artists In Action" by the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

"Schoolhouse Jazz" by KCCK-FM

"Problem Solved" by the Old Creamery Theatre Company

"Iowa Makes Music" by Orchestra Iowa.

History Exhibits or History Programming

"No Roads Lead to Buxton: A Black Man’s Utopia" by the African American Museum of Iowa

"A Douglas Family Christmas" by Brucemore

"Civil War Flag Exhibit" by Iowa Masonic Library and Museums

"Community Stories Project" by the Johnson County Historical Society

"Young Abe" by the Old Creamery Theatre Company.

ICCA Collaborative Award (between members of ICCA)

"Brundibar" by the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre and Cedar Rapids Community Schools

"Fresh Threads of Connection: Mother Nature and British Women Writers" by the Cedar Rapids Public Library, University of Iowa, Usher’s Ferry and Iowa City Public Library

"All in a Day Play Festival" by Dreamwell, City Circle Acting Company, Englert Theatre and Summer of the Arts

"Out Loud! The Metro Library Network Author Series" by the Marion Public Library and Classics at Brucemore

"Fry Fest 2009" by the University of Iowa, Iowa City/Coralville CVB and the Johnson County Historical Society.

Locally-Produced Festival

"West Liberty Children’s Festival" by the Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre

"2009 Russian Seven-String Guitar Festival" by IARMAC

"Sand in the City" by Summer of the Arts

"12th Annual Hardacre Film Festival" by Tipton Community Development

"Third Annual Cedar Rapids Environmental Film Festival" by the Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center

Music Programming

“Songs from Lincoln’s Time,” by the Carl and mary Koehler History Center

“Can’t Contain Us Music Residencies” by Hancher Auditorium

Landfall Festival of World Music by Legion Arts

“Made in Iowa (Celebrating Iowa Composers)” by Orchestra Iowa

“Fireflies” by Red Cedar Chamber Music.

Reaching Out Collaborative Award (between ICCA member(s) and a non-member for-profit or non-profit organization)

"Take Flight Exhibit" by the Iowa Children’s Museum with Rockwell Collins, NASA, UI and Integrated DNA Technologies

"Jamming in Zimmerland" by the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center with Travelers Dance

"Corridor Jazz Project" by KCCK-FM with the Cedar Rapids Community School and Iowa City Community School districts

"Creepy Campus Crawl" by the UI Museum of Natural History and Old Capitol, with the UI Department of Geoscience

"Journey to Freedom: Experience the Underground Rail in Iowa" by the Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center and African American Museum of Iowa, with the 49th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Re-enactors

Theater Programming

“The Drag by Mae West,” Dreamwell Theatre

“From the Homefront,” Iowa Theatre Artists Company

“Theatre from the Passage,” Legion Arts

“The Writer’s Room Series,” SPT Theatre Company

“Altar Boyz,” Theatre Cedar Rapids

Visual Arts Exhibits or Visual Arts Programming

“Art and Culture Tour on the Grant Wood Scenic Byway” by the Anamosa Cultural Alliance/GW Scenic Byway Committee

“Norman Rockwell: Fact & Fiction” by the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

“The Art of Healing” by Corner House Gallery & Frame

“Jafar Mogadam Art Exhibit of Persian Painting and Ceramics” at Kirkwood Community College

"Danish Film Program" by the Landlocked Film Festival