CEDAR RAPIDS—The Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance (ICCA) announced the recipients of its annual Iowa Cultural Corridor Innovation Excellence Awards (aka The Ickys!)  Monday, January 26, at the Englert Theatre in Iowa City.

The 2009 Icky Award recipients are…

Children’s Programming: “Mary GrandPré: Harry Potter and Beyond”—Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

Dance Programming: “The Nutcracker”—The Englert Theatre and Nolte Academy of Dance

Festival Programming: “Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival”—Cedar Rapids Independent Filmmakers

History Programming: “1968: Twelve Volatile Months that Changed the World”—National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library

Music Programming: “New Bohemia Music and Art Festival”—New Bohemia Group

Theatre Programming: “Moving Home”—Classics at Brucemore, Legion Arts, Liars Theatre, SPT Theatre, Theatre Cedar Rapids, and Urban Theater Project of Iowa

Touring Events Programming: “Cirque du Soleil Saltimbanco”—U.S. Cellular Center

Visual Arts Programming: “The Year of the River: Flood Photography from The Gazette”—Cedar Rapids Museum of Art and The Gazette

Educational Programming: “Arts in a Post-Disaster Community: Lessons from New Orleans”—CSPS/Legion Arts, Access Iowa, and the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance

Collaborative Award—between ICCA members: “Moving Home”—Classics at Brucemore, Legion Arts, Liars Theatre, SPT Theatre, Theatre Cedar Rapids, and Urban Theater Project of Iowa

Reaching Out Collaborative Award—between ICCA members and non-ICCA members: “Culture’s Alive at Lindale”—Lindale Mall, Cedar Rapids Community School District Foundation, Cedar Rapids Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Science Station, and Theatre Cedar Rapids

Advocacy Awards were also presented to Bob Goodfellow and Audrey Linge-Ovel. These two awards—the Larry Eckholt Award for the South Corridor and the North Corridor Advocate Award—are meant to honor a community member/leader who exemplifies passion, commitment, and advocacy to the cultural vitality of the Corridor.

Presenting sponsor of the Ickys was Corridorbuzz.com with major sponsorship from Alliant Energy and supporting sponsorship by PTDN Diversity Network.

For more information about the Icky Awards and ICCA visit www.culturalcorridor.org.

ICCA was formed in October of 2005 with the merging of the Johnson County Cultural Alliance (JCCA) and the Cedar Rapids Area Culture Alliance (CRACA). The group's mission is to build, strengthen and lead the Corridor's arts and culture organizations and the communities they serve. ICCA maintains www.culturalcorridor.org, the area's one-stop shop for news and information about upcoming cultural events in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Corridor.