Starke Community, by Mitchell A. Markovitz, commissioned by the Starke County Community Foundation. Unveiled at the annual Fall Grants banquet on November 21, 2002, the poster is based on the Ludlow home in the historic 'Quality Hill' neighborhood in North Judson. For a closer look, and information on purchasing a copy, click here.

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Events and Grants for Fall 2002

Starke Community Poster Unveiled
at Fall Grant Ceremony

The Fall Grants and Poster Unveiling Ceremony 2002

"I want to thank Starke County and the Community Foundation for the great honor of helping to select and present grants to organizations in our community that really make a difference in the lives of our residents. It has been a real joy in my life". Judy Jelinek made these comments before she presented the fall community grants Monday November 25 at Jonquil Gallery in Knox. Ms Jelinek is a member of the board and chairman of the community grants committee for the Starke County Community Foundation.

"thoughts of cocoa and cookies"

The grant award ceremony was held in conjunction with the unveiling of Starke Community, the second poster in a series by Mitchell Markovitz who said, "The painting represents small town life in the fall of the year when the colors are so vivid. Children playing in the front yard and thoughts of cocoa and cookies."

Markovitz's poster design was inspired by the home of Gary and Anita Ludlow in the historic area of North Judson, known as "Quality Hill". The Ludlows attended the ceremony and received a poster signed by the artist. They were pleased, and surprised as they had no idea that their house was the one featured until the morning of the presentation. They were listening to WKVI and heard the announcement on the morning news. Then they received calls from friends from all over the county telling them that they were instant celebrities.

Artist Mitchell Markovitz is a world renowned and locally based artist/illustrator whose work has been used in the "South Shore" series of posters, as well as promoting Atlantic City and other projects.

part of a coordinated promotion

The poster series is part of a coordinated county effort, which includes promotion of tourism, economic development and the arts. "The community foundation has been generous enough to provide framing for this series of posters that will be placed in community and government buildings and other high profile areas in the county." said Sandy Bublis, Director of the Starke County Tourism Commission. The Starke Community poster was sponsored by the Starke County Community Foundation, as well as funding the county wide framing project.

grants now exceed $2m

Emceeing the event was foundation president Cherry Gumz, who announced that the community foundation has contributed over 2.4 million dollars to not-for-profit organizations in Starke County since the foundation was formed six years ago. "All this was made possible through the hard work of the volunteer board, the Lilly Endowment, and most importantly from donations of people who love Starke County."

The 2002 Fall Community Grants recipients were the Coalition Against Domestic Abuse $1000.00, Council on Aging $2500.00, Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum $1250.00, Starke County Fair Board $1250.00, The Caring Place, $500.00, The Lions Club of Koontz Lake $500.00 and The Starke County Fine Arts Commission $1500.00.

a community arts event

Also at the event was Executive Director of the Northern Indiana Community Foundation (NICF) Terri Johnson, Chris Gleim NICF Scholarship and Grant Coordinator, Mayor Nancy Dembowski, Jonquil Design Gallery director Angel Milo, Romanian artist and Knox resident Wesley Dolinski, and artist Robert Markovitz, both of whom have work on display at the gallery. About fifty foundation members and supporters from throughout the county filled the gallery with excitement at the unveiling.

Posters and postcards can be purchased from the Starke County Tourism Commission at the Knox Depot, or at Explore Starke County and Jonquil Design.

Freedom Fund Launched

The radio waves were filled with the sounds of stirring martial aires. Serviceman and women and also veterans took center stage at the Veteran's Call-In Saturday November 9th on WKVI, where loved ones made a pledge to the Starke County Community Foundation in honor or memory of one of their own local heroes. Patriotic songs were on hand as well as shared memories of historians such as Steve Lee who documented interviews of Starke County Veterans for a project with the Library of Congress, area veteran's and others who shared experiences and readings. There was also memorabilia brought into the studio from those who kept the home fires burning.

The Community Foundation held the program in cooperation with WKVI to help develop the "Freedom Fund" which will provide grants to local charities. "One of the exciting aspects of starting this fund is that until the end of this year the Lilly Endowment will match all funds of this type dollar for dollar." said Corinne Lucas the Office Administrator for the Starke County Community Foundation. "We raised close to $5000 during this program, which translates into $10,000 for the Freedom Fund endowment."

There were three levels of donations, with one level having cookies from Fingerhut Bakery sent to your veteran or serviceman or woman anywhere in the world. "We sent cookies and cards to Afghanistan, to military bases and schools and even across the county", said Mrs. Lucas. "I wish I could have seen the look on the face of that young man in Kandahar when he got a dozen cookies from home!"

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Starke County Grants

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