“We’re looking forward to having a legacy of a great music festival that we’ll grow over time. We’ll become a huge destination for people visiting our city, and in 10 or 20 years, people are going to think of Middle Waves way outside of Fort Wayne. It will be a destination.”
“People will stay for three or four hours and buy one coffee. That doesn’t help us, but it doesn’t hurt us either because they fall in love with who we are and it allows us to be able to open the doors to our mission. They get to learn and see what’s going on in our baristas’ lives.”
“For our students, they are getting real-world, hands-on experiences working on key projects for innovative companies. For corporations and entrepreneurs, they are gaining access to facilities, research and development services that are making a difference on their bottom line. The regional economy here in Northeast Indiana benefits from both of these things.”
“I love living in Fort Wayne because of the opportunity that Fort Wayne has always given me, from a child to now. We have a love for the arts, we have a love for our neighbor. There's something so inviting about that.”
“I've told people ever since I left Fort Wayne and went to college, the amount of culture and art that is in this small town in the middle of cornfields is kind of amazing and nobody would really believe me, but it really is. I'm very, very proud to have come from that and I'm very excited that the film is playing there for that reason– to be a part of that.”
Artists are invited to submit their qualifications for consideration. The artist application is posted on Allen County’s website, and the deadline for artists to apply is May 31, 2024. Selected artists will paint murals on fiberglass sculptures.
“No one goes into the arts and musical theater for the money. We go into it because we love it and we thrive to create and to make opportunities and then to cultivate environments of inclusion. That alone is worth the four hours of sleep that I might get on a weeknight.”
“I wanted to make it so it was an open environment where anybody can feel welcome whether they're in high school trying to figure out what they want to get into or you know a seasoned professional that's been doing this for 10 years.”
“We want our businesses to grow up and fly the coop. Just like an actual chicken and an incubator, we want them to outgrow us and get the skills they need to move on from us.”
“What we have found is that the community feels more tied to our facilities. When their neighbor did a piece of art in the building or someone they know did, or they themselves have created a piece of art in the building, it brings the community a little closer to what we do.”
Our Partners
