IU grad named director of Indiana Arts Commission

One of IU's own graduates has been appointed executive director of the Indiana Arts Commission, and he has big plans for making the commission more accessible. \nLewis Ricci got his master's degree in arts administration from IU in 1987 and has served as the director of the International Jazz Collections at the University of Idaho and worked as an adjunct faculty member at the university. \nRicci began with an undergraduate degree in the sciences but changed to the arts with his graduate degree from IU. Indiana Arts Commission secretary Sandra Clark said that she thinks Ricci's time spent in Bloomington, as well as his experience as a jazz musician, gave him a more artistic point of view. \nIn September, Ricci took over the executive director position from Dorothy L. Ilgen, who resigned after 11 years as the executive director of the arts commission. \nClark chaired the search committee that chose Ricci to replace Ilgen. She said that Ricci's passion is what makes him good for the position. \n"He spoke passionately about the richness of the arts in Indiana," Clark said. "He was clearly familiar with the art scene in Indiana and how we could do more to increase its visibility and support." \nAccording to the commission's Web site, the Indiana Arts Commission is devoted to improving community and individual life through the arts. It makes grants, provides information about local artists and supports artists and arts organizations. \n"The arts make the community more vibrant and economically vital," Clark said. \nThe commission recently installed a plan that will involve taking an active initiative to expose the role of the arts in the growth of Indiana and expanding partnerships to increase funding and support for the arts. \nRicci said that in his new position he plans to make the Indiana Arts Commission more visible and accessible to the public. \n"We want people to be able to access it," Ricci said, "and we will be better funded by both private and public moneys." \nHe said he hopes to see more staff members traveling statewide to contact organizations for support. He also wants to eventually create electronic grant submissions. \nSally Gaskill, chair of public policy for the Indiana Coalition for the Arts, said that if Ricci is able to raise the public visibility of the commission, he will have been successful in following the new plan.\nIf the plan works and the arts commission gains the funding it hopes, one thing it will be able to do is help more local artists make a living through their art. \n"Lewis is someone who will work to increase state funding for the Indiana Arts Commission," Gaskill said. "I think that we have selected a strong advocate for the arts"