In this issue: Festival Success Your Story Contribute Today Thank You! Future Themes Festival Success The “buzz” is clear…the 2008 Spirit & Place Festival was a hit! Community imagination was ignited through 56 interactive, high quality events during 16 days in November. Over 120 authors and artists, poets and performers, civic and community leaders, playwrights and preachers, storytellers and scholars illuminated the festival theme of Exploring Imagination through diverse presentations on world hunger, creativity and aging, cultural identity, medical ethics, poetry performance, and much more! Take a short survey and share your feedback on events you attended. Help us make Spirit & Place even better next year! Your Story The ultimate success of Spirit & Place is best measured by what it provokes in you. Tell us what inspired you. Did you have an “aha!” moment? Have you been motivated to think or act differently? Send your story to Festival Director Pam Blevins Hinkle at pbhinkle@iupui.edu. Let us know how Spirit & Place is making a difference in your life, your family life, or the life of your community. Contribute Today Author and essayist Richard Rodriguez, one of three speakers at this year’s Public Conversation, said, “In truth, Spirit & Place is one of the most imaginative civic events I have heard about.” Indeed. Where else can you hear national speakers in conversation with each other as they share new ideas? Where else can you enjoy dozens of one-of-a-kind programs where local leaders and everyday citizens talk with each other in civil dialogue about the issues that are shaping our culture and community? Only one place: the annual Spirit & Place Festival. Now, finishing its 13th year, the festival reaches approximately 25,000 people each year. Please help support this important work by making a gift today. Spirit & Place builds stronger, more inclusive communities by promoting civic engagement, respect for diversity, thoughtful reflection, and public imagination. Your gift—of any amount—will help empower Central Indiana citizens to think creatively, work together, and fashion bold solutions for our life in community with each other. Thank You! On behalf of the Spirit & Place Advisory Board and staff, we extend our warmest thanks to: Festival Partners—120 arts, faith-based, and civic organizations that collaborated to create outstanding content for the 2008 festival. Volunteers—25 faithful friends who worked 56 separate events. Major Financial Partners—Lilly Endowment Inc.; The Indianapolis Foundation, an affiliate of CICF; Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation Inc.; Butler University; IUPUI; IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI; the University of Indianapolis; Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library, and dozens of other sponsors and donors. The Polis Center Staff—who provided vital web and administrative support. And YOU! Future Themes Upcoming Spirit & Place themes are Inspiring Places (2009) and Food for Thought (2010). Cultural organizations, congregations, educational institutions, health and human service organizations, libraries, community centers, and other civic institutions are invited to submit programs for consideration. Festival events are selected based on the following critieria: (1) originality and creativity; (2) opportunities for civic engagement; (3) strength of collaboration; (4) connection to the theme; (5) opportunities for audience interaction; and (6) connection to the Spirit & Place mission. The next application deadline is March 6, 2009. Visit www.spiritandplace.org in December for more details.	Welcome to CONVERSATIONS, e-Newsletter for Spirit & Place. To unsubscribe, send an email to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.IUPUI with no subject and only the following in the body:UNSUBSCRIBE Please address comments to: pbhinkle@iupui.edu Spirit & Place serves as a catalyst for civic engagement and enduring change through creative collaborations between the arts, humanities, and religion. 2008 Spirit & Place Advisory Board Jane Henegar, Chair State Coordinator, Project Citizen, Indiana Bar Foundation Rev. Kevin Armstrong, Vice Chair Senior Pastor, North United Methodist Church Judith Cebula, Secretary Director, Center for Faith & Vocation, Butler University The Honorable Sarah Evans Barker Judge, United States District Court David J. Bodenhamer Executive Director, The Polis Center, IUPUI Janet Boston Director of Regional Services and Community Relations, Arts Council of Indianapolis Simon Crookall President and CEO, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Cathleen Donnelly Senior Exhibit Developer, The Children's Museum Margot L. Eccles Vice President, LDI, Ltd. Gloria Gaither Gaither Family Resources and Gaither Music Company Dr. Lewis Galloway Senior Pastor, Second Presbyterian Church Darrin D. Gray Principal, Brandirect Inc. Colleen Heeter Vice President of Development & Advancement, Indiana Black Expo, Inc. Walter Knabe CEO, Knabe Designs David Kosene President, Kosene and Kosene Development and Management Company, Inc. Rev. Felipe N. Martínez Associate Executive Presbyter, Whitewater Valley Presbytery Rev. M. Kent Millard Senior Pastor, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church Gail Plater Assistant Dean, Development & External Affairs, IU School of Liberal Arts, IUPUI Sandra Schweitzer, OSF Liturgical Design Consultant, Studio TAU David Wantz Associate Vice President, Corporate and Community Relations, University of Indianapolis Karen M. Whitney Dean of Students, Vice Chancellor for Division of Student Life, IUPUI Advisory Board Emeritus: Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso Congregation Beth-El Zedeck Joyce Sommers President & Executive Director, Indianapolis Art Center Lynn Youngblood Senior Vice President & Provost Emeritus, University of Indianapolis