INDIANAPOLIS, IN.- Nathan Richie, Curator of Collections and Programs for Sheldon Swope Art Museum, has been selected as a recipient of the Governor’s Award for Tomorrow’s Leaders. Richie will be recognized at an awards luncheon held during the Indiana Leadership Summit in Indianapolis on June 23. The Governor’s Award for Tomorrow’s Leaders was created in 2003 by the Indiana Humanities Council to recognize outstanding young Indiana leaders between the ages of 19 and 29 for their achievements in entrepreneurial, community, educational and/or cultural arenas.

Richie was nominated for this prestigious award based on his entrepreneurial and cultural achievement and leadership. Richie has initiated and developed two new educationally based outreach programs for Sheldon Swope Art Museum, Swope’s Summer Youth Art Program and Swope’s Rural Arts Initiative, and has enriched the exhibition of the museum with the creation of the museum’s “education gallery” and the curation of Creating History, a collaborative exhibition celebrating the accomplishments of Indiana’s historic women artists that will travel to each of the contributing museums through June 2006.

Richie serves as the first President of the Cultural Alliance of Terre Haute and is a founding board member of Art Spaces: Outdoor Sculpture Collection of the Wabash Valley. He also serves on a number of civic committees including Terre Haute Tomorrow and the Arts Corridor Development Committee. Richie represents western Indiana as the Western Regional Representative to the Indiana Association of Museums and as a Midwest Regional Program Planner and Indiana State Representative to the American Association of Museum’s Education Committee.

The Governor’s Award for Tomorrow’s Leaders is awarded to 12 outstanding young leaders from Indiana. Recipients are selected in a juried competition, chaired by Tracy Souza, President of Cummins Foundation. “Nathan’s leadership and entrepreneurial skills are an asset to the entire state of Indiana. We are honored to recognize him with this award,” said Tracy Souza. Each recipient receives a special award and a $1,000 scholarship or contribution to the charity of his or her choice. Richie plans to donate the $1,000 award to the Student Conservation Association, an organization that fosters environmental and cultural stewardship practices by employing teens and students in National and State parks.

“It is imperative that we engage our state’s young leaders by recognizing and rewarding the tremendous contributions these individuals have already made to their communities and the state of Indiana. We recognize these young leaders with great pride and are honored to support their ongoing leadership,” said Dr. Scott Massey, CEO of the Indiana Humanities Council. The Indiana Leadership Summit is presented by the Indiana Humanities Council with support by Lilly Endowment in conjunction with major sponsors such as Ball Brother Foundation, Eli Lilly, Bank One, Cummins Inc., Printing Partners and the National Endowment for the Humanities and other key corporate and foundation leaders.

The Indiana Humanities Council is an independent, not-for-profit organization supported by contributions from Indiana individuals, corporations, and foundations and by the National Endowment for the Humanities. In its 30 years of existence, the Council has created a legacy of work dedicated to promoting education, nurturing leaders and expanding cultural resources.