While arts and cultural offerings have played a vital role in the reinvention of our community today, this work has greatly contributed to the vibrancy of Allen County for many years. Beginning in the mid nine-teenth century, productivity and prosperity provided citizens a standard of living that was more than subsistence. As leisure time became more available, residents enjoyed the option of making a living out of self-expression, or benefiting from and supporting those who did. Residents enjoyed culture, per-formances, theater, music and the visual arts in the past as we do today.
Art and culture are essential to the fabric, character and economy of northeast Indiana. The arts humanize our community, giving us inspiration and opportunities to connect as people. The arts have helped define who we are, and they continue to make Fort Wayne and Allen County an exciting place to work and live.
Be sure to visit our virtual exhibit page again in September to view the next installment of 200@200.
What is 200@200?
As Indiana embarked on its bicentennial anniversary and reflected on past challenges, successes, and opportunities, we too reflected on 200 years of our part of Indiana. How had Fort Wayne changed? What had we discovered? What would we take with us into the next century?
The 200@200 project was a celebration of Fort Wayne's legacy of progress throughout Indiana's 200 years of history. Using artifacts from the museum's collection of 28,000 objects, the History Center told 200 unique stories of Fort Wayne's role in the 200 years of Indiana's statehood throughout the 2016 bicentennial year. Each month highlighted a different historical theme and presented a collective mosaic of the community's shared past and present, commemorating the progress, growth, and creativity of the "Summit City." Each month's theme was featured in a virtual exhibit and in person at the History Center.
The History Center was honored to share that 200@200 had been endorsed by the Indiana Bicentennial Commission as an official Legacy Project. WANE served as the project's media sponsor.
