Maine Center for Creativity’s inaugural gala promises to surprise
Glenn Close and David Shaw to accept first-ever Maine Creative Industries Award
PORTLAND, Maine (August 8, 2012)—Today, the Maine Center for Creativity (MCC), announced that the organization will be holding its inaugural Maine Creative Industries Gala on Thursday, September 13, 2012 in Portland, Maine. The gala will honor Glenn Close and David Shaw as the first-ever recipients of the Maine Creative Industries Award.
The gala, billed as a fun and funky event, filled with surprises, will take place at Portland’s Holiday Inn by the Bay, according to Jean Maginnis, MCC’s Executive Director.
“We’ve gathered some of Maine’s best talent, who will honor Glenn Close and David Shaw, all in the spirit of celebrating the creativity and innovation that is fueling Maine’s creative economy,” noted Maginnis.
MCC board president Katherine Greenleaf said that the “Maine Creative Industries Award is meant to recognize the excellence in art, innovation, and enterprise that is fueling Maine’s creative economy – and to celebrate Glenn and David’s extraordinary ability to blend creativity and business skills.”
Maginnis echoed Greenleaf sentiments, noting that “David and Glenn embody the marriage of arts and industry, and beautifully represent the purpose of the Maine Center for Creativity,” an organization Maginnis founded in 2006 to “build Maine’s reputation as a vibrant center of innovation and talent, and leveraging those assets as the driving force for Maine’s economic development and competitive advantage,” she said.
Close is a six-time Oscar nominee and an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Tony Award-winning actress who played the leading role in such films as Fatal Attraction and 101 Dalmatians. She helped launch and actively supports BringChangetomind.org, an organization that aims to rid the stigma of mental health diagnoses.
Shaw founded IDEXX Laboratories (IDEXX) in Portland, Maine in 1983 and remained its CEO until 2001. Today, IDEXX is the largest publicly traded company headquartered in Maine. Shaw, managing partner of Black Point Group, with significant investments in the biotechnology sector, has a long history of public service and successful entrepreneurialism, having been director and/or founding investor of more than a dozen companies.
“The Maine Center for Creativity could not be more pleased to honor one of this state’s most successful and innovative entrepreneurs, David Shaw, and his wife, the creative genius and award-winning actress, Glenn Close,” said Maginnis. “The evening will be filled with excitement as we celebrate the wealth of creativity and innovation that makes Maine unique in its ability to attract talented professionals and innovative companies.”
The gala will kick off on Thursday, September 13 at 5:00 pm. The event’s presenting sponsor is IDEXX, with support from The VIA Group and DownEast Magazine, plus many other Maine firms, including: AutoEurope, PowerPay, The Jackson Laboratory, Sprague Operating Resources, UNUM, Broadreach Public Relations, Franklin Printing, Wright Express, and Bank of America. John and Linda Coleman serve as honorary chairs of the 56-person host committee. Tickets go on sale this week through the organization’s website, www.mainecenterforcreativity.org.
About the Maine Creative Industries Award
As one the first of its kind in the country, the Maine Center for Creativity’s Maine Creative Industries Award is a prestigious honor celebrating excellence in art, innovation, and enterprise – and their positive impact on the state of Maine and the world. Glenn Close and David Shaw, husband and wife, will be the first to receive the award, at a gala planned for Thursday, September 13, 2012, in Portland, Maine.
About the Maine Center for Creativity
Through its support of arts and industry collaborations, the Maine Center for Creativity (MCC) harnesses the power of talent and innovation to drive economic development and growth of the creative economy in Maine. By developing projects and educational programs that support the vibrancy of creative industries and the arts, such as Art All Around and Pecha Kucha, MCC nurtures innovative companies, engaged communities, and creative people. For more information visit www.mainecenterforcreativity.org or call 207-730-0694.
About IDEXX
IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. is a leader in pet healthcare innovation, serving practicing veterinarians around the world with a broad range of diagnostic and information technology-based products and services. IDEXX products enhance the ability of veterinarians to provide advanced medical care, improve staff efficiency, and build more economically successful practices. IDEXX is also a worldwide leader in diagnostic tests and information for livestock and poultry and tests for the quality and safety of water and milk. Headquartered in Maine, IDEXX employs more than 5,000 people and offers products to customers in over 100 countries.
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