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Visit Dubois County Receives Best IN Indiana Activation at the Indiana Tourism Conference Awards
Visit Dubois County is proud to have received the Indiana Tourism Conference Award for
Best IN Indiana Activation, honoring tourism businesses who are creative, innovative, and
dedicated to the Indiana tourism industry.
“A really bright and fun result based on the images, and a great use of grant funds to both improve the local area for residents and give visitors a creative path to take that allows them to see more of the local shops and restaurants along the way when they may have not naturally walked that way in the past.”
“The Art Loop” project was submitted for the category, which connects and highlights the many
works of art located throughout the Heart of Jasper district. Through the IN Indiana Placemaking
Activation grant, two artistic projects were completed in 2023, using the IN Indiana “indicator” in
each design of the art transformations completing phase 1 and 2 of the overall project, followed by
two alleyway activation projects. The project outlined the creation of place through activating the
connection between heavy visitor traffic areas to key attractions, such as transporting overnight guest to
the Dubois County Visitor Center, Jasper Community Arts / Cultural Center, the vibrant downtown
square, and the Spirit of Jasper Train & Depot.
The project scope concentrated on (1) leading visitors to use the recommended walking path and not
cross the highway in less safe areas, (2) showcases the ease of walking to the various locations,
eventually adding ground markers as in Phase 5, (3) enhancing experiences through the expression of
art, and (4) creates Instagram-able locations / builds awareness on social media platforms.
The complete phases of the project are the following phases – 1. River of Dreams Underpass
Transformation, 2. Create a Memory Mural, 3. Downtown Activation (connect with existing art
installations and the new alleyway activations), 4. Marketing Materials and Branding, 5. Trail Markers,
and 6. Instagram / Social Media Passport Development.
Judges on the panel commented, “Clever IN Indiana Activation with long-time appeal. Being
thoughtful of where these murals are located in order to move people was smart.”
“A really bright and fun result based on the images, and a great use of grant funds to both improve the local area for residents and give visitors a creative path to take that allows them to see more of the local shops and restaurants along the way when they may have not naturally walked that way in the past.”
Visit Dubois County's creative approach in marketing, coupled with our dedication to incorporate
creative placemaking and adding additional public art to the communities of Dubois County
creates quality of place where people want to live, work, play and learn.
“Placemaking drives economic development, inherently attracting new talent and industry to the
area. This award serves as motivation to further innovate, grow, and make a positive impact on
both the residents and visitors of Dubois County”, stated Whitney Lubbers, Executive Director of
Visit Dubois County.
Many organizations collaborated to bring these art projects to fruition throughout the years. The
Placemaking Activation Grant Project specifically had the following supporters / collaborators: Visit
Indiana / Indiana Destination Development Corporation, Visit Dubois County, Dubois County
Community Foundation, Heart of Jasper, Jasper Community Arts, City of Jasper, Bob Luegers
Motors, and Love Excavating / Huntingburg Machine Works.
The future phases of the project are a focus area for Visit Dubois County with continued
applications in development.