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Ames Writers Collective Receives Cultural Award

We are honored to be the recipient of the Veronika Ruedenberg Cultural Entrepreneur Award this year, recognizing our founder, Ana McCracken, for starting the Ames Writers Collective in 2021.

This award is meant for a community-minded pioneer who has shown the vision and courage to break ground for some new institution for the enrichment of Ames’ cultural life, creating something where there was nothing.

Veronika Ruedenberg was an inspiration to many. She supported individual creative efforts in those who wanted to try something new, regardless of how unusual or difficult. She was open-minded and encouraged this in others. Her good intuition, her unflinching good will, her selfless enthusiasm and her confidence in other people, made her an effective cultural pioneer and the institutions she built up grew and prospered long after she was gone. She was living proof of the joy in the creative journey, rather than the safety of the bandwagon.

Many thanks to a board member for accepting the award while Ana was out of the country!