Muncie Civic's Darrin Murrell Named Managing Director of Historic Farmland USA

Historic Farmland USA, a nationally-recognized non-profit Main Street Program and community enrichment group in Randolph County, has hired Darrin Murrell as Managing Director to oversee and guide all aspects of the organization. Among the goals and objectives set forth by Murrell are increased grant writing and fundraising, the development of a long-range business plan, working with local professionals to attract more patronage to the historic downtown business district and the development of more and diverse cultural and entertainment activities for presentation at the Farmland Cultural Center, a building owned and operated by Historic Farmland USA. Farmland is an historic agricultural community located at the junction of Indiana Highways 1 & 32 in western Randolph County and is home to popular destinations including The Chocolate Moose Soda Fountain & Restaurant, The Main Street Coffee Company, One Fun Farm and Tanglevine Crossing Gifts.

Among the first projects planned by Murrell are a studio of after-school arts classes to begin in the fall, a Harvest Festival in October, a concert series and a professional dinner theatre project set to open in late summer and continue throughout the year. Murrell will also be entering Historic Farmland for consideration of funding through the Great American Main Street Awards, the Downtown Enhancement Grant offered by the Indiana Office of Community & Rural Affairs and Indiana Main Street., and the new Indiana Artisan Development Project recently announced by Lt. Governor Becky Skillman. Additionally, Murrell will oversee annual events including Chili Cook Off, Fright in Farmland and Holiday Evening, develop and manage annual budgets, lead an annual membership campaign, develop and implement cooperative town-wide advertising campaigns, write and distribute monthly newsletters, and develop new grant funding opportunities throughout the year.

Historic Farmland USA was founded in 1992 as an Indiana Main Street organization and has achieved national recognition for its downtown revitalization efforts, historic preservation projects and community cultural enrichment activities. Through the work of Historic Farmland USA, the town of Farmland is now on the National Register of Historic Places and has received more than one million dollars in grant funding for historic renovation and preservation. The revitalized downtown commercial district now hosts a number of unique shops and restaurants as well as the Farmland Cultural Center. Opened by Historic Farmland USA in 2000, the Farmland Cultural Center offers music and theatre performances, holiday brunches and dinners, private parties and art classes as well as revolving art exhibits featuring local, regional and national artists. Historic Farmland USA has also gained attention for annual events such as the Holiday Evening and Fright In Farmland as well as founding board member Larry Francer's movie projects "Fright In Farmland," "It Happened In Farmland" and "Courthouse Girls of Farmland." "Courthouse Girls of Farmland" a documentary which recently won a top award at the 2008 Breckinridge Film Festival and gained entry to the 2008 DC Independent Film Festival, details the creation of The Courthouse Girls Calendar which gained national notoriety for featuring pictures of nearly-nude older women in a successful attempt to shed light on efforts to save the historic Randolph County courthouse in Winchester.

Darrin Murrell, former Executive Director of Muncie Civic Theatre and Anderson's Paramount Theatre, previously sat on the Board of Directors for Historic Farmland USA and recently completed a term as Board President. He is currently serving a term as President of the Indiana Community Theatre League and serves as Regional Representative to the National Board of Directors of the American Association of Community Theatres. Murrell is a resident of rural Parker City, a neighboring community to Farmland, where he and his family reside on the historic Murrell family homestead farm settled and built in 1850. He returned to his home community in 2003 after spending 20 years crossing the country as a professional actor, stage director and theatre producer. He continues to work as a freelance stage director, performer and educator, will direct two shows this year for Muncie Civic Theatre and leads the drama program at Monroe Central High School. His wife, Julie Barber, is a professional singer and teaches music at Taylor University as well as private voice and piano lessons. They have two children, Sofia and Sage, and have recently established their own artist management and booking company, Main Street Artists, which will be represented at the 2008 Mid-West Arts Conference in Kansas City.

For more information regarding programs, events or rental opportunities with Historic Farmland USA or the Farmland Cultural Center, call 765-468-7631 or visit the official website at www.farmlandindiana.org.

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