2008 Governor's Award Goes to Rob Mermin, Founder of Circus Smirkus

2008 Governor's Award Goes to Rob Mermin, Founder of Circus Smirkus
Montpelier, VT - Governor James H. Douglas and the Vermont Arts Council are pleased to announce that Rob Mermin, circus arts performer and founder of Circus Smirkus, will receive the 2008 Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts. The ceremony, which is open to the public, will take place on Friday, October 17th at the State House in Montpelier.
The Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts is presented annually to a Vermont artist who has achieved national or international stature for making a significant contribution to the advancement of his or her chosen art form. It is Vermont's highest honor in the arts.
In his late teens, Rob Mermin traveled to England and wound up with a job in a circus. At 19, he studied in Paris with the great French mime, Marcel Marceau and became hooked. Throughout the 1970s and 80s Mermin was a clown with tent shows in Wales, a mule wrangler with Circus Scott above the Artic Circle, rode with the Magyars in the Hungarian State Cirkusz, spent three years with the famous Benneweis Circus in Copenhagen and entertained royalty in the circus palaces of Europe and Russia.
After moving to Vermont, Mermin founded Circus Smirkus in an old farmhouse in Greensboro, VT. He wanted to give kids the opportunity to run away to the Circus -- but with their parents' permission. The program, dedicated to teaching circus arts, grew over the years to include a touring circus, circus summer camp, and an in-school circus arts residency program. Circus Smirkus' first "Big Top Tour" was one week long. In 2008, the seven-week tour included 71 performances in five states.
Over the years, Smirkus has welcomed young performers from 28 different countries and 10 Native American Tribes. Smirkus has performed in Washington, DC as well as in the USSR and Sweden. Alumni span the globe as performers and teachers. The Boston Globe called the circus "one of New England's most treasured cultural and educational resources." It was featured in a 14-part series on the Disney channel.
CEREMONY SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
3:00 Performances on the State House lawn featuring clowns, jugglers, stilt
walkers and aerial acrobatics by Nimble Arts and Circus Smirkus alumni
4:00 Award ceremony in the House Chamber, Vermont State House
5:00 Reception
Circus Smirkus is a non-profit, award-winning international youth circus founded with a mission: to promote the skills, culture and traditions of the traveling circus and to inspire youth to engage in life-changing adventures in the circus arts.
More information about its programs, The Big Top Tour, Smirkus Camp and Smirkus School Residencies, can be found at smirkus.org or by calling 1-802-533-7443.
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