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Founder of Circus Smirkus Receives Governer's Award
Posted October 27, 2008
Posted mostly as received. Congratulations Rob!
2008 GOVERNOR'S AWARD GOES TO...ROB MERMIN!
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 took 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.
ABOUT ROB MERMIN:
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
Englandıs most treasured cultural and educational resources." It was
featured in a 14-part series on the Disney channel.
For more information about Circus Smirkus, visit the www.CircusSmirkus.org.
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