Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Director Chris Kramer, and David Schmitz with the Iowa Arts Council toured Indianola on Friday, in recognition of Indianola’s recent designation as an Iowa Great Place. Kramer tells KNIA News Iowa as a state is promoting culture and the arts in small towns, and residents are taking advantage of all the opportunities provided to them.

“You look at the people who are willing to drive to a job if they know they can live in a town that can support their quality of life. So a lot of our small towns are coming alive with being able to offer a lot of great things for young families and those who are just looking for something different. Certainly in the last few months if you were trapped in a highrise in a big city, being out in the open spaces of Iowa sure sounds good to a lot of those folks.”

Kramer and Schmitz will be featured on an upcoming In Depth with Dr. Bob Leonard on KNIA.