FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 18, 2026

Contact: Dustin Ritchea, Communications and Creative Director, Indiana Dunes Tourism

Phone: 219-926-2255

Cell: 219-916-4475

Webpage: IndianaDunes.com

Email: dustin@indianadunes.com

App Store Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/indiana-dunes-tourism/id6751349592

Google Play Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.visitwidget.indianadunes&pcampaignid=we b_

Indiana Dunes Tourism and Local Partners to Launch Arts + Culture Trail at Sand + Steel Art Fest

PORTER, Ind.—Indiana Dunes Tourism, in partnership with local non-profit and higher education arts and culture organizations, will launch an Indiana Dunes Arts + Culture Trail as part of the Indiana Dunes Tourism App. Each location on the trail will feature a commissioned Sand + Steel-themed postcard. The trail officially launches during the Valparaiso Sand + Steel Art Fest on Saturday, June 27. For more information about the festival, visit ValpoCreates.org. For information about the trail, visit IndianaDunes.com on Saturday, June 27.

At launch, the Indiana Dunes Arts + Culture Trail will highlight 14 local arts and culture organizations across Porter County and offer a gamified, self-guided tour of museums, theater venues and art centers. Visitors can collect one of 14 unique postcards at each location by downloading the Indiana Dunes Tourism App and digitally checking in. The trail encourages visitors who come to Porter County for beaches, hiking and outdoor recreation to extend their stay by exploring local arts, history, theater and cultural attractions.

At the beginning of 2026, Indiana Dunes Tourism created a steering committee comprised of Hannah Hammond-Hagman from the Chesterton Art Center, Amy Davis-Navardauskas from the Art Barn School of Art and Jessica Corral from the Valparaiso Creative Council to identify arts and culture venues and guide the project's overall direction.

“This is more than just an Arts + Culture Trail,” says Christine Livingston, the President and CEO of Indiana Dunes Tourism, “this is an opportunity to bring our arts and culture organizations closer. By creating this trail in partnership with our arts leaders, we aim to open the door to future collaboration across our entire arts community, which is a powerful economic driver and an attractive resource for visitors and locals alike. Many partners have already used this collaborative project as an example of ‘coopetition’ in their READI 2.0 grant applications.”

Participating organizations on the Indiana Dunes Arts + Culture Trail include arts centers such as the Art Barn School of Art, Chesterton Art Center and Valparaiso Creative Council; performing arts venues including the Memorial Opera House, Chicago Street Theatre and 4th Street Theater; museums and historical sites such as the Porter County Museum, Beverly Shores Depot Museum and Art Gallery, Duneland History Center (formerly the Westchester Township History Museum), The "Hour Glass" House Museum and the Stagecoach Inn and Panhandle Depot Museum; as well as unique cultural destinations including the Brauer Museum of Art at Valparaiso University, The Village Gallery at Pines Village Retirement Communities and the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, home to the Indigenous Cultural Trail.

Visitors who complete the trail will have the opportunity to collect exclusive Sand + Steel-themed postcards featuring artwork from regional artists, including Carolyn Lelek, Daniel E. Gue, Kuhn Hong, Mark Coleman, Arthur E. Anderson, Laura Gutzwiller, Sophie Groenstein and Frank V. Dudley.

“One of my favorite parts of this project was meeting the people behind these organizations,” said Dustin Ritchea, Communications and Creative Director for Indiana Dunes Tourism and project manager for the Arts + Culture Trail. “Every stop on the trail has passionate individuals working to preserve history, foster creativity and make our communities more vibrant. What excites me most is that this project doesn't just connect visitors to those experiences; it has also connected the organizations to one another. My hope is that people will shake off the sand south of the dunes by discovering our incredible arts, culture and stories waiting just beyond the shoreline.”

The Indiana Dunes Tourism App is available for free on Apple and Android devices.

Indiana Dunes Tourism is the official destination marketing, planning and development organization dedicated to enhancing sustainability, driving economic growth and fostering a high-quality of place throughout Porter County and the Indiana Dunes area. To learn more about Indiana Dunes Tourism, visit them online at IndianaDunes.com. #####

Additional Resources:

Website: IndianaDunes.com

Printed and Electronic Guides: IndianaDunes.com/Destination-Guides

Videos: YouTube.com/@IndianaDunes Online

Calendar of Events: IndianaDunes.com/Events

3 Dune Challenge: IndianaDunes.com/3DC

Diana of the Dunes Dare: IndianaDunes.com/DDD

Grant Program: IndianaDunes.com/Grant-Programs App: IndianaDunes.com/App

Best, Dustin Ritchea, MS, CITP

Communications and Creative Director

Indiana Dunes Tourism

1215 N. State Road 49 Porter, IN 46304

219-926-2255

219-916-4475