October, 2008

Smirkus World Headquarters

ROB MERMIN, FOUNDER OF CIRCUS SMIRKUS, AWARDED STATE'S TOP ARTS HONOR

Public Ceremony Oct. 17, 2008, Vermont Capitol Building

Rob Mermin, founder of Circus Smirkus, has been named the recipient of the 2008 Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts. It is Vermont's highest honor for achievement in the arts.

In 1987, Mermin—a protégé of the late Marcel Marceau—created Circus Smirkus in a 200-yr old farmhouse in Greensboro, in the Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. Having run away to join the circus as a young man, Mermin wanted to give other young people a chance to live out their own dreams. 

Mermin recently surprised the Vermont public by announcing his stepping aside—what he called his "retiracy"—after twenty years of being the head of the company. "It's time for a new generation of clowns to take the reins," Mermin said grinning, "and lead the company into the future, happily-ever-laughter." Mermin will remain as creative advisor and Smirkus Cultural Ambassador.

Mermin's early adventures in circus took him clowning with tent shows in Wales with Circus Hoffman, mule wrangling in Lapland with Sweden's Circus Scott above the Arctic Circle, riding with the Magyars in the Hungarian State Cirkusz, three years with the Benneweis Circus in Copenhagen's famous circus building, and entertaining royalty in the circus palaces of Europe and Russia.  

Over the years, Smirkus has welcomed young performers from 28 different countries and 10 Native American Tribes. Smirkus has performed in the USSR, Sweden, as well as Washington, DC where it was named "the United Nations of the Youth Circus World."  Alumni span the globe as teachers and star performers in shows like Cirque du Soleil, Big Apple Circus, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The Boston Globe called the Smirkus "one of New England's most treasured cultural and educational resources." It was featured in a 14-part series on the Disney channel and in print and broadcast media worldwide. 

Mermin's other awards include Copenhagen's World Star-Time Clown; The Bessie Award; Russia's Best Director Prize at The International Festival on the Black Sea; the Lund Center's "It Takes A Village" Award; and the Vermont Arts Council Award of Merit. Most recently, an "American Masterpiece" award from the Vermont Arts Council enabled Mermin to tour the state this summer with "Circus: A Picturesque History," an autobiographical multimedia one-man show.

The Governor's Award is given 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. Last year's winner was The New Yorker cartoonist, illustrator and artist Ed Koren of Brookfield, Vt . Other past winners include musician Rudolf Serkin, poet Hayden Carruth, and writer Bernard Malamud.

Mermin currently lives in Montpelier, Vermont.  More information is available on the Vermont Arts Council's site at www.vermontartscouncil.org as well as on the Circus Smirkus website.

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