Press Releases

The following are Press Releases that I have written throughout my various experiences during undergrad or graduate career.



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 27, 2015

For more information, please contact:
Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, City of Bloomington Economic and Sustainable Development Department, 812.349.3534

March's Atrium Exhibit Works by Stone Belt Artisans to Celebrate Disability Awareness Month

Bloomington, Ind. - During the month of March, the City of Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District (BEAD) will showcase artworks by Stone Belt clients to celebrate March as Disability Awareness Month. Works are created in a variety of media, including what has become Stone Belt's signature style, the mixed-media mosaic.

Stone Belt is a nonprofit organization that believes in the uniqueness, worth and right to self-determination of every individual. It is Stone Belt's mission, in partnership with the community, to prepare, empower and support persons with developmental disabilities and their families to participate fully in the life of the community.

The exhibit will be on display March 1 - 31. Exhibition hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, as well as additional evening and weekend hours when City Hall is open for meetings. A reception will be held on Friday, March 6, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., which is free and open to the public. In addition to being on display, the Stone Belt artwork will be available for purchase. Stone Belt artists will be in attendance to meet the public, discuss the artwork and answer questions.

The Stone Belt Arts Program provides opportunities for individuals with disabilities to expand their capacity for self-expression, contribute to the beautification of the community, develop new life skills and work professionally in the arts. Creative exploration provides an outlet for self expression, identity transformation and the sharing of one's personal story. Stone Belt envisions "the arts" broadly, including visual, performing,and culinary arts, and strives to provide a diverse offering of experiences through its education programming. For more information about Stone Belt's art programs, visit www.stonebelt.org/thearts.

This project is another effort under the City's strategy to leverage and expand the economic development potential of the arts in Bloomington. According to the 2012 Americans for the Arts study, Bloomington's nonprofit arts sector contributes $72.3 million to the local economy annually through direct spending by arts organizations and their audiences. For more information on the study visit www.bloomington.in.gov/arts.

For more information about the City's atrium exhibits, contact Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts Miah Michealsen at 812.349.3418.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2014


For more information, please contact:
Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, City of Bloomington Economic and Sustainable Development Department, 349.3534

Artists Seek Community Input for Public Art Project on South Walnut Street

Bloomington, Ind. - Artists Jiangmei Wu and Jon Racek are seeking community input for a public art project to be located at 2nd and Walnut Streets in Downtown Bloomington.

The project, entitled "(C)olumn," will be a 13-foot tall, illuminated, column-shaped "room" fabricated of stainless steel. (C)olumn was selected as the capstone public art project for the South Walnut Streetscape and will serve as a gateway to the BEAD district.


Another feature of (C)olumn is its participatory and inclusive design. Built into the final design process is an opportunity for public involvement. The sculpture, as designed, is comprised of individual words describing Bloomington which define not only the column's structure but also its visual composition. The artists are inviting the public to visit the project's website at http://columnbloomington.com/ by April 16 and suggest words that describe aspects of Bloomington for possible inclusion in the composition. The artists will review the words that have been submitted and select ones to complete the final column design. The words will then be laser-cut into steel using digital fabrication equipment. The sculpture is scheduled to be installed in fall of 2014 and is being administered by the City of Bloomington Arts Commission through the City's Percentage for the Arts program.


Both artists are members of the Indiana University Department of Apparel Merchandising & Interior Design. Jiangmei Wu earned her undergraduate degree in urban planning and design from the College of Architecture and Urban Planning of Tongji University in Shanghai. Her master of science in interior design and her master of fine arts in graphic design are both from Indiana University. She prefers to work in overlapping spaces between art, design, mathematics, science and engineering. Recently, she has been investigating the tectonic relationship between geometry, surface texture, algorithm and making techniques through the art and science of paper folding. Her new collection of Folded Light Art has gained attention world-wide and has been published in many design magazines internationally. Jon Racek, trained as an architect, is a multidisciplinary designer whose expertise emcompasses many areas, including architectural, landscape and industrial design. His work has been exhibited domestically and internationally and has been published in numerous publications, such as the New York Times and Time Magazine.


(C)olumn marks Wu and Racek's first public art project for the City of Bloomington.

This project is another effort under the City's strategy to leverage and expand the economic development potential of the arts in Bloomington. According to the 2012 Americans for the Arts study, Bloomington's nonprofit arts sector contributes $72.3 million to the local economy annually through direct spending by arts organizations and their audiences. For more information on the study visit the website.


For more information, please visit the project's website listed above or contact Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts Miah Michaelsen at 349.3534.

CONTACT                                                                 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Amy Roche

outreach@bloomingtoncommunityorchard.org

The First Neighborhood Orchard Planting

The Bloomington Community Orchard debuts program for more community fruit

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2014 -- Bloomington, Ind. – Join the Bloomington Community Orchard's for the debut planting of its Neighborhood Orchard Program. The first neighborhood orchard will break ground at Bloomington's Evergreen Village. The afternoon will include tree planting and tree give-away On Sunday, October 26th, from noon to 3 p.m., the public is invited to help Bloomington's Evergreen Village plant this first-ever neighborhood orchard.
Volunteers will be planting 25 fruit trees, and orchard educators will be on hand. While helping with planting, you will also be trained on fruit tree planting and care. Then, sign-up for a free fruit tree to take home, courtesy of a grant from the Alliance for Community Trees! All who sign up to receive a free fruit tree will be contacted to pick up their new tree at the Orchard during the first week of November.
After that hard work, join in a potluck. If you are able, please bring a potluck dish to share during the after-planting celebration. 
Evergreen Village is located on S. Susie Street, just off of Rockport Road near RCA Community Park. This event is part of NeighborWoods. Thank you to CSX and ACTrees for their support in spreading fruit trees throughout Bloomington. If you would like more information about assessing or preparing a site for a fruit tree of your own, contact outreach@bloomingtoncommunityorchard.org

Bloomington Community Orchard is an organization devoted to growing fruit for the community and growing our orcharding skills through educational opportunities. The publicly owned orchard is maintained by volunteers, and the harvest is available to everyone in the community.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 3, 2014

For more information, please contact:

Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, City of Bloomington, 349.3534

“Captive on the Carousel of Time” by Elizabeth Busey is November Atrium Exhibit

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – During the month of November, the City of Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District (BEAD) will showcase linoleum block prints on cotton rag paper created by Elizabeth Busey in the Showers Atrium of City Hall, 401 N. Morton Street.

Elizabeth Busey began her career as a printmaker at twelve, creating Christmas cards on her parents’ kitchen countertop. She continued her printmaking studies at Indiana University as an adult, and was particularly inspired by a workshop led by Karen Kunc from the University of Nebraska. Busey creates art in her Bloomington, Indiana studio on an etching press her husband built out of recycled steel. Her work has been shown in galleries, and public and nonprofit spaces throughout the Midwest. Her work has most recently been included in the 2013 Boston Printmaker’s Biennial at Boston University, and will be featured in the upcoming 57^th Mid-States Art Exhibition in Evansville, IN.

Each print is created using one linoleum block, where ink is rolled on the block and then printed on cotton rag paper. She begins with a very minimal outline of the subject, allowing the image to develop in the conversation between carving away the block and printing each stage with transparent layers of color. As the print develops, more linoleum is carved away – or reduced.  This process allows Busey to create a rich two-dimensional exploration of the three-dimensional world. Her work highlights and synthesizes patterns from the microscopic lace of plant cells to the spiral illumination of the universe. This interest in patterns in nature has been fueled by her travels throughout North America, Europe and Australia.

The exhibit will be on display November 5^th through the 28th.  Exhibition hours are 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday and Saturday 8:00 a.m. – Noon as well as additional evening and weekend hours when City Hall is open for meetings.

This project is another effort under the City's strategy to leverage and expand the economic development potential of the arts in Bloomington. According to the 2012 Americans for the Arts study, Bloomington's nonprofit arts sector contributes $72.3 million to the local economy annually through direct spending by arts organizations and their audiences. For more information on the study visit www.bloomington.in.gov/arts.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 12, 2014

For more information, please contact:

Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, City of Bloomington, 349.3534

“Lost Now Found” works curated by Dave Derkacy and Sarah McAleer is September's Atrium Exhibit

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – During the month of September, the City of Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District (BEAD) will showcase photographs curated by Bloomington photographers Dave Derkacy and Sarah McAleer in the Atrium of City Hall, 401 N. Morton Street.

The photographs presented are the work of Indiana University photography students and were curated and printed by Derkacy, a photography instructor at IU, and McAleer, from abandoned negatives and contact sheets found at Mitchell Hall, the student photography lab on campus prior to the building’s destruction. The images date from the 1990’s but the identity of the photographers, locations, and subjects are unknown. The images, which show daily living in a variety of rural contexts around the world, vividly illustrate the rich and unique perspective brought to a university community by international students.  They also leave the viewer to ponder the photographer’s intent in subject and composition.

The exhibit will be on display September 8th through the 30th.  Exhibition hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. as well as additional evening and weekend hours when City Hall is open for meetings.

This project is another effort under the City's strategy to leverage and expand the economic development potential of the arts in Bloomington. According to the 2012 Americans for the Arts study, Bloomington's nonprofit arts sector contributes $72.3 million to the local economy annually through direct spending by arts organizations and their audiences. For more information on the study visit www.bloomington.in.gov/arts.

The City of Bloomington is committed to providing opportunities for area artists to exhibit artwork at City Hall. For more information on the exhibition program, contact Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts Miah Michaelsen at michaelm@bloomington.in.gov or 349.3534

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 22, 2014

For more information, please contact:

Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, City of Bloomington, 349.3534

The City of Bloomington’s Arts Commission, Department of Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND) and the Lincoln Street Boys and Girls Club invite participants to build a "Cardboard Neighborhood"

BLOOMINGTON, IN – The City of Bloomington's Arts Commission and Department of Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND)  are teaming up to offer a participatory art project, "Cardboard Neighborhood" during the Blooming Neighborhood event, Saturday, June 7th from 10 a.m. - noon.

“Cardboard Neighborhood” is a participatory art project led by members of Lincoln Street Boys and Girls Club, ranging in ages from 6-14. Members created structures commonly found in neighborhoods, such as houses, parks, schools, community centers, etc. These completed structures will be exhibited at the “Blooming Neighborhood” event on the Plaza outside of City Hall (Atrium if rain). Visitors will be able to participate by adding color to the existing structures and design their ideal neighborhood all facilitated by members from the Club. Program Coordinator, Sarah Mihich, says of the project "This is a great opportunity for kids to learn about what makes a great neighborhood. The Cardboard Neighborhood symbolizes the importance of each individual’s effort in building and enhancing the quality of life within our neighborhoods and by extension, the community”. The completed "Cardboard Neighborhood" will be on display for the month of June in the City Hall Atrium.

For more information on the project, contact Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts Miah Michaelsen at michaelm@bloomington.in.gov or 349.3534.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 25, 2014

For more information, please contact:

Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, City of Bloomington, 349.3534

The City of Bloomington Department of Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND) and Bloomington Arts Commission Announces Call to Artists for “Art Right Up Your Alley”

BLOOMINGTON, IN – The City of Bloomington's Housing and neighborhood Development (HAND) and Bloomington Arts Commission are teaming up to issue a Call to Artists to submit artworks for consideration for an  exhibit at  City Hall Atrium for the month of June, “Art Right Up Your Alley”.

“Art Right Up Your Alley” is a community-based art exhibit sponsored by HAND in partnership with the Arts Commission celebrating the neighborhoods of Bloomington. The exhibit will feature work that showcases neighborhoods of Bloomington—their architecture, environment, people and activities. The exhibition will run June 1—30, 2014 in the City Hall Atrium. The opening celebration will be Saturday, June 7 10:00 a.m.—noon coinciding with HAND's Blooming Neighborhood Celebration.

 Artists 18 and over are encouraged to submit work in any media with a neighborhood-related subject matter suitable for hanging in a public  space.

To submit work, artists are asked to e-mail Miah Michaelsen at michaelm@bloomington.in.gov by May 1^st and provide  a JPG of the artwork (file size not to exceed 2MB), artwork dimensions, artist name, and contact information.

This exhibit is another effort under the City's strategy to leverage and expand the economic development potential of the arts in Bloomington. According to the 2012 Americans for the Arts study, Bloomington's nonprofit arts sector contributes $72.3 million to the local economy annually through direct spending by arts organizations and their audiences. For more information on the study visit www.bloomington.in.gov/arts.

For more information on the exhibition program, contact Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts Miah Michaelsen at michaelm@bloomington.in.gov or 349.3534.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 30, 2014

For more information, please contact:

Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, City of Bloomington, 349.3534

Bloomington Arts Commission Announces April 2014 Arts Project Grant Recipients

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Bloomington Arts Commission (BAC) has chosen eleven Bloomington arts organizations to receive grant money in its April 2014 grant cycle. Organizations are awarded with money based on their merits in the three areas of artistic quality, community impact, and organizational capacity. A record high of twenty-three organizations applied for grants during this cycle.

Arts Project Grants are awarded to Bloomington non-profits who demonstrate commitment to the Bloomington Arts Commission’s areas of focus: cultivating a community in which residents appreciate the value of personal and collective artistic activity, encouraging collaboration and diversification of artistic activities including participants from across the community, supporting a high level of artistry, and supporting the economic vitality and interests of local artists and arts organizations.

The organizations chosen to receive funds by the BAC includes the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, Bloomington Playwrights Project, Lotus Education and Arts Foundation, Bloomington Chamber Singers, WonderLab, Carlson-Palmer Productions LLC, Writers Guild at Bloomington, Roundabout Opera for Kids, Friends of the Monroe County Library, WFHB Community Radio, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington, Lincoln Street and Crescent clubs. For more information about the projects being supported by these grants, visit www.bloomington.in.gov/arts/projects-April-2014.

This project is another effort under the City's strategy to leverage and expand the economic development potential of the arts in Bloomington. According to the 2012 Americans for the Arts study, Arts and Economic Prosperity IV, Bloomington's nonprofit arts sector contributes $72.3 million to the local economy annually through direct spending by arts organizations and their audiences. For more information on the study visit www.bloomington.in.gov/arts.

For more information on the grant program, contact Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, at michaelm@bloomington.in.gov  or (812) 349-3534.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 1, 2014

For more information, please contact:

Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, City of Bloomington, 349.3534

"Exuberant Musings:  Magical Moments in Nature" by Laura Bulla is May Atrium Exhibit

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – During the month of May, the City of Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District (BEAD) will showcase Laura Bulla's recent painting series "Exuberant Musings: Magical Moments in Nature" in the Showers Atrium of City Hall, 401 N. Morton Street during the month of May.

Artist Laura Bulla’s work offers interesting glimpses of fleeting moments.  Varied subjects both local and tropical are depicted in vibrant color and lively brushwork.  She hopes to engage the viewer in the “glorious instant that inspires the soul.”  Ms. Bulla has been painting for over forty years and maintains a studio/gallery in Brown County.

The exhibit will be on display April 1st through the 31st.  Exhibition hours are 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday and Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. as well as additional evening and weekend hours when City Hall is open for meetings.

This project is another effort under the City's strategy to leverage and expand the economic development potential of the arts in Bloomington. According to the 2012 Americans for the Arts study, Bloomington's nonprofit arts sector contributes $72.3 million to the local economy annually through direct spending by arts organizations and their audiences. For more information on the study visit www.bloomington.in.gov/arts.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 17, 2014

For more information, please contact:

Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, City of Bloomington, 349.3534

“Portraits of Trees" Martina Celerin Exhibit, is March Atrium Exhibit.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – During the month of March, the City of Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District (BEAD) will showcase artworks created by Martina Celerin in the Showers Atrium of City Hall, 401 N. Morton Street.

Martina Celerin is a resident of Bloomington who earned a doctoral degree in plant sciences from the University of Western Ontario. In 2002 she decided to transition from science back to her roots as an artist. In her past she focused on using oil pastels and acrylic painting. Working and experimenting independently with these mediums led her to her current choice of medium, fiber.

One of Martina's joy is spending long hours in her art studio weaving and creating art where  she gets to spend a lot of time daydreaming as she works.  She got to thinking about her family, other families, and photographic stills that capture occasions in our lives.  She started to think about trees in that way too, which triggered a lot of ideas and connections that helped her develop new pieces and themes for this exhibition.  The most intimate part of the show, and in all of her work, is that each piece has some kind of personal connection to herself, her family, and  family tree. Her Grandpa’s old army blankets from the 1950s are inside a lot of the trees.  One piece recalls a beautiful day biking with her family in Madison, Wisconsin.  The path along the river turned onto a bridge that she recreated using her family’s old Hudson Bay Company blanket.  Another piece (“Working Trees”) has a clothesline that hangs a T-shirt made from one of her husband’s well-worn, old favorites.  The tiny jeans come from her son’s much larger pair with the knees blown out from sliding on the ground.  Her theme is family portraits, and when she looks at her pieces she can see all sorts of family history hidden in the still images of the trees. To learn more about Martina Celerin's work please visit her new website, www.MartinaCelerin.com.

The exhibit will be on display March 4th through the 31st.  Exhibition hours are 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday, as well as additional evening and weekend hours when City Hall is open for meetings.

This project is another effort under the City's strategy to leverage and expand the economic development potential of the arts in Bloomington. According to the 2012 Americans for the Arts study, Bloomington's nonprofit arts sector contributes $72.3 million to the local economy annually through direct spending by arts organizations and their audiences. For more information on the study visit www.bloomington.in.gov/arts.

The City of Bloomington is committed to providing opportunities for area artists to exhibit artwork at City Hall. For more information on the exhibition program, contact Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts Miah Michaelsen at michaelm@bloomington.in.gov or 349.3534.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 21, 2013

For more information, please contact:

Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, City of Bloomington, 349.3534

“The Power of Pattern” Lotus Backdrop Exhibit,  is February's Atrium Exhibit. The Power of Pattern project was made possible, in part, with grant support from the Bloomington Arts Commission.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – During the month of February, the City of Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District (BEAD) will showcase artworks created for the   icelebration of Lotus Education and Arts Foundation's 20th annual Lotus World Music and Arts Festival in the Showers Atrium of City Hall, 401 N. Morton Street.

In 2013, the Lotus Education and Arts Foundation Launched an ambitious visual arts undertaking: the Power of Pattern backdrop project. The exhibit features the entire 770-square-foot backdrop, draped in sections over the atrium's high beams; smaller canvas panels that were part of the design team's prototyping process; works created in community outreach workshops at local ser5vice agencies, the Mathers Museum of World Cultures, and at the 2013 Lotus Blossoms World Bazaar (Lotus's largest annual educational outreach event); and a small selection of hand-carved blocks used on the backdrop.

The exhibit will be on display February 7th through the 28th.  Exhibition hours are 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday, as well as additional evening and weekend hours when City Hall is open for meetings. A free reception from 5pm-7pm will occur on February 7th. The public is invited to view the backdrop and talk to members of the design team. The reception will also provide an opportunity for members of the public to meet the new executive director of the Lotus Education and Arts Foundation, Sunni Fass, who joined the Lotus staff at the start of the year.

This project is another effort under the City's strategy to leverage and expand the economic development potential of the arts in Bloomington. According to the 2012 Americans for the Arts study, Bloomington's nonprofit arts sector contributes $72.3 million to the local economy annually through direct spending by arts organizations and their audiences. For more information on the study visit www.bloomington.in.gov/arts.

The City of Bloomington is committed to providing opportunities for area artists to exhibit artwork at City Hall. For more information on the exhibition program, contact Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts Miah Michaelsen at michaelm@bloomington.in.gov or 349.3534

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     

July 14, 2014 

                                                                

For more information, please contact:

Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, 812.349-3534

BEAD and the City of Bloomington Arts Commission Host Free Workshop:  "The Business of Art: Financial Management for Artists and Arts Organizations"

The Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District (BEAD) in partnership with the City of Bloomington Arts Commission will host two workshops for arts and cultural organizations and artists presented by Elaine Luttrull, author of Arts & Numbers: A Financial Guide for Artists, Writers, Performers, and Other Members of the Creative Class.

In The Business of Art: Financial Management for Arts Organizations, Luttrull will cover best practices an arts and cultural organization may adopt to develop strong and effective governance and financial policies. Key topics to be covered include budgeting, managing cash flow, taxes, governance and internal controls. The workshop will be on Saturday, August 9th from 9 am - 1:00 pm at the Bloomington/Monroe County Convention Center

In The Business of Art: Financial Literacy and Career Planning for Artists, Luttrull will lead discussions and activities to empower visual artists, musicians, literary artists, and creative entrepreneurs to follow their passions and build sustainable careers. Topics covered will include goal setting, the art of budgeting for projects both personal and professional and managing cash flow. Tax and healthcare questions common to creative entrepreneurs also will be covered. This  two-day workshop will be on Saturday and Sunday, August 16th and 17th at the Bloomington/Monroe County Convention Center, from 8:30 am - 12:30 pm for visual artists and from 2 pm - 6 pm for musicians, theater and literary artists.

Luttrull is the author of Arts & Numbers: A Financial Guide for Artists, Writers, Performers, and Other Members of the Creative Class. She is also a CPA and the founder of Minerva Financial Arts, a company devoted to bridging the gap between business and the arts. She teaches at the Columbus College of Art and Design and in the Department of Art at The Ohio State University, and her presentations have been featured nationally by Americans for the Arts, The Foundation Center, and the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the Kennedy Center. Her presentations are renowned for their accessibility and relevance, particularly for arts organizations and leaders. For more information, please visit http://minervafinancialarts.com/about/.

Workshops are free of charge, but space is limited.  To register, visit www.bloomington.in.gov/bac.   Advance registration is required.

Workshops are made possible, in part, with support from the Indiana Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, with additional support provided by BEAD and the City of Bloomington Arts Commission.

For more on the workshop, contact Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, at michaelm@bloomington.in.gov or (812) 349-3534.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 29, 2014

For more information, please contact:

Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, City of Bloomington, 349.3534

Bloomington Arts Commission Announces 2014 Arts Project Grant Award Recipients

Bloomington, Ind. -- The City of Bloomington Arts Commission is pleased to announce its 2014 Art Project Grant recipients. Grants are made available to nonprofit organizations participating in arts activities that align with current areas of focus of the Arts Commission: to cultivate a community in which residents appreciate the value of personal and collective artistic activity; to encourage collaboration in and diversification of artistic activities that include participants from across the community; to enhance and support a high level of artistry; and to support the economic vitality and interests of local artists and arts organizations.  25 organizations in the Bloomington community submitted grant applications for specific arts programs and were evaluated in three categories: artistic quality, community impact and organizational capacity. The following 15 organizations received the highest ranking and were granted funding during this year’s grant round:

Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, $1,303.64 for the 2014 Holiday Concerts at Buskirk-Chumley Theater.

Bloomington Playwrights Project, $1,330.91 for their After School EdVentures Program.

Bloomington PRIDE, Ltd, $1,371.00 for the 2015 Bloomington PRIDE Film Festival.

Bloomington Chamber Singers, $1,253.18 for their 2014 Fall Concert: Monteverdi’s “Vespro della Beata Virgine”.  

Monroe County Historical Society, Inc, $1,333.64 for a Photography Exhibit: “Pigeon Hill, Then and Now”.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington, $1,291.36 for members to create a Musical Arts Garden. 

Jazz From Bloomington, $1,332.27 for the 2014 Grant Street Jazz Fest.

Bloomington Open Studios Tour, $1,296.82 for the 2014 Bloomington Open Studios Tour.

Writers Guild at Bloomington $1,315.91 for the Spoken Word Stage at the 2014 4^th Street Festival of the Arts.

Lotus Education and Arts Foundation, $1,395.00 to increase education and engagement at the 2014 Lotus in the Park.

Shalom Community Center, Inc, $1,276.36 for their More Than Homeless Public Art Project Planning Process.

WonderLab Museum $1,398.00 for fiber sculptures to support an exhibit on ants.

Carlson-Palmer Productions, $816.52 to perform “Bewitched by Love” – Selections from Broadway and Opera.

New Hope Family Shelter,  $1,336.36 for their Story of Hope Art Program.

Krampus Legend and Arts Workshop, $1,358.18 for 2014 Krampus Night.

The Arts Project Grant program is another effort under the City's strategy to leverage and expand the economic development potential of the arts in Bloomington. According to the 2012 Americans for the Arts study, Arts and Economic Prosperity IV, Bloomington’s nonprofit arts sector contributes $72.3 million to the local economy annually through direct spending by arts organizations and their audiences. For more information on the study visit www.bloomington.in.gov/arts.

The next cycle of applications for Arts Project Grants will be due in 2015. For more information on the Bloomington Arts Commission or its grant program, visit http://bloomington.in.gov/bac, or contact Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, at michaelm@bloomington.in.gov or (812) 349-3534.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 27, 2014

For more information, please contact:

Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, City of Bloomington, 349.3534

“Modern Designs” by David Reuter is April Atrium Exhibit

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – During the month of April, the City of Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District (BEAD) will showcase functional and decorative works in wood created by David Reuter in the Showers Atrium of City Hall, 401 N. Morton Street.

David Reuter of Bloomington creates custom wood products that were salvaged from dead or storm damaged tress from a certified tree farm in northern Monroe County. No live or healthy trees are harvested or used in Reuter’s designs. Using wood from damaged trees brings a knotty, grainy wood to the process which lends itself to a different level of beauty and quality in the finished product. The original edge of the board, the “live edge”, is incorporated into the finished product which Reuter will be showing in the form of picture frames, mirrors and benches.

The exhibit will be on display April 1^st through the 30th.  Exhibition hours are 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday and Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. as well as additional evening and weekend hours when City Hall is open for meetings.

This project is another effort under the City's strategy to leverage and expand the economic development potential of the arts in Bloomington. According to the 2012 Americans for the Arts study, Bloomington's nonprofit arts sector contributes $72.3 million to the local economy annually through direct spending by arts organizations and their audiences. For more information on the study visit www.bloomington.in.gov/arts.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 25, 2014

For more information, contact:

Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, 349-3534

City of Bloomington Arts Commission Announces Revised Guidelines and March Workshop for Arts Project Grant Program

Bloomington, IN - The City of Bloomington Arts Commission (BAC) announces that revised guidelines and applications are now available for the April Cycle of its 2014 Arts Project Grant Program. Deadline for applications is 5:00 p.m. April 1, 2014.

There will only be one grant round this year in April. Maximum grant amounts have been increased to $1,500 for 2014, and grants are available for arts activities that align with current areas of focus of the Arts Commission: to cultivate a community in which residents appreciate the value of personal and collective artistic activity; to encourage collaboration in and diversification of artistic activities that include participants from across the community; to enhance and support a high level of artistry; and to support the economic vitality and interests of local artists and arts organizations. In 2013, 34 arts projects were supported through the program.

As part of its ongoing capacity-building efforts, the Arts Commission will hold a drop-in workshop for potential applicants on Wednesday, March 12^th from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. in the McCloskey Conference Room in City Hall. Potential applicants are invited to bring applications in progress for review and feedback by Commission members. The drop-in workshop is first-come, first-served and will conclude at 5:00 p.m.

Submitted grant applications will be reviewed during the Arts Commission’s April meeting scheduled for April 9 at 4:00 p.m. in the McCloskey Room of Bloomington City Hall.  The public is invited to attend and observe.

Guidelines and application are available on the City of Bloomington website at www.bloomington.in.gov/bac.

This project is another effort under the City's strategy to leverage and expand

the economic development potential of the arts in Bloomington. According to the

2012 Americans for the Arts study, Arts and Economic Prosperity IV, Bloomington’s

nonprofit arts sector contributes $72.3 million to the local economy annually

through direct spending by arts organizations and their audiences. For more

information on the study visit www.bloomington.in.gov/arts.

For more information on the grant program, contact Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, at michaelm@bloomington.in.gov

July 27, 2011

For Immediate Release…

Terre Haute, Indiana

Arts Corridor Banner Design Competition

Deadline:   October 12, 2011

Arts Spaces, Inc., is seeking artists interested in designing new banners for the Terre Haute Arts Corridor.  The Arts Corridor is a designated section of 7^th Street beginning at Poplar Street and continuing to Tippecanoe St.    Up to 20 new vertical banners will be installed on light poles between Poplar and Cherry Streets. The first banner design competition was held in 2006. Artist, Sala Wong’s winning design served as the designation for the Arts Corridor since that time.

Artists and art students 18 years and older, who are  living, working, or attending school in Clay, Parke, Putnam, Sullivan, Vermillion or Vigo County are eligible to apply.  Five finalists will each receive $50.  Following the final review, the winning entry will be awarded $750.  The final design will be produced in November in collaboration with Indiana State University’s Energize Downtown,  Downtown Terre Haute, Inc., and the City of Terre Haute

The purpose of the banners is to identify the Arts Corridor as a special cultural district, draw attention to the arts of the region, and add an attractive artistic element to downtown.  Artists are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the location and submit imaginative, clear, and compelling responses to this design challenge. 

Anyone interested in submitting a design should pay careful attention to the following guidelines and specifications:

• Each artist may submit up to 3 separate designs. 
• You are encouraged to send each design in two color variations so that the Arts Corridor Committee has the option of displaying both simultaneously.
• The design(s) should incorporate the words “Terre Haute”  and the words “Arts Corridor”.
• Submit a design that measures 5”x10” (this is proportionally equal to the final banner size, 30”x 60”).
• Accepted format and file sizes include tiff, jpg or pdf with a maximum file size of 10 mb. Selected finalists must be prepared to provide a high resolution file for further review at a later time, and for eventual production of the banners.
• Submit your design(s) on a CD and include one hard copy (printed) of each design as well.  The CD files must be named with the first 5 letters of your last name as the beginning of the title.  The hard copy should be on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper with your name on the back.
• Include a hard copy of your resume and contact information with the CD.
• Include an SASE if you would like the CD returned.

Send to or drop off at:   ARTS CORRIDOR DESIGN COMPETITION, c/o Art Spaces, Inc., 669 Ohio Street, Terre Haute IN 47807.  No e-mail submissions will be accepted.  Your entry must be received by end of day Wednesday, October 12, 2011.  The winning entry will be selected by the end of October.

For more information or for technical assistance please call Art Spaces (812-235-2801) or e-mail info@wabashvalleyartspaces.com

669 Ohio Street, Terre Haute IN 47807

July 27, 2011

For Immediate Release…

Terre Haute, Indiana

Arts Corridor Banner Design Competition

Deadline:   October 12, 2011

Arts Spaces, Inc. – Wabash Valley Outdoor Sculpture Collection, is seeking artists interested in designing new banners for the Terre Haute Arts Corridor.  The Arts Corridor is a designated section of 7^th Street beginning at Poplar Street and continuing to Tippecanoe St. Up to 20 new vertical banners will be installed on light poles between Poplar and Cherry Street. The first banner design competition was held in 2006. Artist, Sala Wong’s winning design served as the designation for the Arts Corridor since that time.

Artists and art students 18 years and older, who are living, working, or attending school in Clay, Parke, Putnam, Sullivan, Vermillion and Vigo Counties are eligible to apply.  Five finalists will each receive $50.  Following the final review, the winning entry will be awarded $750.  The final design will be produced in November in collaboration with Indiana State University’s Energize Downtown, Downtown Terre Haute, Inc., and the City of Terre Haute

Anyone interested in receiving guidelines for submission should send a self addressed stamped envelope to:

ARTS CORRIDOR DESIGN COMPETITION

c/o Art Spaces, Inc.

669 Ohio Street

Terre Haute, IN 47807

For more information call Art Spaces (812-235-2801), e-mail

info@wabashvalleyartspaces.com , or visit our website www.wabashvalleyartspaces.com