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December 23, 2024 NEWSLETTER“We envision a safe and inclusive environment where artists feel empowered & supported in an evolving and engaged arts community.”AAGB Vision Statement
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Greetings, Subscriber First Name,As we near the close of 2024, we’re excited and grateful for all we’ve accomplished this year. Our Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair wrapped up yesterday, and we want to thank everyone who supported local artists and helped make this event a success!In other exciting news, we welcomed Charles Pearce as our very first Executive Director. With his experience and deep connection to the Bloomington arts community, Charles is already making an impact on our mission to strengthen and support the vibrant arts scene in the region. Check out more below!Looking toward the new year, there are exciting things coming up, so stick along. Be sure to renew your membership for the upcoming season and stay tuned for the great things ahead. Thank you for your continued support, and we can’t wait to share what’s coming next!Sincerely,Emily Waldo, AAGB Webmasteron behalf of the AAGB Board
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Upcoming Events with the Arts Alliance
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Bloomington Portrait Group - Arts Alliance CenterThe Bloomington Portrait Group continues to enrich the local arts community, offering a unique opportunity for local artists to gather and increase their portraiture skills. Every other week, the group hosts a rotating lineup of models, bringing their personal aesthetic to the Arts Alliance Center. Most recently, Chuck Cristoph joined the group, posing in Civil War-era attire. His costume was complete with period details, providing the perfect setting for artists to explore intricate shading and character in their sketches, and the results were nothing short of stunning.If you’re an artist or simply someone who enjoys the art of portraiture, join the group every other Thursday from 1:00-3:00 PM at the Arts Alliance Center. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow creatives, practice your craft, and experience live portraiture in action. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or a newcomer, there’s always room for another artist at the table!
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Speaking of the Holiday Arts & Crafts Festival
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Recently the Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington was featured in the Indiana Daily Student! Reporter Lauren Kopka visited our center to cover the highly-anticipated Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair and had an insightful conversation with our Gallery Director, Sarah Asher, and one of our vendors. The article highlights the creativity and community behind the fair, showcasing the incredible local artists and vendors making the event a success.Sarah spoke about the fair’s importance to the local arts community and her experience, emphasizing the role of the Arts Alliance in fostering a vibrant creative ecosystem here in Bloomington. The article also touches on how events like the Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair help connect the community to art, culture, and local craftsmanship during the holiday season.We are incredibly grateful for the coverage and excited about the continued visibility of the Arts Alliance’s work in the community. To read the full article and learn more about the fair and the impact of the Arts Alliance, check out the article here. Thank you to Lauren Kopka and the Indiana Daily Student for supporting the arts in Bloomington!
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Remember to Renew Your AAGB Membership
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There’s no better time to join or renew than right now. When you purchase a membership between now and the end of the year, it will extend through the 2025 season, giving you plenty of time to take advantage of all the benefits our members enjoy. Whether you’re looking to promote your art, connect with patrons, or gain access to professional development opportunities, AAGB membership provides support to help you grow and thrive as an artist in our community.Membership options include a $25 rate for students and seniors, $35 for individual artists, and $45 for arts organizations. Click here to sign up today and start enjoying the perks. Let’s make a lasting impact on the arts in Bloomington together!
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Welcome Charles Pearce, AAGB’s First Executive Director!
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We are so excited to announce that we recently welcomed Charles Pearce, our first Executive Director of Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington. With a passion for the arts and sharing our commitment to fostering an inclusive and vibrant creative community, Charles will be instrumental in advancing our mission to support and enrich the arts in the Greater Bloomington area.As an alum of Indiana University, Charles brings a incredible experience as a seasoned creative director and dedicated arts advocate. His background in both the creative and organizational aspects of the arts makes him a perfect fit to lead our organization in an exciting new chapter. We are confident that his leadership and vision will help drive our community forward, ensuring that the arts remain a vital and thriving part of life in Bloomington.We look forward to the positive impact Charles will have on our organization and initiatives. To learn more about Charles and the future of the Arts Alliance, feel free to reach out to him directly at charles@crpearce.net. Join us in welcoming him to our team!
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Register in the Bloomington Arts DirectoryJoin the Arts Directory to connect with local artists in greater Bloomington and showcase your work.
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Above: Audrey Williams, a seasoned professional musician, poses with her double-bass, an instrument she has mastered over the years.
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Arts Alliance Center Artist: Ann Shedlak
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Ann Shedlak’s passion for weaving has been a lifelong journey, beginning at a young age when she first experimented with color combinations on a small loom making potholders. Her interest in weaving grew during her time at Indiana University, where she took her first formal class. Over the next several years, Ann worked with various table looms, but her love for the craft deepened when she was gifted a floor loom. Although raising a family and working as a full-time teacher limited her time for weaving, retirement in 2013 reignited her creative spark, particularly with the mentorship of a friend. Ann began weaving a wide range of items from scarves and tea towels to purses and recycled t-shirt rugs, often using cotton and more recently experimenting with tencel for its soft, shiny texture.For the past seven years, Ann has shared her work by participating in local art shows and showcasing her pieces at the Arts Alliance Center and the Brown County Craft Gallery. She is also dedicated to teaching young weavers and is applying for a grant to purchase small looms for children's weaving classes. Ann’s work is rooted in her father's philosophy that "a mistake is what makes it unique and homemade," and this mindset fuels her endless exploration and learning within her weavings.
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Arts Alliance CenterHoliday Arts & Crafts FestivalEach weekend over the last month, we welcomed dozens of talented local artists to showcase their work at the Arts Alliance Center and engage with the arts community. Thank you to everyone who came by to experience a bit of holiday magic with us!
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Sounds From the Black Hole at Orbit Room |Moth Cock / Learn Not To Lather / Brett Alan GershonSat Dec 28th, 7:00-11:00pm (EDT)Orbit RoomSounds From the Black Hole: a concert series featuring experimental music and explorations of sound. This month spotlights the electronic drones, carnivalesque free-jazz and analog video manipulations of Learn Not To Lather, Brett Alan Gershon, and Moth Cock. $10 / ALL-AGES / BUY TICKETS
Arts MileFri Jan 3rd, 5:00-8:00pm (EDT)Various Local GalleriesExperience downtown Bloomington’s vibrant Arts Mile as select galleries showcase evolving live and virtual exhibits. EVERY. FIRST. FRIDAY. Experience an exciting night of the arts as fourteen distinct galleries stay open late to host special exhibits and serve refreshments from 5-8pm. Stroll the vibrant arts scene along the sensational art mile and experience amazing art by renowned local, regional, and international artists. Discover delightful surprises, inspiration, festivities, and original works of art for purchase. Explore each distinctive gallery in-person or online all year long at your own pace.
The Kingston TrioFri Jan 10th, 7:00-9:00pm (EDT)Buskirk-Chumley TheaterDon't miss out on this incredible opportunity to experience the magic of The Kingston Trio live on stage. Grab your friends and family, and get ready for a night filled with laughter, nostalgia, and timeless melodies. Mark your calendars and secure your tickets now! The Kingston Trio was one of the most prominent groups of the era's pop-folk boom that started in 1958 with the release of their first album and its hit recording of "Tom Dooley", which sold over three million copies as a single.
FLOWSun Jan 12th, 6:00-7:00pm (EDT)First United Church BloomingtonFlow is a stunning, totally dialogue free, superbly entrancing movie about a group of animals trying to survive a world that is flooding. A wondrous journey, through realms natural and mystical, Flow follows a courageous cat after his home is devastated by a great flood. Teaming up with a capybara, a lemur, a bird, and a dog to navigate a boat in search of dry land, they must rely on trust, courage, and wits to survive the perils of a newly aquatic planet. From the boundless imagination of the award-winning Gints Zilbalodis (Away) comes a thrilling animated spectacle as well as a profound meditation on the fragility of the environment and the spirit of friendship and community. Steeped in the soaring possibilities of visual storytelling, Flow is a feast for the senses and a treasure for the heart.
Sir Eltom JohnThurs Jan 16th, 7:30-9:30pm (EDT)Buskirk-Chumley TheaterThe world’s number one Elton John tribute are coming to play All The Hits by Elton John. The spectacular show includes Bennie and the Jets, Tiny Dancer, Rocket Man, Candle In The Wind, Don’t Let TheSun Go Down On Me,I’m Still Standing, Crocodile Rock and Your Song. They will also be performing classic album tracks like Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, the multi-platinum double LP released in 1973.
Spirited AwayFri Jan 17th, 7:00-9:30pm (EDT)Buskirk-Chumley TheaterCelebrate the wondrous films of Hayao Miyazaki in a 4-film series at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater! 10-year-old Chihiro moves with her parents to a new home in the Japanese countryside. After taking a wrong turn down a wooded path, Chihiro and her parents discover an amusement park with a stall containing an assortment of food. To her surprise, Chihiro's parents begin eating and then transform into pigs. In this supernatural realm, Chihiro encounters a host of characters and endures labor in a bathhouse for spirits, awaiting a reunion with her parents.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday CelebrationMon Jan 20th, 6:00-8:30pm (EDT)Buskirk-Chumley TheaterThis event is a free, general admission event. No tickets are required. The City of Bloomington invites the community to attend the 2025 City of Bloomington Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration, Monday, Jan. 20 at 6pm. The celebration begins at 6 p.m. This year’s theme is “A Necessary Renaissance in Social Justice: Telling the Stories to Ignite Change.” featuring keynote speaker Keith A. Beauchamp. The Birthday Celebration will also feature inspirational messages from local government and community leaders, musical performances, the Legacy Award presentation, and more. Learn more at Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration. (https://bloomington.in.gov/mlk-day/birthday-celebration)
The ShitthropoceneThurs Jan 23rd, 7:00-8:00pm (EDT)Buskirk-Chumley TheaterFREE FILM ALERT! Patagonia Films takes its shot at fast fashion in “The Shitthropocene.” The Shitthropocene is a 45 minute journey from the cellular-level origins of our lack of impulse control to the ways our central nervous systems have been hacked in the name of capitalism. It’s also about how we might begin to save ourselves from ourselves. Plus, there are dancing cave people. You might have noticed that a lot of things seem to suck right now. This film isn’t about all the things that suck—that would be a really, really long film. But it is about consumption, which is both a cause and a symptom of the suckiness. For a bunch of reasons, pretty much everyone is making and buying too much stuff, and we’re evolutionarily programmed to want it. What was once an advantage (more! = better!) is now contributing to the destruction of the planet.
Howl’s Moving CastleFri Jan 24th, 7:00-9:00pm (EDT)Buskirk-Chumley TheaterCelebrate the wondrous films of Hayao Miyazaki in a 4-film series at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater! Sophie has an uneventful life at her late father's hat shop, but all that changes when she befriends wizard Howl, who lives in a magical flying castle. However, the evil Witch of Waste takes issue with their budding relationship and casts a spell on young Sophie, which ages her prematurely. Now Howl must use all his magical talents to battle the jealous hag and return Sophie to her former youth and beauty. Rated PG.
MiseryThurs Jan 30th, 7:30 - Sun Feb 16th, 2:00pm (EDT)Waldron AuditoriumPaul Sheldon used to write for a living. Now he’s writing to stay alive. Following a near-fatal car accident, a world-famous novelist finds himself in a strange house being nursed back to health by his “Number One Fan.” But as her love for his work turns to dangerous obsession, he realizes he must plot his greatest story yet: how to escape with his life. This spine-tingling Stephen King classic, adapted for the stage by two-time Academy Award-winner William Goldman, will grip you until the very end!
Kiki’s Delivery ServiceFri Jan 31st, 7:00-9:00pm (EDT)Buskirk-Chumley TheaterCelebrate the wondrous films of Hayao Miyazaki in a 4-film series at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater! 13-year-old Kiki moves to a seaside town with her talking cat, Jiji, to spend a year alone, in accordance with her village's tradition for witches in training. After learning to control her broomstick, Kiki sets up a flying courier service and soon becomes a fixture in the community. But when the insecure young witch begins questioning herself and loses her magic abilities, she must overcome her self-doubt to get her powers back. Rated G.
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