Collaborative art project engages community

On the weekends in Bloomington, an angel comes out to play at the John Waldron Arts Center.\nBloomington sculptor Joe LaMantia is one of four artists currently commissioned to create angel sculptures that will be exhibited at the West Baden Springs National Historic Landmark between Thanksgiving and Twelfth Night, which is Jan. 5, 2003. \nLaMantia's angel is being worked on Fridays and Saturdays at the Waldron as a public and collaborative art project available for viewing to people who walk by or who come to work on it.\n"The purpose of the project is to demystify the notion of art as being something untouchable; it is touchable," LaMantia said. "A lot of times they say 'Don't touch.' We want people to touch because that's how we are doing it. I am happy to be out in the street working with anyone coming by."\nWest Baden Springs was a resort area built in southern Indiana before the depression. It was noted for such features as its huge hotel, having its own opera theater and symphony orchestra stage and going bankrupt during the stock market crash. Since then it has been bought and used by the Jesuits and later abandoned by them, and later used as a school for people learning to be caterers. Bill Cook of Cook Corporation in the recent past has led a restoration of work at West Baden. A WTIU television program has called West Baden "The Save of the Century."\nAt one point during the restoration of West Baden, workers uncovered priceless art panels of angels. As a result of this discovery the resort decided to construct more angels to display on its grounds.\nKatie Wolfe teaches classes at the Center and also manages the ceramic studio there.\n"I think this cool angel project is the neatest thing I've ever seen," Wolfe said, adding that she is glad LaMantia has brought it.\nSince Oct. 4, many members of the community have been helping LaMantia complete the project, including Vicki Loveland. She said she learned about the angel project in a magazine, and became so interested she and her daughter worked on the project during the weekend of Lotus Fest.\n"What I enjoyed most about working on it that weekend is that a lot of musicians from other countries came and worked on it as well," Loveland said. "It is a community art project with contributions from other countries, and I think it's a wonderful testimony to Joe's creativity"