Annual artist competition announced\nThe National Society of Arts and Letters of the Bloomington chapter will award more than $15,000 to students in various visual arts, ballet, drama, acting and musical theater. The competition will give at least $1,000 to the top award.\nThe literature competition includes genres such as short story, poetry, novel, play, TV script and essays of literary merit. The music category also includes several genres, such as voice, instrumental and composition. Those not under the exclusive professional management or representation who reside in Indiana or are enrolled as a student in Indiana and are between 14 to 29 years of age are eligible to apply. \nApplications are available at Pygmalion's Arts Supplies, 108 N. Grant St.; Yarns Unlimited, 100 Fountain Square, Suite 129; John Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut St.; Roberts Photographic Equipment, 316 E. Kirkwood Ave.; Gallery North, 116 W. Sixth St.; Friends of Art Bookstore in the School of Fine Arts, SOFA Gallery, IU School of Fine Arts Office, IU Radio & Television, Room 261 and IU School of Education, Room 2276. Deadline for applications is Jan. 28. Musical theater applications are due Jan. 21.
Workshop to explore food and body image\nTheater artist Amy Fortoul will conduct a writing and movement workshop focusing on body image and food issues from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Bloomington Playwrights Project, 312 S. Washington St.\nFortoul has previously led workshops on "Beating Your Inner Critic" and wanted to explore the subject in her latest workshop, which is open to anyone who wants to explore body image and their relationship with food through creative expression. The workshop will also be held Dec. 19. \nFortoul created a one-woman show titled "This Is My Body," which explores her personal struggle with body image, food and sexuality. She has performed the production in several cities around the country. Fortoul will be performing "This Is My Body" at 10:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday at the Bloomington Playwrights Project. Tickets are $6 at the door.
Art students to exhibit work in \nfinal showcaase\nEleven students in the School of Fine Arts bachelor's program will present their final work tonight in an exhibit entitled the BFA Thesis Show. The exhibit will feature works by advanced students in the ares of graphic design, photography, textiles, metals, sculpture and ceramics. \nFine arts students who have studied and completed the summer program in Italy and France will also display their work tonight in the SoFA gallery. The exhibit will feature students under the instruction of Edward Bernstein, who heads the printmaking program in Venice, Martha MacLeish, who taught drawing in Florence, and Jeffrey Woolin, who directed a photography class in Paris.\nThe Henry Radford School of Fine Arts will also present its annual Student Awards ceremony, which will honor over 50 undergraduate fine arts students in the areas of painting, sculpture, photography, metals, textiles, ceramics, digital media printmaking and graphic design. Following the ceremony, a reception for the exhibits and the Holiday Arts Party will be held at the SoFA gallery.
Manhattan Short Film Festival Best Of Series debuts\nNew York City's premier short film festival, the Manhattan Short Film Festival, and the Buskirk-Chumley Theater have announced an ongoing collaboration to showcase the next generation of film directors. Every second Sunday of the month, films will be shown to the public in the Buskirk-Chumley, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., until May 2005. Each show will contain a collection of past Manhattan Short Film Festival finalists' films from past festivals. The event is sponsored by the Screenwriting Software Final Draft, which will be giving away a door prize each month. The prize is valued at $229 each month. \nTo learn more about the Manhattan Short Film Festival, visit www.MSfilmfest.com. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the Sunrise Box Office, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., or by calling 323-3020. The event begins at 7 p.m. Dec. 12 and films included are Serbia's "My Country;" Australia's "Fine" and "Fetch;" the United States' "Razor's Edge," "Another Life," "The Freak," "Karaoke Man" and "Peep Show; Britain's "Drifting;" and Belgium's "Fait D'Hiver"
