25 years of ArtsWeek

Norman Morrison’s 1965 protest of the U.S. policy in Vietnam, during which he stood in front of the Pentagon and lit himself on fire while his 1-year-old daughter watched, inspired a monologue that will be featured during the 25th Annual ArtsWeek.

IU professor Ken Weitzman’s “Fire in the Garden” is just one work that fits this year’s ArtsWeek theme, “Politics and the Arts,” which follows up on last year’s focus. The 10-day-long celebration will run from Feb. 19 to March 1.

“I guess I want to explore or undermine things we tend to take for granted,” Weitzman said. “The things we see as rational, but as we look through a different lens, it may not be.”

An ArtsWeek committee chose 16 featured events, among many others, that best fit the theme. The Office of the Vice Provost for Research and the Office of the President funded 15 “spotlight” performances.

Among the war-related material, the exhibit “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” will display Ashley Gilbertson’s photography from Iraq and will try to show a different perspective of war.

“I do think that we all operate with a certain mental picture of what we think of war, though most of us have never been in war,” IU professor John Lucaites said. “I think Ashley’s work tends to encounter more romanticized images of what war is. I hope people come out of this and question their images of war.”


The Indiana Ice Studio, which carved politically themed blocks of ice last year, will return for its second ArtsWeek.

Last year, the studio created an interactive sculpture of the presidential desk and a sculpture of the three branches of government, involving a monkey, a parrot and an owl.

This year the studio artists will carve a political machine involving a level that will say “vote here” connected to the legislative, executive and judicial branches and complete with dial and buttons.

“I want people to look at it, and even if they have a humorous response, I hope they realize it’s a serious art,” said Stephan Koch, sculptor for the Indiana Ice Studio. “We can get very serious during an election year, and it’s nice to step back and laugh.”

An array of different art will be portrayed throughout the week, including exhibits, theater and films.

Inspired by his 23-month service in Vietnam, IU professor Ron Osgood will show the stories of Vietnam veterans who have children serving in Iraq in his documentary “My Vietnam Your Iraq.”

“It was a chance for both parents and kids to explain why they wanted to be in the military and how their relationships have changed,” Osgood said.

All ArtsWeek exhibits and events will take place throughout the week at different venues. For a full list of events, visit www.artsweek.indiana.edu.

“You can’t go to all of them unless it’s all you do for 10 days,” said Sheryl Knighton-Schwandt, the coordinator for ArtsWeek. “They are very creative and cross so many art genres. I encourage people to try things they’ve never tried before. I think that’s how they develop an interest in that type of genre.”