BEAD brings art, culture downtown

It is that time of year for students to either move in for the first time or return to the Bloomington scene. However, while freshmen and transfer students will probably turn a blind eye to a new feature, returning Bloomington residents might notice a new addition to downtown and Kirkwood — banners sporting “Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District,” or BEAD.

“We’ve had the Entertainment and Arts District in place for a few years, and we finally got banners,” said Miah Michaelsen, assistant economic development director for the Arts. “It’s important to the district’s evolution, and people are starting to notice. We have such an eclectic downtown, and we wanted to market that to students, tourists and the community.”

While the banners advertise the BEAD name, many changes will begin to further enrich the district’s artistic feel, including more public art on parking garages and crosswalks, and an always-changing array of restaurants.

In addition to more art livening up downtown, new conveniences will emerge in BEAD, one being the transformation of the Buskirk-Chumley Theater box office into a community-wide ticketing and information center.

BCT already sells tickets for many Bloomington venues such as Rhino’s, Jake’s and
the Bishop.

“It is a convenience for promoters that don’t have box offices as well as for tourists,” Executive Director of BCT Management, Danielle McClelland said. “If you have a question on where to stay, eat or shop, we have an answer because all of those things go in to seeing a show.”

The box office hopes to serve as a seven-day-a-week presence for members of the community and visitors to buy tickets to many events that go on in Bloomington as well as provide answers to questions about what Bloomington has to offer.

With new conveniences and changes to the area, Michaelsen hopes to attract people who might otherwise choose a different area of Bloomington to explore.

“Within the 60-block area there are over 90 restaurants, so it really is an opportunity to explore and expand your palate,” she said. “College is a time to experiment and try new things, and this is just the place to do that.”

While the new banners may officially advertise that the district has a dynamic culture, former and current residents may already have favorite places to visit downtown.

“Uptown Café and Farm Bloomington are beyond delicious,” junior Amanda Travis said. “Cactus Flower is the best hipster boutique, and of course there’s always Urban Outfitters.”

With more changes expected to come as the district continues to grow and change, Michaelsen recommends that everyone explore what BEAD has to offer.

“Downtown is everyone’s backyard,” she said. “There are great locally owned shops, and sometimes when you go off the beaten path, that’s when you have your greatest adventures.”

For more information about shows, shops and restaurants check out visitbead.com