Watercolor Society donates supplies to Henryville schools

On March 2, a tornado slashed through Henryville, Ind., destroying homes, parks and schools and leaving the lives of Indiana residents in its wake.

Now, as Henryville begins to rebuild itself, the Bloomington Watercolor Society has stepped in to shed the color needed to light the community back up.

“Art as therapy has been shown to be a powerful tool in helping children and adults work through emotions and fears brought about by tragic circumstances, and it also provides some measure of joy in the ability to create something in the midst of destruction,” said Miah Michaelsen, the assistant economic development director for the arts for the City of Bloomington.

Michaelsen is in charge of the collection and is helping to spread the word to Bloomington residents.

The Bloomington Watercolor Society is an active organization of about 80 local members.

Many of the members are art teachers or are significant supporters of the arts who know how they can help students recover the comfort and way of life that was taken in the face of tragedy.

“It is a very vibrant, active group of people,” said Vice President of the Bloomington Watercolor Society Kristie Lindberg. “We are trying to get more karma out there.”

The society sponsors various workshops and programs for local watercolorists and artists. It produces newsletters and has meetings and conferences to further enhance the arts community in Bloomington.

“We have worked with Bloomington Parks and Recreation and the Foundation of Monroe County Community Schools,” said Jeanne Dutton, president of the Bloomington Watercolor Society. “We do not work with IU yet, but maybe in the future.”

The Bloomington Watercolor Society has organized a donation site for new or used arts supplies to help restock Henryville schools.

The specific supplies needed include paper, colored pencils, paints, brushes, canvases, erasers, sketchbooks, glue and ceramic materials.

Partnered with the City of Bloomington Arts Commission, the society began receiving donations Wednesday after setting up a collection box in the City Hall Atrium.

The box will also be available for donations from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

As cars trickled around the parking lot in front of the City Hall Atrium and people unloaded boxes and bags overflowing with paintbrushes, paper and pencils, members inside sorted supplies to ready them for shipment to Henryville.

Phyllis Watt, IU alumna and Bloomington resident, said she saw the donation announcement while reading the Sunday paper.

“I had a lot of old supplies laying around,” Watt said. “I have been painting for 40 to 50 years and decided to donate some things.”

Other organizations helping with the Henryville effort are the Bloomington High School South Band Boosters Associations Inc., which is raising money for the Henryville school’s music programs and Follett Titlewave, an association designed to improve the libraries and school’s curricula.

“On the practical level, many of the donation solicitations done by other groups have been for personal care and basic education items needed and not for specific arts supplies such as paints, brushes, canvases, etcetera,” Michaelsen said. “That’s where the Watercolor Society had an affinity and felt like they could make a difference.”

For more information about the Bloomington Watercolor Society or how to donate, go to bloomingtonwatercolor.org.