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The Indiana Daily Student

arts

Bloomington Parks and Recreation calls for submissions by local artists

Arts Filler

Local artists will have an opportunity to showcase their wares in an open space this summer.

The City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department will have its Fair of the Arts beginning May 13, and the application for artists hoping to have vendor stalls at the event is due Feb. 17.

Greg Jacobs, community events coordinator for the department, said events take place on the second Saturday of each month from May to October alongside the Community Farmers’ Market.

“A Fair of the Arts is a chance for Bloomington’s residents and summer visitors to see and buy the works of our exceptionally talented local and regional artists and craftspeople,” Jacobs said.

By opening the stalls close to the weekly farmers’ market, Jacobs said the fair can allow attendees to gather surrounded by local artworks. The works presented for purchase can be fine arts pieces or usable, hand-made crafts with high artistic merit.

“The Community Farmers’ Market is one of the most popular happenings in Bloomington, and a Fair of the Arts adds another local component to the market,” Jacobs said. “Similarly to buying food from the farmers at the market, it’s more fun to get to know the people who are producing what you’re buying. The art has a better story that way.”

This is not the only chance to unite Parks and Recreation and the art community, he said.

“Along with the visual arts highlighted in these summer shows and our Holiday Market the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we also offer musical and film events in many locations,” Jacobs said. “By bringing in art and artists to activate our open spaces, people are drawn out to them for entertainment, recreation, social connection, physical activity and fun.”

Though Bloomington is a small city, the talent within the wide active artist scene never fails to impress, Jacobs said. The amount of artists may feel metropolitan, but voice of the artists always reflects a Midwestern flair.

This breadth of applicants does, however, make deciding on which artists will have stalls and where those stalls will be located difficult for the jury.

“The art keeps getting better, and more talented artists are finding our show each year, so sometimes that means making tough choices about placements,” Jacobs said. “A Fair of the Arts is a juried show, meaning a panel or jury of members of the local art community score the applications. So I use the scores the jury provides to determine things like who gets in which shows and where they are placed.”

Criteria for submission include a style, ranging from clay to fiber arts to painting, of original work and high quality, price and variety, Julie Ramey, community relations manager, said in an email release.

Costs are a $15 jury fee for applicants and $55 per fair for selected artists.

Jacobs said working in this community allows for appreciation of artists and work around the city.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to work in such a dynamic scene,” Jacobs said. “Bloomington and the surrounding area is such a charming place to live, and the arts is a big component of that. I’m excited by every opportunity to bring more exposure to art into the community. Not a lot of places have the level of support for the arts that Bloomington does, so I feel lucky to be here.”

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