The Banneker Community Center will hold a virtual art gallery featuring work from the recent Enough is Enough protests and events.
The center is asking for posters, flags, masks, written speeches or other artwork that will be photographed and displayed in the virtual gallery. The gallery will be available later this month on the community center website and the group’s Facebook page.
Enough is Enough, a local activist group formed in May after the death of George Floyd, has recently put on protests in Bloomington to protest racial inequities and celebrate Black lives.
Beyond the physical demonstrations, the group wanted to raise funds to contribute to the community and chose the community center because of its contributions to Black and brown residents. Funds were collected from individual attendees that participated in the events. The organization has received over $8,000 in donations so far, according to its Facebook page.
Erik Pearson, program facility coordinator, said the community center has historically provided support for Black and Brown families in the community. The center was established as a school for Black students in 1915 and rebuilt into a community center in 1954.
“We are a direct response to the wants and needs of underserved residents in Bloomington,” Pearson said.
The community center is partnering with the IU Center for Research on Race and Ethnicity in Society for the digital gallery. Any materials they receive will be available to the community center to display and vice versa.
“We wanted to provide a visual archive of the protests to amplify those voices,” Pearson said. “We’re recognizing the significance of this moment in time in Bloomington’s history, specifically in the BIPOC community.”
The gallery will be available on Facebook and the community center website later this month.
Artwork can be dropped off this week and next week at the community center from the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, or photos can be shared online. Upon arrival, call 812-349-3735, and a staff member will come out to pick up the artwork.
