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(09/11/14 1:24pm)
It’s the most important meal of the day, supposedly, but fitting in a complete, balanced meal before running to catch the bus can be hard. IU students rely on a range of breakfasts to jumpstart their day and sustain them until lunch, and here are some favorites.
(04/14/14 7:38pm)
What do a Little 500 rider, an I-Core student, a wedding planner, a musician, and a bachelor of fine arts candidate have in common? They're all juggling the different hats of life.
(04/14/14 7:38pm)
Tabitha Sherwood
(04/29/13 12:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Heavy, gray skies and chilly 50-degree weather did not discourage patrons from attending the Bloomington Farmers Market Saturday morning. Showers Plaza was alive with the sound of live music, merchants selling their goods and upbeat conversation. The Bloomington Farmers Market, which assembles every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., officially opened April 6 and goes through November. Vendors from all over the state set up shop and entice buyers with a variety of fresh produce and goods.Linda and Randy Stout, owners of Stout’s Melody Acres in Franklin, Ind., specialize in “spicy.” Bunches of dried peppers were on display at the Stouts’ table next to jars of pepper relish offered in different levels of spiciness. The farm grows more than 20 varieties of sweet peppers and 25 varieties of hot peppers, which are used in the pepper relishes. Another popular item is the homemade pasta sauce. The Stout farm has sold its goods at the Farmers Market for 10 years.Megan and Keith Marshall set up shop for the first time at the Farmers Market last May. The Marshalls, owners of YonderGround Farm in Paoli, Ind., rent an acre and half of land in a work-trade agreement with a nearby farm. In exchange for weekly labor at the other farm, YonderGround has a place to grow and thrive. Hearty greens are typically sold in the spring and fall, while cherry tomatoes are offered during summer markets. Megan Marshall said she is looking forward to growing summer squash, of which the farm produces eight different varieties.“Unique is key for us,” Megan Marshall said.IU senior Jessica Sobocinski helped staff the Bread & Roses table at the market. This is the company’s first year at the market. Jars of dried herbs, for use in teas, were for sale at the main table, and a variety of plants were featured. Many of the plants sold through Bread & Roses like comfrey, a perennial herb that can be used to treat wounds, are useful and medicinal. At another table, the Webers Sugar Camp offered samples of its homemade syrup, doled out in small condiment cups, to passersby. John Byers and the two Weber brothers, Tom and Dan, chatted with customers about their homemade syrup.It takes 50 gallons of tree sap to make one gallon of syrup, Byers said. The Webers Sugar Camp operation, located in Poland, Ind., produces 150 gallons of their product annually, exclusively sold at the farmers market. Byers said he appreciates the vibrancy and diversity the market offers.“There are so many different walks of life,” Byers said. “This is the best farmers market in the world.”
(04/08/13 11:20pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>You’re about to take a huge test and you’ve hardly opened the book.
There are 50 seconds left in the second quarter of an IU basketball game and the Hoosiers are down by two.
You just received a letter from your top pick graduate school.
Each situation elicits the same response: nervousness.
This is a universal emotion, but we all have own way of showing it — like biting our nails, having sweaty palms, or fidgeting.
Some nervous habits can be more delicious than others. Sophomore Melissa Mashner heads to the kitchen when the nerves hit.
“I am definitely a stress-baker,” Masher says. “It is relaxing, smells delicious, and I can taste-test whenever I like.”
Other students experience more distracting habits. When faced with a
huge project or an important upcoming event, graduate student Sarah Foss
gets “really negative” and tries to convince herself that the task is
really not that important. Then, if the outcomes aren’t good, she
doesn’t feel as disappointed.
Senior Becky Boyle tries to plan her day down to the exact hour when
she’s feeling the pressure. Boyle also creates lists and carries them
around with her wherever she goes.
Up at 8:45. Research, emails
Run at 9:45. Weights
Shower, read, lunch
IMU at 1:30
Class at 2:30
Lib at 4, groceries, pick up shoes
Home at 6, dinner
STUDY STUDY
Bed B4 12!
Nancy Stockton, director of Counseling and Psychological Services,
explains why these quirky, nervous habits occur and why many of us find
relief in them.
Having constant physical movement helps people reduce the stressful
feeling, she says. However, many people are unconscious of how they
react to stress or nerves.
“It’s human nature to fiddle with things, play with our hands, or wiggle
a leg,” she says. “It’s connected to the ‘fight or flight’ response.”
Fight or flight refers to a reaction connected to the sympathetic
nervous system: People are prone to either take action or run when they
feel threatened.
Sophomore Maddison Russell is an example of this common response. He
can’t stop moving when he’s stressed out or dealing with nerves.
“I have to be doing something with my hands, like tapping on something,“
Russell says. “Sometimes, I can’t sleep for hours because I keep
moving.”
How to stop them:
“We work with the students to help them realize when they exhibit this behavior,” Stockton says.
If you’re looking to kick the habit, consider keeping track of all the
times that you engage in it. This technique tends to reduce the
frequency since you start to recognize what causes it, Stockton says.
If you need help:
Most nervous habits are harmless. But if your habit is more destructive
and distracting, consider taking advantage of the free counseling
sessions through the IU Health Center. Enrolled students are allowed two
free visits per semester.
(02/25/13 4:59pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The outside wall of T.I.S. College Bookstore is now a 30-foot-high and 100-foot-wide canvas.T.I.S. collaborated with Nashville, Ind., residents Kara Barnard and Jody Bonifield to create a colorful mural that honors the legends and traditions of IU.The project, begun in July 2012 and finished for students returning for fall semester that year, caused inquiries from customers and passerby.“It’s funny to watch traffic driving down Third Street,” said Paul Williams, supply manager and buyer at T.I.S. “They’ll be driving by and do a double-take.”This isn’t the first mural painted on the side of the bookstore. The previous one, completed in 1995, lasted about 15 years.Weather and a water leak caused the mural to deteriorate. A painter was hired to scrape off the remains and paint the wall a light gray to match the rest of the building, and since then the water leak has been fixed.Williams was a big fan of the first mural. In February, he helped plan the mural project, suggesting Barnard, his banjo instructor, as a possible painter.Barnard, owner of Weed Patch Music Company in Nashville, teaches music lessons to more than 50 students.Williams approached her about the project, and Barnard agreed to do it with Bonifield, owner of Muddy Boots Café and the Pine Room Tavern in Nashville.The bookstore owners and artists agreed on the theme of IU legends. The mural, on the wall facing the parking lot, is split into four separate sections. The first section, from left to right, represents components of music and art. The second section focuses on sports, featuring the basketball banners, fans and notable IU athletic coaches.Education is represented in the third section, showing textbooks, school supplies and the face of Alfred Kinsey, founder of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction. The last section shows the iconic Sample Gates at the entrance of IU.Herman B Wells is featured walking away from the gates as a biker passes behind him in the background.“We think we put together a real nice depiction of IU,” Williams said. “We put some people on there that deserve the recognition.”To create the mural, the artists made sketches, projected them onto construction-grade paper and cut out giant stencils. The artists then placed the stencils on the wall and used them to paint the four sections.Accustomed to condensing a large area into a small-scale map, Barnard blew up objects to fit them on the large wall.On most days, Barnard and Bonifield began painting at 3 p.m. and worked until 9 p.m.“A lot of kids stop by and chat with us while we work,” Barnard said during the painting process. “And many have never heard of these people.”Kevin Theile, member of the T.I.S. management team, said that on a simple level, the bookstore and the artists wanted to create art for residents, students and visitors alike to enjoy.“On a deeper level,” Theile said, “we wanted to capture the essence of IU and Bloomington.”
(10/04/12 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Crisp fall weather, football and tailgating before the game are all part of the Hoosier Homecoming experience. The week leading up to the big game is packed with events, including the Nearly Naked Mile and concerts performed by local artists.To many returning alumni, however, the significance of Homecoming is returning to a place they once called home. IU alumni Dave Neustadter and Larra Overton returned to Bloomington to speak at the “Lights, Camera, Action” Alumni Career Panel on Oct. 4, an event highlighting four alumni that have careers in the entertainment industry.Dave NeustadterNeustadter is the vice president of production at New Line Cinema in Los Angeles. Neustadter graduated from IU in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in theater and minors in Spanish and film studies. He began a graduate program but dropped out and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a screenwriting career. “I really didn’t know what I wanted to do, and Indiana had many classes to choose from,” Neustadter said. “When I got my liberal arts education, I learned a little bit about a lot.” This broad education helps Neustadter in his current career writing screenplays for movies.After he made the decision to leave graduate school, Neustadter was working one last shift at Scotty’s Brewhouse before moving out to Los Angeles. During the shift, he met and talked to a customer who had a son that worked as a screenwriter in the Los Angeles area.Neustadter was put in contact with the customer’s son, who worked at New Line Cinema, scored an internship and has been working there for the last nine years.Upon returning to Bloomington for Homecoming festivities, Neustadter is looking forward to eating Scotty’s loaded waffle fries and visiting Nick’s English Hut on Kirkwood as well as “hopefully shaking Tom Crean’s hand,” he said.Larra OvertonOverton is a Big Ten Network correspondent and freelance reporter who was also a member of the panel.She is the web editor for the National Sports Journalism Center based out of the IU School of Journalism at IUPUI. The website keeps track of top trends in sports journalism for professionals. Overton is also an analyst for Fox Sports, reporter for the Fox 59 morning show and in-game host and emcee for the Indianapolis Pacers. “Having a background in sports really drove me to have a career in the sports network,” Overton said. “I combined my passion for journalism and sports.” A “born and raised Hoosier,” Overton attended New Albany High School in New Albany, Ind., and, upon graduating, considered many colleges based on track and journalism programs. “IU had a well-respected journalism program as well as a sports program,” she said. “I could get my feet wet in the field as well as exploring my potential in track.”Overton attended IU for her undergraduate and graduate education and ran track and cross country. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism.An injury during her junior year resulted in Overton redshirting a season, allowing her to run a fifth year of track while earning a master’s degree in sports communications through the School of Public Health. “I was in no hurry to leave,” she said.Having only had time to return to Bloomington for work, Overton is looking forward to spending Homecoming weekend visiting her favorite haunts.A particular stretch of the outdoor track, the 100-meter backstretch out by the 200-meter mark, has fond memories for Overton, she said. Stone pillars stand along this stretch, and Overton would stand beside them before she started a workout or began a 1,500-meter race.“There were days that the leaves were falling, there were days that snow was covering the ground around the pillars,” she said. “It is the most gorgeous view to me.”Overton vividly remembers when the basketball team beat Duke during a NCAA Sweet Sixteen game in 2002. She was a freshman that year and was watching the game at a teammate’s house with other members of her track team. When the game ended, Overton and her friends heard a thunderous noise outside. People were out on their front porches celebrating the win. Overton remembers people standing around Showalter Fountain, shoulder to shoulder, celebrating the Hoosier win together.“I was so proud to be a part of Indiana, a school that is so passionate not just about sports but about tradition,” she said.
(08/27/12 2:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Two exhibitions opened Friday at the Grunwald Gallery of Art. Animations and drawings covered one side of the gallery while movie posters, hand painted on flour sacks, decorated the other walls.The exhibits, “Axe of Vengeance” and “Media Life,” opened with a reception. Glen Joffe, lender of the “Vengeance” posters, led a gallery talk prior to the reception. Both exhibits will be displayed until Sept. 15.The two different openings brought in two different audiences, Grunwald Director Betsy Stirratt said. She said the content of the exhibitions is both interesting and educationally significant to students.“It’s not always what people expect,” Stirratt said. “It’s a diverse perspective on contemporary art.”“Vengeance” presented Ghanaian film posters, hand painted with bright oil paints on flour sacks. The posters were used to promote and sell tickets to films shown in makeshift theaters in Ghana during the 1980s and ’90s. This art form has since become obsolete, as audiences have shifted from theaters to home viewing. The movie posters “are thick with local meaning and often resonate with the Ghanaian Pentecostal religion,” according to a press release.Joffe, owner of Primitive art gallery in Chicago, said during the talk that Ghanaian artists used whatever material was available to them when creating the posters.“Flour sacks, when opened up, made the perfect canvas,” Joffe said. “It wasn’t your original Hollywood lithograph poster.”The posters are graphic and in your face, Joffe said. The artwork is primitive, and many included in the exhibit do not have the artist’s signature. “Good artwork gets us to think, ask questions and set us on a path of wonder,” Joffe said. “Every one of these sucks me into some surreal world.”The exhibit included a replica movie shack in the gallery, fashioned after the original viewing experience that Ghanaian citizens enjoyed. Visitors could view a selection of four feature-length films that play in the shack during the exhibit.“Media Life,” the other exhibition, is a collaborative effort between IU telecommunications Associate Professor Mark Deuze and Dutch artist Miek van Dongen. The exhibit includes animations and drawings by van Dongen featured in Deuze’s book, also titled “Media Life.”Deuze and van Dongen have been friends for more than 20 years. Though their careers took different paths, both were interested in the role media plays in society today Van Dongen explored this interaction by creating and combining traditional pencil and paper drawings with digital animations. Deuze’s book “Media Life” includes 16 of van Dongen’s original works.Deuze has taught courses about new media since the ’90s and used to teach students that the intimate relationship created between a person and media is problematic. Deuze has since changed his approach to new media, supporting the mindset that media in society today is neither good nor bad.“Perhaps media are to us as water is to fish,” Deuze said. ”We do not live with media but in media. This means media do not control or determine us, nor are we in control of our media.”
(08/24/12 2:23pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU campus is recognized as one of the five most beautiful college campuses in the country, according to Thomas A. Gaines’ book, “The Campus as a Work of Art.” This picturesque landscape includes the widespread use of limestone.Indiana limestone is used on many campus buildings, including the Indiana Memorial Union, Rawles Hall and Simon Hall, according to “Follow the Limestone: A Walking Tour of Indiana University,” compiled by Brian D. Keith of the Indiana Geological Survey.Indiana limestone is prevalent in Monroe and Lawrence counties because it is exposed at the surface and is easiest to quarry in these locations due to the erosion of rock layers formed during the Mississippian Era.Salem limestone, referred to as Indiana limestone, has been locally quarried in Monroe and Lawrence counties since 1827 and was accessible for building on the IU campus.Todd Thompson, member of the Indiana Geological Survey, said the formation of this particular limestone in Indiana began approximately 340 million years ago, when parts of southern Indiana were covered with warm and shallow tropical waters.After the tropical waters receded, the different layers of rock, including limestone, formed. Similar to most limestone, Indiana limestone is primarily composed of calcium carbonate.Unlike other types of limestone that include fossils or big shell materials, Indiana limestone is fine-grained and uniform in all directions. Thompson said this is why it’s used for building purposes.The rock itself is relatively soft and easy to cut and carve into shapes. Because of the uniformity of grains, Indiana limestone doesn’t fall apart into layers when it is drilled out of the ground.To quarry it, holes are drilled along the edge of the stone and huge blocks of the limestone are broken off. But only a small amount of quarried stone is usable.“If they can get 25 percent recovery in a quarry, they are ecstatic,” Keith said.Much of the quarried stone is unusable due to blemishes or fossils in the limestone.Additionally, many residential areas sit atop the Indiana limestone in many parts of Monroe and Lawrence counties. The limestone, buried underneath new houses, is lost as a resource.Still, there isn’t a lack of Indiana limestone.“We’ve got 100 years of stone to quarry,” Keith said.Kathryn Shaffer, minerals statistician at the Indiana Geological Survey, said Indiana is one of the biggest suppliers of limestone in the nation.“Indiana usually ranks first in the nation in dimension limestone production,” Shaffer said. “It is considered a premier building stone that has been used extensively in construction of many of our nation’s best-known buildings.”Famous buildings bearing Indiana limestone include the Pentagon, the National Cathedral and the Empire State Building.
(07/26/12 12:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A local artist is continuing the tradition of china painting, and her work is currently on display in Bloomington art galleries.From July through September, the Farmer House Museum, located in downtown Bloomington, will feature the works of contemporary artist Jane Briley in “The Art of Painted Porcelain.” The exhibit features hand-painted china pieces from Briley, as well as commercial porcelain from the first decades of the 20th century, which are part of the museum’s permanent collection. The museum’s pieces highlight the historical importance of china painting, which became popular in the 1880s. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, , and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Saturday.The pieces from the museum’s collection were created with a variety of techniques, Emily Purcell, director of the Farmer House Museum, explained. Briley primarily hand paints to complete her pieces.Briley, a contemporary porcelain painter, began painting china in 1972. After she settled in Bloomington, she formed the painting club Blooms of Bloomington, which still practices today.The original owner of the Farmer House Museum, Mary Ellen Farmer, left the property and her possessions to the City of Bloomington. The museum now functions as an independently owned museum that “seeks to preserve and interpret family life in Monroe County” and “hopes to inspire the public to appreciate and understand the human forces that have shaped (their) community,” according to the museum’s brochure. Purcell first viewed Briley’s pieces at The Venue Fine Art & Gifts, another local gallery that currently displays her work.Briley initially approached the Venue to promote the artwork of her teacher, Andrew Orr, whom Briley described as her greatest inspiration and influence on her artwork, according to the museum’s brochure. Gabriel Coleman, owner and curator of the Venue, was more interested in displaying Briley’s work.“It shows well in the space,” Coleman said. “(Briley’s artwork) is much more traditional and bought often as gifts for mothers and grandmothers.”Briley uses a traditional china painting style from the 17th and 18th centuries, using various color washes and baking the china on a low-heat setting in a kiln.. This process can be repeated numerous times, depending on the amount of color desired in the piece, Coleman explained.Her seasonal pieces, including holiday ornaments and Easter-themed pieces, are popular sellers at the Venue.“Jane’s work is wonderful,” Purcell said. “It shows that traditional arts are alive and well in Bloomington.”
(07/22/12 11:46pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Fine arts professor Edward Bernstein will represent IU at the Summer Olympics in London.Bernstein, head of the printmaking department at the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts at IU, will have his artwork, titled “Illuminata,” on display at the Barbican Centre in London. The artwork will be a part of “The River Thames, the Great Wall of China — Embrace the World,” an international juried exhibition in honor of the Summer Olympics. “Illuminata” is a 40-by-60-inch print on etching paper that features glass chandeliers in Venice rendered from a photograph Bernstein took while teaching summer classes through the School of Fine Arts. Bernstein described his piece as very colorful and said he wanted his artwork to relate to the Olympics. “I wanted to focus on the joy of people getting together,” he said. “Celebration.”Bernstein completed the piece in three and a half weeks, and in March, he shipped it to China for the juried process. In April, Bernstein learned his piece was accepted. He and his wife plan to travel to the exhibition opening, which takes place August 1. The piece was framed in China before being shipped to London. It will be on display for the duration of the Olympic games.“I’m hoping it’s there and they framed it well,” Bernstein said. “It’s a great opportunity, and I’m so grateful to have this.”Trained as a fine arts etcher, Bernstein merges technology and traditional printmaking techniques when creating his artwork.Bernstein has traveled extensively, and his experiences in other countries inspire his artwork. He is the director of the IU summer program in printmaking and artists books at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Italy. He teaches classes during the program and is almost fluent in Italian. Bernstein was also invited to teach for four months in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. For his latest project, Bernstein received a grant from the Indiana Arts Commission. His project stems from his perceptions of Brazil. “We’re thrilled to have professor Bernstein’s work representing IU at the Olympics,” said IU spokesman Mark Land. “His print will be seen by thousands of visitors from around the world, which simply reinforces the world-class quality of work being done by members of IU’s School of Fine Arts.”
(07/19/12 12:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The outside wall of T.I.S. College Bookstore has recently been turned into a 30-foot-high and 100-foot-wide canvas. T.I.S. collaborated with Nashville, Ind. residents Kara Barnard and Jody Bonifield to create a colorful mural that honors the legends and traditions of IU. The project began July 3 and should be finished at the end of July, and has caused inquiries from customers and passerby.“It’s funny to watch traffic driving down Third Street,” said Paul Williams, supply manager and buyer at T.I.S. “They’ll be driving by and do a double-take.”This isn’t the first mural painted on the side of the bookstore. The previous one, completed in 1995, lasted for about 15 years. Weather and a water leak caused the mural to deteriorate. A painter was hired to scrape off the remains and paint the wall a light gray to match the rest of the building, and since then the water leak has been fixed.Williams was a big fan of the first mural. In February, he helped plan the mural project, suggesting Barnard, his banjo instructor, as a possible painter.Barnard, owner of Weed Patch Music in Nashville, Ind., teaches music lessons to more than 50 students.Williams approached her about the project, and Barnard agreed to do it with Bonifield, owner of Muddy Boots Café and the Pine Room Tavern in Nashville, Ind. The bookstore owners and artists agreed on the theme of IU legends. The mural, on the wall facing the parking lot, will be split into four separate sections. The sections will each focus on IU icons. The first section, from left to right, represents components of music and art. The second section focuses on sports, featuring the basketball banners, fans and notable IU athletic coaches. Education is represented in the third section, showing textbooks, school supplies and the face of Alfred Kinsey, founder of the Kinsey Institute. The last section shows the iconic Sample Gates at the entrance of IU.Herman B Wells is featured walking away from the gates as a biker passes behind him in the background.“We think we put together a real nice depiction of IU,” Williams said. “We put some people on there that deserve the recognition.”To create the mural, the artists made sketches, projected them onto construction-grade paper and cut out giant stencils. The artists then placed the stencils on the wall and used them to paint the four sections.Used to condensing a large area into a small-scale map, Barnard is now working on blowing up objects to fit them on the large wall. On most days, Barnard and Bonifield begin painting at 3 p.m. and work until 9 p.m.“A lot of kids stop by and chat with us while we work,” Barnard said. “And many have never heard of these people.”Barnard hopes the mural will serve as a memorial to the figures depicted and “introduce students to the very important people that made IU what it is today.”Kevin Theile, member of the T.I.S. management team, said the project will be complete when students return to campus for fall semester. “On a simple level, we wanted to create some art for everyone to enjoy,” Theile said. “On a deeper level, we wanted to capture the essence of IU and Bloomington.”
(07/16/12 12:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Musicians dressed neatly in black sat on stage at the Musical Arts Center on Friday evening while tuning their instruments. The sound mixed with the hum of audience members’ conversation as they took their seats, anticipating the performance..The lights dropped and the auditorium fell silent. The conductor walked on stage to applause, and the final Festival Orchestra concert of the summer began.The IU Jacobs School of Music presented the Festival Orchestra at the MAC, led by conductor Carlos Kalmar and guest violinist Noah Bendix-Balgley. The orchestra’s musicians also included faculty members and students at the Jacobs School, according to a press release. The musical events are part of the Summer Festival of the Arts at IU.The orchestra performed Rossini’s “Overture to La gazza ladra,” Dvorák’s “The Golden Spinning Wheel, Op. 109” and Brahms’ “Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73.”“I think the Dvorák piece ‘The Golden Spinning Wheel’ is very interesting, and I was quite surprised by it because I didn’t know of it before this concert,” said Zach Kingins, a second-year doctorate student who plays the trumpet. “And whenever you get to play Brahms, it’s a treat.”Liza Saracina, a junior pursuing a bachelor’s degree of music in oboe performance, thinks Brahms’ Symphony is a staple piece for orchestra performances and one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.“(Brahms’ symphony) is a great piece for us to play because we need to know this piece for our professional careers,” Saracina said. “Both of the other pieces, the Dvorák and Rossini, are contrasting to Brahms, which makes it a very well-rounded show.”The three orchestra concerts throughout the summer had a professional or faculty member playing in the principal seats of each of the different instrumental sections rather than students, and professional conductors led the orchestra.Saracina said the professors and professionals heading each section helped students throughout the rehearsal process and provided them with valuable skills.“It is a huge benefit to the students because they get to take a glimpse into the professional world of music making,” Saracina said.Students usually take weeks to prepare for orchestra concerts, but for this event, they learned the music four days before the concert.“We have a week of daily, fast-paced and intense rehearsals for each IU Festival Orchestra concert, the same way professional orchestras prepare for their concerts,” said Hyewon Kim, a second-year doctorate student in violin performance.Kim, who has been playing the violin for 16 years, chose to play in the orchestras. Many Jacobs School students participate in music festivals around the world during the summer.“The IU Festival Orchestra is one of the great options IU students are privileged to have,” Kim said.Although the orchestra series has ended with this final performance,, the Jacobs School will present more events throughout the month of July, including the Symphony Orchestra’s final concert of the summer under Cliff Colnot. The concert is at 8 p.m. July 20 in the MAC.
(07/12/12 12:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When it comes to Sara Steffey McQueen and printmaking, it was love at first etching.A Bloomington artist for almost 40 years, Steffey McQueen completed her undergraduate and graduate studies in printmaking at IU. Her newest exhibit, “Nature Play,” is on display at the By Hand Gallery in downtown Bloomington. Steffey McQueen was approached by the gallery to show her work in the special display area reserved for single exhibitions. “Nature Play” features a collection of prints. “I am playing with my love of the plant world, paper and my inner world,” Steffey McQueen said. “I’m extending my love of the landscape and nature in a more contemplative way.”Together on the wall, the prints create a collage. On the night of the exhibition opening, one of the prints sold, and Steffey McQueen immediately replaced it with another print to continue the collage.The prints all represent a variety of printmaking techniques. Steffey McQueen used dry point, lithographic and relief printing to create her artwork. Local plants including cattails, gingko leaves and homemade paper are all used in the prints. In Steffey McQueen’s other artwork, she explores inner and outer landscapes. She is a landscape artist because of her particular lifestyle, being very in touch with nature and being “stuck in the woods,” describing where she lives in Monroe County. She escapes to work on art in a studio gallery next to her house. Located inside Fountain Square, the By Hand Gallery sells fine arts crafts by area artists. The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and until 8 p.m. on the first Friday of every month. By Hand Gallery has been a co-operative since 1979, currently with 10 owner members. The gallery features mainly Indiana artists, some of which are from Monroe and Brown County. The gallery sells fine art that is functional, said Sharon Bussert, manager of the gallery. “Our regular customers are people who appreciate art and surround their life with art,” Bussert said.Artists’ works are chosen for the gallery through a juried process, whereby the 10 owner members determine admittance based on the quality and price of the work, the sell-ability in the Bloomington market, space availability in the gallery and similarity compared to other artwork already on display.Steffey McQueen’s main inspirations for her work come from her love of nature, her interest in the region and the way in which people worship. She reflects her spiritual studies in her compositions.Other important pieces of Steffey McQueen’s “Nature Play” are her sketchbooks. Steffey McQueen is an art teacher at Jackson Creek Middle School in Bloomington, where she requires her students to keep sketchbooks as journals. “The sketchbook is the element of ‘play’ in creativity,” Steffey McQueen said.At her exhibition’s gallery opening, Steffey McQueen brought along many of the sketchbooks she uses for people to look through, as well as materials to demonstrate how to make some of the actual prints in her exhibition.“We are very interested in having artists who will showcase their skills and workmanship,” said Marilyn Greenwood, an owner member of the gallery and longtime friend and neighbor of Steffey McQueen. “We wanted people to get the idea of how art is made.”Greenwood and Steffey McQueen became friends through shared interests in herbs and art, and they trade their art with each other. In a community with many successful local artists, Steffey McQueen is aware of her competition. However, she said she believes the sincerity in her artwork and of the region help her stand out as a local artist. “I’m too expressive to not be making something,” Steffey McQueen said. “That’s just me.”
(07/08/12 10:33pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Equipped with paper fans and various refreshments, audience members braved the extreme heat Friday evening to see the Andy Cobine Trio kick off the Jazz in July concert series.The Jazz in July concerts are held every Friday in July on the IU Art Museum’s Sculpture Terrace from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. White folding chairs set up on the terrace faced the stage where the Cobine Trio played a set of jazz standards and original songs for audience members. Attendees filled up on Pizza X pizza, beverages from Oliver Winery and Bloomington Brewing Company and Italian ice from Grazie! Italian Eatery. The Jazz in July series has been around for more than 20 years. Anita DeCastro, manager of events at the museum, was responsible for all event logistics for this year’s concert series. DeCastro wanted to create a program for the series that showcased different styles of jazz. Although she had the option of booking regional artists for the concerts, DeCastro chose local talent.“I believe this is one of the biggest jazz events in town,” DeCastro said. “I like to look for local acts because they are phenomenal.” Event organizers provided handheld paper fans, and a misting station was set up to help keep the audience cool. Despite the heat, the Cobine Trio took minimal breaks during the set, battling sweat and sticky fingers on guitar strings. The trio consists of guitarist Andy Cobine, bassist Steve Mascari and drummer Jamey Reid.The Cobine Trio has been together for five years and plays at local Bloomington venues.The trio is inspired by all different types of music and enjoys exploring the groove, rhythm and different angles of the jazz genre. “It really is about having fun and developing the music together,” Cobine said.This is the trio’s first time playing at Jazz in July, and the members said they hope to again next year.“One of the reasons for the event is to get more people to come over to the museum, and I’m glad to help with that,” Cobine said. “We really like the event and love the crowd and the turnout.”During the show, Cobine said he appreciated the 40 or 50 people in the audience that returned after the band took a quick break, endured the heat and stayed until the end of the concert. “We enjoyed the event and plowed through the heat,” Cobine said. “But the museum really should consider the extreme weather.”Husband and wife Doug and Isabel Williams, Bloomington residents, attended the concert Friday evening after participating in the Gallerywalk downtown. The Williamses said they enjoyed the event but thought the Showalter Fountain outside the Art Museum might be a cooler location than the all-concrete terrace. “It would be nice to have it by the fountain,” Isabel said. “And even more people would come because they would be passing by.”The Mahluli-McCutchen Quartet will perform July 13.The Gallery of the Art of the Western World will be open 5:30 to 9 p.m. at each event to showcase the art of Willi Baumeister. His print “Allegro” is the poster image for the Jazz in July series.
(07/04/12 10:54pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Willi Baumeister is not a household name in America. But he is recognized as one of the leading German Modernist artists during the early to mid-1900s. “Baumeister in Print,” a new installation featuring three of Baumeister’s prints, will be exhibited at the IU Art Museum’s Gallery of Art of the Western World until Sept. 9. The Baumeister prints were chosen specifically for the “Jazz in July” series. Nan Brewer, curator for works on paper at the museum, chose artwork with a musical theme that could also serve as a poster image for the series. Baumeister’s “Allegro” print is featured on posters for the Jazz in July series.Considered a leading teacher and artist in German Modernism and Abstractionism, Baumeister taught at the Städel School in Frankfurt and at the Stuttgart Academy of Art. Baumeister used abstraction in his work, and also collected ancient, non-Western artifacts that reflected a primitive feel in some of his artwork, according to Brewer’s article in the art museum’s calendar, “Willi Baumeister’s Pictorial Perfomance.”Baumeister’s artistic interests and style continued throughout his life. The current exhibit showcases Baumeister’s use of silkscreen, a printmaking technique he used to reproduce oil paintings he previously created. The silkscreen method involves the use of a fine mesh screen. The artist will block out certain areas of the screen and allow ink to go through the unblocked sections. This process can be repeated multiple times on one print to create a layering effect of different shapes and ink colors.This particular installation features a print from the mid-1930s, called “The Painter (Del Maler),” that reflects the influence of artist and friend Oskar Schlemmer. The different abstract forms created by the lines show a figure painting.“Amenophis,” which is also on display, is a large color print from 1950 that demonstrates the primitive side of Baumeister’s work. Brewer described this style as “modernist cave painting.” Baumeister used a silkscreen method to create the different textures and shapes in the print. The third print on display, “Allegro,” also uses the silkscreen method. This print is musical in nature because the figure created by the lines appears to be playing a musical instrument, Brewer said.. The use of the silkscreen method in this piece creates a more “rough and ready” organic line that differs from the mechanical, hard-edged line of pop art, also created through silkscreen.Brewer chose Baumeister’s prints for display because they are good representative works of one of the leading figures of an artistic movement. Brewer also wanted to introduce people to the unknown artist.“I’m hoping to bring this lesser-known artist back into people’s consciousness and imagination,” she said. The museum will keep its first floor gallery open 5:30 to 9 p.m. during the Jazz in July events. Anita DeCastro, manager of events at the museum, said the extra half hour the gallery is open after the concerts end will give audience members a chance to view the Baumeister prints without missing the jazz concert.DeCastro hopes the Jazz in July events make people more aware of the galleries, gift shop, and everything else the museum has to offer.“Music is an attraction, something fun people can experience at the museum while viewing the collections,” DeCastro said.
(06/27/12 11:16pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Avi Katz uses his artwork to tell a story.His artwork features scenes of Bloomington, focusing on the details of the city that a less-observant person might fail to notice, such as the corners of the Monroe County Courthouse lawn.Perhaps that’s why the Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District is exhibiting Katz’s art in the City Hall Atrium during the month of June. The exhibit is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, as well as during additional hours when the City Hall is open for meetings. This is Katz’s fourth exhibit.On Tuesday evening, Katz participated in an Artist’s Talk at the Council Chambers at City Hall where he discussed the philosophy, inspirations and techniques behind his art.Born and raised in Israel, Katz graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York and has created artwork for popular television shows, including Nickelodeon’s “Blue’s Clues.” He also has created illustrations for video games and advertisements in the United States, Canada and Israel.Katz first worked as the only in-house illustrator at the largest advertising agency in Israel before deciding to move to Bloomington. He said the high energy and demanding hours at the agency provided valuable experience for him.Although his prints on display could be mistaken as parts of a comic book story, each image could stand alone.“I know it looks like comic book art, but it’s serious art to me,” Katz said. “It’s the comic book world gone artsy.”To render his style, Katz first sketches an image on paper and then scans it onto the computer to fill in shading, shadows and color.Using a computer makes for “less the mess,” he said, and allows him to explore other color and shadow options.The exhibit features images of local places, including the Monroe County Courthouse square, the Ivy Tech John Waldron Arts Center and the Bloomingfoods cooperative market. Katz played around with lighting and drew the same image of an environment in daylight and nighttime. He also sketched landmarks from different angles and directions.His prints also show the courthouse from the north, south, east and west, focusing on the four corners of the courthouse lawn.“I bring my history and cultural whatever into Bloomington, and it’s a clash,” Katz said. “It’s Bloomington Euro.”Katz exercises his “artistic freedom” in some of the prints, adding personal details as well as local animals. In one print, for example, a turtle walks across a telephone wire on one of the corners of the courthouse lawn. In another print, wheat fields grow in the middle of a parking lot.Miah Michaelsen, assistant economic development director for the Arts for the City of Bloomington, first saw Katz’ artwork at the Ivy Tech Waldron Arts Center. Michaelsen had bought one of Katz’s pieces and encouraged him to display his work at City Hall. The atrium has displayed artists whose work relates to Bloomington for the past six years and usually showcases a new artist each month. “When there is a show that really resonates with people, I get a lot of positive comments from employees,” said Michaelsen. “Employees hate to see a particular show go down after a month when they really enjoy the artwork.” Michaelsen also said that the exhibits are a nice way for people who go to City Hall to do business to see the artistic and cultural side of Bloomington. Bloomington resident Gayle Nadorff attended Katz’s Artist Talk on Tuesday. The artwork resonated with Nadorff, who is interested in photography. She said she wants to incorporate the same storytelling elements in her photographs.“I love the fact that there’s a story involved in every print,” Nadorff said. “It looks like the Bloomington that I know.”
(06/24/12 11:28pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Wine, theater and good food were all in attendance at Oliver Winery on Thursday evening for the production of an all-new show presented by the Bloomington Playwrights Project.“Vintage Scenes,” written by Henry Greene and directed by Jim Hettmer, featured six comedic shorts inspired by Oliver Winery’s wine collection and history. Guests enjoyed a buffet-style dinner and wine tasting on the winery’s back porch at 6:30 p.m., prior to the entertainment at 7:30 p.m.“Vintage Scenes” is the first play Greene has written for the BPP. Greene, an intern at the BPP and an IU student studying sociology and history, collaborated with Chad Rabinovitz, producing artistc director for the BPP, to brainstorm ideas for six original scenes based on wines. “In each (comedic short) there was one part that I looked forward to seeing performed,” Greene said. “I also enjoyed seeing how the audience would react.”Greene, who is accustomed to writing plays for an audience of college students, tried to incorporate humor that would cater to a more mature audience. “Overall, they laughed at all my jokes,” Greene said. “That’s exactly what I was looking for.” One short, “Cabernet Sauvignon,” focused on how grapes cannot be adequately grown in a Midwest climate. Another, titled “Expedition Permission,” featured William Clark of the famous duo Lewis and Clark. After the two have a night out drinking, Clark returns home and talks to his wife about his plan to venture out and explore the unknown wilderness with Lewis. Clark’s wife is not pleased with the idea.Each short was presented at one of the three designated stage areas on the back porch of the winery.Greene said he wanted to create an intimate evening of theater, food and wine tasting. The porch and venue created a setup that he called “perfectly conducive to the evening I wanted.”“It was really cool for me to see something I wrote being acted out on stage,” Greene said.Carla Hedges, a Bloomington resident, said she enjoyed Thursday evening’s event with her husband, Tom. Carla has attended many BPP productions in the past and sees familiar faces at each of them. Carla’s granddaughters act in youth plays at the BPP. “Theater really opens their minds,” Carla said.Jessica Hane, human resources director at Oliver Winery, enjoyed the communal atmosphere that the event brought. “It was such an excellent production and such a neat sense of community,” Hane said. “We’re happy to share it with the BPP.”
(06/17/12 11:51pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Cast members donned long felt ears and colorful ensembles, each dressed as a different type of dog. On Saturday afternoon at the Ivy Tech John Waldron Arts Center, families were invited to sing along as the cast danced and sang about dogs at work and dogs at play.The Cardinal Stage Company presented the play “GO, DOG. GO!” which was adapted from the 1961 classic by P.D. Eastman. The show was presented twice Saturday at the center and will run every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through July 1. The book, which was written using only 75 different words, illustrates the interactions of a group of highly active dogs who drive cars in pursuit of work, play and a final dog party. “GO, DOG. GO!” is the last play of the Cardinal for Kids series this year. This is the program’s second year and is geared toward 3- to 8-year-olds. Randy White, artistic director of Cardinal Stage Company, said he enjoys directing children’s shows. White’s son Graeme enjoyed Saturday’s performance with him.“I love doing kid shows,” Randy said. “There was such a demand.”The Cardinal Stage Company previously presented “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” and “A Year with Frog and Toad” at the center.“It was a good opportunity to encourage children to see theater, while at the same time bringing families into the Ivy Tech Waldron to see what we’ve done with the space and what we offer,” said Paul Daily, artistic director at the Waldron Arts Center.The Cardinal Stage Company is based in Bloomington and was founded in 2006. Many cast members are from Bloomington, while others come from Indianapolis, Chicago and New York. Since its inception, the company has aimed to “establish a professional, regional theater,” Randy said. The Waldron Arts Center is one of the main venues where the company performs its productions. Bloomington resident Ashlyn Nelson attended the play with her daughter, Saya Hauser. Nelson heard about the play through her daughter’s preschool. Nelson and Hauser have attended other plays in the Cardinal Kids Series but said they particularly enjoyed this production.“It was the most fun out of all of them,” Nelson said. “There was energy and fun the entire time.”When Nelson asked her daughter which play she liked best, Hauser responded confidently with a huge smile: “‘GO, DOG. GO!’”
(06/13/12 11:19pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In fall 2011, Brown County artist William Zimmerman died. But his artwork lives on.The IU Summer Festival of the Arts includes “A Tribute to William Zimmerman (1937-2011),” a gallery opening at the IU Art Museum featuring original pieces ofZimmerman’s artwork. The gallery exhibit is open from June 12 to Sept. 9. Zimmerman was a wildlife artist with a specialty in birds. The exhibit, on display in the Doris Steinmetz Kellet Endowed Gallery of Twentieth Century Art, features Zimmerman’s original paintings of male and female woodpeckers, painted with acrylic on grey paper.Five of 25 original paintings featured in the book “Life Histories of North American Woodpeckers,” written by Arthur Cleveland Bent, are on display. The Art Museum has all 25 of the originals, a gift to the museum by Elaine Ewing Fess and Stephen W. Fess, which can be viewed by appointment.“He really is recognized as one of Indiana’s most important bird artists,” said Nan Brewer, curator of works on paper at the Art Museum. “(Zimmerman) is such an important regional artist.”Zimmerman grew up in Dillsboro, Ind., and studied at the Cincinnati Art Academy. He began working as an illustrator at the Gibson Greeting Card Company before becoming a professional wildlife artist. He settled in Brown County, Indiana.Zimmeran’s work has been displayed in many locations around the world, including the United States, Great Britain and Canada. His artwork has also been published in many wildlife books.Zimmerman was “very interested in making sure his images were accurate,” Brewer said. She said he used direct field observation and bird specimens to create his artwork. He used vellum, a transparent paper, to sketch. After deciding on a composition, Zimmerman would draw on canvas or paper, and then paint. “Most people on campus might not know his name, but they have probably seen his work before,” Brewer said.The atrium in Jordan Hall displays a collection of Zimmerman’s original paintings, featured in “The Birds of Indiana” by Charles E. Keller and Russell E. Mumford. Zimmerman’s work has also appeared on the label of Oliver Winery wine bottles. He did paintings for the company’s bottle labels for several years, according to an article on SouthernIN.com.Brewer thinks the Zimmerman exhibit will interest many people. “The naturalism of (the exhibit) will have a wide appeal,” Brewer said.—Sarah Boyum