This July in Greene County, Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum marks 10 years of “giving back” their passion for metalwork. The museum conducts monthlong workshops for students and working artists, with many events open to the public, capped by the Fire@Nite Iron Pour, which “lights up the night sky,” says writer Laurie D. Borman. Click here to read what’s happening at Sculpture Trails.
In February, the Bloomington Fire Department sent five firefighters to Sierra Leone to train with the Sierra Leone Fire Force. The trip was coordinated by BFD Chief Jason Moore and Sierra Leonean Eastina Taylor, who participated last summer in the IU Mandela Washington Fellowship. Taylor wrote about the experience for LP. Click here for the full story.
In April, Adilei, a yodeling-based a cappella group from the Republic of Georgia, performed at Childs Elementary School as part of the Lotus Blossoms educational outreach program presented by the Lotus Education & Arts Foundation. Childs fifth-grader Stella, 11, reviewed the performance for Limestone Post, calling it “an eye opener.” Click here for Stella’s review and a brief video of Adilei.
Since Antoinette Leach began her career as Indiana’s first female lawyer 126 years ago, “the power and presence of women lawyers have increased exponentially, mostly in the past 30 years,” writes Diane Walker, who adds that “both women lawyers and women voters — and, one could argue, all Americans — owe a debt to Antoinette Leach.” Click here to see why.
With Cardinal Stage’s Nest Generation Initiative, people under the age of 35 can see great theatre for free. Theatre lovers introduce young adults to the high-quality performances in Cardinal’s Mainstage productions by sponsoring people who have registered for the program. It’s a risk-free way to experience the best shows in town. Click here to see how to register for the Nest Generation.
Since it opened in 2006, Landlocked Music has been showcasing performers as varied as Kurt Vile, a gong player, and members of Sonic Youth. On May 1, they host psychedelic-folk songwriter Kath Bloom. Landlocked co-owner Heath Byers talked to writer Josephine McRobbie about 13 years of in-store performances. Photography by Jeremy Hogan. Click here to read the full story.
Limestone Post is joining a national movement of media outlets by becoming a nonprofit organization. While continuing to publish in-depth articles covering the interests and concerns of people in our community, as a nonprofit Limestone Post also intends to develop programs that will help citizens engage more effectively in this community. Click here to read the post from Publisher Ron Eid.
In a classroom or at camp, at the library or in the office — or even at a favorite brewery — WonderLab’s Outreach program provides fun, informal science education for everyone. “We do this to help people fall in love with science and make it relevant to their lives,” says WonderLab’s Nick Whites. Each experiment and interactive presentation is tailored to a specific audience and topic, and designed to wow audiences. Click here to learn more about WonderLab’s Outreach programs.
Indiana has the 49th largest gender wage gap in the nation. And the cost of living in Monroe County compounds the problem. While strides have been made, at the current rate it will take decades to achieve equal pay. Writer Hayley Miller looks at the data and gets the perspectives of three local experts. Click here to read the story.
Banking rules and regulations often prevent underserved communities from getting financing for needed programs. Without investments, projects to assist in affordable housing, develop small businesses, create community facilities, and support the arts go unrealized. Writer Rachel Glago explains how an innovative financial model, a nonprofit called CDFI Friendly Bloomington, expands opportunities for low-wealth communities. Click here to read more.
With shows ranging from ‘The Great Gatsby’ to ‘Disney’s Newsies’ to ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch,’ Cardinal Stage’s 2019-2020 season covers a range of experiences and settings, but with one similarity: “They are all about identity in some form,” says Artistic Director Kate Galvin. Click here to see the entire lineup and read how Galvin chose the shows.
In an ever-growing and -changing city, much of its heritage gets lost, along with the stories that go with it. While barns might have been common throughout what is now the Bloomington city limits, only a few such structures remain. Writer Paul Bean found one such barn and the onetime prominent Bloomington family who built it. Click here to read more.
In the early 1800s, free Black pioneers settled in Orange County. The community thrived, despite a racist state constitution, hateful whites, and fugitive-slave catchers. As racial tensions increased, many of the families sold their land and left. Writer Diane Walker tracked down sources and documents to reveal what happened during this remarkable time in Indiana history. Click here to read the full story.
How can the culture, heritage, and history of Bloomington and Monroe County possibly be portrayed in all its diversity and richness? Through paintings, illustrations, photography, poetry, and in-depth stories. Limestone Post’s A Sense of Place includes the work of dozens of local writers, photographers, painters, poets, and other artists. Click here to get a glimpse inside.
Front porches in Bloomington began to flourish in the early 1900s, when bungalows became the most common type of house being built. As writer Harriet Castrataro observes, front porches create a liminal space between two worlds — where the private and public come together. Bloomington’s front porches, both old and new, serve a multitude of purposes. Click here to read the full story.
Since 2012, the Indiana Division of Forestry has increased logging of state forests by 400 percent, says Anne Laker of the Indiana Forest Alliance. In this guest column, Laker talks about the dangers facing our publicly owned forests and an Indiana Senate bill that could protect them. She also previews the upcoming Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Bloomington. Click here to read the full story