“Bloomington is at a crossroads — culturally, civically, and economically,” says writer Sean Starowitz, assistant director of the arts for the City of Bloomington. Touching on all of these is our bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. While many people say they want a friendlier biking and walking town, “the car dominates its urban fabric and infrastructure.” Click here to read the full story.
For the third straight year, students in Rachel Bahr’s English 11 class at the Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship have explored a specific place that has special meaning to them — from their own backyard to Griffy Lake to high above the city. In 15 immersive audio tours, they each share their unique sense of place. Click here to watch their videos!
“Everything inside me — starting with my name, Vauhxx — spoke to me and said I had to speak up,” says Vauhxx Booker, spokesperson for Bloomington’s Black Lives Matter. He also spoke with writer Michael G. Glab about his family’s deep-rooted American history, his shy childhood, and his potential plans for public office in Bloomington. Click here to read the full story.
‘The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?’ is “a difficult play for both directors and actors,” writes LP’s performance columnist Jennifer Pacenza. But IU’s production of this Tony Award-winning play by Edward Albee is also “emotional but liberating,” one that will give audiences “a flurry of emotions — love, betrayal, disgust, pity, and delight.” Click here to read the full story.
For 20 years, Hoosier Heights has seen new climbers become enthusiasts, and that is why they make a focused effort to ensure everyone feels welcome when they walk into the gym. The new location in a repurposed church in McDoel Gardens is a gathering place for friends and fellow climbers and offers an inviting space for those trying climbing for the first time. Click here to learn more about Hoosier Heights’ offerings and what to expect on your first visit to the gym.
A sea of golden leaves, front porches, an old railroad bridge, the chatter of downtown … these possess “the reality of what Bloomington is,” writes C. D. Culper. In this second of our two feature stories on having a sense of belonging, Culper says everything Bloomington holds dear is held in “the B-Line’s pulse and patterns.” Click here to read the full story.
As we enter the busiest travel season of the year — when “hometown” is such a part of the Thanksgiving holiday — we have a pair of stories (quite different from each other) about having a sense of belonging to a particular place. In this first one, writer Amelia Brown shows why she belongs in Bloomington. Click here to read the full story.
Gather : handmade shoppe & Co.: is hosting special pop-up events during the holidays to showcase the work of a variety of makers and give customers the opportunity to engage with artists firsthand. “There are so many talented people in Bloomington and the state, but it can be hard for them to get their products to market,” says owner Talia Halliday. “I want to help them be successful and help build a supportive community.” Makers from Tactile Melodies, Virtuous Bee, and 407 Botanicals all speak to how Halliday has done just that. Click here to read more about how Gather brings makers, artists, and shoppers together.
Writer and artist Samuel Welsch Sveen takes us on a stroll to look at the exceptional artwork on display “in the atriums, hallways, classrooms, and offices” of the IU campus. Paintings, sculptures, and even “atmospheric sounds, shimmering lights, and waves of tiny movements” represent just some of the work in this collection of treasures. Click here to read the full story.
Letting one political party define election districts has converted our representative government into a plutocracy, write Jim and Tomi Allison. The result of gerrymandering is legislators choosing their voters instead of voters choosing their legislators. Next week, several groups are convening in Bloomington to organize a rally later this month at the state capitol. Click here to read the full story.
The saying goes that money is power, but even the smallest purchases can make a powerful impact. Being more thoughtful about what we buy and where we buy it can change the world. Global Gifts makes it easy to be a conscientious consumer who makes a difference — one artisan at a time — with beautiful jewelry, accessories, and home goods at fair prices. Click here to read more about Global Gifts’ fair trade business model and their artisans from around the world.
Ruthie Cohen keeps little food in her refrigerator, and yet she’s known to whip up three-course dinners without a trip to the store. How? She raids her pantry. Limestone Post’s resident sage shares her “Very Subjective, Idiosyncratic, Essential List” for a well-stocked pantry and freezer. Click here to read the full story.
Rape kits contain evidence collected during hospital exams of the survivors of sexual assault. Nearly half of the more than 5,000 untested rape kits collected in Indiana are considered “backlog,” but a new Indiana law could make tracking easier — especially for survivors. Writer Haley Miller and photographer Nicole McPheeters take a look at the process. Click here to read the full story.
Set design is a critical part of any theatre production, but designing for a fairy tale means there are “a lot of puzzles to solve to make the set work,” says Kate Galvin, Artistic Director at Cardinal Stage. But for the upcoming production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, she says C. David Higgins and his team delivered. Click here to read about Higgins and his set design for Cardinal’s holiday musical.
Local farms that participate in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs offer more than just fresh produce. Not only do they make us feel better about how our food is produced, they also create community and enforce a sense of purpose, writes Jared Posey. While CSAs give us far more than we pay for, are they at risk? Click here to read the full story.
The term “building community” is rarely taken literally, but a fledgling project in town is doing just that. The Bloomington Cohousing Project is planning a collaborative housing community on the south side of Bloomington, where homeowners will live in individual houses but share other common amenities. Writer Michael Glab talks to co-founder Marion Sinclair and builder Loren Wood in his latest Big Mike’s B-town. Click here to read the full story.