FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Local residents, tourists, students, and IU staff and faculty members can take advantage of the many cultural events taking place this summer during Indiana University’s fourth Summer Festival of the Arts.
The festival offers a summer full of arts programming, starting May 12 and continuing through Aug. 24. Events are held at venues across campus, including the IU Art Museum, IU Cinema, Grunwald Gallery of Art, Jacobs School of Music, Kinsey Institute Gallery, Lilly Library, Mathers Museum of World Cultures, Wylie House Museum and Lee Norvelle Theatre & Drama Center.
The festival began in 2011 as a way to showcase the vibrant cultural offerings at IU that help make Bloomington a popular arts destination throughout the year. It also offers an opportunity for those attending the various summer camps, conferences and workshops on the IU campus to attend arts events.
“It’s easy to think of the university as being busy only nine months out of the year, but that’s simply not true,” said Brady Miller, director of special and academic events at IU. “While the dynamics of campus might be a little different from May through August, just a glance at the Summer Festival of the Arts calendar quickly shows that IU Bloomington has hundreds of opportunities to experience the arts over the course of the entire season.”
This year’s Summer Festival of the Arts marks the return of the IU Art Museum’s light totem, alluring exhibits across campus, new theater productions and more. While a complete list of Summer Festival of the Arts activities can be found online, highlights include:
- Kinsey Institute Juried Art Show, opening reception 6 to 8 p.m. May 16 at the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts in the Grunwald Gallery of Art, Room 110. The exhibit runs through July 12. Cost: free.
- "Spiritualists, Sorcerers and Stage Magicians: Magic and the Supernatural at the Lilly Library," June 2 to Aug. 30. Lilly Library hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The exhibit offers a view of how ideas of the supernatural have persisted and transformed throughout history. Cost: Free.
- Midsummer Night at the Art Museum, Celebrating Light Totem, 7:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 21, IU Art Museum. Celebrates the relighting of Rob Shakespeare’s light sculpture “Light Totem,” which has been in restoration for almost a year. The event will also include a photo booth, complimentary desserts, local food vendors and a cash bar. Cost: Free.
- “Godspell,” Wells-Metz Theatre, 7:30 p.m. June 9, June 11-14, June 17-21 and June 24-28; 2 p.m. June 15, 22 and 29. Part of Indiana Festival Theatre, hosted by IU’s Department of Theatre, Drama and Contemporary Dance within the College of Arts and Sciences. The two-act musical tells a story of friendship, loyalty and love. Cost: $15 to $25.
- Summer Band, Jacobs School of Music. 7 to 8 p.m. July 9 and 16, Musical Arts Center lawn. Cost: Free.
- Assessing Authenticity: Museum Fakes and Mistakes. Through July 13, Mathers Museum of World Cultures. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 1 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. This exhibit explores issues surrounding object identification and authentication within museums. Cost: Free.
About the Indiana University Summer Festival of the Arts
The Summer Festival of the Arts began in 2011 and seeks to bring all of Indiana University Bloomington’s cultural elements together, including live music, theater, dance, conferences, lectures, art openings and films. Events take place from May until August and ensure those visiting Bloomington as well as students, community members and IU faculty and staff are aware of the rich cultural offerings on campus. Calendar listings can be found on the festival website, artsfest.indiana.edu. For event updates, follow @IUArtsFest and #IUArtsFest on Twitter.