Delinquent and Twisted — New Homes to ‘Lowbrow’ and Edgier Art Scene

Samuel Welsch Sveen

New spaces — Delinquent Gallery & Tattoo KAIJU and Artisan Alley’s Twisted — offer “lowbrow” and boundary-pushing art in Bloomington, says writer Samuel Welsch Sveen. Comics, video-game-themed artwork, cult movies, and tattoos can be found at one; artist studios, a healing shaman, and a retail store for edgier artwork at the other. Click here to read the full story.

July 31, 2018

Samuel Frushour and his cave-diving peers have mapped miles of aquatic caves in southern Indiana. While Hoosier caverns might not have the clear blue waters of tropical caves, they offer an adventure that is increasing difficult to find in modern times — exploring uncharted territory. | Courtesy photo

Cave Diving in Southern Indiana Takes a Mature Mindset

Jonah Chester

Samuel Frushour and his cave-diving peers have mapped miles of aquatic caves in southern Indiana. While Hoosier caverns might not have the clear blue waters of tropical caves, they offer an adventure that is increasingly difficult to find in modern times — exploring uncharted territory. Writer Jonah Chester dives into the story. Read the entire story here.

July 26, 2018

Sponsorship

Despite living through years of hardship under the French, the Americans and their Vietnamese allies, and, more recently, conflicts with China, a vendor in a market in the coastal city of Hoi An has a ready smile for customers. She wears the nón lá — a conical hat made of palm leaf and worn by Vietnamese of all ages and both genders. | © Steve Raymer / National Geographic Creative

Local Photographer’s Career Spans the Globe in Stories and Photos

Claude Cookman

Writer Claude Cookman sits down with photographer Steve Raymer to discuss Raymer's new book, Somewhere West of Lonely: My Life in Pictures. Cookman says Raymer shows how photojournalism is “the essential eyes for citizens in democratic societies to understand an increasingly complex world.” Raymer, an IU emeritus professor, was a veteran National Geographic photographer in the “golden age” of magazine photojournalism. Click here to read the full story and see many of Raymer's photos.

July 24, 2018

Members of the Blockhouse Bar Call & Response House Band before a show. | Photo by Chaz Mottinger

‘Wednesday Is Jazz Night’ — A Conversation with Drummer Ben Lumsdaine

Jim Manion, Chaz Mottinger

With Bloomington’s jazz pedigree, it’s fitting that one of the hottest acts in town is a jazz band. On Wednesday nights at Blockhouse Bar, the Call & Response House Band features local and national jazz artists. Jim Manion, music director at WFHB, talked with C&R leader and drummer Ben Lumsdaine about the weekly jazz series. Click here to read the full story.

July 19, 2018

Since 2010, the Bloomington Community Orchard has grown from a grassy acre into a fully planted orchard. But its roots stretch throughout the city and beyond, connecting with community members, businesses, and other organizations through such programs as skill-sharing classes and partner plantings. | Illustration by Mark Blaney

Guest Column: Roots of Community Orchard Spread Across Town

Megan Betz, Mark Blaney

Since 2010, the Bloomington Community Orchard has grown from a grassy acre into a fully planted orchard. But its roots stretch throughout the city, connecting with community members, businesses, and other organizations through skill-sharing classes, partner plantings, and other programs. In this guest column, BCO volunteer Megan Betz writes about the project — and the mysteriously vanishing peaches! Click here to read the full story.

July 17, 2018

Sponsorship

Creating a community of misfits isn’t what music entertainer Darran Mosley intended or expected. After growing up in a “super-rough” neighborhood in Indianapolis, then working in computer systems in Chicago, he landed in Bloomington, where he works in IT by day and in music by night. | Courtesy photo

Big Mike’s B-town: Darran Mosley, Misfit

Michael G. Glab

Creating a community of misfits isn’t what Darran Mosley intended or expected. After growing up in a “super-rough” neighborhood in Indianapolis, then working in computer systems in Chicago, he landed in Bloomington, where he works in IT by day and in music entertainment by night. Here, Michael G. Glab profiles this karaoke host, DJ, and vocalist. Click here to read the full story.

July 12, 2018

Summer Programs for Rural Kids Halts STEM Brain Drain

Patti Danner

For many students in rural areas of Indiana, STEM learning fades as the school year ends, writes Patti Danner, a staff writer for the Greene County Daily World. But Danner has found many activities and events — including an education outreach program from WonderLab — that offer science-learning opportunities to children who otherwise wouldn’t have access to it. Click here to read the full story.

July 10, 2018

Cardinal Stage’s Nest Generation Program Opens Doorway to Theatre for Young Adults by Julie Warren

Sponsorship

Ann Barlow stands on the porch of her house in Needmore, an intentional community in Brown County, in May 2017. Known in the 1960s and ’70s as communes, places like May Creek and Needmore have had to “bend with the times” to survive, says writer John Mikulenka. And now, as the founding members continue to age, their biggest concern might be finding and keeping the next generation of community members. | Courtesy photo

Intentional Communities Must ‘Bend with the Times’

John Mikulenka

Southern Indiana has a long tradition of utopian communities, also known as communes. A few of the ones formed in the 1960s and ’70s — places like May Creek Farm and Needmore — have had to “bend with the times” to survive, says writer John Mikulenka in this detailed and expansive feature. But as the founding members age, he asks, who will take their place? Click here to read the full story.