Our Mission

The Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington is a member-driven organization that promotes the sustainability of the creative arts community by catalyzing communication and collective action. The Arts Alliance seeks to connect all art genres, arts organizations, and art advocates with each other, and with local businesses, tourism, and arts marketing initiatives. By facilitating education and collaboration, the Arts Alliance empowers the individual artist, and enriches the community’s vibrant arts network.

Summary

The Arts Alliance has experienced an impressive year of success and growth. We boast an active board, a remarkable advisory council comprising civic and arts leaders, and an ever-growing number of artists and art activities at the Arts Alliance Center.

With the Arts Alliance Center located at the mall, we supported and promoted the work of over 50 regional artists in the store’s gallery. Additionally, AAGB continues to host monthly artist exhibits and programs in our FlexSpace and maintains collaborations with local artist organizations such as Bloomington Watercolor Society, Upland Plein Air, Portrait Group, Artists for Climate Awareness, and the IU Jacobs School of Music.

Event Highlights

• Hosted nearly 100 artists in the Arts Alliance FlexSpace and gallery.

• Also hosted:

  • Shakespeare’s Ear play rehearsals

  • 3 day-long painting workshops

  • Recurring belly dancing classes

  • IU Jacobs School of Music students’ inter-arts performance

  • IU Horn Club performance

  • Stormwash inter-arts performance by musicians, poets, and dancers

  • Arts Forum with the City of Bloomington at Waldron Arts Center

  • The Hundreth Hill Youth Arts Camp

  • Limestone Carvers exhibition

  • Uketones ukelele performance

  • Creative Cafe Open Mic Night

  • Fickel Pickin’ guitar music circle practice

  • A Bloomington singing group event

  • Biweekly Portrait Group modeling sessions

• Co-Sponsored Paint Bloomington event in Bryan Park

• Hosted Winter Holiday Artisans Craft Fair

• Received support from:

  • Indiana Arts Commission

  • City of Bloomington

  • Psi Iota Psi

  • National Endowment for the Arts

Arts Alliance Events & Activities

ART CLASSES

• Bloomington Portrait Group regular sessions

• Figurative Drawing Class

• Avon Waters pastel art workshop

• Jason Bailey oil painting art workshops

• David Seward oil workshop

• Hundredth Hill Youth Arts Camp

• Biweekly Bloomington Portrait Group practice sessions

ART EXHIBITS

• Upland Plein Air show: “The Things We Love”

• Joe and Bess Lee show: “Animalia”

• Artists For Climate Awareness show: “Earth, Life, and Our Shared Responsibility”

• “3 Photographers, 3 Perspectives” show

• Limestone Carvers exhibition

• Second Upland Plein Air show

• Martina Celerin fabric art show: “On the Cusp of Autumn”

• David Seward exhibition of oil paintings

• Arts & Crafts Holiday show

MUSIC

• Artists for Climate Awareness / IU Jacobs School of Music concert

• “Stormwash” inter-arts performance by musicians, poets, and dancers

• An IU Horn Club performance

• Uketones ukelele performance

• Creative Cafe Open Mic Night

• A guitar music circle

• A Bloomington singing group circle

MOVEMENT CLASSES

• Donna Barbrick Belly Dance Classes

MEETINGS

• Arts Forum with the City of Bloomington at Waldron Arts Center

• Annual Membership Meeting

• Monthly Board Meetings

• Regular Arts Alliance Artist Meetings