Village News, mid-April: (Chinese!) Community Dinner, Tunnel Project news, weekend work party

Big news in the Village this week. First of all, new housemate Evan, who works as an airline steward for United Airlines flying in and out of China, agreed to take the lead for Wednesday’s Community Dinner, and decided that the main dish would be “twice-cooked pork.” Here are some notes I found on the kitchen table, written partly in Chinese!

When the day came, he called in a Chinese friend and they made the delicious dish, which took quite a while and everybody loved it. “That’s good,” he confided afterwards. “Sometimes when I make it for Americans they don’t eat it!”

At the dinner, our first patio party of 2017, and during which I totally forgot to take pictures, we heard from two city employees:  Sean, of the Sustainability Department, and Beth, of the Planning and Transportation Department, about the city’s decision to create a mural for all 2800 feet (both sides) of the long tunnel under the bypass at the end of 7th Street (not much more than a stone’s throw from here). Here’s the official invitation sent out to artists.

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE :

April 7, 2017

For more information, please contact:

Sean Starowitz, Assistant Director of Economic & Sustainable Development for the Arts, starowis@bloomington.in.gov, 812-349-3534

Call to Artists: Mural Project on 7th Street Underpass

Bloomington, Ind. – The City of Bloomington Planning and Transportation Department, in collaboration with the City’s Economic & Sustainable Development Department, is issuing a call for artist qualifications for a mural to be located at the 7th Street underpass.

Mural Details:

  • The goal of the mural is to provide an innovative and strong work of public art to the residents of Bloomington, IN.

  • The mural is to be painted on concrete – see images

7thSt.Mural1.jpg7thSt.Mural2.jpg

  • The artist will be expected to engage neighborhood residents in the installation of the mural.

  • The mural space is approximately 2,300 sq.ft. Detailed measurements provided upon request.

  • There is no application fee.

  • Proposal deadline: 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 5th, 2017.

Stipend:

Artist will receive $2,500. This amount includes all artist fees, material and equipment purchases to complete the mural. Payment will be upon completion.

Completion Date: All work must be completed prior to June 30th, 2017.

WHAT TO SEND:

The written proposal contact information:

  • Full name

  • Address

  • Telephone number

  • Email address

  • Illustrations of the proposed mural. Submissions must contain between 1 and 5 sketches or digital renderings of the proposed mural. These are not final renderings, as a public process will have to take place.

A description of the proposed work. Please include the following descriptions:

  • An artist statement describing mural experience and interest in the project.

  • A description of the concepts in the proposed mural.

Support materials/previous work:

  • Proposals should be accompanied by 5 to 10 images of previous work.

  • Resume – maximum 2 pages

  • Files should be submitted in a .pdf format and will be acknowledged upon receipt.

Selection:

The artist will be selected by a panel consisting of staff from the Planning and Transportation Department, a member from the Green Acres Neighborhood Association, members of the Bloomington Arts Commission, and City staff.

Submissions must be received by 5:00 p.m. on May 5th. Artists will be notified about the selection by Friday, May 12th. Send electronic submissions to starowis@bloomington.in.gov with subject line stating RFQ – 7th Street.

If you have any questions or concerns, contact Sean Starowitz at 812-349-3534.


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Green Acres Villager Mariella has agreed to be our neighborhood rep on the Tunnel Project committee. YES!

Mariella has been planning a move from one house into the house adjacent (it’s bigger) for some time. And I’ve been telling her to let us know, because there are plenty of people who would offer to help. So she did! Yesterday puppy Shadow and I walked over to her house (about a block and a half away) with housemate Dan, and met up with Mariella, her kids, Katarina and Brian. Eva and her kids were due to come as well. I moved all her plants, transfered coats from front closet of first house to second house, and unpacked her dishes.

Others did the “heavy lifting.”

Then we celebrated with beer, wine, and chips.

“This morning, son Colin brought over a pizza for lunch, and stayed for an hour of more heavy lifting. (He also fixed a basement window that somehow got stuck open.) Rebecca was also going to help at some point today. I forgot to take pictures this morning.

Oh and one more note: Mariella told me that Evan walked over with a blanket and leftovers for her from the Wednesday dinner late that same night, since she had just returned from a work trip,  exhausted, hungry, and with no blankets for her new bed.

What’s a village without sharing and caring?

 

 

2 comments on “Village News, mid-April: (Chinese!) Community Dinner, Tunnel Project news, weekend work party”

  1. Pingback: Green Acres Village News: Community Dinner (Chinese!), Tunnel Project news, Mariella's big move with a little help from her friends - ExopermacultureExopermaculture

  2. Karen Anderson Reply

    How wonderful to live within a village that lies inside of a larger town! I really like the feel of this post, and of your lives there, helping each other to have more wonderful lives. If the West Coast ever becomes uninhabitable, I will be seriously considering a move to Bloomington. Meanwhile, please keep us all posted on how the mural project unfolds and other village news.

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