News & Press Releases
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Art Update Fall 2008
Stone Belt will continue exhibits of its unique artwork at a number of locations throughout Bloomington this fall and winter.
August kicked things off with an exhibit of mosaics at Tutto Bene (213 South Rogers Street, Bloomington). One of the most popular pieces at the show was "Scream," by artist Kelly Tate. "People identify with picture because it can be a scream of frustration, happiness or fear. It is one of Art & Craft's best-selling pieces," said Larry Pejeau, Director of Art & Craft.
In October the Mosaics will return to the place of their first Bloomington exhibit, The Bloomington Bagel Company (113 North Dunn, Bloomington). "We are so excited to revisit the place where we got our start," said Leslie Green, CEO.
2009 brings a selection of artistically decorated bird house and Art & Craft mosaics exhibited at Lennie's Restaurant (1805 E. Tenth Street, Bloomington) from January 5 through March 2.
As always, Stone Belt artisans' most recent mosaic work, creative greeting cards, jewelry and furniture can always be viewed and purchased at the Stone Belt Gallery (2815 E. Tenth Street, Bloomington). A holiday sale for Art & Craft is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, December 13. The new Stone Belt 2009 calendar featuring an original mosaic each month will be available at this event.
This year Stone Belt artists will once again be collaborating with Lotus organizers to create sculptures for the 2008 Festival Parade. This annual event features an eclectic mix of whimsical sculptures and marching bands and is the opening event of the kicks off the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival, an international music festival that draws large crowds to downtown Bloomington each year. The parade travels from Third Street Park to Kirkwood Avenue. It will be held October 2 at 5:45 pm.
"Animal Island," Stone Belt's collaborative street sculpture created by client artists and local artist Joe LaMantia is currently being installed along the B-Line trail on Morton Street between 5th and 6th Streets in downtown Bloomington. This will be the first permanent installation to be completed along the B-Line trail and dedication ceremonies are anticipated to be held mid October.
The sculpture features four large, brightly painted, 1/4 inch plate steel poles with animal images mounted to them, whimsical weather vanes sit on top of each. Embedded in the concrete ground are four colorful mosaic stepping stones. All items are based on client drawings. "This wonderfully creative installation will surely be enjoyed by joggers and walkers along the B-Line trail for years to come," said Pejeau.
New inspiration and the sharing of resources is the goal of a group traveling to San Francisco, California in September. This trip, partially funded by VSA arts of Indiana, will include Linda Wisler, VSA arts of Indiana Resident Master Artist; Leslie Green, Stone Belt CEO; Larry Pejeau, Director of Stone Belt Art & Craft; Karen Holtzclaw, Stone Belt Art Instructor; and Joe LaMantia, Stone Belt Collaborative Artist.
The group will be visiting five different studios that support artists with disabilities. These include The Art of Possibility studio in Santa Clara, Creativity Explored in San Francisco, Creative Growth in Oakland, The National Institute of Art and Disability (NIAD) in Richmond and will also tour The Arc of San Francisco. Look for a full report of what was discovered and learned in the Winter issue of Touchstone.
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