2023 Exhibit Columbus and City of Bloomington Present “Bloomington Day”
A thoughtful day of experiences and conversations around the future of art and design in downtown Bloomington with local, state, and national leaders
Columbus, Indiana — On Saturday, May 13, Landmark Columbus Foundation will co-host a series of events in collaboration with the City of Bloomington as part of the 2022–23 cycle of Exhibit Columbus, which is exploring the theme Public by Design to create meaningful connections between people and the public spaces they share.
The Bloomington Conversation will feature a series of events exploring past, present, and future themes of art and design in Downtown Bloomington, the Trades District, and the new Hopewell Neighborhood. Speakers and guides include Esteban Garcia Bravo, whose artwork Aurora Almanac is installed in the Trades District Garage, Landscape Architect Chris Merritt, whose firm Merritt Chase contributed to the Hopewell Neighborhood Master Plan, and James Lima of James Lima Planning + Development, who specializes in the economics of placemaking and creating more vibrant, equitable, and resilient places for all.
The day culminates in a screening of the film Playtime at Upland Brewing Co. produced in partnership with Cicada Cinema.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating between our two communities to produce such an important event in Bloomington,” said Holly Warren, who is one of the Curatorial Partners for Exhibit Columbus and the Assistant Director for the Arts, Economic and Sustainable Development Department City of Bloomingtonand Richard McCoy, Executive Director of Landmark Columbus Foundation. “We are excited to explore how the theme of this cycle of Exhibit Columbus can translate in both places to lead to the creating of more meaningful art and design elements in each city.”
Schedule of Events
Downtown Art and Design Tour
10:30 am
Welcome, with donuts and coffee. An overview of the Trades District at the Trades District Garage, featuring remarks by artist Esteban Garcia Bravo.
11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Downtown Art and Design Tour, including stops at the City Hall Farmers Market, the Graduate Hotel mural by Nina Chanel Abney, and the Black Lives Matter Mural in Peoples Park.
Lunch
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Lunch at the John Waldron Art Center
Public Conversation
2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
A public conversation about art, design, and economic development in the Hopewell Neighborhood and beyond. Featuring Chris Merritt and James Lima at the John Waldron Art Center (122 S Walnut Street). A reception will immediately follow the conversation at the City of Bloomington/One Drop Underground exhibition at the 4th Street Garage.
Film Screening of Playtime
7:30 pm
Free screening of Playtime at Upland Brewery Woodshop in partnership with Cicada Cinema.
About the Participants
Esteban Garcia Bravo
2022–23 Exhibit Columbus University Design Research Fellow
Purdue University Department of Computer Graphics Technology, West Lafayette, IN
Esteban Garcia Bravo is Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Graphics Technology at Purdue University, where he teaches digital imaging, fabrication and computational aesthetics. He is a Colombian-American artist and scholar exploring computational arts that earned his MFA from Purdue University in 2008, and a PhD in Technology, also from Purdue, in 2013. His research on computer art heritage and digital media art practices has been featured in the annual meetings of international organizations and his artwork has been displayed internationally in media art festivals, gallery exhibits, museums, public art installations, and artist-in-residence programs.
James Lima
President and Founder, James Lima Planning + Development
James Lima is the founder of James Lima Planning + Development, a real estate and economic planning advisory firm. He has been actively engaged in complex matters of real estate, economic development, and public policy since 1986, with extensive private and public sector experience in the planning and revitalization of urban places at a variety of scales. He is a member of the Design Trust for Public Spaces Design Trust Council and serves on the boards of the American LGBTQ+ Museum. James did his undergraduate and graduate studies at Columbia University.
Chris Merritt
Landscape Architect, Merritt Chase
Chris Merritt is a Landscape Architect and Founding Principal of Merritt Chase, a firm based in Indianapolis and Pittsburgh whose work focuses on the design of culturally significant public spaces in complex social, ecological, and infrastructural contexts. Chris has received recognition for his work with awards from the Urban Land Institute, the American Society of Landscape Architects, the American Institute of Architects, and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design and Purdue University.
Holly Warren
Assistant Director for the Arts, Economic and Sustainable Development Department, City of Bloomington
Holly Warren is the Assistant Director for the Arts for the City of Bloomington where she represents the City to other organizations in matters related to arts and culture and oversees and coordinates public art projects, cultural activities, and community events. She also supports community artists and cultural organizations within the community. Holly has previously worked for the University of Chicago Logan Center for the Arts, Northwestern University’s Block Museum of Art, and at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Chicago.
Media Contact
Jamie Goldsborough
jamie@landmarkcolumbus.org
About Exhibit Columbus
Exhibit Columbus is a program of Landmark Columbus Foundation and an exploration of community, architecture, art, and design that activates the modern legacy of Columbus, Indiana. It creates a cycle of programming that uses this context to convene conversations around innovative ideas and commissions site-responsive installations in a free, public exhibition. exhibitcolumbus.org
About the City of Bloomington Department of Economic and Sustainable Development
The City of Bloomington's Department of Economic & Sustainable Development works to cultivate a resilient community built on shared prosperity, inclusive economic opportunity, environmental stewardship, and a thriving arts and culture ecosystem. bloomington.in.gov/departments/esd
