Is it magic or is it science? Have great fun exploring the surprising tricks mirrors can play on your brain! This special hands-on exhibition for people of all ages is on display at WonderLab (Tuesday – Sunday) through April 13.

Opening January 3 and running until February 1, a variety of new exhibits are on display at the Ivy Tech John Waldron Arts Center galleries.

National Society of Arts and Letters: 2014 Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition of Emerging Artists

Indiana artists aged 18-29 compete for a $1,000 Best in Show prize awarded annually by the Bloomington Chapter of the NSAL. This local group has given away over half a million dollars to support budding careers invisual arts, dance, drama, literature, music, and musical theatre since 1966.

Janelle Beasley: “Comfort Zone” (paper collages)

Lucas Adams and Bailey Tichenor: “Northern Exposure” (paintings and photographs)

Galleries are open Monday – Friday, 9 am – 7 pm, and Saturday, 9 am – 5 pm.

Come have fun decorating food donation bins (40 gallon size ) using the theme of Martin Luther King: 40 Days of Peace. The decorated bins will be used to collect non-perishable food items at area groceries, schools, retail stores, apartments, etc, to stock Area 10’s Food Pantries. The food will then be delivered to homebound seniors.

To kick off our food drive, the colorful bins will be on display Monday, January 20 at the Endwright Center as part of Area 10’s MLK Day celebration, which also includes a Tech Fair. Volunteers will also be at each of Area 10’s food pantries cleaning, painting and organizing. The food drive will continue through the next 40 days. Each day we will feature the art work and location of one bin on our website and facebook page.

If you’d like to help decorate a bin, come to the Endwright Center any time on Friday, January 10th between 9:00am-3:00 pm. There will be some art supplies on hand or you can bring your own.

The Dr. MLK Jr. Food Drive and Tech Fair are made possible by a grant from the City of Bloomington’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, and sponsored by Area 10 Agency on Aging, RSVP, Endwright Center and Nutrition programs. For Additional Information: 812-876-3383 ex. 515

New in the Galleries: “Photographing Rosie the Riveter”
Runs October 1-January 26
The conscription of men into military service during WW II led to a demand for female workers in the factories supplying munitions and war supplies. Government photography projects, such as the Farm Security Administration (FSA), revamped their operations to support the efforts of the Office of War Information (OWI). This installation features propagandistic images of female assembly-line workers by Andreas Feininger, Alfred T. Palmer, and Howard Liberman. Organized by Maura Campbell-Balkits, a museum intern in the Department of Communications and Culture.

“Community Voices Gallery: League of Women Voters”
League of Women Voters exhibit, open now through March 29, 2014, through photos, documents, written history and objects you will be able to see the involvement of the Bloomington Chapter of this nationwide organization. Please note, museum hours are Tues-Sat, 10am-4pm.

“Giants in Cornfield, Civil War Sesquicentennial”
“Giants in Cornfield, Civil War Sesquicentennial” exhibit open now through April 12, 2014, gives an incredible look at the soldiers from Monroe County and their role in the battles of the Civil War. Please note, museum hours are Tues-Sat, 10am-4pm.

“Old Fashioned Christmas”
Come view Christmases from the past in the History Center’s “Old Fashioned Christmas” exhibit. November 29 – February 15, 2014 Please note, museum hours are Tues-Sat, 10am-4pm.

Day Trip to the Indianapolis Museum of Art: Matisse, Life in Color: Masterworks from The Baltimore Museum of Art

When: Friday, January 10, 2014, 10:30 – 5:00 pm

Where: Meet at the Endwright Center, 631 W. Edgewood Dr, Ellettsville, IN 47429 Round trip travel via Rural Transit. Bus departs at 10:30 sharp!

About: Bright colors, bold shapes, and expressive lines make the work of Henri Matisse (French, 1869 – 1954) some of the most influential (and recognizable) of the 20th century. Join us for a field trip to the Indianapolis Museum of Art for a last chance to see Matisse, Life in Color: Masterworks from The Baltimore Museum of Art (exhibit ends January 12). The exhibit features over 100 works of Art. Rural Transit bus departs the Endwright Center precisely at 10:30 am. Upon arrival at the IMA, we will enjoy a lunch at the Café (not included in registration fee); then have an hour’s free time to explore the Modern or European galleries. A guided tour of the Matisse exhibit is scheduled for 2:00 pm. We will depart the IMA around 3:30 pm to return to the Endwright Center. Register early, space is limited! Sponsored by Area 10 Agency on Aging, Rural Transit, the Indiana Arts Commission, Ivy Tech Community College, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Smithville Charitable Foundation.

Self- Guided Audio Tour. (lunch at the IMA is additional, approx $15-$20).
Register early, space is limited! For Additional Information: 812-876-3383, ext 515 http://www.imamuseum.org/exhibition/matisse-life-color-masterworks-baltimore-museum-art

A holiday show of handmade work by more than 50 local artists.

What: Quick meals with Chef Warren: Traditional New Year Recipes!

When: Friday, January 10, 11:00 am – 12:00 p.m.

Who: Chef Warren

Where: The Endwright Center (kitchen!), 631 W. Edgewood Drive, Ellettsville

Cost: FREE! Donations gratefully accepted.

About: Join us for a special cooking demonstration by Chef Warren from Garden Villa. He will prepare southern style pork and butter roasted cabbage (traditional New Year recipes!). Sponsored by Garden Villa Health.

About the Instructor:
Chef Warren graduated from Sullivan University with his Associates Degree in Culinary Arts and Bachelor Degree in Hotel Restaurant Management. He was Executive Chef at the German American Klub, and worked for Indiana University for before taking the Chef’s position at Garden Villa, where he has worked for six years. His background in the culinary arts features everything from classic French to modern fusion American cuisine.

For more information call the center at 876-3383 ex. 515.

Opening January 3 and running until February 1 at Pictura Gallery is a new photography exhibit by Antonio Bolfa: “Haiti: Mass Garbage Dumps of Cite Soleil”.

“The town of Cite Soleil has the biggest garbage dumping grounds in the city of Port au Prince and possibly the country of Haiti. It is a vast wasteland that stretches to the horizon, always expanding as peoples’ waste is dumped there. On and around this massive wasteland a community has grown. People erect makeshift homes and raise families among the fields of garbage where they scavenge the refuse for food, scrap metal and other recyclable items so they can survive. There are no jobs, health care or education. A good day is when garbage trucks deliver batches of spoiled meat that are free for eating. Following the tragic earthquake on January 10th, 2010, the international community poured financial assistance into the country. Since that day, not a single penny has been received by the community of Cite Soleil. As I watched people fight for their survival, I would always think to myself, “What do these people need to sacrifice in order to live like this? Do these people have to relinquish some part of their humanity in order to survive? Or does this kind of hardship define a part of what humanity is in the 21st century?” I am still shocked that this level of poverty and base survival still exists in 2013.”

Artist talk will be held Thursday, January 30 at 7 pm. Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday, 11 am – 7 pm.

While residing in a small town in Northeast Ohio for most of his life, Rob has developed a passion and dedication to music. For him, it’s not chasing a dream of being rich and famous. It’s simply about creating good music.

Rob picked up his first guitar at around eight years old and still owns it to this day. After experimenting on the guitar and taking a few weeks of lessons he played out for the first time at this young age. Lessons didn’t seem to interest him at the time so that came to an end. This led to a long sabbatical, as his first guitar collected dust.

Maybe it was playing the saxophone in concert band at age ten that brought the interest of music back into his life. Meeting his life long friend Dustin Skidmore who also played guitar and sax had an influence as well. After spending time with Dustin and finding out he played guitar, Rob was destined to relearn the six stringed instrument.

Rob’s mom, also a guitar player, saw the musical interest in her son’s life and taught him only a few chords. After quickly learning and memorizing those chords he began to explore the guitar and taught himself new chords and techniques. One Christmas his parents purchased him a used Fender Telecaster. It wasn’t long before guitar lessons seemed essential for Rob to continue growing as a guitarist. However, only after several weeks of practices and lessons at New York Music he decided to quit. This has led Rob to becoming a predominantly self-taught musician.

During high school Rob began singing and writing his own songs. They weren’t much at the time but they were a start. He played his first gig at The Mocha House in Boardman, OH. Although there was a great turnout and plenty of encouragement, it wasn’t enough to keep him going. Rob left his hometown to pursue a college computer networking degree. After being enrolled for nearly two years he dropped out and moved back home.

It wasn’t long before he got back into the groove and began writing more songs. He met his good friend Ian Proverbs who introduced him to Mike Myhal and Bob Beals of Imperfekt Musik Recording Studio in Austintown, OH. Bob Beals, who is a huge influence on Rob’s music career, co-wrote and produced Find Yourself In Love.

Rob’s story continues, as we watch his musical journey unfold.