The Scholars Inn Bakehouse cycling team, one of the Midwest’s premier cycling clubs is hosting the Tour of Bloomington powered by the Scholars Inn Bakehouse, a bicycle race series permitted by USA Cycling, on Saturday and Sunday, May 2nd and 3rd, 2015. Saturday’s race is an afternoon criterium consisting of several laps on the streets of downtown Bloomington finishing on East Kirkwood in the heart of the city.

The racing begins at 2:00 pm and goes through 8:00 pm. The road race on Sunday begins at 10:00 am and ends at 3:00 pm and is on the challenging and picturesque roads of the Morgan-Monroe State Forest and surrounding area, finishing at the top of Beanblossom Road.

Join us for a weekend of excitement and speed on the streets of Bloomington! Come to watch, race, relax, and ride. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and great amenities that Bloomington and Monroe County have to offer, from downtown’s bustling activity to its more serene areas of natural beauty, all within this award winning, cyclist-friendly, Midwestern town. The races bring elite cycling up close and personal as riders from the Midwest compete for cash and prizes. This free-to-the public, high performance weekend event brings the best competitive cycling talent to Bloomington, showcasing our community to cyclists and visitors throughout the region.

Visit this website for more details, times, maps and how you can watch, participate or volunteer at the event; www.tourofbloomington.org.

For more information contact:
Race Director: Tom Saccone, [email protected] 812-340-2607
Event Coordinator: Aaron Prange, [email protected] 812-360-0080

May is National Preservation Month and the Monroe County Historic Preservation Board of Review and the Bloomington Historic Preservation Commission kick off the month’s activities with the Fourth Annual Old-House Expo and Architectural Cake Contest on Saturday, May 2, 2014, from 8:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m. at the City Hall Atrium. The Expo is designed to raise awareness of historic preservation and to put owners of old houses in touch with qualified tradespersons and professionals. This year homeowners are invited to an Old House Expert Panel Q&A from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in City Council Chambers at City Hall. If you have questions about your old house, from whether it makes sense to replace your home’s original windows with new ones, to what kind of cabinets or counters would be period-appropriate for your home, to sources of architectural salvage, reproduction hardware, copper plumbing, vintage linoleum, or half-round gutters, the experts can provide the answers. At 11 a.m. in the atrium the City’s original Monon Station clock, recently discovered and now restored, will be dedicated.

The Architectural Cake Contest further raises awareness of historic preservation by fostering an appreciation of historic buildings, structures and sites through the fun and creative medium of cake and icing. The contest is open to all interested bakers with the stipulation that the cake represent a building in Bloomington or Monroe County, Indiana, that is at least 50 years old. To view the cakes prior to cutting and to witness the judging process and announcement of the winners, visitors should arrive to the contest by 11 a.m. This year’s judges will be Raina Regan from Indiana Landmarks, Jeff Mease of One World Enterprises, and Bob Zaltsberg from the Herald-Times. For information about entering a cake in the contest, please visit http://cakecontest.wordpress.com Sponsors for this year’s event are The Herald-Times, Pizza X, Revolution Bike and Bean, Mark Longacre Construction, Inc., Golden Hands Construction, Inc., Goldin Appraisal Group, Saunders & Associates Realtors, and Lahn Law.

With two legs or four, join Pets Alive in the fight to end pet overpopulation. Hit the B Line with your dog on May 2nd for their Tails on the Trail 5K to raise funds for spay and neuter services. A one mile route is also available. Visit https://www.signmeup.com/site/online-event-registration/106382 to register.

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00 – 5:00 p.m. Sunday: Noon – 5:00 p.m.

New in the Galleries:

Onya LaTour: Pioneering Modern Art in Indiana
Continuing through May 10, 2015
Gallery of the Art of the Western World, Doris Steinmetz Kellett Endowed Gallery of Twentieth-Century Art, first floor
In 1941 Onya LaTour opened the Indiana Museum of Modern Art near Nashville, Indiana, creating a stir in local art circles. Two works from her personal collection are featured in this installation presented in conjunction with Onya LaTour on view at the Indianapolis Museum of Art this fall, to which the IU Art Museum loaned four pieces.

WWI War Bond Posters
Continuing through May 24, 2015
During World War I, mass-produced color posters encouraged enlistment, helped raise capital for the war effort, and solidified public opinion against the enemy. Two vintage posters for war bonds, one American and one French, are featured: although both depict a German soldier, they have very different styles and impacts.

Nature’s Small Wonders: Photographs by Ansel Adams
Continuing through May 24, 2015
America’s most famous nature photographer, Adams was also an ardent conservationist who served on the board of directors for the Sierra Club for thirty-seven years and was active in the Wilderness Society. He used his dramatic black-and-white photographs to encourage the preservation of America’s natural wonders, particularly those found in the U.S. National Parks.

This installation is on view from January 13 through May 24, 2015, in the Gallery of the Art of the Western World, Doris Steinmetz Kellett Endowed Gallery of Twentieth-Century Art. It is presented in conjunction with the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Sycamore Land Trust, whose mission is to protect the beautiful natural and agricultural landscape of southern Indiana.

Finding Atget
Continueing though May 24, 2015
French photographer Eugène Atget’s imagery mixed a nineteenth-century aesthetic with a modern sensibility, garnering him admiration and respect from the young Berenice Abbott, who became his champion. This installation features a vintage print by Atget and several later prints from his original negatives.

Women behind the Camera
Continuing through May 24, 2015
The world of professional photography in the early- to mid-twentieth century was largely a men’s club, but a small group of talented women paved the way for future generations of female “lensmen.” Portraits by three of these pioneers—Imogen Cunningham, Berenice Abbott, and Toni Frissell—are featured.

Pop Textiles
Continuing through May 24, 2015
Textiles designed by Pop artists Roy Lichtenstein, Richard Lindner, and Claes Oldenburg are featured. These bold and inventive compositions on fabric blur the boundaries between fine art, craft, and industrial production.

Robert Salmon: Romantic Painter
Continuing through May 24, 2015
Two paintings by Robert Salmon help elucidate the artist’s foundation in English Romanticism, which continued to inform his painting after his move to Boston in 1828.

Focalpoint: Fantastic African Hats: Power, Passage, and Protection
Continuing through May 24, 2015
These twelve richly embellished African hats celebrate the prestige of their owners, evoke complex histories of trade and commerce, and provide protection from harm. Organized by Brittany Sheldon, graduate assistant for the arts of Africa, the South Pacific, and the Americas.

Bloomington Handmade Market is bringing back the spring market in 2015 as the Spring Mini, slated to take place May 2 in the Fountain Square Mall atrium. This will be our 7th year hosting this show, and we’re so excited to bring back a spring show. Our event boasts an audience of 2,000 and growing and, as always, we’re hoping to make this event the biggest and BEST ever! For the Spring Mini we will have over 20 artists selling their handmade items. Our artist come from Bloomington and all over the midwest region. Come see what handmade gifts you can get for Mother’s day.

The Southside Vintage Marketplace is one of the most family-friendly and unique shopping experiences Indy’s south side has to offer and we’re so excited to be headed to Bloomington, Indiana for a Pop-up Market at Westbury Antique Market.

We are an open air market with an variety of HOOSIER vendors selling one-of-a-kind art, vintage, antiques, collectibles, furniture, home decor, top-quality handcrafted artisan goods, re-purposed items and more, there is something for everyone! And did we mention that it is FUN? You can rock out to the music and grab a bite to eat at one of Indy’s best food trucks!

Bloomington area community members are invited to an open house and launch party. Light refreshments will be served; remarks will begin at 11am, followed by a drawing featuring prizes and gift certificates from local businesses.

All-Options Pregnancy Resource Center will be a place where people can find open-hearted and open-minded support and get connected with care and resources that support their needs, whether that includes pregnancy tests, peer counseling, diapers, baby clothes, abortion funding, adoption information, support groups, referrals to local healthcare and social service providers – or all of the above. All-Options is a secular, client-centered organization where everyone is welcome, and all services are confidential and available free of charge.

• Program fee is $15 per person.
• Limited to 10 people; minimum age of 15.
• Preregistration required by April 28.
• Sign up at http://bit.ly/carvedstone2015

Discover how limestone shaped the development and identity of the people that settled in the Salt Creek communities during the 1800s and early 1900s during a guided cycling tour near Monroe Lake. Participants will learn about the characteristics of our local limestone and what makes it unique, how that stone influenced early settlers, limestone’s role in the construction of Monroe Lake and the reservoir dam, and how limestone impacts the community today.

• Recommended for intermediate to advanced bicyclists. The route is approximately 25 miles over rolling hills. Average travel speed is expected to be about 13 mph.
• Participants must bring their own bike (suitable for the hilly terrain and distance), helmet (mandatory!), water, and snacks.
• The route includes at least one stop for bathrooms and water refills.
• Total trip length (including all stops) is approximately 4r 30 min.

Presented by IU Art Museum docent Patty Callison.

Presented by IU Art Museum docent Patty Callison.