Medicare Open Enrollment is from October 15-December 7. Your health needs change from year to year. And, your health plan may change the benefits and costs each year too. That’s why it’s important to evaluate your Medicare choices regularly. Open Enrollment is the one time of year when ALL people with Medicare can see what new benefits Medicare has to offer and make changes to their coverage. It’s worth it to take the time to review and compare, but you don’t have to do it alone. Help is available through SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program). Counselors can answer your questions and help you find the best plan at the best price. Local sponsors Area 10 Agency on Aging and IU Health Bloomington Hospital provide one-on-one assistance to help people sort through Prescription Drug Plans and Medicare Advantage Plans. Also, if you have limited income and resources, you may be able to get help paying your prescription drug coverage costs and other healthcare costs. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services estimates that more than 2 million people with Medicare may be eligible for the subsidy, but are not currently enrolled to take advantage of these savings. A recent law changed how your income and assets are counted, so even if you were previously turned down due to income or resource levels, you should reapply. Keep in mind that Medicare is not part of the Health Insurance Marketplace. The new Health Insurance Marketplace won’t affect your Medicare coverage and is not part of Medicare Open Enrollment which occurs from October 15 to December 7. You do not need to enroll in the new Health Insurance Marketplace to maintain or change your Medicare coverage. Criminals are trying to scam seniors with false information regarding Medicare and the Affordable Care Act. Never give your Medicare number to someone who calls or visits and requests this information.

Call to make your appointment anytime during Open Enrollment to discuss prescription coverage or any other Medicare questions.

Area 10 Agency on Aging 812-876-3383
IU Health Bloomington Hospital 812-353-9300

The Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market is held every Saturday from 8 am until 1 pm, from April through November.

The Farmers’ Market is located at 401 N. Morton St. next to City Hall – Showers Building. Locally grown produce, annual and perennial plants, and a variety of prepared foods are available. Purchase your food directly from farmers and ask them questions about their products. Local entertainment adds to the shopping as well as socializing experience. Tantalizing scents and the inviting atmosphere may cause you to make the Market a weekend tradition.

“Nature’s Vampires” is a special interactive exhibition on display now at WonderLab.Discover the world of blood-sucking creatures, including bed bugs, ticks, fleas, lice, and more!

Mirror Mysteries: Science of ReflectionIs 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.

Come check out the Saturday arts market at the Trained Eye Arts Center. Featuring local artists, live music and more! Stop by the art market on the first and third Saturday of the month for an opportunity to tour the open studios and see artists at work. The art market will be held inside the Trained Eye studios during the winter months.

Special Exhibition, “Art Interrupted: Advancing American Art and the Politics of Cultural Diplomacy”
Runs September 15-December 15
This exhibition reconstructs a 1946‒47 exhibition titled Advancing American Art, which featured over one hundred examples of stylistically diverse American art from the mid-1930s to the mid-1940s. Organized by the State Department as a form of cultural diplomacy, Advancing American Art traveled to venues in Latin America and Europe before political controversy in the United States led to its cancellation. Art Interrupted illuminates a fascinating historical moment when modern art was seen as a powerful tool for furthering democratic ideals around the world.

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.

New in the Galleries: “Ancient Jewelry”
Runs October 15-December 15
In conjunction with the Jewelry Symposium in the Hope School of Fine Arts (October 17–20, 2013) and the accompanying international jewelry exhibition in the Grunwald Gallery, a new selection of ancient jewelry will be on display in the second floor gallery. The IUAM collection of jewelry is one of the largest in the United States. Necklaces, bracelets, diadems, earrings, and finger rings from our collection are breathtaking examples of metalsmithing skill—and of beauty.

New in the Galleries: “Stories with Shadowy Figures”
Runs October 22-December 21
An installation of puppets from Java, presented in conjunction with the shadow puppet performance on October 27.

Artist show of “Moe’s Menagerie” by Cappi Phillips. A collection of animals, birds, fish and much more, all derived from recycled and up-cycled materials.

From boldly graphic raffia textiles to intricately incised carving on wooden cups, complex surface design is a hallmark of Kuba aesthetics and an indicator of prestige and value for Kuba and Westerners alike. Complementing the Kuba objects permanently on display in the Wielgus gallery, The Patterned Kingdom includes additional objects from the museum’s collection, including several hats given by the late IU textile artist Budd Stalnaker, as well as loans from IU professor emeritus and painter William Itter.

This exhibit runs through December 22, 2013 Raymond and Laura Wielgus Gallery of the Arts of Africa, the South Pacific, and the Americas, Focalpoint, third floor.

Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm, and Sunday, noon to 5 pm.

Get to know Bloomington as you never have before! On our tour, you will savor authentic cultural cuisine while visiting historical sites the area is known for with one of our Local Tour Guides. Suitable for 21+ and all fitness levels, this three hour guided walking tour is a unique combination of food and drink tastings as well as an insightful glance into Bloomington’s historical and local attractions (including significant facts about our very own Indiana University!). The menu ranges from savory to sweet cuisine, ethnic foods to locally admired wines, and an insider’s view into the history and architecture that defines Bloomington. This unique and delectable experience will leave you with new culinary perspectives and satisfied appetites, yet your taste buds will be hungrier than ever to continue exploring more hidden, tasteful treasures Bloomington has to offer.

On First Friday, November 1st, beginning at 6 pm, The Venue Fine Art & Gifts will host an Opening and Reception for Artist Don Geyra, and his most recent paintings.

Born and raised in up-state New York, Don earned his undergraduate degree at Colgate, and his Masters in Fine Art at Indiana. He then established himself as a scenic artist in New York City. As a Scenic Artist, Don painted for virtually every significant Broadway Show, TV Show, and Movie, for the next three decades.

Last spring Don realized that it was time for him to leave the City. When he and his wife arrived in Bloomington, Don knew he was home. Fortunately for us, he brought his artist’s eye and vast experience with him. As a result, Don has painted, for The Venue, a whole new series of works which display entirely new perspectives of familiar scenes and places in Bloomington. Realistic, but not bound by reality, these scenes, as depicted by Don, are truly original and refreshing.

As an introductory gift to the art world of Bloomington, Don Geyra and The Venue are offering these wonderful oil paintings for sale at a fraction of their market value in New York. Don’t miss this generous opportunity.

The Venue will provide refreshments for this Reception and Opening. Our complete collection of Fine Art and Gifts will also be on display for viewing and purchase. Free parking is available in the lot on the corner of 4th and Grant. Arrive early.

This show will run at The Venue until November 14th.

Brick Gallery is a special section of Pictura Gallery dedicated to local and regional artists. The exhibit features the work of several photographers who traveled together to Yunnan Province, a rural area in southwestern China, during the spring of 2013. The exhibit highlights the tension between the modern world and the ancient cultures of this region of China. Yunnan province is home to many ethnic minorities, including the Yi, the Bai, and Tibetans.

Images on view by Douglas Beasley, Diane Drinnon, David Moore, and Martha Moore. Douglas Beasley is a career photographer who led the trip to China and has established ‘Vision Quest’ workshops throughout the world. He is recognized as a person who seeks the sacred connections between what we see and do not see. Diane Drinnon, from New York City, was a participant in the Vision Quest workshop in China, as were Martha and David Moore, owners of Pictura Gallery.

Exhibit runs until November 30. Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday, 11 am – 7 pm.