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(11/23/19 11:35am)
A new exhibit was unveiled at the Eiteljorg Museum on Nov. 16, featuring Native American contemporary art. “Blurring the Line” features artists such as Rita Letendre, Hannah Claus and Matthew Kirk showing modern art influenced by their native culture.
A piece, “Impact II” by Rita Letendre, caught the attention of a touring group from American Studies 101 - Investigating the West. Emma Thomas, a student in the class, gave an analysis of the work.
“Even though it's monochromatic, it shows life without using color,” Thomas said, “It's the use of light and shadow, a sense of water.”
Professor Owen Dwyer led the group discussion on the work and brought students into the discussion about the piece.
“It's a suspension of disbelief, suspension of purpose,” Dwyer said.
Dwyer also talked about the American Studies 101 course, and the mix of personalities, majors, and aspirations within the group.
“It [the course] merges multiple students, both art and science,” Dwyer said.
American Studies 101 students also have an event planned for IUPUI on Dec. 12 at 6 p.m., showcasing student’s photographs of nature and their surrounding environment. The event will be held in Cavanaugh 508, and all are welcome to attend.
Another visitor from IUPUI, Luba Halicki, was in the exhibit leading a group.
“It's a gift to the city that we get to see contemporary Native American art...it keeps Indianapolis connected,” Halicki said.
A piece on display, “water song”, showcased the Wabash and Mississinewa
Rivers of the Miami region through hanging threads. Created through digital imagery printed on acetate film, the installation shows the progression from the blue sky to the muddy, roaring river.
Halicki was at the unveiling of the exhibit Nov. 16 and noticed the effect that the large crowd had on the movement of the display.
“We all have our own effect on nature, you step into water and you create a ripple,” Halicki said about the experience.
The exhibit will be on display from Nov. 16 - Feb. 2, and IUPUI students get in free with their Crimson Card.
(11/01/19 8:09pm)
On Oct. 26, Books & Brews hosted the Diagon Alley Fall Festival, a place for Harry Potter lovers to join and express their love for the franchise. The event included vendors, animals and everyone's favorite wizarding drink: Butterbeer!
Wizards and witches from the Indy area came to showcase some of the goods that they make. One group, Misfit Magicians, was there to sell handmade crafts and goods.
Misfit Magicians is a Harry Potter based group that sells handcrafted wands and other goods from the fandom, with the promise to have a safe space to celebrate their love of magic.
Beth Alexoff, a member of the group, crafts wands to sell at events like this.
“I pick names for them as they feel to me, something that resonates with me,” Alexoff said.
Another group active at the event was Wizard of Paws Wildlife Education Inc., a nonprofit operating in the Indy area who adopt and rescue animals that either come from individuals who can’t care for the animals anymore or legally can't have the animal in their state or county. Wizard of Paws brought along some animal friends to the event, including a European polecat and a Fennec fox.
Tyler Wieczorek, vice president of the organization said, “he [the European polecat] is a distant ancestor of the ferret.”
The polecat, named Wyoming, was also referred to as a “really long boy” by Wieczorek.
The venue, Books&Brews, situated on the south side of Indianapolis, is a fusion of a bar and a bookstore. Their motto “a place for people without a place” fits well with the atmosphere, having books surrounding the tables, craft drinks named after books, and a numerous amount of board games to play with strangers.
Keith Fechtman, owner of Books & Brews said, “I enjoy it so much that it doesn't even feel like work! I can't believe I get paid to have fun! I went to UIndy and it was my dream to own a restaurant one day!”
Books & Brews offers both alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks, as well as including a personalized menu. The store offers plenty of seating for board games and reading, and offers specialized nights including trivia on Wednesday.
The entire photo coverage of the event can be found here.
(10/20/19 7:10am)
The Scottish Foundation of Indianapolis hosted the 10th annual Indianapolis Scottish Highland Games & Festival at German Park on Oct. 12. The festival featured Scottish Games, food vendors, authentic goods, live music and ratpucking.
The games began with the opening ceremony of the event, with introductions of the clans participating in the Festival, as well as the Queen and other notable members on the Games Committee. After the opening ceremony, the games began with the athletes taking their place at their first event.
Kara Dougherty is an athlete who competed in the Weight Over Bar event. This was the last games she will participate in this year, ending her 4th year of competition.
“You can yeet stuff as far as you want,” Dougherty said, in reference to throwing the weight.
Apart from the Games in the Highlands, situated in the Lowlands were many of the vendors of the event, from food stands to tents selling hand-crafted clothes and trinkets. Tanya Clark, an IUPUI employee, is one such vendor at her stand, Under the Mushroom, where she and her family handmake goods like signs, leatherworking, skirts and cloaks.
“The craft evolves as you do it. It keeps me busy.” Clark said about her craft.
Apart from the crowds of people, the Royal Court plays out what would have happened in Queen Mary of Scotland’s court a near five centuries later. The Court, acting as the governing body of the games, consists of Queen Mary and many of her chambermaids and ladies-in-waiting. Catherine MacLactlan, a lady-in-waiting for the Queen told me that it was 1565 and that the Queen had just returned to Scotland from France.
“Mary seeks to meet Elizabeth (Queen Mary of Scots sister, Queen of England) and wishes to keep her relationship cordial with her,” MacLachtlan said.
The Lord Mayor, or as we know him as Mayor Joe Hogsett, also made a special diplomatic appearance at the event. The Queen made a special entrance for Mayor Hogsett, where he went to proclaim the day as Indianapolis Scottish Heritage Day.
“Indianapolis…is becoming a much more cosmopolitan city,” Hogsett said, “You (the students of IUPUI) are certainly welcome in the city of Indianapolis and I hope that you get an outstanding education that IUPUI offers, and while you’re here help us celebrate the many cultures that make our city great.”
He later went to play the Queens game of ratpucking, where players must launch a rat into a vase, and yell ‘Cheese’ while flinging the rat through the air.
Another royalty walking around the festival were the clans, and most notably, the clan Chief and Chiefton of Clan Carrothers, a rarity at this festival. The Chief, also known as the head of the clan, flew in from Albuquerque, New Mexico on Friday to be at the event on Saturday. The Carrothers is a clan with DNA dating back 75,000 years, with traceable lineage on their Norse side dating back to 550 BCE. Notable Carothers include F.D.R, John Wayne, Robin Hood and Winston Churchill.
One of the many bands playing at the event was a performance by Celtic Rain, including Rebekah Lawson, Melodi Miller, Samuel Lawson and Jeff Kestin to the visitors of the Games. Rebekah Lawson is a performer in the band since 2009, as well as Coordinator of Entertainment at the festival.
“All of our entertainment is local,” Lawson said.
Melodi Miller, the newest member of Celtic Rain, talked about her time in the band.
“It makes me happy, and it’s something in my life that brings me a lot of joy…I’ll just go and play and I’ll feel better,” Miller said.
Celtic Rain has had a very successful year.
“We are nominated for six awards, [including] a songwriting nomination for both Samuel and Rebekah, album of the year, song of the year, and spoken word,” Samuel Lawson said at the Artist Music Guild Heritage Awards in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Scottish Highland Games were an incredible experience to learn more about the Gaelic culture and ways people make a living doing what they love.
Hip, Hip, Huzzah, and God Save the Queen!
The photo recap of the event can be found here.