Because Christine Balfa and her band are experiencing weather-related flight cancellations and delays on their way to Bloomington, we have had to CANCEL tonight’s concert at Waldron, Hill, and Buskirk Park.  As of this post, they haven’t even been able leave Louisiana.

We look forward to presenting them in the future, when the weather won’t keep them from making it to Bloomington.

NOTE: This concert has been cancelled. We finish up our spring Lotus at 20 concert series with a free concert of traditional Cajun music by Christine Balfa and Balfa Toujours. Come on out to the park and let the good times roll.

Led by Christine Balfa, daughter of the late Dewey Balfa — a legendary fiddler and ambassador for Louisiana’s Cajun culture — Balfa Toujours has taken generations of inspiration and created a vibrant sound all its own. Christine grew up playing triangle with her father, and absorbed music and language from the thriving culture around Basile, Louisiana. She sings with the raw emotion that is a hallmark of true Cajun music: authentic, heartfelt, and joyful. We can’t wait to two-step in the park. Here’s a clip of Christine and her crew, bringing a little bit of the bayou to Malaysia.

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Waldron, Hill, and Buskirk Park (Third Street Park; 331 S. Washington St.)

Plus –

• Get your dinner on site, with Cajun flavors from Bloomingfoods
• Help finish a Power of Pattern banner for the Fourth of July parade
• Buy a re-issued Lotus first-year T-shirt, to show your Lotus love and support our endowment efforts

Made possible with support from Old National Bank Fund, a component fund of the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County.

At Lotus, we’re lucky to work with many community organizations — to share resources, to reach larger audiences, to pool creative energy and ideas. One of our longtime community partners is IU’s Mathers Museum of World Cultures, which hosted the very first Lotus event (ever), back in 1994. We’ve collaborated with the Mathers ever since, on activities for the Lotus Blossoms World Bazaar, free arts workshops, and free Lotus performances at the museum.

The first Lotus World Music and Arts Festival kicked off with a performance on the museum lawn from Puerto Rican musician Andrew Lazaro. (Mathers photographer and Curator of Exhibits Matthew Sieber captured the moment in the image above.) The concert dovetailed with a Mathers childrens’ exhibit on Mexican/latino heritage. Assistant Director Judy Kirk recalls, “Our missions align, and having that concert helped both the Mathers and Lotus. It was beautiful and lively.” She adds, with a smile, ”The windows vibrated so much [from the bass] that our alarms went off.”

Sarah Hatcher, Curator of Education, has facilitated the Lotus/Mathers relationship for the last two years, from the time that she joined the museum staff. She’s become an important member of the Lotus Blossoms Bazaar planning committee. “The committee is an amazing group of funny, organized people,” she says. As for the Bazaar itself: “It pulls together a wide variety of people from the Bloomington community, all in one place, representing a beautiful array of cultures, and makes it easy for hundreds of school children to have a great interactive, multicultural experience. It’s a nice fit for Mathers outreach programming.”

The black-and-white photo above documents a the Mathers craft workshop held in conjunction with the 1994 Lotus World Music and Arts Festival; the photo below shows Sarah Hatcher staffing the Mathers activity station at the 2013 Lotus Blossoms Bazaar.

Sarah’s also been on hand at the Festival’s Lotus in the Park, working with Lotus staff to present hands-on arts activities that reflect world cultural traditions, like African fans and ankle rattles, huichol yarn painting, and Kuba cloth designs. Last year, she attended the Festival for the first time. We asked her which artists were favorites: “Hanggai was amazing; so much fun. It was great to hear them live, and to see them play instruments that I’d previously seen only in the Mathers’ collection. And Movits were pretty spectacular as well. Swedish hip-hop wasn’t something I expected, but it was awesome.”

This winter, the Mathers hosted two free Lotus Blossoms performances — one by storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston, and one by the Ecuadorean ensemble Andes Manta – and three free workshops for this year’s Lotus arts outreach project, the Power of Pattern. We have one more Power of Pattern workshop coming up at the Mathers: Simple Block Carving, on May 18. (See carvers in our first workshop at right.) Details here; it’s a free event, but registration is limited to 15, so contact Sarah to reserve your space.

We’re looking forward to more Mathers fun at Lotus in the Park (September 28) for this year’s Lotus World Music and Arts Festival. In the meantime, visit the 50th-anniversary “Treasures of the Mathers Museum” exhibit, or follow the museum via Facebook to keep up with the great free lectures and workshops that Sarah Hatcher and her colleagues schedule throughout the year.

Pictured at left: The huichol yarn mosaic activity table hosted by the Mathers at the 2012 Lotus World Music and Arts Festival’s Lotus in the Park.

Black-and-white archival photos on this page taken by Matthew Sieber, courtesy of the Mathers Museum of World Cultures, Indiana University.

The first phase of our pattern-driven arts outreach project wrapped up at the end of March, and after hundreds of design submissions, lots of carving, and getting our paint-spattered hands on umpteen feet of canvas, we’re ready to start chapter two of the Power of Pattern. But first, a look back at the fun we’ve had this winter.

In early January, we invited members of the community to submit designs for the Power of Pattern — an arts project based on the human inclination to use symbols to embody ideas, to transmit practical information, to create identity, to create art, and to build community. The culmination of the project will be a new backdrop for the Buskirk-Chumley Theater stage, unveiled in time for the 20th annual Lotus World Music and Arts Festival this September.

The project design team — Marketing and Communications Director LuAnne Holladay, Outreach Director Loraine Martin, and artist Gail Hale — received a whopping 450+ designs. They came by fax, by post, by email, and even by hand delivery: from 25 individuals and 14 community groups (school art classes). “We were floored,” says LuAnne. “The response exceeded our expectations, and we have a wonderful trove of designs to draw on.”

Loraine led several workshops to help would-be artists create designs. “Again and again,” she says, “I was awestruck by the engagement, and curiosity, and creativity of our workshop participants, some of whom were quite young.” Organizations included Girls Inc., Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington, Monroe County Youth Services Bureau, WonderLab’s First Friday Science of Art, and Amethyst House’s Women’s Program.

Three separate events hosted by the Mathers Museum of World Cultures supported Power of Pattern: a 15-person workshop in block carving, a lecture on symbols in tales of Native American heroines, and a block-printing session in which more than 20 people created a multi-layered design on canvas.

Three months’ progress on the Power of Pattern has yielded two intricately printed 5′ x 10′ canvas panels, and a series of smaller panels completed at the Lotus Blossoms World Bazaar. “We’re scheduling some public displays of this work,” says Loraine.

Next up: beginning work on the backdrop itself, and asking for a few more symbol submissions from the public at large. “We’re shifting our focus a little, looking for more images that represent music and dance,” says LuAnne. “We’ll put out that call out later this month.” LuAnne has led a small team of carvers in translating selected designs into blocks for use in hand printing on large canvas panels, and more volunteers will assist with painting and block printing approximately 177 feet of canvas for the backdrop. After the backdrop is finished and hung at the theater, all participants — artists and volunteers alike — will be invited to a reception and special viewing on stage.

Stay tuned for more adventures in the world of symbol and pattern.

Pictured on this page, from top: Detail of finished panel from block-printing workshop at the Mathers Museum; Girls, Inc. workshop; block-carving workshop at the Mathers Museum; a few Power of Pattern blocks in Gail Hale’s studio; working on a Power of Pattern banner at the Lotus Blossoms Bazaar.

Every year, at the Be More Awards, the City’s Volunteer Network recognizes the phenomenal contributions of volunteers across the Bloomington community. We’d like to acknowledge the Lotus volunteers we nominated for special recognition this year: Gail Hale, Julie Lawson, and Geoff McKim. They embody the dedication, creativity, and generosity of our extensive Lotus volunteer corps, and like many other Lotus volunteers, they donate their time to more than one organization.

Gail Hale

For 13 years, Gail has been a driving force for our visual arts programming. She’s led the way in raising the profile of visual arts at the Festival, the Lotus Blossoms World Bazaar, and Edible Lotus. Along the way, Gail has conceptualized Festival Arts Village installations, created works of art, led workshops, provided crucial studio space, and installed arts projects. “Her volunteer efforts help bring hands-on arts projects to several thousand people each year,” says Lotus Outreach Director Loraine Martin. Gail is also active with Trashion/Refashion, TEDxBloomington, and the Center for Sustainable Living. Pictured here: Gail works on Festival Arts Village set-up. Photo by Pat Glushko.

Julie Lawson

“Julie Lawson is a force of nature,” says Lotus Volunteer Coordinator Tamara Loewenthal. Julie has been a stalwart Lotus volunteer for more than a decade, and for the last six years, she has led the Festival’s Streets Committee. In that capacity, she pulls together a group of volunteers who make sure crucial pre-Festival logistics take shape. From removing barricades and trash in driving rain, to cooking a meal for her volunteer crew, to confabbing with City officials: Julie does it all. By enthusiastically and diligently following through on her Lotus vision, she gives from her heart to our Bloomington community. Julie is also active with the Bloomington Chambers Singers. Pictured here: During set-up for the 2012 Lotus World Music and Arts Festival, Julie pauses with fellow volunteer Jeff Gustaitis. Photo by Pat Glushko.

 Geoff McKim

Geoff has been on the Lotus Volunteer Steering Committee for more than seven years, and in addition to on-the-street Festival volunteering, he was instrumental in developing the Lotus volunteer database, spending many weeks developing the system up and then tweaking it through subsequent years to respond to Festival needs. “Many people don’t know what a profound difference Geoff has made in our organization, even though he works so hard,” says Tamara Loewenthal. “Such is the fate of behind-the-scenes volunteers!” Yet Geoff’s work as a volunteer touches the lives of every Festival volunteer, just as it reaches all those who attend the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival: nearly 12,000 people each year. Geoff also serves as a Monroe County Council member. Pictured here: Geoff takes a site manager shift at Kirkwood HQ during the 2012 Festival. Photo by Paula Grez.

To see the Be More award recipients for 2013, visit the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network site. Congratulations to all of the nominees, from organizations throughout Bloomington.

Lotus Blossoms 2013 is a wrap. Two dense weeks of Tuvan throat-singing, old-time fiddle and dance, magnificent storytelling, and magical Andean music: here’s a snapshot of the action.

 Some Lotus Blossoms notes and stats:

• Four remarkable artists – Alash Ensemble from Tuva, Fiddle ‘n’ Feet, storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston, and Andes Manta – visited a total of 21 schools, across five southern Indiana counties. “Twenty schools in our twentieth year, and one to grow on,” says Outreach Director Loraine Martin.

• We added six new schools to the Lotus Blossoms performance schedule this year: Eminence Jr. High, Spencer Elementary, Brown County High, Gosport Elementary, Edgewood Primary, and Unionville Elementary

• Thanks to a grant from Old National Bank Foundation, we were able to waive fees to for all Lotus Blossoms performances in schools. As one principal said, “If this program weren’t free, we wouldn’t be able to do it, and our kids don’t get to Indianapolis or Bloomington to see arts events like this.”

• Our two-day World Bazaar at Binford Elementary School served up everything from beautiful Congolese wax-print fabric to square-dancing, serving 1,400+ kids, teachers, and parents. Big props to our Binford hosts, and to the Bazaar-o Committee: Nancy Boatner, Patty Callison, Gail Hale, Sarah Hatcher, LuAnne Holladay, Deb Hutton, Tamara Loewenthal, Loraine Martin, Lindsay Nash, Lizzie Plant, Laura Plummer, Katherine Wiley.

• It wasn’t all about schools: Lotus held four free public performances, at the Mathers Museum of World Cultures (twice), the Monroe County Public Library, and Elletsville’s Endwright Center.
  

• With the help of IU’s Ethnomusicology Students Association and IUSA, we held two Lotus Blossoms programs on the IU campus.

• Andes Manta visited both Stone Belt and the Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington for special performances.

• All hail our great volunteers: Eight liaisons helped shuttle our visiting artists hither and yon (over many miles), and 100+ volunteers (presenters and day-of-event volunteers) make the Bazaar pretty fabulous.

• Stalwart graduate assistant Emily Wieland coordinated most of the action.

• In the end, we served a total audience of more than 8,600 – most of whom were kids in grades K through 6.

Lotus is able to present Blossoms programs for free thanks to the financial support of sponsors, including our presenting sponsor, the Raymond Foundation. Says Development Director Kristin Varella, “This year, more than 80 people stepped up to personally support Lotus’s multicultural educational mission, and we saw community businesses partner with us in significant ways [see Old National Bank Foundation, above]. Significant contributions also came from St. Johns Asociates, Bloomingfoods, Dr. David E. Lawler and the Center for Sound Sleep, and pediatrician Jason Simmonds. (See our full list of 2013 Lotus Blossoms sponsors here.)

“We’re always impressed with the generosity and selflessness of our Blossoms donors,” says Kristin. “They rarely get to experience these performances themselves. Instead, what matters most to them is how their sponsorship affects students and schools in our part of Indiana.”

Pictured, from top: Friday at the Lotus Blossoms World Bazaar; Alash Ensemble at Bloomington Montessori School; a Lotus banner project table at the Bazaar; Andes Manta at Stone Belt; and Charlotte Blake Alston at Eminence Junior High School.

It’s been too long since Paris Combo has been on a Bloomington stage — but they return, at last, for our Lotus at 20 concert series, stopping by at the front end of a 12-city U.S. tour. “Paris Combo is definitely on our list of ‘most requested’ Lotus artists,” says Executive Director Lee Williams. “Bringing them back to Bloomington during our twentieth year was on my radar as soon as I knew that they were touring.” The group will be in the States touring in support of their new studio recording, “5.”

When: Saturday, April 20 / 8 p.m. (doors open at 7:30)

Where: Buskirk-Chumley Theater (114 E. Kirkwood Ave.)

Tickets in advance:  $20 for general admission / $15 for seniors 62+, children 12 and younger, and students
* Buy early! Day of show — All ticket prices increase $5

Buy tickets online or visit the Buskirk-Chumley Box Office (114 E. Kirkwood; 812-323-3020)

Net proceeds from all Lotus at 20 concerts benefit the Lotus-Fitzgerald Endowment. More about Lotus at 20.

Bloomington audiences fell in love with this stylish French group back in 1999 at their first Lotus gig. They dip into jazz, French pop, cabaret, and gypsy music, and you’ll detect Latin and Middle Eastern rhythms, too. Fronted by chanteuse Belle du Berry, Paris Combo includes Australian David Lewis on piano and trumpet, Django-influenced guitarist Potzi, drummer François Jeannin, and bassist Emmanuel Chabbey.

This project is supported through the City of Bloomington and BEAD’s Buskirk-Chumley Theater Grant Program.

We’re proud to celebrate 20 years of Lotus. We’ve got deep roots in our community, and we’re growing tall.

Lotus has been working to build an endowment for a while, thanks in large part to the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County’s Matchstick Program. We’ve been a partner every year the Foundation has offered the program – since 2006. And once again, Lotus is benefiting from this endowment-building initiative.

This year, as we ramp up our drive to build a healthier endowment, Lotus is aiming for a goal of $100,000: From April 1, 2013 through March 30, 2014, the Community Foundation will give the Lotus-Fitzgerald Endowment $1 for every $2 contributed. In practical terms, this means that Lotus will raise at least $66,667 to receive a match of $33,333 — the largest match the Foundation has ever granted.

One of Bloomington’s longtime leaders – Charlotte Zietlow – will help give voice to our 20th year celebrations and our endowment initiative. Community members know Charlotte from her many years in local government, politics, and community development; however, Charlotte has also been an active advocate for Lotus since its beginnings:

“Twenty years ago, Paul and I were very excited about the new world music festival in town, and we attended that first Lotus with great joy. Over the years, our Lotus World Music and Arts Festival has only gotten better: it’s become a destination celebration of sounds and colors and ideas from everywhere, and a showcase for the qualities that make Bloomington a wonderful place. For me, Lotus is the purest enjoyment of cultures right here where we live, and I want to be part of helping it continue for many, many years to come. A celebration of the Festival’s first twenty years is the perfect time to build an endowment that will ensure its future.”

… Plus, a Vintage Lotus T-shirt Re-boot

One of the ways that we’re celebrating Lotus at 20 is a re-issue of our first-year Lotus World Music and Arts Festival T-shirt (pictured above). The distinctive spiral lotus design came from the creative mind of artist Karen Combs (who will be designing this year’s Festival T). This is the first re-issue of our popular 1994 shirt, and net proceeds from every sale will go directly to the Lotus-Fitzgerald Endowment. T-shirts will be available at all Lotus at 20 concerts, at this year’s Festival, and through the Lotus office.

Call (812) 336-6599 for pricing and order information.

It’s all happening at the Bazaar….