Graduate intern Alejandra Lance perused the large gallery of images from our volunteer photographers to come up with some of her favorite snaps from Lotus in the Park. This year’s day in the park looked, well, kind of like a wet fall day in Indiana — but Lotus fans defied the weather to turn out in droves. Park photo above by Pat Glushko.
Photos by Michael Redman (left) and Pat Glushko
Revving up for the second night of concerts, Saturday’s Lotus in the Park attracted music lovers and families alike. The rain didn’t dampen anyone’s energy. We covered mud with straw, people brought out umbrellas and slickers, and danced. It was a great day.
Photo by Pat Glushko
Bulgarika performed on the main stage and led folk dances on the straw-covered ground.
Members of the Lotus Dickey Tribute, l-r: Grey Larsen; Nan McEntire, Mark Feddersen; Janne Henshaw. Photos by Pat Glushko
Those more interested in an intimate and often interactive musical setting went to the IU Global Education Pavilion. Here, festival-goers sang in the Lotus Dickey song workshop. Later, Vancouver’s Orchid Ensemble demonstrated their lovely Asian fusion on Chinese instruments, and finally, Bernard Woma led the crowd in Ghanaian drumming and dance.
Photo by Michael Redman
The Art Camp stayed busy all day. Children contributed to community weavings and murals, but also made cornstarch peanut sculptures and fish flags to take home. One father made a basketball hoop out of the peanuts, while his son made baskets from across the table. Another very young participant sculpted an elephant with the help of her mother. (Thanks go out to the Mathers Museum of World Cultures and T.C. Steele Historic Site for their contributions and collaboration.)
All photos by Michael Redman except upper right, by Pat Glushko
Lotus in the Park saturated the senses. Rather than leaving the kids at home to enjoy concerts, parents brought kids along to play, to make art, and to soak up the sights and sounds. Pictured above: Singer Eilen Jewell, with a young fan in front of the stage; dancers and drummers in the Bernard Woma workshop; and parents and kids collaborating on arts projects.
Joaquin Diaz; photo by Pat Glushko
For volunteers and audience alike, the park experience is a chance to have a taste of everything at once: a small version of the arts village, with performers like Eileen Jewel, Bulgarika, and Joaquin Diaz — who finished Lotus in the Park with Dominican merengue just as the real rains came.
Alejandra Lance is a graduate Arts Administration student at Indiana University graduating December 2011. She has a BA in History of Art and Architecture from Miami University of Ohio and currently works at the Mathers Museum of World Cultures and at IU SPEA Career Services as a graduate assistant. Originally from Wisconsin, Alejandra loves to travel, learn languages (she’s learning her 4th) and knit. This was her second Lotus Festival, and she volunteered for Lotus Blossoms earlier this year.
See Alejandra’s two other post-Lotus posts — Looking Back at Lotus, and Looking Back at Lotus: The Lovely Belles — and her festival video.
