Community Art Connections

IU East and community art connections such as the IUE High School Art Competition, Room 912, and other exhibits that have been displayed on campus throughout the past 40 years are highlighted in this collection. Since the early years of IU East, there has been a goal to connect not only the students, but the members of the community to the campus via art. Besides regularly displaying art exhibits by students and visiting artists, all the campus buildings house numerous artwork by well renowed artists, including Tom Thomas, and within the campus quad there is an impressive sculpture garden that features new sculptures every two years.  

The IU East High School Art Competition began in 1979 as a way for area high school students to recognize and encourage young artists. Sculpture, paintings, drawings, ceramics, and even macramé creations are accepted into the competition. The first competition was sponsored by the IUE Visual Arts Club, and the IUE Art Department. Cash prizes were awarded to top winners.

The Campus Beautification Project is an initiative to make the campus more welcoming to students and visitors and overall enhance one's experience of the East campus. The Sculpture Garden is a part of this initiative by installing artworks around campus. These works are from artists across the country and the local area. Each piece is a two year installation, currently until August 2019. There were 66 artists who submitted 114 pieces to be juried for the exhibit. Ann Kim, Carrie Longley, and Ed Thornburg, were jurors for the exhibit.

Check out the IU East Sculpture Garden page.

Room 912 is an extra art studio and classroom space for IU East holding events for the public and students. It has expanded to including creative writing workshops and hosting music events. The space was also meant to help students connect and get hands-on experience with local businesses. The Veteran’s Writing Workshop of Richmond hosted in Room 912, helps veterans tell their stories by providing multi-genre writing workshops. Led by poet Brian Brodeur, Assistant Professor of English at Indiana University East, Veterans of all ages in the Richmond area are welcome.

Empty Bowls, a grassroots effort started to combact hunger, was started locally in November 2014 by Carrie Longley. Her ceramic art students, along with local potters, would make and glaze bowls and invite the public to a soup luncheon where bowls could be purchased and the proceeds would go to a charity.  Guests can choose the bowl of their choice and local restaurants contribute the variety of soups to fill each bowl after purchase. Money from past events benefited the humanitarian program Exodus Refugee Immigration and the Circle U Help Center. 

Check out the full IU East Community Art Connections collection.