William Siegmann’s cultural legacy shown in exhibitions at IU Art Museum, Mathers Museum
Guest post courtesy of IU Newsroom intern Emily Davis: Indiana University alumnus William Siegmann (1943-2011) was a leading expert on the art and culture of the African countries Liberia and Sierra Leone. A photographer, collector, and overall connoisseur of art, his work transcended traditional aesthetic values and reflected his vast knowledge of the cultures in which […]
Traditional Arts Indiana to create traveling show with National Endowment for the Arts grant
Post by IU Communications colleague George Vlahakis In two years, the state of Indiana will celebrate its bicentennial. Prior to its statehood in 1816, incoming settlers encountered its indigenous peoples, including the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians. The Pokagon band lived according to seven “grandfather’s teachings,” which were well accepted among the Great Lakes tribes […]
And he scores! Professor Tyron Cooper pens music for Bobby ‘Slick’ Leonard documentary
Post by Karen Land of IU Communications, video by Milana Katic: Not many documentaries stage a world premiere in an 18,000-seat arena. But when the subject is an Indiana basketball legend, you throw out the playbook. On July 29, WFYI Public Television will screen “Bobby ‘Slick’ Leonard: Heart of a Hoosier” at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. […]
Mathers Museum makeover creates flexible exhibition space, hands-on learning area
From the outside, it might look like the Mathers Museum of World Cultures is having a sleepy summer. Yet behind shuttered doors, it is positively buzzing with activity. The museum is undergoing an unprecedented makeover before it reopens to the public Aug. 19. Instead of one or two display areas being changed, the entire exhibition […]
Guitarist Nathan Salsburg collaborates with IU Libraries Film Archive to lead film program
Guest post courtesy of IU Newsroom colleague Jaclyn Lansbery: Cajun cowboys, moonshiners, fife-and-drum ensembles and fiddlers – these were the crowds famous folklorist Alan Lomax hung around to get what is arguably one of the most comprehensive records of traditional American Southern music to date. Around the early 1980s, Lomax and a video crew traveled […]
IU Soul Revue honors founding director Portia Maultsby
Guest post courtesy of IU Communications colleague Brittany Aders: The IU Soul Revue will have its annual spring concert 8 p.m. Saturday, May 3 in the Ruth N. Halls Theatre, incorporating repertoire that students have learned throughout the semester. Songs by Earth, Wind & Fire, Al Green, Jill Scott, the O’Jays, The Jackson 5, Pharrell […]
IU professor is expert on little-known Native American tribe
Out of the handful of books written about the Yuchi people, nearly every single one has Jason Baird Jackson‘s name on the cover. That’s because Jackson — an associate professor of folklore in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology and director of the Mathers Museum of World Cultures — is […]
Discussion of Motown history planned before ‘Dreamgirls’ takes stage at IU
Charles Sykes didn’t view the 2006 film version of “Dreamgirls” as a regular popcorn-and-soda filmgoer, interested solely in seeing Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson on the big screen. Rather, he watched it through a lens that includes nearly two decades of research into Motown and the distinctive musical genre’s crossover appeal. An adjunct professor in the […]
World music focus of CLACS symposium
Hard on the heels of Bloomington’s Lotus Festival, which focuses on world music, Indiana University’s Center for Latin America and Caribbean Studies is hosting a fascinating symposium titled “Where’s the ‘World’ in Popular Music?” “With increasingly global trends in cultural, religious and ethnic conflict; industry concerns over intellectual property and international piracy; and the branding […]
Cuban connections highlighted through art, film, lectures
If you’ve been around Bloomington for any length of time, you’ve probably heard about CUBAmistad, an organization dedicated to encouraging dialogue and understanding between the U.S. and Cuba. In that vein, CUBAmistad and several Indiana University departments and organizations are partnering to host a “Celebration of Cuban Art and Film,” with events including lectures, art […]
