City and Arts Council Partner on Be Playful Bloomington Event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 11, 2007 For more information, contact: Ed Vande Sande, Interim Executive Director, Bloomington Area Arts Council, 334-3100 ext 109    Maria K. Heslin, Communications Director, City of Bloomington, 349-3569 City and Arts Council Partner on "Be Playful Bloomington!" Event Bloomington, IN -- Mayor Mark Kruzan and Ed Vande Sande, Interim Executive Director of the Bloomington Area Arts Council (BAAC), announced today that the two organizations are joining forces to present "Be Playful Bloomington: A Sampler of the Arts." The event, which celebrates July's Be Bloomington theme, will take place in the heart of the Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District (BEAD) on Friday, July 20 from 6-11p.m. at the John Waldron Arts Center, 122 S Walnut St.  "This is a free, family-oriented event featuring a wide range of activities for all ages," Kruzan said. "It is a terrific Community Collaboration that involves not just the City and Arts Council, but WFHB radio, Rhino's Youth Center, WonderLab and a host of local artists and musicians. What's also exciting is that this is a BEAD event, one of many we look forward to featuring over the years with multiple community partners." Live music, art displays, disc jockeys, a demonstration by WonderLab and arts and crafts activities will be featured on every level of the Arts Center as well as outdoors on Fourth Street.   "The John Waldron Arts Center is the one community arts center in our area," Vande Sande said. "The BAAC is proud to partner with the City, BEAD, nonprofits and a host of wonderful artists to bring this celebration of the arts to the community, free of charge. We hope all residents will join us for a wonderful summer's evening of entertainment. Be Playful Bloomington." Musical acts include: Bigger Giants, local acoustic trio; Jenn Cristy, local piano/popular music; Kids Who Rock, local all family punk rock; Paradigm Shift, local teen rock, currently featured on MTV's "Made" program; Pterodactyl, traveling Secretly Canadian band, indie rock; Toby Myers, former Mellencamp bass player turned local popular rock n' roll artist; Metal in the Microwave, local college/indie rock and The Alarmists (Calm Down), local college/indie rock band. Confirmed DJs include: Peasant Disco (Russian/East European Dance); Mothertruckin' DJs, popular dance and '80s music and WFHB radio personalities. WonderLab has arranged for a participants make a "mysterious" black and white top that appears to have colors when it spins. The fun, optical illusion toy relates to the science of colors and how our brain perceives and processes them. Additional arts and crafts projects include finger painting, creating Bloomington landmarks from Popsicle sticks and many other surprises. For more information, contact Vande Sande at 334-3100. # # #