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Page last updated on November 7, 2017 at 10:36 am

For more information, please contact

Sean Starowitz, Assistant Director of Economic Development for the Arts, 812-349-3534, starowis@bloomington.in.gov

City Participates in National Public Art Collaboration with Creative Time

Bloomington, Ind. - The City of Bloomington is proud to announce its participation in a national public art collaboration, Pledges of Allegiance, with Creative Time, the New York-based public arts nonprofit, which is committed to working with artists on the dialogues, debates, and dreams of our time. Today, the City of Bloomington and Creative​ ​Time​ are pleased to announce the hoisting of the sixth public artwork in the Pledges​ ​of​ ​Allegiance​ series, IMAGINE​ ​PEACE,​ ​by multi-media artist Yoko​ ​Ono​.

The IMAGINE PEACE flag is inspired by a concept developed by Yoko Ono and her late husband John Lennon, who dedicated their lives and careers to tireless work as peace activists, beginning with their 1973 proposal of “Nutopia,” a world without borders. Since its inception, Ono has manifested IMAGINE PEACE in over 24 languages, as billboards, posters, newspaper advertisements, badges, tweets, and countless other media, to share this message of peace with the global community.

This flag continues Ono’s ever-growing peace campaign, a movement that in this current political climate is now more timely than ever. In a show of solidarity, Institutions across the country will raise the IMAGINE PEACE flag in recognition that, as citizens of the world, we need to encourage and embrace peace.

“We are proud to be recognized as one of the cultural institutions participating in such an important national public art project. Bloomington stands in solidarity with Creative Time as we fly IMAGINE PEACE. We recognize that the world can and should change, so we hope that this project will inspire residents to think about how they can be a part of the change,” said Mayor John Hamilton.

This project is part of a larger effort put forth by the City of Bloomington Arts Commission (BAC) and its Strategic Plan and Public Art Master Plan for the City of Bloomington. The Public Arts Master Plan has identified shared civic values for the arts, objectives and aspirations for public art, and priorities for public art investment, which are designed to positively impact the creation of bold, innovative and impactful works of public art in performance, visual, literary, design and architecture disciplines.

“Bloomington’s participation in this national conversation is thrilling and showcases the opportunity to think about the City as a museum or exhibition unto itself. We’ve been working hard here in the arts to be a national player, and working with Creative Time helps elevate Bloomington to that level,” commented Sean Starowitz, Assistant Director of Economic Development for the Arts.

Residents and visitors can see IMAGINE PEACE at the following locations around Bloomington: Seminary Park, 546 S College Avenue; City Hall, 401 N Morton Street; and Rosehill Cemetery, 1100 W 4th Street.

For more information about Creative Time and the Pledges of Allegiance series, visit creativetime.org.

With questions or concerns, please contact Sean Starowitz at 812-349-3534.

ABOUT YOKO ONO

Yoko Ono is a multi-media artist working in performance, instruction, film, installation, music, and writing. A forerunner in conceptual art involving collaboration, audience participation, and social activism since the early 1960s, Ono challenges viewers’ understanding of art and the world around them.

ABOUT PLEDGES OF ALLEGIANCE

Pledges of Allegiance is a nationwide public art project by Creative Time. The project is a serialized commission of sixteen flags, each created by acclaimed contemporary artists: Tania Bruguera, Alex Da Corte, Jeremy Deller, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Ann Hamilton, Robert Longo, Josephine Meckseper, Marilyn Minter, Vik Muniz, Jayson Musson, Ahmet Ögüt, Yoko Ono, Trevor Paglen, Pedro Reyes, Rirkrit Tiravanija, and Nari Ward.

Each flag embodies art’s ability to channel political passion, providing a unifying symbol around which to unite, as well as a call-to-action for institutions nationwide to raise upcoming Pledges of Allegiance flags in solidarity with Creative Time.

Pledges of Allegiance aims to inspire a sense of community among cultural institutions, beginning with an urgent articulation of the political demands of the moment. Each flag points to an issue the artist is passionate about or a cause they believe is worth fighting for, and speaks to how we might move forward collectively as a country. To inaugurate the project, Creative Time raised Marilyn Minter’s RESIST FLAG on the roof of its headquarters on Flag Day, June 14.

Pledges of Allegiance was originally conceived by Alix Browne and developed in collaboration with Cian Browne, Fabienne Stephan, and Opening Ceremony.

ABOUT CREATIVE TIME

Creative Time, the New York based public arts non-profit, is committed to working with artists on the dialogues, debates, and dreams of our time. Creative Time presents the most innovative art in the public realm, providing new platforms to amplify artists’ voices, including the Creative Time Summit, an international conference convening at the intersection of art and social justice.

Since 1974, Creative Time has produced over 350 groundbreaking public art projects that ignite the imagination, explore ideas that shape society, and engage millions of people around the globe. Since its inception, the non-profit organization has been at the forefront of socially engaged public art, seeking to convert the power of artists’ ideas into works that inspire and challenge the public. Creative Time projects stimulate dialogue on timely issues, and initiate a dynamic experience between artists, sites, and audiences.

For more information on Creative Time please visit www.creativetime.org. To connect with us via twitter use @CreativeTime and find us on Instagram @CreativeTimeNYC. To share the project on social media use the hashtag #PledgesofAllegiance.