Explore and Discover Art are partnering for a trip to Bloomington!
We will start the day with at 10 am with a tour of the Slocum Puzzle Collection at the Lilly Library on the IU campus. The Jerry Slocum Collection of mechanical puzzles is the largest assemblage of its kind in the world, with over 30,000 puzzles and 4,000 puzzle related books. Unlike word or jigsaw puzzles, mechanical puzzles are hand-held objects that must be manipulated to achieve a specific goal, such as the Rubik's cube. The puzzles in the collection represent centuries of mathematical, social, and recreational history from across five continents.
At 11:30, we have reservations for lunch at The Tudor Room, where we can experience the true glory of old IU as you enjoy exquisite buffet options in this pinnacle of collegiate gothic architecture
At 1 pm, our member, Tess Swift, will lead a tour of the art of the Silk Road.
The Silk Road, actually a network of trade routes stretching from East Asia to Europe, lasted for 1500 years and extended for 4000 miles, traversing treacherous mountain passes and vast deserts. It is hard to overstate the importance of the Silk Road on history. Religion and ideas spread along the Silk Road just as fluidly as goods. It had so great an impact on the development of world civilization that it is difficult to imagine the modern world without it.
The outstanding Asian and Islamic art collections at IU’s Eskenazi Museum of Art allow us to examine with our own eyes how the different cultures along this route forever and dramatically changed the visual and material culture of the world as we know it. Which culture invented the post office? Paper? The compass? Birthday celebrations? Dessert?
We will pay special attention to the multicultural influences and cross pollinization visible in these artworks. We will see how trade imbalances are nothing new. And you may be very surprised to learn how tolerant, diverse and open minded these ancient cultures were!
What: Trip to IU Bloomington Campus; tours of the Slocum Puzzle Collection and the Eskenazi Museum’s Silk Road artifacts.
When: Tuesday, May 6, 10 am – 3 pm
Where: Lilly Library, Tudor Room and Eskenazi Museum of Art, IU Bloomington Campus
RSVP: Bonnie Pribush,
In June Needle Arts and Discover Art partner for a tour of Radical Stitch!
Radical Stitch is the largest exhibition of contemporary Native beadwork ever presented in North America making its only US appearance at the Eiteljorg. With more than 100 works by Native bead artists, Radical Stitch features many techniques and designs that tell stories and address contemporary issues. In the mid-1800s, Native American/Indigenous artists replaced porcupine quills with glass beads obtained from fur traders to adorn clothing and containers. Today artists use bead art in conjunction with new media to make connections to global exchange and cultural resilience.
What: Tour Radical Stitch, a contemporary collection of modern Indigenous beadwork
When: Tuesday, June 10th at 1 pm, Lunch at noon in the cafe
Where: Eiteljorg Museum, 500 W Washington St., Indianapolis
RSVP: Bonnie Pribush,
