Public Art
Illinois Art Station is a promoter of public art throughout Bloomington-Normal. Since its inception, IAS has facilitated three major mural projects with fellow community partners and talented teams of young artists. Two of these three murals (2019, 2022) were done in collaboration with global nonprofit Artolution and its Bloomington-born founder Joel Bergner.
IAS Community Mural Projects
2022 Youth Mural & Performance Project
From June 28 through July 9, 2022, Illinois Art Station and Artolution – together with partners City of Bloomington, Western Avenue Community Center, City of Bloomington Police Department, BCAI Cultural Arts & Humanities, Bloomington-Normal NAACP Youth Council, and Illinois State University came together to create space for social transformation and artistic expression in our local community.
Centering the theme of “Creating Safe Spaces,” the collaborative mural and performance project offered 40 young artists (a majority who came to the project by way of Western Avenue Community Center’s Leadership Program), officer artists, and mentors the opportunity to come together under the stewardship of Bloomington-born muralist and Artolution CEO/co-founder Joel Bergner to manifest their shared and personal visions and understandings of safety, security, emotional and physical wellness, respect, identity, visibility, community, and more.
Click here to watch Precious by RNotte (September 2022) inspired by Journey to Hope (Creating Safe Space: Youth Mural & Performance Project, July 2022)
2019 Youth Mural & Performance Project
In the summer of 2019, dozens of local young artists participated in Illinois Art Station’s second major mural project, but its first Youth Mural & Performance Project facilitated in collaboration with global nonprofit Artolution, West Bloomington Revitalization Project, the City of Bloomington, and BCAI Cultural Arts & Humanities. Through this Youth Mural & Performance Project, young artists explored issues related to their lives and community by designing and painting their own community mural and performing original choreography at its unveiling. Visit the intersection of Market and Morris streets in West Bloomington to see this amazing work of art!
Click the images below to view the slideshow.
Summer Arts Exposure 2019
Through partnership with BCAI Cultural Arts & Humanities Summer Arts Exposure program, IAS helped children and youth create this vibrant and meaningful triptych mural that was displayed at The Coffee Hound in Uptown Normal.
Click the images below to view the slideshow.
