I have been to two exhibitions at the museum. The staff is extremely helpful. The building is…read moreextremely handicapped accessible. The graduate students are extremely gifted and developed great exhibits for the public. One exhibition was African art and another was Holocaust artists from q940-1970. You will discover many treasures here. Your greatest challenge will be parking.

I purchased a pack of cards of things to do in Indiana. This card lead us to the museum in…read moreBloomington. The museum was much bigger than we thought it would be. It was very well presented. We took a small one hour tour that highlighted 3 works of art. It was lead by a student. The pace could have been quicker and more areas highlighted, but it was interesting non the less.

Since the Hoosiers did so well this year NATIONAL CHAMPIONS I thought of a great place in…read moreBloomington. The Wonderlab!!! It's a nice sized science of wonders in my opinion. They have a bubble room! It's awesome. A place where you can parachute little figure people over and over again. Shoot I laid down on a bed of nails once here. They have a huge climbing vine that you can climb all the way up to the second floor. But, you have to climb back down it doesn't exit on that floor. They have a cool water science area for kids complete with rain gear - which is optional do what you want ha. It's just a cool place. It's not too big and it's not too small. It the perfect sized science museum. They have the coolest gift shop! I still have my Wonderlab water bottle from years ago. If you've never been make a day of it!

Tucked in amidst the buildings step into this wonderland for kids to explore science. All sorts of…read moreexperiments and things to learn, places to climb and things to do. Good for all ages! There is even a gate enclosure for toddlers to play separately.The older ones,even adults, will enjoy seeing what it's like to be laying on a bed of nails! It is a very busy place however so do keep an eye on your littles as they may feel the desire to walk to the next activity without you! If this were closer then I believe we'd take my grandkids more often, but it makes an excuse for a little road trip, although I'm always easily persuaded to be on the go!

After finishing a trip to the Mathers Museum of World Culture, my wife and I selected a doorway…read morethat leads to the museum portion of the IU Archaeology department. They share the same building and although there is a separate entrance from the outside, we found it easiest to simply go through the doorway. Note that we didn't see anyone monitoring the museum during our visit, so we just browsed on our own. The museum is part of a larger area which includes a research library and even more exhibits in the central lobby area of the upstairs portion. (Note we did not explore the lower floor which looked off limits.) During our visit, we saw a lot of informational window booths with facts and artifacts that have been gathered from our state. There is a strong connection between this facility and the Angel Mounds in Evansville. There are several displays with information about the Angel Mounds and other mounds which were shaped like snakes, or marching bears. There are also windows with info on artwork inspired by animals, stands showing tribal shields with info, and science facts about animals that have lived in our state. The museum is unique in what it offers, but I understand that it won't appeal to everyone. But considering it is free and puts things into understandable relationships, it does offer value to those who may be interested in local history and/or nature. Review #2205

This store is a unique jewel in Indiana-actually the whole Midwest- for Southwestern Native…read moreAmerican jewelry, rugs and artifacts for sale at very fair prices. I have seen art items of this quality for sale at many places: Santa Fe and Taos New Mexico, the store in the Heard Museum in Phoenix, the store in the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis- (two premier Native American art museums in the world) and if you were to slim down their offerings to the "best of the best", you could compare it to this store, , Not Just Rugs in Bloomington, Indiana. Navajo rugs, Santa Clara black pottery and other high-quality hand made ceramics, beautifully made Kachina dolls, amazing jewelry from many reservations. Don't miss this store if you are an admirer of this work.

This is my favorite locally owned business. I have been a customer since they opened 15 years ago…read more I buy all my Southwest jewelry there. I get compliments all the time on my turquoise jewelry and send people there. The owner has lived in the Southwest and knows people there and goes twice and year. He visits the reservations and purchases all kinds of things from the locals he knows. You can buy all the items in this store for less than you would if you visited like a store in Albuquerque, NM.

A nice bit of history. I'd recommend a tour (only takes about an hour) anytime they're open. The…read morestaff was very nice, and answered any questions.

The Grunwald Gallery doesn't have any permanent collection - it provides a showcase for BFA, MFA,…read moreand sometimes visiting faculty or guest artists to display their thesis works or recent work. There are several exhibitions during the year, some of which overlap. The emphasis is on contemporary art and also design, with metal-work, ceramics, photography, and videography pieces in addition to painting and sculpture. I am not sure which show the two-star reviewer attended but the range of work on display varies greatly between shows and even within a single show. I actually rate the Grunwald between 3 stars and 5 stars. You can sometimes get a preview by checking the Grunwald's FB page and/or their website. Here is a link to my DropBox files of BFA and MFA paintings shown at the Grunwald between 2014 and 2019: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/i9f5typbulx97d8/AADYU01pYVaQClykDrKT3rAba?dl=0

I was quite unimpressed with Grunwald Gallery of Art (located on 2nd floor of Fine Arts Building…read moreimmediately north of Showalter Fountain). Boring. Unimaginative. Spent 15 minutes and left. Yuk.

I was a bit mesmerized by this sculpture that stands in front of the Eskenazi Museum of Art at…read moreIndiana University. It's easy to miss but this almost-a-circle is actual a single shape. It's a triangle that has been stretched and twisted. I'm not sure if it's actually crimson in color, which is one of the official colors of Indiana University. The Arc was created by Charles Perry (1929 -) from Helena Montana in 1995. The nearby caption reads, "Commissioned in honor of President Emeritus Tom Ehrlich and First Lady Ellen Ehrlich with gratitude for their outstanding service to and leadership of Indiana University." [Review 20569 overall - 106 in Indiana - 1550 of 2023.]

Located outside the Eskanazi Museum of Art is a large art installation called "Indiana Arc". The…read moresculpture was created by artist Charles Perry in 1995. The bright red aluminum construct measures 21' in height. What makes the sculpture interesting is that it is a twisted length of triangle that roughly forms a open ended circle. The two end rest several feet apart from each other underneath the sculpture. Due to the shape of the structure, it is said that people can whisper facing one end and another person can hear them on the other. The sculpture underwent renovation in 2007-8 to restore its condition. Review #1269

The IU campus of Bloomington and the surrounding neighborhoods are filled with art. Some are…read moremurals, some abstract sculptures, and in particular on the campus, a number of lifelike bronze statues of people. On my recent visit to the campus, I found five outdoor installations that can be seen from the sidewalks. (Note that there are some other sculptures within the Eskanazi Art Museum when open and the Memorial Union.) On the west side of Campus in front of Franklin Hall is a bronze of Ernie Pyle by sculptor Harold Langland (2014). Pyle was a famous war correspondent who reported from the front lines to get the news for the readers of his articles. He is depicted seated at a small table typing one of his stories. To the east across the sidewalk from Owen Hall is a plaza that has former IU President Herman B Wells seated on a park bench. This was another sculpture by the Harold Langland (2000). A little way to the south on the edge of Dunn Woods by Lindley Hall is a pair of bronze statues representing Adam and Eve. "The Space Between" by Jean-Paul McAuley was sculpted in 1968 and is the oldest of the lifelike sculptures I found. Instead of being connected like many sculptures, the two figures (maybe a little smaller than life sized) face each other across a small raised platform. To the northwest on the north side of the IU Auditorium by the cinema is a full sized Hoagy Carmichel statue, complete with grand piano! The piece was created by Michael McAuley (2007). You can even see the titles of his music on the sheet music found on the piano. On the north side of the campus is the Cox Arboretum. Near the small pond in this park is a pair of unidentified figures that I assume are another representation of Adam and Eve. I've tried contacting the school, but was unable to gather any information about the origin or creator of the pieces. Review #1399

I don't get down to Bloomington nearly as often as I used to, though when I do I nearly always find…read moremyself near the area of the iconic Sample Gates. Sample Gates mark the entrance to Indiana University in Bloomington, an already beautiful campus. I spent one lovely semester here and I spent quite a bit of time here back in those days because even after I left I continued dating an IU student. The Sample Gates were donated by Edson Sample, who was named director of the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships while still an IU graduate student back in 1968. He obtained his M.S. in 1971. The gates are named for his parents, Louise Waite Sample and Kimsey Ownbey Sample Sr. Both were present at the dedication ceremony on June 13, 1987. He received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Education in 2017; in 2020, Sample received one of IU's most prestigious honors--the Bicentennial Medal--in recognition of his service and longstanding support of the university. The gates are always open. They are constructed of Indiana Limestone. The two pillars are at the edge of Old Crescent - the historic site of IU's first campus buildings built between1884-1908. If you visit IU, you'll see Sample Gates. Still beautiful. Still iconic. And, I must say, super amazing at night with a light rain in the area.

I'll admit that I just saw the pin and figured I would check this out but as I do my research to…read morewrite the review, these aren't just pretty gates. The concept of a gateway to mark the entrance to the campus dates back to 1932 but they didn't actually get installed until 1987. And ever since, they are the most iconic spot on campus. IU grads know what I'm talking about. So I'll just respectfully stop here and tell you that if you're visiting or perhaps you're an alumni, get your selfie or portrait right here. Every IU graduate know of here. [Review 20571 overall - 108 in Indiana - 1552 of 2023.]

Although the landscaping needs a bit of attention, the sculpture of Bloomington Stoneware is…read moreamazing! I love the functional aspect of the piece and the great use of space and materials. The installation was completed in 1996 by artist Brad Goldberg. In a narrow triangular shaped area, the wider end is elevated and supports a pool with a large vessel (14' high by 9' wide) made from limestone. The vessel has a cool pattern of multiple lines that flow around the piece. The vessel overflows with water that runs down the sides (changing the color of the limestone where it is wet). The water gathers in a pool below before overflowing on the north side. On the north side of the park triangle is a lightly wooded area with a lazy canal sweeps back and forth, carrying the overflowing pool water down to the point of the park before returning the water back to the south. The water returns to a circular collection point to the east of the vessel where it circles several times before disappearing down a drain which returns the water to the top of the vessel through some pump. The sound of flowing water and the shade of the trees make for an island of calm in the busy downtown location. Review #1282