IU isn't the only commodity to call international attention to Bloomington. The annual Lotus World Music and Arts Festival is an important event that brings in dozens of world musicians to Bloomington streets every September. It is a highly anticipated gala that makes a statement about the diversity in town and beyond.\nThe Lotus Festival is one of three festivals of its kind in the entire Midwest, joined by Madison, Wis., and Chicago. It is a life-celebrating event that showcases all aspects of music, art and culture that since its founding in 1994 has developed into a phenomenon that has far surpassed the expectations of creators James Combs, Shahyar Daneshgar and Lee Williams. "Lotus Fever" has since spread rapidly to Bloomington-area residents and has slowly reached IU students.
Not your typical festival\nUnlike most festivals, which are typically outside during the day, LotusFest is primarily indoors (with a few exceptions) and takes place mostly at night. Each venue is designed to create an intimate atmosphere.\n"It's the best way to observe this type of music when you're up close, you can see the hands of musicians as they play the instruments," said festival director Lee Williams. \nAnnually, LotusFest averages about 3,000 attendees, a figure roughly equivalent to the capacity level of the IU Auditorium. \nA contrast between the two venues, however, is that with a sit-down concert at the auditorium, the audience is likely to view only a handful of acts in a given night; with Lotus, they can see 19 different artists in one night for the same price. Also, visitors can go from venue to venue as they please. Simply walking across the street can be the cultural equivalent of walking from France to Uruguay or from Africa to Brazil.\nTamara Loewenthal, sites coordinator, vice chair of the Lotus Board and director of artist relations, said this year will be different because the festival is expanding out-of-doors.\n"I'm really excited about the outdoor venues this year," she said. "With weather permitting, there won't be any tents, which is a first for the festival."
Opportunity for adventure\nStudents newly exposed to the event may be hesitant to loosen the grip on their green and blindly pay to listen to artists they've never heard of, such as Balkan Beat Box, Creole Cowboys, APPEX, Sidi Goma and Funkadesi. Williams sympathizes.\n"If you pay $20 or $30 to see an artist, you probably want to know the artist -- but that's not what it is with Lotus. It's a voyage of discovery," he said.\nWilliams, who works year-round booking performers for the event, encourages students to take a chance.\n"It may mean something powerful -- you might discover you like new music, which could lead to interest in the cultures and beyond. Try it and see if you like it," he said.
Helping hands\nIf attending the festival is appealing, but seems fairly unlikely financially, Lotus provides a second chance: volunteering. Donating time benefits the festival, as well as the volunteers. For those who volunteer, one night of volunteering equals one night of free admission.\n"This is a very enticing trade-off when considering all the excitement that comes along with a night of wearing the Lotus bracelet: music, street parades, food and the opportunity to meet community folks," Loewenthal said.\nLoewenthal added that volunteering is a key element of the festival and noted the overwhelming volunteer turnout by community members.\n"This festival is run by volunteers," she said. "Every venue and admissions booth is staffed by volunteers, many who started planning back in March and have met every two weeks for planning sessions, working on behind-the-scene details. I've been very impressed."\nFor those interested in volunteering, there is still time to become involved with setup and teardown. For more information on volunteering, visit http://lotusfest.org/volunteer1.html, e-mail volunteer@lotusfest.org or call (812) 337-0417.
Helping Katrina victims\nThose who have an interest in volunteering but don't have the time are given another opportunity to experience LotusFest. Thanks to a $15,000 grant from Bloomington, LotusFest and Bloomington \nare putting on an event titled "Lotus in the Park," which will run from noon to 5:45 p.m. Saturday, \nand is free to the public. \nThis event will feature performances from Sidi Goma, Los Gauchos de Roldán and a tribute to Lotus Dickey. During this time, Lotus will be fund-raising for the Katrina relief effort. \nThe fund-raising will continue in the second free event, called the "World Spirit Concert," from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. This event will feature Vovô, Nawal and Los Gauchos de Roldán, all of whom are festival performers. \nDeborah Klein, development coordinator of LotusFest and survivor of Hurricane Betsy (which hit New Orleans in 1965), said those involved with Lotus feel strongly about helping in the effort to clean up after Hurricane Katrina.\n"I think it's important to give back to the community," she said. "We are so blessed by all the financial donations we receive by this community -- what we can give back is music and that's what we're prepared to offer."\nKlein was referring to Lotus's decision to donate 125 festival passes to hurricane evacuees that are in Bloomington at this time. Williams said all this charity is in the spirit of Lotus, which also reached out with successful fund-raising efforts after the Sept. 11 tragedy.\n"Lotus is a life-affirming event, and hopefully it's just what they need to keep their spirits high," he said. \nDavid Shaw, chair of the Lotus Board, agrees.\n"Lotus Festival is needed in these tragic times now more than ever," he said.
IU's connection to Lotus\nWhile Lotus is busy trying to support relief efforts, itself is supported by many large donors including Abodes Inc., the Courtyard Marriot, The Herald-Times and Union Board. Elizabeth Roby, club concerts director for Union Board, spoke about the support it gives.\n"(The Union Board) chooses to financially support Lotus because it is really a great annual event that we feel students should have ample opportunity to take part in, whether it be planning or especially attending," she said.\nRoby said budgeting for Lotus indicates an active support by the Union Board for the event.\n"The (concert's) budget, just like any other Union Board budget, must be voted on by the board in order to come to fruition, so I can say, with confidence, that this is something we support wholeheartedly," she said.\n"We believe Lotus is beneficial to the University because it provides diverse programming which is readily available to the entire University community. Students, staff and faculty ... everyone can benefit from the festival. Everyone can find something they like," she said. \nShe then explained how the Lotus Festival fits in with the Union Board's goals and values.\n"Union Board, as a programming board for the students, strives to provide educational and diverse programs for students, and that is what we feel Lotus is."\nIt's not just the Union Board that represents the University's support for the festival. The IU Press went as far as to help develop a book dedicated to representing Lotus. \n"Bringing the World to our Neighborhood: The Lotus World Music Festival" was written by LuAnne Holladay, assistant director of the Lotus World Music and Arts Foundation. The book is filled with more than 100 different festival photos from previous years and comes with a sampler CD of festival artists. \n"(The book) captures the vibrant, high-energy spirit of Lotus," said Sharon Sklar, senior artist and book designer for the IU Press.\nSklar, a Bloomington resident for more than 30 years, is both a supporter and attendee of the festival. \n"We try to get there every year if possible -- if we're in town, we're there," she said. "It makes you excited. You don't have many opportunities to hear music from other countries and with Lotus, you don't have to travel to a far off country -- you can just walk down the street! I can't wait to be wowed by the performances this year."\nThe book will be available for sale at the festival, but for more information about the book, visit the Lotus Festival Web site at http://www.lotusfest.org. \nThe Lotus Festival begins at 7 p.m. tonight in downtown Bloomington and will run through Sunday. Festival headquarters will be on Kirkwood Avenue between Washington and Walnut streets.\nGeneral pricing for the festival is $30 in advance ($20 for seniors and children) or $50 for a two-night pass. IU students with a valid ID can purchase tickets in advance for $25 per night. Prices increase by $5 and the two-night pass by $10 if purchased on the day of the show. \nTickets are available at the Sunrise Box Office on Kirkwood Avenue, at Bloomingfoods East and Downtown locations and at the Indiana Memorial Union Activities Desk.
