New mural brightens Playwrights Project

Formerly a nondescript beige building, the Bloomington Playwrights Project has undergone a makeover, courtesy of artist Laura Brikmanis and a grant from the Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District.

The newly beautified structure now boasts a mural on its exterior surface with stage spotlights along the blue background, the beams crisscrossing to form a non-pattern reminiscent of an art deco design.

“I wanted something that was going to be very simple because of the huge space we were working with,” said Brikmanis of the eye-catching design. “I thought it would be fun to make it pop out a little bit.”

She chose the blue to stand out without overwhelming the viewer’s eye.

“It’s striking enough as it is,” Brikmanis said. “Blue’s a really nice calming, natural color.”

Meanwhile, the lettering – “Theatre” and “Bloomington Playwrights Project” – and the group’s logo – flipping page corners – stand out in a vivid shade of red.

“I wanted it to be like, ‘this is what’s going on here,’” she said, adding that beyond the obvious choice of theater lights, the design is meant to have a deeper significance for the building.

“What the BPP does is put the spotlight on local talent,” she said.
Senior April Smallwood, a member of the Bloomington Playwrights Project ensemble of artists, said she loves the new look.

“A lot of people will be here a year before they realize the BPP exists,” she said. “It will make people say, ‘Oh, there’s a theater here, maybe I should go see a play there.’”

The mural also lends a sense of permanence to the location, which is at least the Bloomington Playwrights Project’s eighth site in 28 years, said Sonja Johnson, president of the Bloomington Playwrights Project board of directors.

“We hope that the mural will give us a real visibility and presence,” Johnson said, adding that this personal touch was something they had wanted since moving in three years ago. “It was purely Mike who got this accomplished.”

Mike Carey, an ensemble member and volunteer, said he simply acted as a go-between, filling out paperwork and connecting the various players.

“I just happened to know a really talented artist and a place that needed to be redesigned because of its location and the fact that it didn’t look that great,” he said, giving credit to Assistant Economic Development Director Miah Michaelsen. “She really understands the needs of arts organizations.”
Carey said he’s more than pleased with the result.

“I think it’s clear and legible and still has an artistic touch. ... It’s really eye-catching and clever,” he said. “It was so drab-looking and now we’re sticking out.”