The City of Bloomington is seeking local artists of color for the Bloomington Black y Brown Arts Festival, according to a press release Thursday Aug. 5. The festival, which was originally scheduled for Aug. 8 at Switchyard Park Pavilion, has been pushed back to Sept. 18 at Bryan Park.
The new date will allow the festival to recognize
National Hispanic Heritage Month in collaboration with Fiesta del Otoño, the fall festival in Bloomington which observes NHHM.
Fiesta del Otoño will begin at 10 a.m. and the Black y Brown Arts Festival will begin at 2 p.m, according to the press release.
The Black y Brown festival aims to create space for people of color and will include a range of art and merchandise from various minority groups.
The goals of the festival include uplifting art appreciation in order to create a space which accepts people of color who reside in the Bloomington community, according to the release.
“We’re excited to see the return of the Black y Brown Festival to our city’s proud lineup of cultural offerings,” Mayor John Hamilton said in the release . “In just a few years, this newer addition to our arts calendar has served to connect a broader and more diverse scope of artists with audiences and expand what people know about Bloomington and Bloomingtonians.”
Organizations supporting the festival include the city’s Commission on Hispanic and Latino Affairs, Bloomington Parks and Recreation, the department of Economic and Sustainable Development and the Bloomington Arts Commission.
This will be a free event with a number of performances and visual arts exhibitions in the park along with food trucks.
The city encourages local artists of visual, literary and performing arts who identify with the African, African-American, Hispanic, Latinx and Native American communities to apply, according to the release. These artists will also be able to sell their works or merchandise at the event.
Artists can apply at the city’s website, where they will be prompted to submit an image or recording of their work along with a biography and headshot. The submissions are due by 5:30 p.m. on September 6. There is a $15.00 non-refundable application fee to reserve a space at the festival, scholarships will also be available.
