Local artists, community members and students involved in WIUX and Music Industry Creatives at IU gathered in the I Fell Gallery in anticipation of the WIUX Culture Shock lineup Friday. They shared refreshments, conversation and wandered around the gallery space admiring the art on display.
The event was organized in collaboration with WIUX, MIC, I Fell, and the Bloomington Arts Commision and served as a space for people to mingle and promote the upcoming student-run local music festivals Culture Shock and Burning Couch.
Culture Shock, WIUX’s 36th annual festival will take place beginning at 1 p.m. April 13 in Dunn Meadow and Burning Couch, presented by MIC returns for its second year the day after from 11 a.m. at Switchyard Park.
After everyone settled in, people gathered around the festival organizers and buzzed in excitement as the headliners of the upcoming festivals were announced.
This year’s lineup includes Evan Wright, Tagabow, Merce Lemon, Westhead, Ed Winn, Callejera as well as Prairie Scout.
Ellie Woytek, the media director for MIC, expressed her enthusiasm for the festivals while manning the merch table.
“I'm excited about everything. Every aspect,” Woytek said. “Getting to promote our super fun and cool festival and selling some merch. Everyone's really open and inviting. It’s always a good scene and environment.”
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Many attendees of the Artist Party were students involved in WIUX, and many of them have radio shows. Kinsey Temple, who hosts "Extraordinary Machine” on WIUX’s internet radio station B-Side, said the Artist Party was a chance to meet people from across the organization.
Freshman Liam Coveney, who is a part of MIC at IU, came out to support his brother who runs the club, see some more of his friends who are all involved in the local music scene and hear the lineup.
"I'm unfortunately going to miss Culture Shock, but I'm super thrilled for Burning Couch. I went last year and it was a ton of fun.”
Gretchen Nall, a board member of the Bloomington Arts Commission, has been involved in Bloomington’s music scene for decades. Nall came up in Bloomington’s punk scene in the 80s after teaching herself guitar and forming the band The Smears.
Nall said what makes Bloomington’s arts community so special is how everyone can begin their artistic career no matter where they are and make their voice heard, much as she once did with her band.
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“I didn't know what I was doing, and I just had the energy,” Nall said. “I always thought that is what's so cool about Bloomington. If you know you can get that energy and harness that energy it's out there, you know? It's not LA. It's not pay to play, you can actually get gigs, you can do whatever you want, it’s really free.”
To many, Bloomington stands as a supportive and thriving home for the arts and music, and Friday’s event in anticipation of the beloved student-powered festival served as a reminder of that.
