Buildings surrounding the Fine Arts Plaza bustled with activity as IU students attended April’s First Thursdays festival. Rainy weather forced the festival indoors, with vendors and performances inside numerous buildings including the IU Auditorium and the Eskenazi Museum of Art.
Gerard Pannekoek, program and operations coordinator of the IU Arts and Humanities Council, organized the First Thursday festival. He explained that the council works to amplify and elevate the arts and humanities community at IU through programs like First Thursdays.
“I hope that people get to engage in the arts and humanities in a meaningful and thoughtful way,” Pannekoek said.
The Singing Hoosiers were the first to take to the stage at the IU Auditorium with other performances including tap-dancing group The Hoofers Ensemble and Native American drum group the Iron Bear Singers.
Before the Iron Bear Singers performed in the auditorium, the group held an interactive powwow workshop in the Eskenazi Musuem of Art, which allowed for the audience to engage in the powwow, an intertribal celebration of culture, dance and song.
“Watching performances is great, we definitely love that, but when we can get a little bit deeper and let people engage in that way, we like to do that,” Pannekoek said.
A themed mini golf course based on novelist Kurt Vonnegut’s “Cat’s Cradle” was also featured at the festival, with numerous mini golf holes placed around the Fine Arts Plaza buildings. The golf course was created by an IU comprehensive design class and will also be on display at the Granfalloon festival from June 6-8.
The auditorium also hosted a lively arts market with dozens of vendors selling jewelry, prints, books and more.
In preparation of the festival, Pannekoek said the Arts and Humanities Council provides the tables, chairs and other supplies needed for participating vendors and booths so that there is no additional cost for them.
“It always feels really inclusive, and people are really excited about it,” Pannekoek said. “It’s definitely one of my favorite parts of my job, getting folks together for First Thursdays.”
IU graduate student Bronwyn Meldrum is the owner of Wire and String, a business that specializes in custom jewelry and crocheted items. Meldrum was at the art market selling her creations.
“I have always been a hobbyist, so I always like to do things with my hands, and it helps me be productive while I watch TV or do other things,” Meldrum said. “I had a lot of inventory because I like making things, so (selling) is kind of a way to share what I enjoy doing anyways.”
At a nearby booth, IU senior Kobi Recht sold handmade wood carvings, his work ranging from spoons and masks to incense holders. Recht’s carvings are all inspired by his time spent studying abroad in Ghana.
“I met a man in a market, and he taught me how to wood carve,” Recht said. “He gave me an apprenticeship and I would carve with him every day after I finished class. Everywhere I travel, or anywhere I learn something from a role model, I want to make it into art and send a message through it.”
Recht creates carvings that mirror his interests and experiences. Several of his pieces included symbols from "Avatar: The Last Airbender," his favorite show. He learned how to carve spoons, guitar picks and incense holders while working for a wilderness company in Utah.
“I’m also Jewish, so I make stuff about the evil eye, the Hamsa, the Star of David,” he said. “That’s what got me into woodcarving, just being able to make stuff that’s meditative, stuff that I love to do and be able to spread that message.”
For Recht, wood carving is a reflective activity which helps him to de-stress.
“It really feels like a meditation to me; I put on music, and I can really just focus and do it, and I forget how much time I’m even spending on it because I enjoy it so much,” he said.
Recht’s wood carving music of choice includes folk music artists like Bob Dylan as well as ballads.
