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President of Indianapolis Museum of Art resigns over controversy
Charles Venable, the President of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields has resigned after controversy broke out over a job ad that was posted over the weekend, which read, “traditional, core, white art audience.” Jerry Wise, The organization’s CFO will take over as acting president while the board seeks to investigate the organizational culture and puts together an ongoing leadership plan. Newfields wrote, “As we guide the organization through this crucial process, we will listen to and partner with members of the community. Newfields is yours and we pledge to make the necessary changes to ensure we can regain your trust and respect. We commit to being held accountable, as we hold the institution accountable, to ensure that Newfields is diverse, equitable, accessible and inclusive.”
Bloomington Deputy Mayor Mick Renneisen Plans Retirement in April
Deputy Mayor Mick Renneisen’s plans to retire on April 23, after four decades of service to the City of Bloomington. Mayor Hamilton appointed Renneisen as Deputy Mayor in January 2016, when Renneisen was serving as Administrator of the Parks and Recreation Department. Renneisen supervises 16 City departments and has been instrumental in implementing the Hamilton administration’s policies and goals. As deputy mayor, Renneisen has also served as lead project manager for several major City initiatives including the redevelopment of the Bloomington Hospital site and the potential expansion of the convention center. Renneisen spent most of his career in the Parks and Recreation Department, which he joined in 1981 and led as Administrator from 1996 through 2015. Under Renneisen’s leadership, over $50 million in capital projects were completed, including nine new holes at Cascades Golf Course, a 100,000-square-foot indoor recreation center (Twin Lakes), the addition of Olcott Community Park, Leonard Springs Nature Park, the B-Line Trail, Clear Creek Trail, Jackson Creek Trail, Miller-Showers Park, Upper Cascades Skatepark and the Showers Common, as well as many improvements to existing parks. Mick also assembled both land and funding resources and led the Master Planning process for Switchyard Park, the $34 million project completed in 2019 that is the largest park project in the city’s history. Renneisen’s tenure as Parks Administrator was distinguished by receiving the highest honor a parks agency can receive, in 2007, as the National Gold Medal Award Winner for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration. In 2011, Renneisen was named Professional of the Year by the Indiana Parks and Recreation Association.
| The 27th Annual Soup Bowl Benefit for Hoosier Hills Food Bank Due to the safety concerns with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 27th annual Soup Bowl will go virtual on 2-21-21. Even though participants will not be able to gather in person this year, the spirit of Soup Bowl will carry on. Hand-made bowls by local potters will still be available for pick up in advance of an entertaining and socially engaging virtual event hosted on the new streaming music platform, Mandolin. The program will feature music and messages from Soup Bowl regulars, including Carrie Newcomer, Malcolm Dalglish, Sam Bartlett, and Eric Schedler and many surprise guests. Tickets prices are listed below and available for purchase through www.hhfoodbank.org. Tickets provide access to the virtual event that will be streamed from 5:30-7:30pm on Sunday, February 21 and include a hand-made bowl by a local potter, soup recipes and a program for the streamed event. Single bowl & stream tickets: $30 View-only tickets (no bowl): $15. Sponsorships that include tickets are also available with information at www.hhfoodbank.org. Bowls will be randomly assigned and may be picked up safely in drive-thru style at the Monroe Convention Center parking lot on Friday, February 19 (3pm-7pm) or Saturday, February 20 (10am-4pm). All bowls will be hand-crafted by a local potter. Proceeds will benefit Hoosier Hills Food Bank, whose response to the pandemic has helped keep our community fed. The Hoosier Hills Food Bank is the principal non-profit food distribution organization for those facing food insecurity in south-central Indiana. HHFB collects, stores and distributes food to nearly 100 non-profit agencies that feed the hungry in Brown, Lawrence, Orange, Owen, Martin and Monroe counties and through direct service programs. Food distribution has consistently run over 40% ahead of 2019 and HHFB surpassed the total 2019 distribution by October and distributed a record-shattering over six million pounds of food by November. Over 10,000 households have been served at special large food distributions since May and the food bank continues working to supply nearly 100 agencies with food for Christmas and the new year. |
| The Soup Bowl Benefit, now in its 27th year, brings together the local arts and restaurant communities, which have also been hard-hit by COVID-19. Potters donate many of our bowls, and the remainder will be reimbursed at wholesale cost to help support their important work. While we can’t safely distribute food en masse this year, we also encourage you to consider ordering soup, bread, and beverages for take out from one of the Soup Bowl’s many supporters. “While we won’t be able to gather in person, we were not about to let this pandemic stop the spirit of the Soup Bowl,” said HHFB Executive Director and CEO Julio Alonso. “We’ll still have great entertainment, beautiful bowls and enjoy soup we can make ourselves with recipes or purchase as take out to support a local restaurant, and we’ll still be coming together by supporting those who have struggled to have enough food during this challenging year.” |
| The perfect 2021 Soup Bowl experience is easy! 1. Buy your tickets online through the link at www.hhfoodbank.org and support Hoosier Hills Food Bank! 2. Safely, pick up your beautiful, local hand-made bowl at the Monroe Convention Center prior to the event. Bowls will be randomly assigned but all will be local and beautiful! Pick up times are Friday, February 19, 3-7pm and Saturday, February 20, 10am-4pm. 3. Purchase some soup or ingredients to make your own from a local grocer or restaurant along with bread and beverages from local businesses that have supported Soup Bowl over the years. Use one of the recipies we provide or choose your own. 4. Log in at mandolin.com and watch a great program on Sunday evening knowing you’ve helped reduce hunger in our community! |