Jules Tram with All-Star Imagination (Feb. 11, 2023).
Jules Tram with All-Star Imagination (Feb. 11, 2023).
Black Market at Bloomington city hall (Feb. 11, 2023).
Former Bloomington mayor John Fernandez stops by the Monroe County History Center table. Seated are circuit court judge Geoff Bradley and history center curator Gabby Krieble (Feb. 11, 2023).
Black y Brown community mural from the 2022 festival (Feb. 12, 2023).
Handmade unisex jackets from Kankou Elegance. (Feb. 11, 2023).
A purchase was made from Cat’s Closet. (Feb. 11, 2023).
On Saturday, the city of Bloomington hosted a “Black Market” at city hall as part of its celebration of Black History Month.
The event was an homage to the Black Market of the late 1960s, which was firebombed by a man with ties to the Ku Klux Klan. The market was located in the space now known as People’s Park.
The market sold products made in Africa or by African-Americans, serving as a cultural center for Black students attending Indiana University. The market stood at the corner of Kirkwood Avenue and Dunn Street. The campus is just a block away, to the east.
On Saturday, Bloomington’s Bryan Park basketball courts served as the venue for the annual Black y Brown Arts Festival. It’s described on the city of Bloomington’s website as “a celebration and showcase of African, African-American, Hispanic, Latinx, and Native American creative arts and artists…”
Artists had tables set up in the south part of the courts where they enjoyed some shade. Among them was Breanya Hogue, author of the Shawn Trenell children’s book series. She’s also a doctoral student education at Indiana University.
On the north end of the courts, musical acts performed on the mobile parks and rec stage. Leading off was Trumusiq with lead vocalist Troy T. Thomas Jr.
Trumusiq wrapped up its set with an original by Thomas called “Kodak”—inspired by a visit to the George Eastman Museum in Rochester New York. From a early stanza: “Like a Polaroid, I wanna be remembered / Not in a still frame, but in the hearts of those loved and embraced”
Premiering a new song called “Crime Scene” was King Zero with the 3rd-Degree Interceptors, who had made the trip to Bloomington from Chicago.
Larose Nicholas, also a member of Trumusiq, and Sol Wax took a turn at the mic.
They were followed by Matixando, a group led by David Dávila González. The band, which plays original world forest music, hails from Costa Rica, and is now based in Bloomington.
Finishing off the day’s musical entertainment was Mariachi Perla del Medio Oeste, a group affiliated with Indiana University. Their self-described goal is “to expose the public to the wonderful antics of the Mexican culture and its music.” Continue reading “Photos: Music of the Black y Brown Arts Festival 2021”→
