Community Books

I'm all finished with my finals, and in relaxation mode. Now that I don't have to use textbooks for a while, I thought I would look for some fun books to read over break. One place I stopped was Boxcar Books.

Let me tell you about this locally run non-profit organization! Not only is it a bookstore, it's a meeting and event space, as well as a place to display artwork. It hosts events like book-readings, public speakers, benefits, and more. What is equally amazing is that it is completely run by volunteers in the community, many of whom are students. According to its website, the store exists "to promote reading, self-education, social equality, and social welfare through increased accessibility to literature and workshops - and the promotion of a community to support these projects." To learn more about the organization, check out www.boxcarbooks.org. The next time I attend a Boxcar event, I will be sure to tell you about it!

A Very Classy Party

As promised, I made a pit stop over by the Canvas premier party amidst my “deadweek” studying. It seemed to be a big success, with a great turn out of guests. There was beautiful art on display, classy music, and a lovely spread of food as well—all good things to accommodate an evening of mingling. I mingled for a bit until I had to run off to do work, work, work! The rest of my night was spent working on a drawing of a space in the Union. After drawing for a few hours my shoulder muscles really hurt, so I hope it was all worth it!

Creative Arts Party

Monday I attended a meeting for Canvas Creative Arts Magazine, sponsored by the Union Board. Anyone can be a committee member, and we meet once a week to make decisions about the magazine itself, as well as Canvas sponsored events like artist lectures. The magazine shows off impressive artwork and written work by IU students.

The semester is winding down, which means all of the pieces have been chosen for the magazine, decisions have been made about its design and layout, and it is almost ready to be distributed. The premiere party will be next Thursday evening at the IMU's solarium, where anyone will be able to come and pick up a magazine, grab some hors d'oeuvres, and view additional artwork by the magazine's featured artsits. On Monday, we met to discuss how we would organize the room in terms of cocktail tables, artwork, and hors d'oeuvres. I will be sure to give you an update after the party!

Here is a link to Canvas' website so you can read up on it:

http://www.indiana.edu/~canvas/