Mission & Vision
Our mission: In pursuit of artistic excellence, we engage our region’s most talented artists in work that welcomes and develops audiences and opens hearts and minds.
Our vision: A diverse, distinctive, and progressive community widely recognized for making art and artists essential to a vibrant social fabric and civic life.
Four Key Values Guide Our Work:
Citizenship: We are deeply grateful for our Bloomington roots, committed to the progress of our city, and proud to make it a cultural destination for audiences throughout our region.
Developing talent: We foster a collaborative environment where talented artists from multiple generations and career stages can mentor and learn from one another.
Courage: We embrace change and take thoughtful risks in the pursuit of artistic excellence.
Inclusiveness: We aspire to make all people feel welcome and respected.
History
The building and organization known as the bloomington art center, circa 1976
Artistry formed from the 2009 merger of two nonprofit organizations: Bloomington Civic Theatre and the visual arts and education organization known as the Bloomington Art Center (not to be confused with the municipally-owned facility known as the Bloomington Center for the Arts, which opened in 2003 and serves as our home to this day).
Our organizational ancestors were founded in 1955 and 1976, respectively, by citizen artists committed to fostering creative expression and arts access in their rapidly developing community. More than six decades later, people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities continue to find opportunities as art-makers in Artistry’s arts education programs.
As a producer of theater, curator of exhibitions and related public programming, and facilitator of arts-based community development, Artistry has become a regional cultural asset serving more than 82,000 people per year.
A note about our name: Our first name as a newly merged organization back in 2009 was "Bloomington Theatre and Art Center.” To distinguish our identity from the public facility where we are located, convey our regional reach and impact, and reflect our commitment to artistic excellence, we rebranded to Artistry in 2015.
An early arts education class
The pajama game, 1961