Granfalloon will kick off its arts and culture lineup next month. The fifth season of the festival runs from May 20 to June 9.
The event, hosted by IU Arts and Humanities Council, takes its inspiration from Hoosier author Kurt Vonnegut Jr., by “promoting civic engagement, encouraging independent thought, and championing art and creativity as essential to the spiritual life of individuals and the health of our democracy.”
Ticket sales opened Monday, although most events are free to the public.
Read more: A Moment of Indiana History — Kurt Vonnegut
The Kirkwood Avenue show on June 8 will include performances from Sleater-Kinney, The Linda Lindas and My Son The Hurricane.
On the same day at the courthouse, there will be performances by local artists Girls Rock Bloomington and Amy O. Additional acts this year include Young@Heart Chorus performing June 7 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, and Anna Butterss and Ben Lumsdaine with a jazz set June 7 in the Orbit Room.
Guest speakers this year include Kurt Vonnegut’s daughter Nanette Vonnegut, activist Pat LaMarche, and sculptor Keith L. Andrews, whose work includes the Vonnegut Altar. Vonnegut’s talk will include a tour of her art exhibition, which opens May 20 at the Cook Center.
Carl Bernstein is the keynote speaker this year. Bernstein is a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist and author, best known for his coverage of the Watergate scandal, which won him the prize. His most famous books are The Final Days and All the President’s Men, both adapted into movies, and his memoir, Chasing History.
Read more: Indianapolis’ Kurt Vonnegut Museum Named Literary Landmark
The theme of this year’s event was taken from Vonnegut’s own book on the Watergate scandal, Jailbird.
Six local artists received up to $1,000 through the Granfalloon Art Project Grant program to create art that reflects Jailbird’s themes of “social economic justice, political and corporate crime, homelessness, incarceration, and aging.” There will also be an exhibit from the Kurt Vonnegut museum and library in Indianapolis.
Additional events this year include movie screenings, the Cosmic Songwriter showcase, an after-hours event at WonderLab, the Bloomington Handmade Market and more.
