Featured 2018 Lotus BCT Backdrop
2018 Featured Lotus Backdrop “Convocation”
By Indiana University Textiles Department / School of Art, Architecture + Design
Makers include students, faculty, and community members from fall 2017, spring/fall 2018 textiles classes, and summer community workshops.
On Display September 27 – 30 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater (BCT) | 114 E. Kirkwood Ave.
Backdrop can be viewed during all ticketed performances at the BCT during Festival weekend.
The Lotus stage backdrop “Convocation” will be revealed at this year’s 25th Lotus World Music & Arts Festival. Its name references the calling of people coming together, as well as the beginning of something. This project is the sixth backdrop designed by textile artists specifically for the Festival. The backdrop is 22’ H x 35’ W, with a total of seven 5ft. wide panels, all hand-dyed and silk-screened.
This year’s backdrop marks a momentous milestone for Lotus: the 25th silver anniversary. This special anniversary is also the basis for the backdrop’s design inspiration. Six of the seven panels include iconic cultural motifs and instruments from six different continents, in homage to the origins and cultures of all of the artists the Festival has presented over the last 25 years. The motifs also reference designs in textiles and other iconography across the globe. The seventh panel includes the Lotus flower logo, originally designed by Julie Barnett, who’s this year’s Festival t-shirt artist.
Be there to see the first reveal of the new 25th-year stage backdrop at the Lotus Kickoff Concert on Thursday, September 27.
Backdrops were the first foray into the world of large-scale Lotus visual arts projects. Lotus visual arts programming has grown to providing programming year-round with community workshops, installations, student projects, vital partnerships, and more.
2018 Lotus Backdrop Makers:
Carissa Carman – Textiles Execution Faculty Lead
Molly Evans – Textiles Design Faculty Lead
Joann Quiñones – Textiles Graduate Assistant
Rowland Ricketts – Textiles Faculty Support
Kaylee Anderson; Javan Barton; Laura Bingham; Lucy Burton; Francesa Cara; Kristin Cervo; Carey Collins; Liz D’Hoore; Rachel De Cuba; Molly Evans; Sarah Fahling; Reilly Gallogly; Tevin Garcia; Caroline Gerberick; Vanenna Guy; Jean Haley; Karen Hampton (Visiting Artist: Critical Craft Race studies Artist in Residence – Michigan State University); Darlan Harvey; Natasha Heines; Dorota Kudla-Kubrakiewicz; Claire Lawler; Loraine Martin; Alisha Maynard; Emily Medsker; Emily Meier; Hannah Morrolf; Mary Claire Nemeth; Bethany Rahn; Jenna Richards; Anen Ricketts; Bren Ricketts; Ewan Ricketts; Victoria Ridgway; Libby Robinette; Liliana Rocha; Amanda Ross; Perla Santana; Kristin Sarette; Felix Satterly; Gypsy Schindler; Morgan Stephenson; Jenny Stopher; Anna Stout; Broly Su; Kaci Taylor; Riley Theriault; Olivia Wagner; Xinyu Wang; Katherine Warnock; Kim Wherry; Zach Willhite.
Special thanks to David Desante, Technical Director at the BCT for his generous time and support of this project.
Lotus sincerely apologies for any inadvertent errors or omissions.