Bloomington-Normal PrideFest still welcomes volunteers
BLOOMINGTON — Volunteers are still welcome for Saturday’s Bloomington-Normal PrideFest, expected to draw more than 10,000 people to downtown Bloomington. Among Central Illinois’ largest annual Pride events, the B-N PrideFest seeks volunteers to help with event setup and teardown; welcoming and assisting guests and vendors; trash cleanup; and public safety. Overall, volunteers can choose from nine different 2.5 hour shifts, from 12:15 to 11 p.m. Sign up for volunteer shifts here. B-N PrideFest was founded in 2018 to honor the 25th anniversary of The Bistro bar in downtown Bloomington and has since grown into the key annual LGBTQ+ Pride event for the two cities.
Bloomington to rehab west side homes with grants
BLOOMINGTON — A second round of housing grants means the city of Bloomington will help renovate up to 14 owner-occupied homes on the city’s west side that are deemed “affordable” (WJBC). Bloomington just received a $200,000 grant from the Illinois Housing Development Authority this year, along with $500,000 last year, and is focusing the housing support on improving safety and accessibility in west side homes where people already live (25 News). The west side is also an area where the city’s 2015-2035 Comprehensive Plans calls for greater investment. Bloomington’s west side is considered a working-class neighborhood long pivotal to its Black population and filled with sites essential to the city’s civil rights history.
Springfield's Frank Lloyd Wright mural revitalized
SPRINGFIELD — The four-story Sumac Mural, created a decade ago as tribute to the late architect Frank Lloyd Wright, has a fresh look after its creator revitalized it last week. Springfield muralist Troy Freeman of Freesky Studies created the piece in 2015 at 427 Monroe St. as tribute to the nearby Dana-Thomas House State Historic Site, a 35-room mansion designed by Wright in 1902 that is said to contain the largest collection known of Wright’s art glass and furniture. The mural is described as the Sumac Mural, because it recreates geographic patterns Wright installed in art glass in the Dana-Thomas House that are based on the leaves of the sumac plant. Freeman completed a refresh of the mural last week, enhancing its fading colors, with the help of a grant from Downtown Springfield, Inc. (photo by Dana-Thomas House)Â
