Kurt Vonnegut Altar by sculptor Keith L. Andrews. (Devan Ridgway)
Granfalloon, Bloomington’s annual celebration of art, ideas and civic engagement, concludes this weekend with a final round of events inspired by Hoosier author Kurt Vonnegut.
This year’s festival, presented by Indiana University’s Arts and Humanities Council, centers on Cat’s Cradle, Vonnegut’s satirical novel about science, religion and truth. The multi-week event has featured panels, art installations, author talks and community collaborations.
“Cat's Cradle is just such an iconic piece of literature, and we're really excited to activate it,” said Natalia Almanza, the festival’s program coordinator. “We've had a lot of artists and scholars excited to come to Bloomington and celebrate with us.”
Granfalloon culminates in a free outdoor concert at 4 p.m. Saturday on Kirkwood Avenue. Headliners include gospel musician Mavis Staples, retro-soul band Thee Sacred Souls, and Bloomington’s own Murder by Death on their farewell tour.
Sculptor Keith L. Andrews, who created the Vonnegut-inspired altar for the festival, said the author often connected art to spirituality.
“Someone once asked Vonnegut if anything could make him believe in God. He said, ‘Music.’ When asked who best exemplified that, he answered, ‘The Beatles.’ He also believed America’s greatest cultural contributions were Alcoholics Anonymous and blues music,” Andrews said.
Each year, the festival draws its theme from a different Vonnegut work. Almanza says the programming begins with a staff book club and evolves through community partnerships.
“Some of us get through the whole thing, some of us don’t — but it’s a great brainstorming session,” she said. “Then we reach out to folks who might want to get involved, whether they’re studying religion or making art about the environment.”
Now in its sixth year, Granfalloon continues to reflect Vonnegut’s commitment to accessible, interdisciplinary creativity.
“The Granfalloon is a festival guided by the spirit of Kurt Vonnegut. He was someone who really wanted to make the arts and humanities accessible and inevitable to all, which is super similar to the IU arts and humanities council's mission.” Almanza said.
The full festival schedule is at granfalloon.indiana.edu, with updates on Instagram at @granfalloonfest.
