BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana University will honor musician, artist and Hoosier native John Mellencamp this fall with a statue on the campus.
Mellencamp will attend the ceremonial unveiling of the sculpture on Oct. 18 from 1-2 p.m. at IU Auditorium North Garden. The statue will be located on the north end of the Fine Arts Plaza.
The statue was created by artist Michael McAuley and funded by a group of donors.
In addition to the sculpture, there will also be an event showing Mellencamp's art. “Crossroads: The Paintings of John Mellencamp” is an ongoing exhibition of Mellencamp’s art at the IU Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art.
According to a news release, the art exhibition features large-scale oil portraits and multimedia pieces that "document the heart and soul of America."
"Crossroads" is the first exhibition at IU to display Mellencamp's work.
"Created by the artist from 1991 to present, the evocative works on display include self-portraits, a mixed-media piece on plywood portraying Hoosier-born actor James Dean, Mellencamp’s arresting painting “Gun Control,” portraits of his extended family members and pieces depicting life for working-class Midwesterners," said Julia Hodson, a spokesperson for IU.
The exhibition will run through Dec. 15.
“We are excited to welcome John to our campus once again as we commemorate his invaluable contributions to music, art and our university,” IU President Pamela Whitten said. “The arts have long been a point of pride at IU, and we look forward to honoring a musician and artist who has generously given back to his fellow Hoosiers and greatly impacted American culture.”
