John Mellencamp will be honored by Indiana University with a statue that will be unveiled on October 18. The Indiana-born singer/songwriter will attend the unveiling ceremony, which will take place during homecoming week at the school’s Bloomington campus.
According to a press release, the sculpture symbolizes Mellencamp’s “strong connection to his southern Indiana roots.”
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The ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. local time at the north end of the school’s Fine Arts Plaza.
The statue was created by artist Michael McAuley, a Bloomington native and Indiana University alum. McAuley previously created a sculpture of Bloomington-born songwriter Hoagy Carmichael that also is located on the university’s campus.
“We are excited to welcome John to our campus once again as we commemorate his invaluable contributions to music, art and our university,” Indiana University President Pamela Whitten said in a statement. “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.”
Mellencamp Art Exhibit Displayed at the University
Indiana University also has been hosting an exhibit of Mellencamp’s artwork at the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art. The exhibition, titled “Crossroads: The Paintings of John Mellencamp,” opened on September 5 and will remain on display through December 15.
The exhibit features large-scale oil portraits and multimedia pieces created by Mellencamp between 1991 and the present. Among the works are self-portraits, paintings of family members, a mixed-media piece depicting Indiana-born actor James Dean, a provocative painting titled “Gun Control,” and works portraying life in the heartland of the U.S.
Mellencamp’s 2023 Visit to the University
In 2023, a Mellencamp Symposium was held at Indiana University that the singer/songwriter attended. During the event, Mellencamp announced plans to donate an archival collection celebrating of his life and work to the school. The collection includes photographs, instruments, creative works, and various other memorabilia pieces.
More Recent News About Mellencamp
Mellencamp recently finished a stint on the 2024 edition of Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival tour, which wrapped up September 20 in Gilford, New Hampshire. He also performed at the 2024 Farm Aid benefit concert on September 21 in Saratoga Springs, New York.
John has no other confirmed shows on his schedule. His most recent studio album, Orpheus Descending, was released in June 2023.
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