Bloomington-Normal high school students displayed their artistic talents Friday night to showcase the community's diversity.
The CoffeeHouse in Uptown Normal welcomed the Not In Our School steering committee to host the event that included performances from local musicians and a variety of local artists from different cultural backgrounds to highlight and discuss their work.
The committee behind the cultural arts night was made up of a group of student representatives from the Not In Our School (NOIS) groups at Bloomington-Normal's four public high schools.
“I think that sometimes we always live in our own bubble. But learning and breaking that shell, learning about different cultures helps us grow in so many different ways,” said Jolie Ortiz, a rising senior at Bloomington High School and a NOIS member. “It helps us meet new people and it helps us connect with people better as well.”
Organizers said the event's focus was building a stronger community among Bloomington-Normal residents through sharing and understanding each other's cultures while giving local artists a spotlight to display some of their work. Many artists — from painters to writers to musicians — were able to get the attention that they deserved on this night.
Many artists who also came to voice the importance of sharing their culture with the public, adding one of the biggest reasons for participating was to educate.
“Usually, why people have misconceptions about particular groups of people or culture is because they never had contact with those people and they are not informed or not educated about the facts,” said Miranda Lin, a Tawainese professor at Illinois State University.
This was the first cultural arts night coordinated by the Not In Our School Steering Committee, but the group has plans for future events.
