BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – An oil painting by John Mellencamp will be part of an art fair and fundraiser to benefit the Tibetan Cultural Center.
Organized by the Indiana rocker’s wife, model Elaine Irwin-Mellencamp, the fair will feature Mellencamp’s painting “Coast to Coast.”
The work, completed within the last year, was also displayed at the Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis in November.
“It’s one of my favorites, and I think it’s kind of appropriate for the art fair because it depicts (the U.S.) from the east to the west,” said Irwin-Mellencamp, a board member for the Tibetan Center, founded by a brother of the Dalai Lama about 60 miles southwest of Indianapolis.
Limited prints of the painting will be included in a silent auction.
Other items on display at the fundraiser include a butter sculpture by Indian monks, pottery, jewelry, handmade paper, Thai silks and other art.
“The Tibetan culture is deep-seated in the arts,” said Lisa Morrison, the center’s spokeswoman. “It’s an integral part of the culture.”
The 90-acre nonprofit center was founded in 1979 by Thubten Jigme Norbu, a retired Indiana University professor, to promote peace, wisdom, justice and compassion.
The “Tibetan Art Fair: Celebrating the Year of the Firedog,” will be 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Deer Park Manor, 1501 E. Hillside Dr., Bloomington. Admission is free.
