BLOOMINGTON – The public art display “Wrapped in Love,” the community’s annual tradition of adorning the City of Bloomington trees with sweaters crafted by local fiber artists in order to raise awareness about domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking, is currently seeking both sponsors and fiber artists for the 2023-24 season.
Middle Way House started Wrapped in Love in 2012. Beginning in 2023, the City of Bloomington is collaborating with Middle Way House to use Wrapped in Love as a platform to deliver the City messages opposing violence, trafficking, and discrimination and celebrating our community’s history and values of education, kindness, civility, and equality.
The Wrapped in Love tree sweaters will be prominently displayed on numerous trees in the heart of Bloomington and will feature the Middle Way House 24/7 Help & Crisis Line phone number. The public art display will span several months, coinciding with the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October 2023 and ending in January 2024.
Each tree sweater is sponsored by a business, person, or organization committed to helping provide meaningful alternatives to living with violence. Each tree sweater will carry a label containing the sponsor’s name, the City of Bloomington and Middle Way House logos, and Middle Way House’s 24/7 Help & Crisis Line phone number. Sweaters and their labels will be seen by tens of thousands of residents and many of the nearly 2 million annual visitors to Bloomington.
Adoption of the Program by the City of Bloomington
The Wrapped in Love program has always reflected the City of Bloomington’s rejection of domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, and discrimination; its celebration of community history and culture; and its view that promoting education, kindness, charity, civility, and respect will help us heal from past harms and move us forward to a brighter collective future.
The City uses a variety of methods and platforms to deliver these messages and to encourage residents to use available resources to get the help they need. Having for years approved Wrapped in Love sweaters being placed on City trees in the public right of way, the City of Bloomington is now more formally adopting Wrapped in Love as one such platform.
The Board of Public Works voted unanimously at their June 20, 2023 meeting to approve the placement of the tree sweaters on trees in the City’s right of way. Proposed sweater designs will be reviewed and approved by the Arts Director and tree placement will be approved by the City’s Urban Forester.
“The City of Bloomington is proud to expand our collaboration with Middle Way House through the Wrapped in Love program,” said Deputy Mayor Mary Catherine Carmichael. “This public art project is a lovely example of our shared commitment to making Bloomington a safer, more inclusive, and more beautiful place to live.”
“I am so excited to see the City of Bloomington further demonstrating their commitment to ending domestic violence through this partnership around Wrapped in Love,” said Carrie Stillions, Executive Director of Middle Way House. “Not only are we showing survivors that their community is here for them, but we are also taking real steps towards creating a culture that rejects violence and abuse. It takes all of us to end violence in our community.”
Sponsor a Sweater or Sign Up to be a Fiber Artist
Middle Way House and the City are seeking sponsors and fiber artists for this exciting new Wrapped in Love season. Join us at our Fiber Artist Callout Meeting on June 29th, from 5:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. at Middle Way House, 338 South Washington Street. for more information. All are welcome!
Sponsorships are available at multiple levels; sponsoring a tree sweater publicizes your commitment to ending violence and helps fund programs at Middle Way House to support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Contact Maria Douglas at development@middlewayhouse.org for more sponsorship details.
About Middle Way House
Since 1971, Middle Way House has been providing services to people in crisis. Today, Middle Way House provides emergency shelter, a 24/7 Help & Crisis Line, on-scene advocacy, support services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking, transitional and permanent housing solutions for survivors and their families, legal advocacy, and education and prevention programs. Middle Way House serves six counties in southern Indiana (Monroe, Greene, Lawrence, Owen, Morgan, and Martin) and relies on a staff of 70 and a committed volunteer force to provide around-the-clock response and services to those experiencing violence. It is not necessary that an individual to reside in our emergency shelter or transitional housing program to access most of our services. We believe, support, and affirm the identities of ALL survivors.
City services for those in need
The City of Bloomington offers a variety of services supporting those in need, through its Community and Family Resources Department, Housing and Neighborhood Development Department, and other units. To learn more, visit https://bloomington.in.gov/
If you are in need of help, please call the confidential 24/7 Help & Crisis Line at 812-336-0846.
