Hidden Gems: Meet Janet Bloch of Lubeznik Center for the Arts

Today we’d like to introduce you to Janet Bloch. 

Hi Janet, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was always “good at art” and loved learning about, making, and looking at art from a very young age. I eventually earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The path was varied as I worked at lots of part-time and freelance art jobs for almost two decades after grad school while I waitressed to pay my bills. In my mid-thirties I became the Gallery Director at Woman Made Gallery (WMG) in Chicago. WMG is a non-profit organization, and I came to the space in its very early inception. The Executive Director and I wrote the 501(c)3 application for federal tax exemption and built the gallery into a beloved and diverse non-profit serving women in the arts. 

WMG is still going strong in a new Pilsen location. At WMG, I developed several professional development workshops for artists and eventually wrote a workbook with all the information I learned to help artists succeed (Strategic Marketing Tools for Visual Artists). The same information helped me achieve my own success as an artist, getting into prestigious exhibits, winning grants, and eventually gaining gallery representation in Chicago. 

I thought I was going to be an artist’s coach/consultant and full-time artist, which prompted me and my husband to move from Chicago to Chesterton, IN, where I could have a large studio space and the cost of living was much less. However, in 2008, my plans changed. When the recession hit, I needed to find a full-time job with a salary and insurance. I landed in an art center that would become the focus of my creativity and passion, the center of my life. I served at Lubeznik Center for the Arts in Michigan City for seven years as Education Director, building the art education and outreach programs. In 2016, I was offered the Executive Director position. I love my job and feel I am serving my community with my gifts. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think all people struggle at points in their life. I battled depression from a very young age but didn’t have words for it until I was a young adult. Attempts to alleviate the depression led me to eating disorders, drugs, and alcohol. Those years were not smooth. They were truly terrible, and I feel lucky to have survived. 

I’m so fortunate to be recovering from those issues for over 36 years now. I am grateful for medications that treat depression effectively. Life still has its challenges, but it’s much smoother for me than not. I lost my dad when I was only 17, I helped care give my mother (who had Parkinson’s Disease) for nearly a decade, there were times my marriage had its downs, and many of my goals as an artist were not met. Art is a very competitive field and so few people make a real living at it. It can be very isolating. 

I’ve learned and believe that everything I’ve been through in my life, the “good” and “bad,” has been for my spiritual growth. As I get older and practice this mindset daily, life becomes much easier and more purposeful. I do whatever I can to contribute to the good, and I try to be compassionate with myself and others. I make it a point to enjoy life. I love to work hard and collaborate with my team. On the other spectrum, I like to be at home with my kitties and husband doing nothing, talking to no one. I haven’t been bored for decades! 

As you know, we’re big fans of Lubeznik Center for the Arts. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
I am the Executive Director of Lubeznik Center for the Arts (LCA) in Michigan City, Indiana. We are known for presenting world-class art exhibitions in our small town. We specialize in excellence in visual art exhibitions, art education, and art outreach. I believe our excellence, relevance, and commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility set us apart from other art centers in the region. 

I am most proud that as an institution, we are welcoming and accessible to everyone who walks through our doors or attends LCA programs at offsite locations. We offer neighborhood art pop-ups where we bring food and multi-generational art projects to schools, churches, and community groups; we offer weekly art programs to agencies that serve adults with disabilities, women with backgrounds of domestic violence and/or substance abuse, and we provide art programs at 9 schools that have afterschool programs where 70% of those served are in free and reduced lunch programs. We have had as many as 2000 students in a year for learning tours that include the opportunity to make a piece of art related to the exhibition on view. We are bringing murals into the neighborhoods to add power and value to the lives of the people that live there. We are building authentic relationships with communities of color. LCA is walking the walk! 

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
LCA provides incredible tours to both adults and kids! All you need to do is contact me, and I’ll either send you to Nelsy Marcano, our Education Director, or to Lora Fosberg, our Director of Exhibitions. They are both terrific and depending on the ages of attendees, and what you are looking for, we will tailor the tour to fit your needs. They are free! 

To support us and keep our programs free, please make donations to Lubeznik Center for the Arts, 101 West 2nd Street, Michigan City, IN 46360, or go to https://lubeznikcenter.square.site/donate. We hope to attract new donors all the time and deepen our relationships with current donors. Until December 31, 2022, all donors can help us reach a $25,000 cash match challenge from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation. 

We need your support so we can collaborate with more organizations. We are hoping to build our capacity to reach more people all the time. Interested parties can call or email me. 

Pricing:

• Regular Membership is $36
• Family Membership $60
• Sustaining Membership $125
• ArtMaker Membership -$500 lots of cool perks!
• Donations – we are grateful for any amount

Contact Info:

• Website: lubeznikcenter.org
• Instagram: Instagram.com/LubeznikCenter
• Facebook: Facebook.com/LubeznikCenterfortheArts
• Twitter: Twitter.com/LubeznikCenter
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClDHE05RdOHcbvKfcezhvDQ

Image Credits
Bobby Talamine
Lubeznik Center
Janet Bloch