John Mellencamp memorabilia, photos, other items coming to IU Bloomington

During the Mellencamp Symposium on Friday in Bloomington, Indiana University President Pamela Whitten announced musician and artist John Mellencamp is donating a collection of his life and work to IU.

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The collection will have items related to his music, art, social activism and philanthropy with original creative works, photographs, instruments and other memorabilia. Whitten said in the announcement that the collection "will be an incredible resource for arts scholars" and will be a "clear source of inspiration to our students. We are thrilled to honor him and celebrate his many contributions to music, art and IU."

Sculpture, exhibit at IU will honor John Mellencamp

Besides the collection, Whitten also announced a sculpture honoring Mellencamp's artistic legacy will be commissioned for the Bloomington campus. It will be placed near the Fine Arts Plaza. Also, the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art will partner with Mellencamp to launch an exhibit some time in 2023-24.

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Mellencamp's connection to the IU Bloomington campus began years ago. The John Mellencamp Pavilion was dedicated April 12, 1996, after Mellencamp's $1.5 million donation. The indoor practice facility is the primary indoor athletics training center for IU football and can accommodate field hockey, soccer, baseball, softball and golf.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: John Mellencamp donates archive to Indiana University