This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, November 19th, 2025.

In today’s newscast, WFHB Correspondent Camdyn Glover reports on how the election of Zohran Mamdani to New York City’s mayoral office will impact future elections. More in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, “Stealing Your Fate” on Better Beware – your weekly consumer-watchdog segment on the WFHB Local News.

Bloomington Arts Commission Updates: Climate-Art Initiative, $48K in Grants and New Convention Center Signature Artwork

The Bloomington Arts Commission met on November 12th. During city updates, Assistant Director for the Arts Holly Warren said the city passed the 2026 budget and the arts commission didn’t see a reduction in funds.

Special Projects Manager Chaz Mottinger announced that the Bloomington Arts Commission will likely host an Artists Party on December 10th, but the date is yet to be confirmed. Mottinger says the event is aimed at celebrating B-A-C grant recipients.

Then, the commission heard a presentation about Brushes for a Better Planet: Bloomington Project for Earth, a project by IU PhD student Lily Shan. The project is a global initiative that uses visual arts to interpret and communicate climate research.

Carol Rhodes from Artists For Climate Awareness, a fiscal sponsor for the project, joined in giving the presentation.

Rhodes went into further detail on the work Artists for Climate Awareness does.

Following Rhodes, Shan presented her project, Brushes for a Better Planet.

She said the Bloomington version of the program will run throughout March and April of next year. The program will pair artists with environmental researchers through a series of field trips and studio collaborations. It will culminate into a public exhibit for the annual Earth Day month celebration at the end of April.

In closing, Shan reemphasized the purpose of the project, saying she believes art has the power to shape reality.

Next, Christina Elem, Public Art Subcommittee Interim Chair, updated the commission on a callout for artists to create a “signature artwork” as part of the Bloomington Convention Center expansion. Elem said the budget for the project totals 400,000 dollars.

Warren said the commission has already received dozens of applicants from artists around the country. The deadline to apply was November 17th, which has already past.

Then, Gerard Pannekoek noted the commission approved nearly 48,000 dollars in operations grants for 18 local organizations. He says they received much better applications compared to previous years.

Warren noted that additional funding support came from the Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association, allowing the city to expand its total awards for this year’s grant cycle. The commission approved the funding package by a unanimous vote.

The Bloomington Arts Commission will meet for their next regular session on December 10th.

Feature Reports:

A new generation of voters is reshaping America’s political landscape, and their growing embrace of democratic socialism is beginning to show up at the ballot box. Earlier this month, New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani made headlines as one of the most prominent democratic socialists to win office. WFHB News Correspondent Camdyn Glover spoke with young political leaders on both the left and the right to understand what’s driving this shift and whether the movement is here to stay. That report is coming up next on the WFHB Local News.

In today’s feature report, WFHB News Correspondents Olivia Evans and Katrine Bruner speak with local residents and hotel management about a new boutique hotel that has raised opinions on the modernization of Bloomington.

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