BLOOMINGTON – Come to the Table – The Art of Peace is the Community Justice & Moderation Center’s (CJAM) annual fundraiser for 2023. The event will take place Thursday, November 9, from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m., at the John Waldron Arts Center, with appetizers, a wine pull, a credit card-only bar, and a silent auction.
More than a fundraiser, this event celebrates CJAM’s work in the Monroe community and honors individuals who inspire the peaceful resolution of conflicts. Hosting the event this year at the newly renovated John Waldron Arts Center is the perfect backdrop for CJAM’s theme, The Art of Peace. The arts, like CJAM, can have a profound impact on conflict transformation by fostering dialogue, understanding, and empathy among individuals and communities.
5:30 p.m. until 6:20 p.m.
- Reception with small plate and passed appetizers
- Mingle with guests, and visit the silent auction and Wine Pull. The Waldron provides a credit card-only bar.
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
- Program: The Art of Peace
- Guests will adjourn upstairs to the John Whikehart Auditorium for the interactive panel discussion with Heather Aku, Connie Cook Glen, and Gus Wletsek, moderated by Yaël Ksander.
The event will present an outstanding panel of local community members – Heather Akou, Connie Cook Glen, and Gus Weltsek – who will share their stories and perspectives – moderated by the gracious and talented, Yaël Ksander.
Tickets can be found online for, $70 apiece, or $100 to get a ticket and be a sponsor. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
Heather Akou is an Associate Professor of Fashion Design in the Eskenazi School at IU. Her current research focuses on working-class histories of dress in the United States, including secret society regalia, prison uniforms, work uniforms, and militarized fashions. As one of the current co-directors of the Bloomington Multi Faith Alliance, she also works to build bridges between faith communities and foster understanding about Islam and spiritual/religious philosophies on dress and the body.
Constance Cook Glen serves as Teaching Professor and Director of the Music in General Studies program at the Jacobs School of Music. Glen is committed to impacting social change through music and is the co-founder of two international virtual summits, entitled: Music, Business and Peace. She has also taught numerous classes in this vein, including: “Music of War and Peace,” and “Leonard Bernstein as an Artist-Citizen.”
Gustave Weltsek (he, I, they), third generation immigrant, writing from the unceded lands of the myaamiaki, Lënape, Bodwéwadmik, and saawanwa, father, and partner, Associate Professor of Arts Education at Indiana University, School of Education. Gus is a critical Artist Activist (Artivist) committed to the use of the arts as a means for social activism, community engagement, and systemic policy change. Gus has created numerous collaborative theatre pieces focused on social justice and equity throughout Bloomington.
Moderator: Yaël Ksander has earned a living as a radio producer, speechwriter, drawing instructor, cook, and translator, among other ways. These days, she has two children in college and serves as the communications and marketing director for IU’s Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design, where she earned an M.F.A. in painting. A 25-year Bloomingtonian, Yaël appreciates our community’s commitment to the arts and social justice, which groups like CJAM kindle.
For more than 28 years, Community Justice and Mediation Center (CJAM) has been helping Monroe County residents to peacefully resolve disputes and address contentious problems. Serving over 600 individuals each year, our programs include community and court-based mediation services, an eviction prevention program for tenants and landlords, a first-time shoplifter’s prevention program, workplace mediation, the Victim & Offender Restoration Program, mediation training programs, and group facilitation. Utilizing our team of highly trained volunteer mediators, we empower people to listen and learn from each other and create plans to move forward.
