Collins Living-Learning Center

Members of the Collins Living-Learning Center community, faculty and staff at Indiana University, and the larger Bloomington community, gathered on the evening of February 8th for a Fireside Chat with visiting artist and scholar, Christina Stohn from Germany in Tate Holt Tower Lounge. Associate Director, Yara Clüver, moderated the discussion which was held in conjunction with an exhibit of Stohn’s photo work within the same space. Entitled “In Search of Identity” the exhibition was curated by Collins LLC member and head of photography, Aida Niese. Depicted and discussed were images from the Black Forest and an area of Missouri which had an influx of immigrants from the Black Forest in the 1830s. Stohn shared insights into her photographic process when photographing both people and places and talked about what German roots are left in this area of the US, and the shifts over time. Bob Mueller, who is shown wearing typical clothing from one of his Badisch ancestors in the one of the images, came from Missouri with his wife Linda for the presentation. The evening culminated with a video of a Ste. Genevieve, MO resident, Patti Naeger, performing the regional anthem of Baden “Badnerlied.”