WHS Impact Report

Well House Society 2020 Impact Report

The Well House Society includes some of Indiana University’s most loyal and steadfast supporters. In a year unlike any other in IU’s history, you doubled down on your loyalty, securing the longevity of IU’s landmarks and treasures for new generations of students, scholars, faculty, and visitors.

Your generous support funded the completion of 16 signature projects, including:

  • The Musical Arts Center’s first refurbishment since its construction in 1971
  • The eighth and final Wright Quad mural depicting IU’s history
  • The installation of the Metz Carillon in the Arboretum, and its upgrade to a grand carillon

The Well House Society has also celebrated many milestones over the past several years, including adding over 100 new member households to its ranks, and raising $1 million annually in support of vital endeavors across IU’s campuses, ensuring Indiana University will remain one of the finest institutions in its next century.

Take a closer look at all your generosity has made possible at IU.

“The Art of the Character: Highlights from the Glenn Close Costume Collection” In 2017, Academy Award-nominated and Emmy- and Tony-winning actress Glenn Close donated over 800 items to the IU Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design. The collection spans Close’s film, television, and theater career, and includes pieces from some of her most iconic performances. An exhibition showcasing some of the collection’s signature pieces will be on view May 6, 2021, through November 14, 2021, at the IU Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art. The exhibit will explore the art of developing a character, focusing on the creativity of the designers and makers, as well as the collaborative process between Close and the artists who help bring her characters to life. Photo courtesy of James Brosher
MUSICAL ARTS CENTER REFURBISHMENTS Well House Society support has enabled the first refurbishment of the Musical Arts Center (MAC) since the building was constructed in 1971, including a replacement of the MAC’s original 1,460 seats and the auditorium’s carpet. With an acoustical design and technical capabilities among the best in the nation, the MAC is home to the IU Jacobs School of Music Opera and Ballet Theater. The refurbishment of the Musical Arts Center was completed in December 2020. Photo courtesy of Eric Rudd
ELINOR OSTROM STATUE With support from the Well House Society, alumnus Michael McAuley created a historical marker honoring the late Professor Elinor Ostrom. The statue, which celebrates Ostrom’s legacy as the first woman—and first political scientist—to receive the Nobel Prize in Economics, sits on a bench outside of Woodburn Hall. Ostrom was a pioneering, influential scholar whose life and career brought great distinction to Indiana University, and her marker will serve to inspire generations to come. Photo courtesy of Eric Rudd
DISPLAY INFRASTRUCTURE & TECHNOLOGY AT THE COLLECTIONS TEACHING, RESEARCH & EXHIBITION CENTER Located in the McCalla School building on the Bloomington campus, the new Collections Teaching, Research & Exhibition Center (CTREC) will engage students, faculty, and public audiences with IU’s world-class art, cultural, and historical collections from across all campuses. The CTREC will enable visitors to connect objects from the collection across disciplinary boundaries in new and imaginative ways, including via physical exhibits, digital content, classroom instruction, hands-on learning lab interactions, and public performances in the building’s new multipurpose room. Well House Society support will help fund display infrastructure and technology at the CTREC. Photo courtesy of James Brosher, Indiana University
WRIGHT QUADRANGLE MURALS Well House Society support helped bring to life the newest (and final) addition to the historic Wright Quadrangle murals, in which Professor Caleb Weintraub, associate professor of painting in the IU Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design, has depicted significant moments and figures from 1999 to the present. The latest mural celebrates IU’s distinguished faculty, tradition in the arts, global engagement, strength in information technology, and diverse community. Photo courtesy of Eric Rudd
METZ BICENTENNIAL GRAND CARILLON In January 2020, the Arthur R. Metz Bicentennial Grand Carillon—an upgraded and relocated version of the carillon dedicated in 1971 on the edge of campus—once again rang loudly, this time from its new location adjoining the IU Arboretum. Four more bells give this rare treasure grand carillon status, making it one of fewer than 30 in the world, and one of a handful nationwide. Photo courtesy of Eric Rudd
PRESIDENTS HALL PAINTINGS A new set of allegorical paintings, Lux et Veritas (Light and Truth), was dedicated during the 200th Anniversary Celebration on January 20, 2020. Located on the north side of Presidents Hall, the paintings complement the portraits of IU’s 17 past presidents. Bonnie Sklarski, professor emerita of the IU Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design, created the paintings. “There are over 40 allegorical figures representing the psychological forces that still drive human yearning and conduct in our technocratic age,” Sklarski notes. “They are set in landscapes embodying the greatest forces of nature that tame the ego and remind us of the mystery that permeates our lives.” Photo courtesy of Eric Rudd
BICENTENNIAL MEDALS The Bicentennial Medal was created in celebration of IU’s 200th anniversary to honor organizations and individuals who, through their personal, professional, artistic, or philanthropic efforts, have broadened the reach of Indiana University. The medals themselves are unique, made from materials salvaged from the old bells that hung in the Student Building on the Bloomington campus. The medal was designed by IU artist and professor Jeeyea Kim to signify the impact and outward trajectory of IU in the state, nation, and world. 27 members of the Well House Society were bestowed with this honor!
DISPLAY INFRASTRUCTURE & TECHNOLOGY AT THE IU MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY The new Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology will marry the rich collections of the Glenn Black Laboratory of Archaeology and the Mathers Museum of World Cultures. The result: a world-class museum whose collections and research resources, dynamic exhibits, engaging programming, and outreach efforts will serve IU’s education and research missions and make it a leading destination for scholars, students, and the public. Well House Society support will help provide the much-needed display infrastructure and technology for the museum, including: compact storage; modular walls to divide gallery spaces; 3-D imaging hardware; and scanning lab microscopes capable of 3-D imagery. 
PARSIFAL As part of the Indiana University Bicentennial celebration, IU Jacobs School of Music Opera Theater remounted Richard Wagner’s monumental opera Parsifal. From the 1940s to the 1970s, a tradition was established of regularly producing Parsifal at IU. These productions are one of the cornerstones upon which the Jacobs School of Music’s outstanding reputation is based, and perhaps, the production that first drew worldwide attention to the school. After a 43-year hiatus, Parsifal was once again performed on the Musical Arts Center stage during November 2019. Well House Society funding helped cover direct costs for the performance, including costumes, set design and construction, and external artistic hires.
ARE WE SAFER TODAY? The Honorable Lee Hamilton and the Honorable Tom Kean, co-chairs of the 9/11 Commission, have created a documentary film on the work of the 9/11 Commission. Are We Safer Today? will be distributed nationally to public television stations through the National Educational Television Association. In light of Representative Hamilton’s tremendous presence in the global arena, IU and the Well House Society are honored to support the work of these two statesmen alongside The Carnegie Corporation of New York in documenting a defining period in our nation’s history. 
THE JOHN D. PUSEY MURALS AT THE ELI AND RUTH ALLISON LILLY HOUSE In 1934, Eli Lilly commissioned John D. Pusey to paint an immense, cinematic mural scheme for the third-floor ballroom of his home in Indianapolis. Through the murals, Lilly hoped to convey his ideas about character and the development of personality. Completed in 1936, the distinctly American landscape depicts virtues of courage and endurance, athletic strength and ability, and musical and artistic creativity. The John D. Pusey Murals at the Eli and Ruth Allison Lilly House will be the first publication to present this exquisite mural scheme in its entirety with full-page, full-color photography. Photo courtesy of Chris Meyer
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS COLLECTIONS (IIC) INITIATIVE For many years, IU has received gifts from international institutions through international visitors, overseas presidential delegations, and in other ways. Funds from the Well House Society will make it possible to mount and display a varied selection of these gifts throughout the new Ferguson International Center. These items, some of them dating back to the days of President Wells, will display the richness and diversity of IU’s partnerships over many years and show respect and gratitude to these institutions for their gifts.
CALLIOPE Well House Society support enabled the full restoration of the IU Calliope, a much-celebrated but (formerly) rarely seen 32-whistle instrument housed in a circus wagon. This traveling piece of IU tradition is once again available for celebrations, parades, and special events to the delight of all who love IU.
RESTORING MAXWELL HALL COURTYARD A fixture of the Bloomington campus and IU’s Old Crescent heritage, Maxwell Hall courtyard was revitalized in 2018 so that current and future students can follow in the footsteps of the thousands who came before them. Enhancements included a new space for cultural and educational programming, as well as smaller spaces for study and reflection. A plaque recognizing the contribution of Well House Society members was added in Spring 2021. Photo courtesy of Eric Rudd
ENHANCING THE IUPUI CAMPUS Through the Welcoming Campus Initiative, IUPUI continues to soften its concrete façade with the natural beauty that IU is famous for: trees, flowers, and all types of greenery. In addition to beautifying campus, these elements help create inspiring spaces that enrich learning and improve the student experience. And by integrating the floral spaces as features of campus rather than mere embellishments, the campus—and its students—can truly flourish. Photo courtesy of Liz Kaye

Mental Health First Aid for Youth

Funding provided by the Well House Society made a big impact on IU Southeast and its ability to enhance the mental health of the youth in Southern Indiana for years to come.

Through the Mental Health First Aid for Youth grant, the Office of Personal Counseling Services trained two staff members in Youth Mental Health First Aid, a course that certifies participants to intervene and provide first aid to youth experiencing mental health challenges.

These two staff members have administered the same training to 20 members of university staff, and plan to train between 100 and 300 additional faculty and staff in the Floyd and Clark County School systems.

GoBabyGo at IU

Well House Society funding was instrumental in helping GoBabyGo at IU grow and evolve—even in the most challenging of years. In fact, the fall 2020 semester saw the program’s largest build to date.

IU physical therapy students provided ride-on, battery-powered vehicles with custom modifications for children with motor and cognitive delays. These cars allowed the children to be independently mobile.

Funding also enabled GoBabyGo to improve the organization’s sustainability through purchasing tools required to modify the battery-powered vehicles—impacting families across the state for years to come!

Pathways to Success for Practicing Nurses

Through funding provided by the Well House Society, IUPUC Division of Health Sciences faculty and student support staff were able to implement comprehensive education and career transition programming for rural returning adult learners in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree track.

Expanded student services included:

  • Pre-entry nursing preparedness programming
  • Wellness and self-care coaching
  • Interprofessional education simulation with working clinicians

The anticipated resulting rise in student retention within the accelerated BSN degree track will serve to increase the number of BSN-prepared nursing graduates, thereby directly improving the critical shortage of nurses in this rural area, providing a larger population of nurse leaders, and improving health outcomes of the rural communities in this region.

Providing Laptops to Incoming Underrepresented Students

Through a combination of grants and individual donations—including a gift from the Well House Society and financial support from the provost—the Groups Scholars program raised over $50,000, which will be used to purchase 400 laptops for students entering the program in June 2021.

Beyond the immediate impact of raising $50K, the Groups Scholars program’s long-term goal is to establish an endowed fund that will support student technology needs in perpetuity.

Your commitment is second to none

Well House Society members are special. You can count yourselves among IU’s most loyal friends. Truly, Well House Society membership is a calling card of those who are IU’s staunchest supporters.

In fact, 60 percent of our members have supported the Well House Society for more than 10 years. Over 40 percent have been members for 20 years or more!

LONGEVITYPERCENT
<5 years24.16%
5-9 years15.76%
10-19 years17.44%
20-29 years17.23%
30+ years25.42%

Well House Society members know better than anyone that commitment to IU isn’t confined to the Hoosier state. This tight-knit group of IU supporters spans a vast geographic area. Members reside in 31 states, from Washington to Florida and almost everywhere in between. Wherever you are, you’re never too far from a Well House Society friend.

* Not shown on map: Well House Society members in Washington, D.C., (3).

Thank you for all you do for IU

Your support of the Well House Society is absolutely essential to continuing the good work that happens at IU. Individuals like you are the quiet reason IU can continue to succeed—and you are so very much appreciated.

A PDF of this impact report is available for download at this link. If you have questions regarding your Well House Society membership or other inquiries we might be able to assist with, please let us know.

WELL HOUSE SOCIETY
whsiuf@iu.edu | 812-855-8321