BLOOMINGTON, IN.- The Eskenazi Museum of Art welcomed Peregrine Church, artist and founder of Rainworks, an initiative of "rain-activated artwork, designed to make a rainy day better." Employing a super-hydrophobic substance sprayed through a stencil onto pavement or concrete, Rainworks creates images that are completely invisible when dry, but re-appear when wet. The project began in Church's hometown of Seattle, and received national attention after he launched a video about the project on Facebook that subsequently went viral.

Church is visiting Indiana University and Bloomington August 16-26. During that time, he will install a large Rainwork in front of the museum. Church will also lead a workshop on how to produce a Rainwork at the IU School of Fine Arts on Thursday, August 25. The workshop is free and open to the public, but space is limited. The museum has also partnered with Monroe County Public Library, and their teen space, Level Up, to offer an additional Rainwork workshop for teens. To find out about other Rainwork activities, check the museum's website. You can also follow individual Rainworks around campus and Bloomington on the Rainworks website, where an interactive map charts their creation across the country.

After raising $50,000 through a successful Kick-Starter campaign, Church and his business partners have worked to perfect the super-hydrophobic spray and are now selling it as Rainworks Invisible Spray. The museum will have a limited supply of Invisible Spray available for members of the community who are interested in making a Rainwork. The spray will also be available for purchase at Angles, the museum's gift shop, or through the Rainworks website.

What is a Rainwork?
Rainworks are rain-activated street art that are completely invisible when dry, and only appear when they are wet. Rainworks are designed to make rainy days happier. They are created by using a super hydrophobic spray called Rainworks Invisible Spray. Rainworks typically last 2 to 4 months.

Who Created Rainworks?
Artists named Peregrine Church and Xack Fischer developed Rainworks in their hometown Seattle, WA (rain capital U.S.A). After a video of Rainworks went viral on the Internet, Rainworks have appeared all over the world.

What Is The Largest Rainwork Ever Created?
The Indiana University Eskenazi Museum of Art in Bloomington, Indiana, commissioned Church and Fischer to install a Rainwork in the plaza in front of the art museum. The result is Mandala, the largest Rainwork ever created, at almost thirty-four feet in diameter. Mandala was installed in eleven hours by Church and Fischer, with additional assistance from Emelie Flower and Abe Morris. It was unveiled before a crowd of hundreds who launched almost 150 water balloons at the Rainwork to make it visible. Find more photos of the installation and unveiling of Mandala below. Church and Fischer are also teaching workshops on how to create Rainworks during their stay in Bloomington. The IU Eskenazi Museum of Art is actively working with organizations and individuals to create more Rainworks in Bloomington, to use this project to take art out into the community and make art a fun and surprising part of people's daily lives. Many thanks for Peregrine, Xack for their brilliant ideas, and for bringing Rainworks to our community.