12 of Indy’s most creative minds compete for $10,000

Twelve ideas. Hundreds of chit-chatting audience members. And one $10,000 prize. It’s all on the line Thurs., Nov. 12, at 9 p.m., during “Pecha Kucha Vol. 7: The Next Indianapolis,” an official Spirit & Place Festival event. At the conclusion of the unique presentations, judges will award $10,000 from the Central Indiana Community Foundation to one of twelve presenters – on the spot.

These twelve presenters will employ the Pecha Kucha format, a 6-minute, 40-second PowerPoint presentation of 20 slides at 20 seconds each, to propose their plan to make Indianapolis even more inspiring. Their grassroots ideas are the best of the best, culled from nearly 50 submissions across the city by Indianapolis’ civic and social leaders. The eight judges, named below, will convene for just 6 minutes and 40 seconds to determine which idea is the most deserving of the Spirit & Place $10,000 award.

 

“This event is by far the most collaborative and impactful event yet,” said John Beeler, a member of the Pecha Kucha Indianapolis team. Other partners include: Asthmatic Kitty Records, Big Car, the Indiana Humanities Council, Indianapolis Downtown Inc, IndyHub, the Local Initiatives Support Coalition, Method Architecture, and NUVO. 

The event is free (with cash bar onsite), and takes place at The Toby in the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Tickets are required, and can be secured at at the door, at http://imamuseum.org, or by calling 317-955-2339.

To match the uniquely social and collaborative spirit of Pecha Kucha, a variety of organizations have crafted an entire evening centered around the event. People are invited to start early by grabbing a local, seasonal, and delicious dinner at the new Nourish Cafe in the IMA. From there, people can try out the groundbreaking iPhone/iPod app “TAP Into Sacred Spain,” a “director’s commentary” to the IMA’s newly launched, first-of-its-kind exhibit.

And at 7:30 p.m., IndyHub will hold “ChitChat,” a mixer in the IMA’s Nourish Cafe Fountain Room organized to help presenters, judges, and audience alike to connect and network before the main event.

Doors to The Toby will open at 8:30 p.m. 

Presenters & Presentations

“A Little Birdy Told Me…”
Green 3

Green 3 is an Indianapolis landscape architecture and environmental design firm. The Green Team is Dawn Kroh, Tia Agnew, Phyllis Boyd, Brian Harbison, Scott Minor and Reed Nicholson. With this project Indianapolis can begin to imagine possibilities of transformation, taking the city closer to the past past and, in turn, pushing the city toward the future.

“Letteracks: A 3D map for Indianapolis”

Matthew C. Hale

 

Matthew C. Hale is a life-long resident of Indianapolis and graduate of Herron School of Art & Design. Letteracks is a coordinated system of 26 giant letter bikeracks (one for each letter of the alphabet) designed for the regional center of Indianapolis. 

“Growing Place: The Slow Food Edible Garden at the White River State Park”

Laura Henderson

 

Laura Henderson is the founder of the Indianapolis Winter Farmers Market, co-founder of Urban Earth Indy – spreading rain barrels and gardens with husband Tyler Henderson, and one of Indianapolis’ most dynamic yoga teachers. Laura consciously engages in the belief that we must be the change we wish to see in the world, and she has been working with Slow Food Indy, the White River State Park, and Matthew Jose (owner of Big City Farms) to grow the Slow Food Edible Garden from idea to reality.

“The Visual Archiving Center of Narrative and Myth of the People Videre Archivum Nararre MythosVolk”

Anna Rae Landsman

 

Anna Rae Landsman was born in Chicago, currently working on her thesis work at Maine College of Art. With ‘home base’ located in the east side of Indianapolis’ “Moon Block Building,”  the Visual Archiving Center will host a collection site for anyone in Indianapolis to share their personal myth and narrative.

“10th Street Walking: Building Billboard Narratives”

Mark Latta

 

Mark teaches English, runs a record label, enjoys meandering walks with his wife and dogs, and loves getting lost in a great story. 10th Street Walking will chronicle the wisdom, experience and advice of the people who live along 10th Street and publish the shared narrative through billboard-sized public art.

“Pogue’s Run Press: Indy’s New Nonprofit Book Publisher”

Kevin McKelvey

 

Kevin McKelvey is a poet and writer that teachers editing, publishing, and writing at the University of Indianapolis. He is involved with The Second Story and Big Car Collective. Pogue’s Run Press will be an independent book publishing nonprofit that publishes in three areas: books by kids for kids, place-based Midwestern writing, and non-traditional collaborations and projects.

“Design Maintained”

Wil Marquez

 

A Northwest Indiana native and long time Indianapolis resident, Wil Marquez is currently employed with A2SO4, an Indianapolis based, international architecture firm. He acts as both a senior designer and the director of A2SO4’s exploratory design initiative, A2SX.  A 10K Design Competition will call out to others to help cast a new vision embedded with ideas of modernity, connectability, and maintained growth in the Devington Neighborhood. 

“Second Story: On The Possibility Of Kid-Powered Flight In Fountain Square”

Matt Mays & Ken Honeywell

 

Matt Mays and Ken Honeywell are two of the founders of Second Story. They are in love with their wives and have never let the facts stand in the way of a good story. Second Story is using creative writing to help kids connect with their community in ways they never imagined.

“Lights on the Canal”

Jim Merz

 

Jim Merz creates kinetic computer-controlled sculptural and video installations as a way to demarcate time and space. His artwork reflects and celebrates complex systems, both natural and man-made. “Lights on the Canal” is a performance of approximately 60 lighted globes floating down the canal at Broad Ripple. These floating globes will be lighted by LED’s inside and connected to each other by a wireless network that will enable complex moving patterns of multi-colored lights.

“Shifting Landscapes”

Cynthia Pratt

 

Cynthia Pratt, Professor of Dance at Butler University, holds an MFA from Temple University and is a Certified Movement Analyst from the Laban Institute of Movement Studies.  Her choreography has been performed throughout the United States, Europe and Asia and she is a regular guest choreographer for Dance Kaleidoscope. Shifting Landscapes will be a series of three large-scale (500-1000 participants), site-specific choreographic works set at key locations in Indianapolis.

“Perspective on Peace”

Callie Smith, Khadijah Muhammad, and Tim Nation

 

The “Perspective on Peace” project is Peace Learning Center director Tim Nation, co-founder of Muslim Women of America and member of Nur-Allah Islamic Center Khadijah Muhammad, and clergyperson Callie Smith of Christian Theological Seminary are involved with peace, justice and interfaith work in the city of Indianapolis. This project will examine the impact of 9/11 on Indianapolis and the stories of people from diverse faiths interacting in ways that inspire peace using a new multi-media installation in the Peace Learning Center at Eagle Creek Park, interfaith peace learning workshops for area schools and an annual September 11th dialogue event will memorialize the past while offering people of all ages a vision for the future.

“homespun: modern handmade”

Amanda Mauer Taflinger & Neal Taflinger

Amanda Mauer Taflinger is an art educator and photographer, as well as the organizer of the INDIEana Handicraft Exchange, a biannual contemporary craft fair. Her husband, Neal Taflinger, is a multimedia storyteller. homespun will be a retail shop on East Washington Street, in the Irvington neighborhood, that focuses on high-quality, modern handmade crafts and artisanal goods. 

 

Judges

Sarah Green: a resident of Indy’s near north side since 2007 and Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at the Indianapolis Museum of Art

 

David Hoppe: a regular columnist and editor who writes about culture and politics for NUVO, the alternative weekly in Indianapolis 

 

Tammi Jones: Senior Vice President of Policy and Planning for the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, named by Women’s Enterprise Magazine as one of the nation’s top 100 Female Executives in Supplier Diversity 

 

Gail Payne: owner of The Goods: Thoughtful Marketing, Authentic Living and manager of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail public outreach and fundraising

 

Aaron Renn: consultant and urban affairs writer who publishes The Urbanophile blog

Krista Skidmore: president of FlashPoint, an Indianapolis-based human resource consulting firm, and a board member of the Arts Council of Indianapolis and the Indiana Humanities Council

 

David Wu: policy director for the Mayor of Indianapolis

 

Tamara Zahn: President of Indianapolis Downtown, Inc., a NFP organization charged with developing, managing and marketing Downtown. 

Got a Big Idea? Want $10,000 for it?

The Indiana Humanities Council, and a variety of other partners — including Spirit & Place Festival and Central Indiana Community Foundation — are looking for creative ideas to turn an Indianapolis location into a more inspiring place. The winner — who will present Pecha Kucha-style — will take home $10,000 to put toward that project. The deadline to submit your proposal is Oct. 18. Get more info about submission requirements.

Pecha Kucha — or PK for short — literally means “chit-chat” in Japanese and is a grassroots movement started by architects and designers to remedy long-winded lectures and frivolous presentations. In one corner, the presenters at Pecha Kucha have only 6 minutes and 40 seconds to convey their idea, with 20 slides at 20 seconds each, whether they like it or not. In the other corner, a well-stocked bar. Conversation among the audience, especially during timid presentations, is encouraged. Business presentation, meet rock show. Bullet points, meet fight club.

Check out PK presentations on YouTube.

Not that creative, but want to see all of the great ideas? The event will be Thurs., Nov. 12 at The Toby at the IMA. The event is free, but registration is required.

31 ways to experience the humanities

October is Arts & Humanities Month, which means 31 days of thinking, reading, talking and listening. Check out our guide to humanities experiences around Indiana for each day of the month.

Here are some of my favorites:

IDADA (Indianapolis Downtown Arts and Dealers Association) First Friday tour. There’s no better way to spend a Friday night in Indy than to wander from gallery to studio to performance space. Start at our place—the Meredith Nicholson Home (1500 N. Delaware St.)—for a discussion about how schools can serve as catalysts for urban renewal.

Wallow in your Hoosier-ness. Indiana authors, artists, musicians and poets will showcase their talents at An Evening in Brown County on Sunday, Oct. 11. I’m looking forward to Hoosier wine and beer, plus tapas made from locally grown food. Get more info here.

Travel back in time. Explore the religious and visual culture of 17^th-century Spain and Latin America–for free. Sacred Spain: Art and Belief in the Spanish World, opens Oct. 11 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. It features 80 works of art, including the legendary Crown of the Andes, an actual crown set with 450 emeralds.

Start a book club. If you’re like me and haven’t joined or started a club yet, it’s time. The Indiana Humanities Council will even lend you the books, for free. Check out our lending library.

Take a road trip. Take advantage of the great weather and scenery that October offers and head north, south, east and west, knowing that wherever you go, you’ll find a great museum or Hoosier landmark.

Share your inspiring place

Many of us have a place–or maybe more than one–that brings us peace, joy, solace and calm. Many of us have a place that excites, inspires, challenges or restores us. Many of us have places we find spectacular, beautiful, energetic, fun.

For me, it’s typically wide, open spaces. A view that includes mountains, wildflowers and evergreens, instead of skyscrapers, traffic lights and city buses. But I don’t myself in that situation very often, living in Indiana. Here, some of my best ideas come while walking on an Indy Parks Trail, or riding my bike. But for you, maybe it’s a special place in your home, or your favorite coffee shop.

As part of the 2009 Spirit & Place Festival, WFYI invites you to share them with everyone! Go here to upload your photo. WFYI will select six submissions and turn those into a “Spirited Chase” on Saturday, Nov. 7, as part of the opening weekend of the Spirit & Place Festival.

And, if you’ve got the words, but not the picture, feel free to share it with us, here.

Meandering Indiana 14 – Henry County

Chaucer wrote in The Canterbury Tales that when spring arrives “than longen folk to go on pilgrimages.” So it was that while on vacation I decided to visit a shrine or two. Of course, this led me to Henry County.

I’d been in New Castle before, attending a meeting at the community foundation. But this time I was able to enter the sacred space of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. On that particular day, the long walk from the parking lot to the front door was lined with clothes and shoes, set out on tables. Under a sunny sky, The Hall was having a yard sale.

Inside I watched the brief film that tried to explain why basketball is special in the state of Indiana. It was preaching to the choir but nicely done. Wandering up and down among the glass cases, I saw photos, trophies, newspaper clippings, jerseys and letter sweaters — all the material embodiment of legends and heroes.

The most special of all, always paired in my mind, are the 1954 and 1955 state championship teams. You know the stories, too. The first is the Miracle of Milan with Bobby Plump’s last shot. The second, as wonderful, is the first school ever to win a state championship for Indianapolis — Crispus Attucks with its star, Oscar Robertson. I was once privileged to attend a 50th anniversary reunion of that team and the team it beat in the finals, Gary Roosevelt. The Indiana Humanities Council was part of the celebration at Hinkle Fieldhouse via a grant for the project, which was directed by Dr. Bill Wiggins.

Afterwards I went through the enshrinement gallery, with its exhibit of black-and-white portraits drawn by the artist Keith Butz. Each player or coach is depicted in two images, one at the time of induction into the Hall of Fame and one as he or she looked back in the day. (Girls and their coaches were included although they did not get a state tournament until 1976.)

I could have spent more time there, but I wanted to move on to my next stop in Henry County, the Hoosier Gym. Taking Route 3 south from New Castle, past I-70, to U.S. 40, then turning west brought me quickly to Knightstown. It took a bit of searching to find the Gym because it’s attached to the Knightstown Academy, which looks more like a courthouse. It was, however, once a school, and when the county built a new consolidated high school, a developer bought the Academy, now on the National Register, and turned it into condominiums.

A weekend festival was about to start, with a commemorative game to be played between “Hickory High” and “Terhune.” Again I found piles of T-shirts and souvenirs for sale outside and a volunteer docent inside to explain about how “Hoosiers” came to be filmed in this gym. I asked him whether the film crew had to do much to prepare the site for movie-making. No, he said, it only needed a coat of paint and a bit of gloss added to the floor. Otherwise, it was already perfect.

Still owned by the town, the Hoosier Gym is administered separately from the condos, so it is watched over by its community group, just as the Hall of Fame is. Therein lies the true soul of Indiana basketball, for legendary games are not only about those who are heroes but also about those are witnesses.

Meandering Indiana 13 – Wayne County

Summer is almost here, and Americans are ready to hit the road. Likewise, a citizen setting out from Maryland in the late 1830s could get on the newly built federal highway and drive a wagon straight through to St. Louis. The National Road, as it was called, entered Indiana on the eastern edge around Richmond, passed through many small towns before arriving in Indianapolis, and wound up in Terre Haute where it exited the state.

I’ve driven stretches of this same road (U.S. 40) on days when I-70 just seemed unnecessary. The pavement’s been upgraded a bit, but it’s still a fine way to travel. The National Road also still divides northern Indiana from southern Indiana, according to some historians. Since it runs down Washington Street in Indy, one might also say it divides the northern from the southern half of the city.

Back in Wayne County, the area’s Quaker heritage with its commitment to peace and justice is revealed in traces of the Underground Railroad, such as the Levi Coffin House (Fountain City), and in Earlham College (801 National Road West, Richmond).

I meandered to Wayne County quite deliberately one sunny day–for no other reason than to go sightseeing in Metamora. This tourist-friendly town is known for its historic canal and gristmill, and I also enjoyed the shops and the Side Track Cafe.

Huddleston Farmhouse Inn Museum (photo: William Eccles)

Another day I was at the Huddleston Farmhouse Inn Museum to meet with the Historic Landmarks Foundation staff about an exhibit project sponsored by the Indiana Humanities Council. This historic site–with its house, barn, smokehouse, and springhouse–is sometimes listed as in Cambridge City and sometimes as in Mt. Auburn, but it’s not hard to find. For, as our nineteenth-century travelers discovered when looking for a place to stay, you can’t miss it. It’s at 838 National Road.

Read more of Nancy’s travels across the state, here.

The Top Ten Places in Indiana to Experience the Humanities

By Amy Vaughan, Director, The Indiana Office of Tourism Development

With June quickly approaching, I am optimistic about Indiana’s summer travel season. As I think about my own trip ideas for this summer, I am struck by how much there is to do in Indiana to celebrate the humanities. 

Here’s what comes to my mind:

1. Bloomington – One of Indiana’s best food towns, visit Farm Bloomington, Restaurant Tallent and the Scholar’s Inn, for a world class meal.  And don’t forget to stop on Fourth Street’s Restaurant Row to try ethnic fare.

2. Columbus – Stop at the Columbus Visitors Center and take its guided driving tour of a city Smithsonian magazine called “a veritable museum of modern architecture.”  Visitors can see more than 70 buildings and pieces of public art from I.M. Pei, Eliel Saarinen and Dale Chihuly.

3. Conner Prairie’s New Balloon Exhibit – A recreation of an 1859 mail delivery test in Lafayette, the tethered helium balloon ride combines the adventure of climbing 350 feet in the sky with learning about the history of flight in Indiana.

4. Elkhart County Quilt Gardens Tour – This driving tour features more than 16 gardens and 16 hand painted murals.   (Visit in mid-July for the best blooms.)  All of the gardens have been created to replicate Amish quilt designs.

5. The Indiana Repertory Theatre – Founded in 1972, the IRT is one of the leading regional theatres in the country.  I’ve been wowed by performances of To Kill a Mockingbird, A Christmas Carol and Pride and Prejudice. 

6. The Indiana State Fair – With everything from the world’s largest boar to gourds shaped like David Letterman, the state fair is my favorite Indiana spot in August.

7. The Indianapolis Museum of Art – One of the tenth largest general art museums in the country, the museum’s world class art collection and 152 of gardens and grounds are well worth the visit.

8. New Harmony –The site of two utopian communities, New Harmony offers a rare mix of architectural gardens, historic buildings and unusual public spaces.  It’s an unusual gem tucked away in southern Indiana.

9. The West Baden Dome at West Baden Springs Hotel – It’s been called the Eighth Wonder of the World.  An amazing display of design ingenuity, the dome is breathtaking to see.

10. White River State Park – It offers a rich mix of concerts, events, exhibits and gardens at the Indianapolis Zoo, the Eiteljorg Museum of Native American Art, the NCAA Hall of Champions and the Indianapolis Indians.

And these are just a handful of the many great options in Indiana.  I’d like to know, “Where’s your favorite place in Indiana to get your dose of the humanities?”

Meandering Indiana – 12

On a sunny day in spring, what is better than to get out on the road and travel to another county in Indiana? Today, though, I’ll have to be content with getting out a map and paying a virtual visit — this time to Jefferson County. (By the way, geology.com has a very handy map of Indiana’s counties with each of their county seats.)

Madison, Indiana, has almost too much history to describe. Founded on the Ohio River in 1809, it became the gateway to Indiana Territory. Thirty years later a railroad was put in place to connect Madison with the new state capital at Indianapolis. Today Madison’s downtown district, consisting of more than 130 blocks, is a superstar on the National Register of Historic Places.

South Side of Main Street (credit: Wanda Hertz)

The visitors bureau for Madison describes a number of historic sites, many of which have been long-time partners of the Indiana Humanities Council. The Jefferson County Historical Society offers a Heritage Center and Railroad Museum, under the direction of Joe Carr. The Lanier Mansion, a state historic site, recently received a grant from the council for its Lanier Days celebration, June 13-14, 2009, with historic interpreters and re-enactors and a Historic Trades Fair on the mansion grounds.

My personal memories of Madison include a stay at the Broadway Hotel, established in 1834 and known as Indiana’s oldest.  It was easy to imagine stopping there in the mid-1800s and climbing the narrow stairs to a Victorian room lit by lanterns, no TV or phones, just summer sounds outside on Main Street and voices from the tavern below.

Before we leave Jefferson County, we might stop at Hanover College, a few miles west of Madison. Hanover, with a commanding view of the Ohio, is the home of the Rivers Institute, a center for the interdisciplinary and collaborative study of river environments. Interdisciplinary — for now that we are reassessing everything in our society, it is becoming clear that the environment, along with other aspects of science and technology, must be approached with all the insight that humankind can bring to bear. Such thoughts are inspired by Jefferson County, a place where the concurrence of nature led to the construction of history, coming together to form the beginning of the Indiana we have today.

Meandering Indiana – 11.1

[I have so much to write about this "Meandering Indiana" county that I'll have to do it in two parts, so #11.2 will be up next.]

An Indiana city made the national news this week, in almost the worst possible way. Elkhart-Goshen, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, had the largest unemployment rate increase in the nation in 2008 due to cutbacks in the RV industry. A spokesman for the Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce, however, immediately expressed confidence and hope for turning the area’s economy around.

Elkhart County is an area that has experienced a lot of culture shock lately, ironic for a place with such a reputation for traditional ways of life. I’ve been there often on business (which in my line of work usually means history and culture), but I’ve always thought it would be more fun to go as a tourist.

Elkhart is one of a few spots in Indiana known as “Amish country,” and towns like Goshen, Middlebury, Nappanee, and Shipshewana have developed hospitality and attractions centered on this theme. Driving along the country roads you have to watch out for the horse and buggy traffic, and you’re never far away from a good German family restaurant.

The Indiana Humanities Council has worked with many organizations in Elkhart County over the years. One that comes to mind is the Elkhart County Historical Museum, located in Bristol, Indiana.

From the Elkhart County Historical Museum

I’ve been impressed by the support for this history museum from Elkhart County Parks, which created the museum in an old school building, now on the National Register.  Nick Hoffman, the museum’s director, writes a blog on their latest happenings, including an upcoming exhibit on Presidential campaigns. The Council helped out recently with a grant for Discovery Boxes, a museum-in-a-box program available to area schools.

Next, there is Ruthmere, a historic house museum in the city of Elkhart, which has also collaborated with the Council. Described as “an experience in history, art and architecture,” Ruthmere was built in 1908 by Albert R. Beardsley, an early manager of Miles Laboratories, and his wife Elizabeth. Ruthmere closes for the winter season but still holds many events and activities.

I once spent an idyllic spring day touring the Bonneyville Mill, another Elkhart County Parks property. This huge and impressive structure, also on the National Register, still produces stone ground flour as it has for over 150 years. You can buy some and take it home, but if it’s lunchtime, you could also look around for one of those Amish restaurants. Needless to say, I did both .  .  . though my baking skills were no match for theirs.

Tyler Mueninch

[Minor time update below for those thinking about stopping by].

It’s been really hectic here at the IHC with board retreats and new projects underway and a slew of new grant awards (more on that later) but I’m fast running out of time to clue you in on a pretty cool event with IDADA’s First Fridays this week.

Tyler Mueninch, who I’ve written about before, will be having a full exhibition at the Harrison Center for the Arts. The exhibition is called “bristled.” As the author himself says,

This series originated in my father’s studio, where we made paint brushes and other handmade tools. About halfway through the work I was doing for a show last October he showed me how to make some of my own brushes and encouraged me to use them on my paintings. This body of work is the result of some of that work.  Many times the brushes are the subject, in a kind of ambiguous space. The handmade brushes were an exciting way for me to work outside of my own set of rules.

The Harrison Center is at 1505 N. Delaware Street in Indianapolis historic Old Northside Neighborhood. Do you know what’s right across the street? The home of Meredith Nicholson, a.k.a. The Indiana Humanities Council offices, which will be open for visitors from 5pm-7pm and we too have Mueninch’s work on display. So, if you like what you see at the Harrison Center, feel free to pop over our way and see more before you head on down to the other galleries.

The Harrison Center will be open from 6pm-9pm for the exhibition.