Cut Paper Art with Christina Hollering
2023-08-16 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis) | 1 Monument Circle, South Facing Steps, United States
Join artist Christina Hollering in an all-ages cut paper collage workshop celebrating the creative possibilities of paper. Learn how to intuitively create compelling compositions using the principles of design. All materials are provided; just come prepared to cut, paste, and play!

Christina Hollering is a cut paper artist and associate professor at Herron School of Art and Design. Her artwork centers around themes of biology, the environment, and the interplay between art and science, inspiring viewers to contemplate their relationship with nature.

SPARK on the Circle is an ongoing partnership between Big Car Collaborative, Downtown Indy, City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development, the Capital Improvement Board, and the Indiana War Memorials Commission.
What? SPARK brings a free, fun, playful, welcoming, and art-filled park to the heart of Indianapolis. Here on Monument Circle, you’ll find comfortable places to sit in the shade, free games to play like ping pong and chess, a cafe serving food and drink, art experiences, and special offerings like live, local music. Big Car Collaborative approaches its aspects of SPARK on the Circle as a site and community specific public art project. Read more about Big Car Collaborative’s approach to placemaking and socially engaged art.
When? Visitors can enjoy SPARK on the Circle from 11 a.m. until dusk each day until November 3.

Lunch at Lockerbie
2023-08-17 11:30 - 13:30 | Needler’s Market, 320 N New Jersey, Indianapolis, IN, 46204, United States
Join us at Lockerbie Marketplace on Thursday, August 17 from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm in the downtown greenspace next to Needler’s Fresh Market for artist-led activities like our Post Card Project, WQRT DJ mix, food by Chomp’z Truck, and games like Ping pong, foosball, and giant Jenga.

All events are free at 320 N New Jersey Street in the greenspace right off the Cultural Trail.

FreeTown Village: The Rev. Samuel P. Strong
2023-08-17 16:00 - 18:00 | 1 Monument Circle, South Facing Steps, United States
In the “Day in the Life of Rev. Samuel P. Strong”, you’ll listen to the moving story of Rev. Strong’s kidnapping into slavery and his daring escape to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Share his encounters with legendary abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

Freetown Village is a living history museum with the mission to educate the public about African American lives, arts, and culture in Indiana through living history, exhibits, allied programs, and the collection and preservation of artifacts.

Who? SPARK on the Circle is an ongoing partnership between Big Car Collaborative, Downtown Indy, City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development, the Capital Improvement Board, and the Indiana War Memorials Commission.

What? SPARK brings a free, fun, playful, welcoming, and art-filled park to the heart of Indianapolis. Here on Monument Circle, you’ll find comfortable places to sit in the shade, free games to play like ping pong and chess, a cafe serving food and drink, art experiences, and special offerings like live, local music. Big Car Collaborative approaches its aspects of SPARK on the Circle as a site and community specific public art project.

When? Visitors can enjoy SPARK on the Circle from 11 a.m. until dusk each day until November 3.

Where? New for 2023, the SPARK park utilizes the brick streets between the monument and the sidewalk on the southwest quadrant between Market Street on the west side of the monument and South Meridian. The southwest is in front of Emmis and next to South Bend Chocolate Company.

Lunch Break Live with Peyton Womock presented by Lake City Bank
2023-08-22 12:00 - 13:00 | 1 Monument Circle, South Facing Steps, United States
Peyton Womock is an artist known for his skills as a saxophonist. His music incorporates his sax playing to innovatively allow him to cross over multiple genres from Smooth Jazz, Funk, R&B, Hip-Hop/Rap, to Pop. He is known for performing popular covers loved and cherished by many while also performing original pieces of his very own. You are truly in for a unique experience due to his performance energy being second to none when it comes to hitting the stage.

Who? SPARK on the Circle is an ongoing partnership between Big Car Collaborative, Downtown Indy, City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development, the Capital Improvement Board, and the Indiana War Memorials Commission.

What? SPARK brings a free, fun, playful, welcoming, and art-filled park to the heart of Indianapolis. Here on Monument Circle, you’ll find comfortable places to sit in the shade, free games to play like ping pong and chess, a cafe serving food and drink, art experiences, and special offerings like live, local music. Big Car Collaborative approaches its aspects of SPARK on the Circle as a site and community specific public art project.

When? Visitors can enjoy SPARK on the Circle from 11 a.m. until dusk each day until November 3.

Chreece on the Circle featuring defame
2023-08-22 18:00 - 19:00 | 1 Monument Circle, South Facing Steps, United States
Join us for a musical preview of the Chreece Festival with sound crafter, image smasher, defame!

Defame is a producer/beatmaker/artist residing in Indianapolis, IN.
Raised on a musical diet that consisted of hand-me-down home dubbed rap tapes and whatever was beaming through the TV; this seasoned beatsmith weaves beats, samples, instruments and textures into samplers and computers to create a fuzzy, yet melodic, head nodding atmosphere. With several albums, EP’s, and collaborations under his belt, defame continues to push himself in new directions on his sonic palette.Over the last year he has been organizing “State Street Beats”, a producer-centric event held every other month at State Street Pub, giving a platform to producers and beatmakers to share their creations in a live setting as well as offering “The Open Aux”, an open-mic type segment of the evening but for producers to plug in and speak with their sounds.

Chreece hip hop festival returns to Indianapolis Saturday August 26th. The full-day festival will feature more than 80+ Indianapolis-area artists, DJs and producers, as well as national acts 9th Wonder, redveil, Kari Faux, Jordan Ward and Pink Siifu at the top of the bill. Eight Fountain Square venues will host the performances, most of which will be open to all ages. Vendors, Art Instilations, Pro Wrestling and More.

What is SPARK on the Circle? SPARK on the Circle is an ongoing partnership between Big Car Collaborative, Downtown Indy, City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development, the Capital Improvement Board, and the Indiana War Memorials Commission.

What? SPARK brings a free, fun, playful, welcoming, and art-filled park to the heart of Indianapolis. Here on Monument Circle, you’ll find comfortable places to sit in the shade, free games to play like ping pong and chess, a cafe serving food and drink, art experiences, and special offerings like live, local music. Big Car Collaborative approaches its aspects of SPARK on the Circle as a site and community specific public art project.

When? Visitors can enjoy SPARK on the Circle from 11 a.m. until dusk each day until November 3.

Boo! A knitting/graffiti project with Mary Jo Bayliss
2023-08-23 16:00 - 18:00 | 1 Monument Circle, South Facing Steps, United States
A gathering where knitting and graffiti collide! Simultaneously inspired by traditional knitting and graffiti, this ever-evolving piece combines fiber adjacent activities, coloring sheets derived from graffiti and knitting motifs, and opportunities for participants to share their creative path stories.
You are invited to come join the fun, because without YOU, Boo, this project can’t happen.

About the artist:
Mary Jo Bayliss specializes in creating environments that help people feel at ease using space, light and color to achieve these goals.

Who? SPARK on the Circle is an ongoing partnership between Big Car Collaborative, Downtown Indy, City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development, the Capital Improvement Board, and the Indiana War Memorials Commission.

What? SPARK brings a free, fun, playful, welcoming, and art-filled park to the heart of Indianapolis. Here on Monument Circle, you’ll find comfortable places to sit in the shade, free games to play like ping pong and chess, a cafe serving food and drink, art experiences, and special offerings like live, local music. Big Car Collaborative approaches its aspects of SPARK on the Circle as a site and community specific public art project.

When? Visitors can enjoy SPARK on the Circle from 11 a.m. until dusk each day until November 3.

Live music at Lockerbie with Bitter Proof duo
2023-08-24 11:30 - 13:30 | Needler’s Market, 320 N New Jersey, Indianapolis, IN, 46204, United States
Join us for live music by the Bitter Proof duo (Alex Cazares on bass and Clockwork on Oboe). Enjoy authentic Mexican street food by Tortas food truck. Games like foosball, ping pong, chess & checkers, and giant Jenga are also available for additional entertainment.

All events are free at 320 N New Jersey Street in the greenspace right off the Cultural Trail.

Chreece on the Circle -Harry Otaku
2023-08-24 18:00 - 19:00 | 1 Monument Circle, South Facing Steps, United States
1994, Megaman X was ripe out the box with detailed graphics and progressive sounds. This perfect audio and visual harmony would provide core inspiration to a budding otaku–who would take the namesake to a whole new level. Harry Otaku makes a unique soundscape utilizing influences from: Hip-Hop, Soul, anime, film, and video games. Everything Harry Otaku makes, he puts a personal spin on, making each creation a vivid, prismatic reflection from the heart. He continues to explore all the genres of music, but is currently focused on: learning the ones and twos of DJing and finding the truest path of self/self-expression.

Chreece hip hop festival returns to Indianapolis Saturday August 26th. The full-day festival will feature more than 80+ Indianapolis-area artists, DJs and producers, as well as national acts 9th Wonder, redveil, Kari Faux, Jordan Ward and Pink Siifu at the top of the bill. Eight Fountain Square venues will host the performances, most of which will be open to all ages. Vendors, Art Instilations, Pro Wrestling and More.

What’s Spark On The Circle? SPARK on the Circle is an ongoing partnership between Big Car Collaborative, Downtown Indy, City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development, the Capital Improvement Board, and the Indiana War Memorials Commission.

What? SPARK brings a free, fun, playful, welcoming, and art-filled park to the heart of Indianapolis. Here on Monument Circle, you’ll find comfortable places to sit in the shade, free games to play like ping pong and chess, a cafe serving food and drink, art experiences, and special offerings like live, local music. Big Car Collaborative approaches its aspects of SPARK on the Circle as a site and community specific public art project. Read more about Big Car Collaborative’s approach to placemaking and socially engaged art.

When? Visitors can enjoy SPARK on the Circle from 11 a.m. until dusk each day until November 3.

Lockerbie Night Market – Performance by Bashiri Asad, Artisan Vendors, Beer Garden, and more…
2023-08-24 18:00 - 21:00 | Needler’s Market, 320 N New Jersey, Indianapolis, IN, 46204, United States
Join us at Lockerbie Marketplace — a lovely greenspace next to Needler’s Fresh Market. Purchase goods from local artisans, enjoy local food by Herts BBQ and live music by Bashiri Asad. Music from 7-8 pm. Sun King beer and chilled wine are also available for purchase at the pop-up beer garden located right off the Cultural Trail on Alabama Street.

All events are free at 320 N New Jersey Street in the greenspace right off the Cultural Trail.

Cyanotype Workshop with Aurora PhotoCenter
2023-08-25 11:00 - 13:00
Cyanotype is a camera-less photography made out in the sun, rather than in a darkroom. You place objects — such as plants — on top of a piece of photo-treated paper, and then use the sun to expose the paper. The result is an image that is an exact outline of the object. It’s a fun and magical way to engage photography! Although it may be new to modern people, cyanotype has been around since photography was invented in the 1800s.
Come explore the creative possibilities of this fascinating process!
We will have some objects on hand to experiment with, but feel free to bring your own objects. Flat items usually work best, and cyanotype can be messy, so precious things like family heirlooms should probably stay at home. All other necessary materials will be provided free at the workshop.
In partnership with Aurora PhotoCenter for SPARK on the Circle.
This activity is best suited for artists 7+ years old; minors must be accompanied by an adult.

Who? SPARK on the Circle is an ongoing partnership between Big Car Collaborative, Downtown Indy, City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development, the Capital Improvement Board, and the Indiana War Memorials Commission.

What? SPARK brings a free, fun, playful, welcoming, and art-filled park to the heart of Indianapolis. Here on Monument Circle, you’ll find comfortable places to sit in the shade, free games to play like ping pong and chess, a cafe serving food and drink, art experiences, and special offerings like live, local music. Big Car Collaborative approaches its aspects of SPARK on the Circle as a site and community specific public art project.

When? Visitors can enjoy SPARK on the Circle from 11 a.m. until dusk each day until November 3.

Lunch Break Live with Laura Balke presented by Lake City Bank
2023-08-29 12:00 - 13:00 | 1 Monument Circle, South Facing Steps, United States
Indiana native Laura K. Balke has been writing songs for as long as she can remember. Through the years her music has explored folk, pop, and country stylings while weaving tales from her life. Laura will be performing an acoustic set of songs from across her discography for Lunch Break Live.

Who? SPARK on the Circle is an ongoing partnership between Big Car Collaborative, Downtown Indy, City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development, the Capital Improvement Board, and the Indiana War Memorials Commission.

What? SPARK brings a free, fun, playful, welcoming, and art-filled park to the heart of Indianapolis. Here on Monument Circle, you’ll find comfortable places to sit in the shade, free games to play like ping pong and chess, a cafe serving food and drink, art experiences, and special offerings like live, local music. Big Car Collaborative approaches its aspects of SPARK on the Circle as a site and community specific public art project.

When? Visitors can enjoy SPARK on the Circle from 11 a.m. until dusk each day until November 3.

Poetry & Art with John Clark
2023-08-30 16:00 - 18:00 | 1 Monument Circle, South Facing Steps, United States
Join Indianapolis-based visual artist, Big Car co-founder and writer John Clark to make drawings, poems, and short stories…or a combination of all three!

Who? SPARK on the Circle is an ongoing partnership between Big Car Collaborative, Downtown Indy, City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development, the Capital Improvement Board, and the Indiana War Memorials Commission.

What? SPARK brings a free, fun, playful, welcoming, and art-filled park to the heart of Indianapolis. Here on Monument Circle, you’ll find comfortable places to sit in the shade, free games to play like ping pong and chess, a cafe serving food and drink, art experiences, and special offerings like live, local music. Big Car Collaborative approaches its aspects of SPARK on the Circle as a site and community specific public art project.

When? Visitors can enjoy SPARK on the Circle from 11 a.m. until dusk each day until November 3.

Lunch at Lockerbie
2023-08-31 11:30 - 13:30 | Needler’s Market, 320 N New Jersey, Indianapolis, IN, 46204, United States
Join us at Lockerbie Marketplace on Thursday, August 31 from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm in the downtown greenspace next to Needler’s Fresh Market for artist-led activities like our Post Card Project, WQRT DJ mix, food by Box Burger, and games like Ping pong, foosball, and giant Jenga.
All events are free at 320 N New Jersey Street in the greenspace right off the Cultural Trail.

African Dance with Uzuri
2023-08-31 16:00 - 18:00
Join Uzuri Asad, artist in Big Car’s Public Life Residency, for a dose of culture, self-care, and community as we explore rhythms from West Africa and other parts of the Diaspora. Give your body and soul a moment to reflect and progress all at once, meet Asad on the circle!

Who? SPARK on the Circle is an ongoing partnership between Big Car Collaborative, Downtown Indy, City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development, the Capital Improvement Board, and the Indiana War Memorials Commission.

What? SPARK brings a free, fun, playful, welcoming, and art-filled park to the heart of Indianapolis. Here on Monument Circle, you’ll find comfortable places to sit in the shade, free games to play like ping pong and chess, a cafe serving food and drink, art experiences, and special offerings like live, local music. Big Car Collaborative approaches its aspects of SPARK on the Circle as a site and community specific public art project.

When? Visitors can enjoy SPARK on the Circle from 11 a.m. until dusk each day until November 3.

Café Babette Pop Up
2023-09-01 11:00 - 13:00 | Contemporary Art Museum of Indianapolis (CAMi), 1125 Cruft St., Indianapolis, IN, 46203, United States
Join us in welcoming our soon to be neighbor Café Babette, a new micro-bakery specializing in French pastries.

They will be opening at 2625 Shelby St. later this year.

First Friday Night Market
2023-09-01 18:00 - 22:00 | Contemporary Art Museum of Indianapolis (CAMi), 1125 Cruft St., Indianapolis, IN, 46203, United States
Join us again for this upcoming First Friday for a wonderful evening in Garfield Park. We are celebrating local artists, musicians, food trucks and vendors by featuring them in our night market.
Come check out our creative endeavors here around Cruft Street, where you will have the opportunity to purchase local goods from amazing artists and food vendors here at the Tube.
During the winter months, the Night Market is held inside Tube Factory artspace. In the fall, spring, and summer months, vending is located outside.
If you are a local artist or maker, please contact email hidden; JavaScript is required for more information.

Through The Prism Model Casting Call
2023-09-03 11:00 - 15:00 | Contemporary Art Museum of Indianapolis (CAMi), 1125 Cruft St., Indianapolis, IN, 46203, United States
This is an open call with flexible casting. Please arrive between the hours of 11am-3pm to be considered.

Heels are required. Wearing all black is not required. Please arrive in a look that captures your authentic self.

The casting call will take place in Jeremy Efroymson Gallery at Tube Factory Artspace. Please refrain from leaning or placing any objects against the walls of the gallery.

Casting call is open to women 21+ Previous modeling experience is not required.
This collection will incorporate performance and dancing. Previous performance experience is not necessary.

The show will take place November 2. You will be required to be available all day.

This call and show is organized by Mo Gio.

Lunch Break Live with Scrapper & Skeleton presented by Lake City Bank
2023-09-05 12:00 - 13:00 | 1 Monument Circle, South Facing Steps, United States
Join us for one of Indianapolis’s finest blues acoustic duos, made possible by Lake City Bank!

SPARK is a partnership with Downtown Indy, the City of Indianapolis, and the Indiana War Memorials Commission — and funded by the Capital Improvements Board. It is a continuation of our work last year and in 2015 on the Circle.

At Big Car, we approach our work at the Circle as a site- and community-specific socially engaged art and creative placemaking project. The SPARK on the Circle pop-up park was collaboratively designed with Indianapolis-based Merritt Chase to be a restorative public place where people of all walks of life can relax, play, socialize, and engage with art and artists in the heart of our city.
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Self Portrait Workshop with Greg Rose
2023-09-06 16:00 - 18:00 | 1 Monument Circle, South Facing Steps, United States
Join Greg Rose for a self portrait workshop! In this workshop you’ll delve into the art of self-portraiture. Learn and discover different techniques to capture yourself on paper. No prior experience needed! This workshop is designed for all skill levels, from beginners to experienced artists. Materials will be provided, ensuring you have everything you need to bring your masterpiece to life.

About the artist:
A multidisciplinary artist who creates under the moniker of Hay Kidd, Greg Rose finds it paramount that they reflect their experience as a black queer non-binary artist living within the reach of poverty and under the knee of racism and homophobia. Rose believes having representation of those stories is necessary to creating new terms and conditions in our social contract, where all experiences are not only valued but protected. In reflecting on Courage, they say, “Courage is a virtue and virtues are the means between two vices, one of deficiency and one of excess. I would love for you to take a second and allow yourself to be transported by the vivid colors to a whimsical landscape and stand in courage—not just now but always.”

SPARK is a partnership with Downtown Indy, the City of Indianapolis, and the Indiana War Memorials Commission — and funded by the Capital Improvements Board. It is a continuation of our work last year and in 2015 on the Circle. Check our website for more.
At Big Car, we approach our work at the Circle as a site- and community-specific socially engaged art and creative placemaking project. The SPARK on the Circle pop-up park was collaboratively designed with Indianapolis-based Merritt Chase to be a restorative public place where people of all walks of life can relax, play, socialize, and engage with art and artists in the heart of our city.

Circle Side Chats with Ed Fujawa
2023-09-07 11:30 - 13:00 | 1 Monument Circle, South Facing Steps, United States
Grab a bite to eat, have a seat at SPARK and settle in for lunch with Ed Fujawa to listen and discuss The Doctor and the Canals: Dr. Isaac Coe and the Bankrupting of Indiana
Ed Fujawa is an attorney with the Indiana Department of Insurance and in his spare time, an Indianapolis historian. His authors a blog dedicated to the history of the Circle City, www.class900indy.com His first history book about the city, Vanished Indianapolis, explores the history of lost sites across the city. When he is not researching local history, Ed enjoys being a subpar fisherman and going kayaking on the White River and Fall Creek.
This series is in partnership with Indiana Humanities.
Indiana Humanities is a statewide nonprofit that infuses the humanities into our daily lives. We do this by providing grants, convening discussions, uplifting humanities scholars, spotlighting humanities organizations and activities, and creating our own programs that help Hoosiers think, read and talk.
SPARK is a partnership with Downtown Indy, the City of Indianapolis, and the Indiana War Memorials Commission — and funded by the Capital Improvements Board. It is a continuation of our work last year and in 2015 on the Circle. Check our website for more.
At Big Car, we approach our work at the Circle as a site- and community-specific socially engaged art and creative placemaking project. The SPARK on the Circle pop-up park was collaboratively designed with Indianapolis-based Merritt Chase to be a restorative public place where people of all walks of life can relax, play, socialize, and engage with art and artists in the heart of our city.

Lunch at Lockerbie Marketplace
2023-09-07 11:30 - 13:30 | Needler’s Market, 320 N New Jersey, Indianapolis, IN, 46204, United States
Join us for live music by Wick, comfort dishes by Taste of Manila, and Live music. Games like foosball, ping pong, chess & checkers, and giant Jenga are also available for additional entertainment.
All events are free at 320 N New Jersey Street in the greenspace right off the Cultural Trail.

About Wick
John Wick and Andrew Gustin met at IU Bloomington in 2006 and quickly bonded over similar music tastes. In 2007 they moved to Indianapolis and started an Indie Rock band called The Dwellers. The Dwellers were prolific and inspired by the DIY spirit and self released over 10 albums. In 2013 The Dwellers final album ‘Less is More’ was released by Jon Roger’s local label HIFR.
In 2021 John and Andrew reunited to make an album of songs John wrote in college. They started a new band called Wick and enlisted Dan Johnson to play drums and had John’s siblings Katie Jones and Ian Wick contribute with backing vocals on the album. Angel Baby is the single from the Wick album called “Forest” which will come out later in the year.
The band was joined by former Dwellers bassist Eric Brock to fill out the lineup.
About the project
A free gathering where knitting and graffiti collide! Simultaneously inspired by traditional knitting and graffiti, this ever-evolving piece combines fiber adjacent activities, coloring sheets derived from graffiti and knitting motifs, and opportunities for participants to share their creative path stories.
You are invited to come join the fun, because without YOU, Boo, this project can’t happen. Mary Jo Bayliss specializes in creating environments that help people feel at ease using space, light and color to achieve these goals.

Freetown Village: The Madam Walker Story
2023-09-07 16:00 - 18:00 | 1 Monument Circle, South Facing Steps, United States
In honor of Madam CJ Walker’s great achievements and contributions, Freetown Village Inc. brings you this one-woman show of her story through “different” eyes.
Join us for the amazing story of America’s first woman self-made millionaire. Learn about the rich legacy she created for women, African Americans, and Indianapolis!
Freetown Village is a living history museum with the mission to educate the public about African American lives, arts, and culture in Indiana through living history, exhibits, allied programs, and the collection and preservation of artifacts.
SPARK is a partnership with Downtown Indy, the City of Indianapolis, and the Indiana War Memorials Commission — and funded by the Capital Improvements Board. It is a continuation of our work last year and in 2015 on the Circle. Check our website for more.
At Big Car, we approach our work at the Circle as a site- and community-specific socially engaged art and creative placemaking project. The SPARK on the Circle pop-up park was collaboratively designed with Indianapolis-based Merritt Chase to be a restorative public place where people of all walks of life can relax, play, socialize, and engage with art and artists in the heart of our city.

Music Instrument building with Rob Funkhouser
2023-09-13 16:00 - 18:00 | 1 Monument Circle, South Facing Steps, United States
Join composer and sound artist Rob Funkhouser for a workshop exploring the hidden sounds of everyday objects. Funkhouser will guide audiences through strategies for using amplification to reimagine the world of tiny sounds happening around them through the use of musical instruments, household items, and contact microphones. Participants will get the chance to explore a set of instruments and objects, and will also be guided on a short walk to find new sounds hidden in the environment around Monument Circle. No previous skills are required. Family friendly.

About:
Rob Funkhouser is a composer, performer, and instrument builder who can never quite sit still. His work is concerned with ideas of place, memory, and pattern and he is interested in interrogating the interstitial spaces between established genres. He holds an M.M. from Butler University in Music Composition, and most recently completed Peace of Mind, Speed of Thought for Classical Music Indy. He has released projects through various labels in three different countries, but finds his home turf on Auris Apothecary and Medium Sound. His current projects include an ongoing series of recordings and writing under the title Walking Music, building a new set of instruments in collaboration with artist Justin Cooper, and ongoing work on new performance tools for music and installations. In 2020, he began a long-term living residency with Big Car as part of their APLR program. He also serves as Education Manager for the Rhythm Discovery Center, where he runs public programming for schools and community members. He has collaborated with diverse groups including Forward Motion, Los Angeles Percussion Quartet, So Percussion, No Exit Theater, and Chicago-based director Ryan Gleason.

SPARK is a partnership with Downtown Indy, the City of Indianapolis, and the Indiana War Memorials Commission — and funded by the Capital Improvements Board. It is a continuation of our work last year and in 2015 on the Circle. Check our website for more.
At Big Car, we approach our work at the Circle as a site- and community-specific socially engaged art and creative placemaking project. The SPARK on the Circle pop-up park was collaboratively designed with Indianapolis-based Merritt Chase to be a restorative public place where people of all walks of life can relax, play, socialize, and engage with art and artists in the heart of our city.

Circle Side Lunch Chats with Jeannie Regan-Dinius
2023-09-14 11:30 - 13:00 | 1 Monument Circle, South Facing Steps, United States
A Grave Matter in Indiana: Cemeteries and Hoosiers
Grab a lunch and meet up with Jeannie Regan-Dinius to discuss cemeteries!
Before most of any city was developed, the first thing our pioneers established was burial grounds. Whether a family site, religious based, or community focused these essential spaces evolved in importance, design, and use. This Spark will explore the city’s relationship with these places.
Bio: Jeannie R. Regan-Dinius, Director of Special Initiatives, has a life-long interest in history, family history, and research. She earned her Bachelors in Public History from Ball State University, where she studied also anthropology and American Studies. She has her Masters in Urban Planning and Information Management/Library Science from Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis.
She is the Director of Historic Preservation for the Crown Hill Heritage Foundation, a role she started in 2022. Before that, she worked as the Cemetery and Burial Ground Registry Coordinator for the State of Indiana. Jeannie has served on the board of directors for the Indiana Women’s History Association, the Indiana Historical Society, and the Association of Indiana Museums.
Circle Side Chats is in partnership with Indiana Humanities. Indiana Humanities is a statewide nonprofit that infuses the humanities into our daily lives. We do this by providing grants, convening discussions, uplifting humanities scholars, spotlighting humanities organizations and activities, and creating our own programs that help Hoosiers think, read and talk.
SPARK is a partnership with Downtown Indy, the City of Indianapolis, and the Indiana War Memorials Commission — and funded by the Capital Improvements Board. It is a continuation of our work last year and in 2015 on the Circle. Check our website for more.
At Big Car, we approach our work at the Circle as a site- and community-specific socially engaged art and creative placemaking project. The SPARK on the Circle pop-up park was collaboratively designed with Indianapolis-based Merritt Chase to be a restorative public place where people of all walks of life can relax, play, socialize, and engage with art and artists in the heart of our city.

Lunch at Lockerbie
2023-09-14 11:30 - 13:00 | 320 n new jersey, Indianapolis, United States
Join us for Latin Flavor Food Truck, graffiti meets knitting, artist-led activities and WQRT DJ mix.
September is the perfect month for Big Car’s Spark Placemaking in partnership with CitiMark and Gershman Partners to bring live music, food trucks, and a nice spot to hang out at the Lockerbie greenspace next to Needler’s Market between Alabama, New York, New Jersey, and Vermont streets in the heart of Downtown. This pocket park surrounded by retail and office spaces and is also located just off of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. Ping pong, foosball, and giant jenga are always available for additional entertainment.

Lunch at Lockerbie Marketplace
2023-09-14 11:30 - 13:30 | Needler’s Market, 320 N New Jersey, Indianapolis, IN, 46204, United States
Join us at Lockerbie Marketplace on Thursday, August 14 from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm in the downtown greenspace next to Needler’s Fresh Market for artist-led activities like our Post Card Project, WQRT DJ mix, food by Latin Flavor, and games like Ping pong, foosball, and giant Jenga.
All events are free at 320 N New Jersey Street in the greenspace right off the Cultural Trail.

Live music, food & artist-led activities at Lockerbie Place
2023-09-21 11:30 - 13:30 | Needler’s Market, 320 N New Jersey, Indianapolis, IN, 46204, United States
Join us for live music by Awetree and food by Chomp’z Truck. Games like foosball, ping pong, chess & checkers, and giant Jenga are available for additional entertainment.
About Awetree
Awetree is the ukulele-pop project of Indianapolis-based singer songwriter Audrey Coy. Lyrically inspired by the complexities of interpersonal relationships, Awetree explores the sadness and hope of love and friendship.

All events are free at 320 N New Jersey Street in the greenspace right off the Cultural Trail.

Night Market at Lockerbie featuring live performance by Clint Breeze and Funkhouser
2023-09-21 18:00 - 21:00 | Needler’s Market, 320 N New Jersey, Indianapolis, IN, 46204, United States
Join us at Lockerbie Marketplace — a lovely greenspace next to Needler’s Fresh Market. Purchase goods from local artisans, enjoy local food by Herts BBQ and live music by Funkhouser and Clint Breeze Music from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Sun King beer and chilled wine are also available for purchase at the pop-up beer garden located right off the Cultural Trail on Alabama Street.
All events are free at 320 N New Jersey Street in the greenspace right off the Cultural Trail.

Her Addiction-An Empty Place At The Table: Book reading with Mary Sexon
2023-09-24 14:30 - 16:30 | Contemporary Art Museum of Indianapolis (CAMi), 1125 Cruft St., Indianapolis, IN, 46203, United States
Join us and author Mary Sexson for a reading of her new book of poetry “Her Addiction, An Empty Place at the Table.”

“The book is a collection of poems that came to be written in response to the family problem of addiction. I feel that the poems are a chronicle of the fear, shame, and anger we went through as a family, during the years of our daughter’s active drug use and addiction. I wrote these poems over the course of almost 10 years, as a way to cope with the pain of it, the absolute fear of it, which I processed and filtered through the lenses of these words. My husband and I were also taking care of our daughter’s young son during this time, because she was unable to care for him. I knew we were not alone, that the dark secret of addiction was present within many families. I wanted this book to be some sort of acknowledgement that yes, this happened to us. Maybe it happened to you. So we need to talk about it openly, to tell the truth about it, to let go of the secrets and the shame. Writing these poems helped to free me from those feelings, and ultimately helped to heal me from within. I want people to have a healing process reading these poems, even just to know that they’re not alone. And I want to acknowledge that the incredible road to recovery my daughter has journeyed on is also a part of that healing.”–Mary Sexson

Mary Sexson is author of the award-winning book, 103 in the Light, Selected Poems 1996-2000 (Restoration Press), and co-author of Company of Women, New and Selected Poems (Chatter House Press). Her poetry has appeared in Tipton Poetry Journal, Laureate, Hoosier Lit, Flying Island, New Verse News, Grasslands Review, and Last Stanza Poetry Journal, among others. She has recent work in Reflections on Little Eagle Creek, Anti-Heroin Chic, and Last Stanza Poetry Journal Issue #7. Finishing Line Press will publish her manuscript, Her Addiction, An Empty Place at the Table, in 2023. She has three Pushcart Prize nominations. Sexson’s poetry is part of the INverse Poetry Archives for Hoosier Poets.

“This is a poetry collection that will break your heart, but also make you grateful you read it. Mary Sexson tells the story of her daughter’s addiction(s) honestly, sometimes painfully, with grace and love. The first time I read the powerful and moving manuscript I sensed it could be a challenge for her to find a publisher. As the author of a book of poems about surviving abuse by a priest, however, I also had faith that some wise publisher would admire a poet who confronts difficult topics and stories like the one that Mary Sexson has the courage to tell about herself, her family, and their struggles. Sometimes she is patient, sometimes frustrated, impatient, exhausted, angry, but always she is honest. Remarkably, her love of, and loyalty to, her undependable daughter is everywhere evident.
The most moving part of the story is her and her husband’s having to raise their grandson, a toddler, while his mother, in her thirties, is in and out of treatment, somewhere in an alley looking for a fix, causing a traffic accident, or temporarily back home before relapsing again. Sexson makes it clear that for everyone in the family there is “a heavy toll to pay.” At first, the grandson is unaware of what’s going on, but eventually his grandmother observes him playing “The Dinosaur Game,” with “a family /of triceratops,” then realizes, “I buy him the dinosaurs / he configures / into the family he does not have.” Later the little boy asks his grandmother a series of questions, including: “Why is [my] mommy not here?” On his bedside table, a “Big Ironman” stands, whose job is “to keep him safe / until her return.”
It’s no surprise that the grandparents find it difficult to share this painful story with others, which makes the telling of so much truth in these eloquent poems noteworthy. “The price we all pay / for this level of intimacy is staggering,” Sexson admits. “I ache for monotony…the comfort of it.” In “Map of My Fears,” she says: “Your addiction draws lines / on my face, deep and distinct.” She becomes “tired of writing about [her] in my head.” Finally, the grandparents start to “whisper” the story of their daughter’s addiction, telling others the “facts / bare and ugly as they were.”
In the last poem, “The Words,” Sexson reveals all that she would like to be able to tell her daughter on her 37th birthday. The last message is this: “Tell her / that you learn the truth about love / every time you are with her.” The poet is too wise to tell us, directly, what that truth is – the poems in this outstanding collection deserving of a wide audience have already made us see and feel it. Mary Sexson’s exquisite artistry makes forgetting her family story impossible.”
–Norbert Krapf, Former Indiana Poet Laureate

“I’ve always appreciated the variety Mary Sexson brings to her writing. In the past she’s given us humor, other times practical advice, and often wise words. But more than anything she gives us herself. Mary is never afraid of letting us see the most sensitive moments of her life and now is no exception. She welcomes us into her private world where we can see “The indigo sky, color of my heart / today, blue tattooed across it. In this new book Her Addiction, An Empty Place at the Table, Mary has taken us into the nightmare of her daughter’s drug addiction. With these riveting poems we feel the weaving together of love and pain as she navigates the all too often calamities families suffer as the result of addiction. At the same time we feel her palpable longing for the coming of relentlessly gained joy in her daughter’s recovery.”
–Joyce Brinkman, Indiana Poet Laureate 2002-2008

Lunch at Lockerbie Place
2023-09-28 11:30 - 13:30 | Needler’s Market, 320 N New Jersey, Indianapolis, IN, 46204, United States
Join us at Lockerbie Marketplace on Thursday, August 28 from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm in the downtown greenspace next to Needler’s Fresh Market for artist-led activities like our Post Card Project, WQRT DJ mix, food by That Vegan Food Truck, and games like Ping pong, foosball, and giant Jenga.
All events are free at 320 N New Jersey Street in the greenspace right off the Cultural Trail.
