Social Alchemy Symposium-Emily St. John Mandel
2022-04-10 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis) | Zoom, United States
Join us for the online opening keynote of the Social Alchemy Symposium with author Emily St John Mandel who will discuss her work, the pursuit of utopia, the dystopia that can create for others. Even in the face of societal collapse, we create spaces and art that bring us meaning, comfort and reassurance.

The Social Alchemy Symposium is a participatory mini-conference happening online and in person in New Harmony, Indiana April 10-13, 2022.
Each day is themed and focused on single days. The symposium is free to attend either virtually or in person. Donations are appreciated and can be made via the registration link.

Our opening keynote by Emily St John Mandel is made possible by Indiana Humanities and New America.

Tickets must be reserved to receive the Zoom links for the symposium.

About Emily St. John Mandel
She is the author of five novels, most recently “The Glass Hotel.” Her novel “Station Eleven,” which was a finalist for a National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award, won the 2015 Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Toronto Book Award, and the Morning News Tournament of Books, and has been translated into 27 languages.
A previous novel, “The Singer’s Gun,” was the 2014 winner of the Prix Mystere de la Critique in France. Her short fiction and essays have been anthologized in numerous collections, including Best American Mystery Stories 2013. She is also a staff writer for The Millions.
She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter. Her next book, “Sea of Tranquility,” will be released in April 2022. Copies will be available for purchase at the in-person event.

“I’m a big believer in people needing stories to help us process times when our reality is unstable,” Somerville says. “That plays out in the show, too. You come to a point when you can’t talk about things anymore. But when there’s no answer, that’s when art’s most valuable. When the words we have don’t work anymore, we can sing a folk song or put on a play. I’m a big believer in the functional, pragmatic utility of art. It’s not just a fancy thing you go see at the museum, but a thing we need that should be jammed into Maslow’s hierarchy of needs at a very, very important rung.””–Patrick Somerville on Emily St. John Mandel’s Station 11.

More about the Symposium:
The Social Alchemy Symposium is a participatory mini-conference happening online and in person in New Harmony, Indiana April 10-13, 2022.
Twice the site of utopian experiments in communitarian living, New Harmony is now a town rich in beauty, culture, and history. And it makes the perfect location for people to enjoy some moments of respite and reconnect with others through conversations about the roles of art, design, and place in society.
Conversations — led by more than 20 notable authors, artists, designers, researchers, and philosophers from Indiana and around the world — will look at the role of utopian thinking today and tomorrow while connecting with the past.
The symposium — organized through a partnership between Big Car Collaborative, the University of Southern Indiana, Historic New Harmony, and the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art — is made possible by Indiana Humanities, the Efroymson Family Fund, and New America. Additional partners include the Indiana State Museum and PATTERN Magazine.
Other speakers, in-person unless otherwise noted, include:
Maurice Broaddus, author of fiction centered on utopian and dystopian ideas through the genres of science fiction, urban fantasy, and horror.
Darran Anderson, author of Imaginary Cities (2015), an Irish writer focused on the intersections of urbanism, culture, technology and politics (virtual talk).
Cara Courage, executive director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit; scholar and author in the realms of art and placemaking; and formerly of the Tate Modern in London.
Also: Indiana writers Susan Neville, Adrian Matejka, and Matthew Graham (current poet laureate); Indiana artists and arts leaders from New Harmony, Columbus, Bloomington, and Indianapolis; leading architects, planners, and designers; and utopian/communal studies scholars.
WHY ATTEND?
• To gain a deep understanding — via history, literature, philosophy and design — of the relationship between the built environment and social good.
• To connect with others interested in imagining and striving for better communities.
• To experience the extraordinary atmosphere, public art, and architecture of New Harmony — nestled along the Wabash River and steeped in a historic utopian spirit.
• To savor the spring weather of southern Indiana.
Located at the southwest tip of Indiana near Evansville on land originally occupied by the Mississippian culture, New Harmony is approximately 2.5 hours drive from Indianapolis, and just over two hours from St. Louis and Louisville. Conference goers receive a special $89/night rate at the New Harmony Inn Resort & Conference Center. Call (812) 682-4431 to book and mention “Social Alchemy Symposium.”

Social Alchemy Symposium -Visualizing Spaces
2022-04-11 12:00 - 19:00 | New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art, 506 Main St, New Harmony, IN, 47631, United States
The Social Alchemy Symposium is a participatory mini-conference happening online and in person in New Harmony, Indiana April 10-13, 2022.
Each day is themed and focused on single days. The symposium is free to attend either virtually or in person. Donations are appreciated and can be made via the registration link.
Discounted lodging is available at the New Harmony Inn (details below). Attendees are welcome to join any parts of the conference in person, online, or both. Registration is required to support communication and feedback.

Monday, April 11

On-line
noon
Utopic Spaces (Museums and Public Space) Cara Courage in conversation with Jim Walker

5:30 p.m. central time
Panel led by New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art Director, Iris Williamson.

7 p.m. central time
Reception for “Visualizing Spaces” at the gallery. More information to come.

9 pm central time
(In Person) Self-guided activities created and led by Big Car staff in partnership with New Harmony experts.

Note: New Harmony, IN (CST) and Indianapolis, IN (EST)are in different time zones. Central time is one hour earlier than Eastern.

More about the Symposium:
The Social Alchemy Symposium is a participatory mini-conference happening online and in person in New Harmony, Indiana April 10-13, 2022.
Twice the site of utopian experiments in communitarian living, New Harmony is now a town rich in beauty, culture, and history. And it makes the perfect location for people to enjoy some moments of respite and reconnect with others through conversations about the roles of art, design, and place in society.
Conversations — led by more than 20 notable authors, artists, designers, researchers, and philosophers from Indiana and around the world — will look at the role of utopian thinking today and tomorrow while connecting with the past.
The symposium — organized through a partnership between Big Car Collaborative, the University of Southern Indiana, Historic New Harmony, and the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art — is made possible by Indiana Humanities, the Efroymson Family Fund, and New America. Additional partners include Indiana State Museum and PATTERN Magazine.

Overall symposium speakers, in-person unless otherwise noted, include:
Emily St. John Mandel, author of the 2015 utopian/dystopian novel, Station Eleven among other books and essays. Station Eleven has been translated into 33 languages and was adapted into an HBO series premiering in 2021 (virtual talk).
Maurice Broaddus, author of fiction centered on utopian and dystopian ideas through the genres of science fiction, urban fantasy, and horror.
Darran Anderson, author of Imaginary Cities (2015), an Irish writer focused on the intersections of urbanism, culture, technology and politics (virtual talk).
Cara Courage, executive director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit; scholar and author in the realms of art and placemaking; and formerly of the Tate Modern in London.
Also: Indiana writers Susan Neville, Adrian Matejka, and Matthew Graham (current poet laureate); Indiana artists and arts leaders from New Harmony, Columbus, Bloomington, and Indianapolis; leading architects, planners, and designers; and utopian/communal studies scholars.

WHY ATTEND?
• To gain a deep understanding — via history, literature, philosophy and design — of the relationship between the built environment and social good.
• To connect with others interested in imagining and striving for better communities.
• To experience the extraordinary atmosphere, public art, and architecture of New Harmony — nestled along the Wabash River and steeped in contemporary art and a historic utopian spirit.
• To savor the spring weather of southern Indiana.
Located at the southwest tip of Indiana near Evansville on land originally occupied by the Mississippian culture, New Harmony is approximately 2.5 hours drive from Indianapolis, and just over two hours from St. Louis and Louisville. Conference goers receive a special $89/night rate at the New Harmony Inn Resort & Conference Center. Call (812) 682-4431 to book and mention “Social Alchemy Symposium.” Click here for other lodging options.

Social Alchemy Symposium-IN Context
2022-04-12 10:00 - 22:00 | Murphy Auditorium, 419 Tavern St., New Harmony, IN, 47631, United States
The Social Alchemy Symposium is a participatory mini-conference happening online and in person in New Harmony, Indiana April 10-13, 2022.

Each day is themed and focused on single days. The symposium is free to attend either virtually or in person. Donations are appreciated and can be made via the registration link.
Discounted lodging is available at the New Harmony Inn (details below). Attendees are welcome to join any parts of the conference in person, online, or both. Registration is required to support communication and feedback.

8-10am -Mini-tours on the hour.
Jump in either in person or on-line for artist led tours of New Harmony landmarks! Check out the Harmonist Labyrinth, a wunderkammer in the Workingmen’s Institute, The Wabash River, the Roofless Church and more.

TUESDAY, APRIL 12
9:30-10:30
Opening conversation: Learning from each other (Utopic public places, small towns and cities)

10:30-11:20
David Rubin — The Dystopian Utopia in Practice

11:30-noon
Co-operative Ownership for Healthy Communities:Jacob and Nathan Bower-Bir

1-1:45
Amana, Oneida and New Harmony with Claire Eagle

2-2:45
Contemporary utopias and planned communities with Director of USI Communal Studies, Dr. Silvia Rhode and USI Archivist, Jennifer Greene

3-3:45 In person networking/sharing
Who Are You & What Do You Want?

4-5pm Indiana in Context/ New Harmony and Columbus, IN
Richard McCoy, Kathryn Armstrong and Kent Schuette and Chris Merritt discuss how the two are connected through contemporary art and design, how the city of Columbus, the town of New Harmony build on what our state offers, current plans/upcoming collaborations between New Harmony and Columbus.

6:30pm
Utopian Architecture: discussion on the importance of architecture in our well-being, past, present and future projects with well-being in mind.

8-10pm
In person activities
Note: New Harmony, IN (CST) and Indianapolis, IN (EST)are in different time zones.
More about the Symposium:
The Social Alchemy Symposium is a participatory mini-conference happening online and in person in New Harmony, Indiana April 10-13, 2022.
Twice the site of utopian experiments in communitarian living, New Harmony is now a town rich in beauty, culture, and history. And it makes the perfect location for people to enjoy some moments of respite and reconnect with others through conversations about the roles of art, design, and place in society.
Conversations — led by more than 20 notable authors, artists, designers, researchers, and philosophers from Indiana and around the world — will look at the role of utopian thinking today and tomorrow while connecting with the past.
The symposium — organized through a partnership between Big Car Collaborative, the University of Southern Indiana, Historic New Harmony, and the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art — is made possible by Indiana Humanities, the Efroymson Family Fund, and New America. Additional partners include Indiana State Museum and PATTERN Magazine.
Speakers, in-person unless otherwise noted, include:
Emily St. John Mandel, author of the 2015 utopian/dystopian novel, Station Eleven among other books and essays. Station Eleven has been translated into 33 languages and was adapted into an HBO series premiering in 2021 (virtual talk).
Maurice Broaddus, author of fiction centered on utopian and dystopian ideas through the genres of science fiction, urban fantasy, and horror.
Darran Anderson, author of Imaginary Cities (2015), an Irish writer focused on the intersections of urbanism, culture, technology and politics (virtual talk).
Cara Courage, executive director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit; scholar and author in the realms of art and placemaking; and formerly of the Tate Modern in London.
Also: Indiana writers Susan Neville, Adrian Matejka, and Matthew Graham (current poet laureate); Indiana artists and arts leaders from New Harmony, Columbus, Bloomington, and Indianapolis; leading architects, planners, and designers; and utopian/communal studies scholars.
WHY ATTEND?
• To gain a deep understanding — via history, literature, philosophy and design — of the relationship between the built environment and social good.
• To connect with others interested in imagining and striving for better communities.
• To experience the extraordinary atmosphere, public art, and architecture of New Harmony — nestled along the Wabash River and steeped in contemporary art and a historic utopian spirit.
• To savor the spring weather of southern Indiana.
Located at the southwest tip of Indiana near Evansville on land originally occupied by the Mississippian culture, New Harmony is approximately 2.5 hours drive from Indianapolis, and just over two hours from St. Louis and Louisville. Conference goers receive a special $89/night rate at the New Harmony Inn Resort & Conference Center. Call (812) 682-4431 to book and mention “Social Alchemy Symposium.” Click here for other lodging options.

Social Alchemy Symposium- Imaginary Cities, The Arts and Healing
2022-04-13 11:00 - 21:00 | Murphy Auditorium, 419 Tavern St., New Harmony, IN, 47631, United States
The Social Alchemy Symposium is a participatory mini-conference happening online and in person in New Harmony, Indiana April 10-13, 2022.

Each day is themed and focused on single days. The symposium is free to attend either virtually or in person. Donations are appreciated and can be made via the registration link.
Discounted lodging is available at the New Harmony Inn (details below). Attendees are welcome to join any parts of the conference in person, online, or both. Registration is required to support communication and feedback.

Wednesday, April 13
8-10am central time – Mini-tours on the hour. Jump in either in person or on-line with artist led tours of various New Harmony landmarks! Check out the Harmonist Labyrinth, a wunderkammer in the Workingmen’s Institute, The Wabash River, the Roofless Church and more.

10-10:50 am central time
Opening conversation:
Utopian literature/writing in New Harmony featuring Susan Neville, Matthew Graham, Adrian Matejka.

11 am-noon central time
Utopic cultural projects conversation – visual art, music & movement featuring Artist and musician, Oreo Jones, Visual artists, Docey Lewis, Big Car Co-founder, Shauta Marsh, Keesha Dixon, Executive Director of Asante Art Institute of Indiana, and Indy Dance Movement Collective Executive Director, Lauren Curry.

1:15-2:15 central time
Author Maurice Broaddus
Worldbuilding towards Community Work
A community organizer and teacher, his work has appeared in places like Lightspeed Magazine, Black Panther: Tales from Wakanda, Weird Tales, Magazine of F&SF, and Uncanny Magazine, with some of his stories having been collected in The Voices of Martyrs. His books include the sci-fi novel Sweep of Stars; the steampunk works, Buffalo Soldier and Pimp My Airship; and the middle grade detective novels, The Usual Suspects and Unfadeable. His project, Sorcerers, is being adapted as a television show for AMC. He’s an editor at Apex Magazine.

2:30-3:30pm central time (Zoom)
Imaginary Cities with Darran Anderson.
Anderson is the author of Imaginary Cities and Inventory. Imaginary Cities was chosen as a best book of 2015 by the Financial Times, The Guardian, and the A.V. Club. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, the TLS, frieze magazine, Wired, and the Architectural Review. He was born in Derry, Ireland, and lives in London.

7:30pm central time (In person)
Golf Cart Drive In-The Black Panther, introduced by Maurice Broaddus
Note: New Harmony, IN (CST) and Indianapolis, IN (EST)are in different time zones. Central time is one hour earlier than Eastern.

More about the Symposium:
The Social Alchemy Symposium is a participatory mini-conference happening online and in person in New Harmony, Indiana April 10-13, 2022.
Twice the site of utopian experiments in communitarian living, New Harmony is now a town rich in beauty, culture, and history. And it makes the perfect location for people to enjoy some moments of respite and reconnect with others through conversations about the roles of art, design, and place in society.
Conversations — led by more than 20 notable authors, artists, designers, researchers, and philosophers from Indiana and around the world — will look at the role of utopian thinking today and tomorrow while connecting with the past.
The symposium — organized through a partnership between Big Car Collaborative, the University of Southern Indiana, Historic New Harmony, and the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art — is made possible by Indiana Humanities, the Efroymson Family Fund, and New America. Additional partners include Indiana State Museum and PATTERN Magazine.

Speakers, in-person unless otherwise noted, include:
Emily St. John Mandel, author of the 2015 utopian/dystopian novel, Station Eleven among other books and essays. Station Eleven has been translated into 33 languages and was adapted into an HBO series premiering in 2021 (virtual talk).
Maurice Broaddus, author of fiction centered on utopian and dystopian ideas through the genres of science fiction, urban fantasy, and horror.
Darran Anderson, author of Imaginary Cities (2015), an Irish writer focused on the intersections of urbanism, culture, technology and politics (virtual talk).
Cara Courage, executive director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit; scholar and author in the realms of art and placemaking; and formerly of the Tate Modern in London.
Also: Indiana writers Susan Neville, Adrian Matejka, and Matthew Graham (current poet laureate); Indiana artists and arts leaders from New Harmony, Columbus, Bloomington, and Indianapolis; leading architects, planners, and designers; and utopian/communal studies scholars.

WHY ATTEND?
• To gain a deep understanding — via history, literature, philosophy and design — of the relationship between the built environment and social good.
• To connect with others interested in imagining and striving for better communities.
• To experience the extraordinary atmosphere, public art, and architecture of New Harmony — nestled along the Wabash River and steeped in contemporary art and a historic utopian spirit.
• To savor the spring weather of southern Indiana.

Located at the southwest tip of Indiana near Evansville on land originally occupied by the Mississippian culture, New Harmony is approximately 2.5 hours drive from Indianapolis, and just over two hours from St. Louis and Louisville. Conference goers receive a special $89/night rate at the New Harmony Inn Resort & Conference Center. Call (812) 682-4431 to book and mention “Social Alchemy Symposium.” Click here for other lodging options.

Mary Ann Michna-Art Influenced By The Road
2022-05-06 18:00 - 2022-06-13 15:00 | Tube Factory artspace, 1125 Cruft St., Indianapolis, IN, 46203, United States
May 6-22 Guichelaar Gallery
“I have been a longtime enthusiast of American roadside culture that began with childhood trips with my family in the 1950s and 60s. One summer car trip in our 1961 Comet took us to Panama City, Florida and in the following year a western trip to Yellowstone Park to see Old Faithful geyser.
My most memorable journey was riding a Greyhound bus with my mother to visit a cousin from Decatur, Georgia. The bus seemed to stop quite frequently in small towns along the way and it gave me a small window of opportunity to experience those
communities while they were still in good condition. I was given a moment in time to glance at the neon signs, diners serving “Good Food,” and movie theater marquees advertising Jerry Lewis in “The Bellboy.”
For the last twenty years, my painting and photography have been influenced by my ongoing search for these roadside remnants of the past. My process usually involves spending a block of time shooting photographs during a road trip and then editing the imagery that works for me. Recently, I spent a week traveling Route 66 through Illinois and Missouri and took a second trip this past summer on the Lincoln Highway in lowa. Usually, I use my photo references for producing acrylic paintings, but I have also been experimenting with various computer programs such as Corel Painter and have produced a body of work consisting of digital paintings. For me it has been a way to combine an artist’s skills as a painter and a photographer.”-Mary Ann Michna

“Mary Ann Michna won an award for her short documentary Remembering James Dean, 1989. The recognition, given by Video Review magazine, was titled the “Real Life” award. How apropos of her American art. The reviewer cited Michna’s care and poignancy in portraying the sincere admiration fans expressed for the late actor.This care for the past is key to Michna’s art; she seeks moments, events, icons of our past that still speak. Her worlds embrace ordinary life in America and her bond to the everyday makes Michna part of the long history of American artists seeking to commemorate aspects of life in our country. Robert Henri and the Ashcan School over one hundred years ago challenged the Academy for the right to paint everyday life in America Michna proves what Henri wrote in 1923 (updated), “Painting is the expression of ideas in their permanent form. It is the giving of evidence. It is the study of our lives, our environment. The American who is useful as an artist is one who studies her own life and records her experiences; in this way she gives evidence. Fleeting evidence expressed in permanent form.”–Rusty Freeman

Part of our Social Alchemy Project in partnership with University of Southern Indiana & The New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art- this exhibit was made possible by Indiana Humanities, Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, The Arts Council of Indianapolis, The City of Indianapolis and The Efroymson Family Fund.

Juan Chawuk: Iridiscencia Cultural
2022-05-06 18:00 - 2022-07-17 18:00 | Tube Factory artspace, 1125 Cruft St., Indianapolis, IN, 46203, United States
Juan Chawuk invites viewers to experience his home state of Chiapas, Mexico through paintings, photography, sculptures and murals. As part of an ongoing series, this work shines light on the multicultural citizens of Chiapas, how they’ve coexisted for centuries, and how conflict there has fostered new ways of creating.
As an indigenous Maya Tojobal artist, Chawuk’s photographs show how cultures fuse together a shared iconography including some imposed by outside cultures with what remains from traditions of the past — including from the land’s ancient cultures. These icons generate dialogue and reflect emotional colors and shapes, leading to surprises. The series of small paintings are more mythical with a touch of the magical realism often linked with Latin American art and literature. Featuring live models and jungle animals, the paintings’ brushstrokes suggest the magnificent handicrafts of the Chiapas region. And the sculpture is made of mud and fibers from the jungle that the Lacandones people once used for tunics. This piece encourages viewers to experience the Chiapas cultures and their nature.
Chawuk’s interpretations transform perceptions of Chiapas and allow viewers to experience the creative iridescence (a reflection of various colors, similar to a rainbow) that his senses capture in these works.

The exhibit is a partnership with Arte Mexicano en Indiana and curated by its founder, Eduardo Luna. Luna is a social practice artist, cultural promoter and advocate for Mexican identity and Latina/o/x culture. Luna hails from the state of Guerrero, the city of Acapulco, in the Costa Chica region of southern Pacific Mexico. Since 2012, he has been curating events featuring artists of Mexican and Latina/o/x heritage for diverse Indiana audiences. Eduardo is a co-founder of Nopal Cultural, La Sardina Gallery, and Radio Calaca (formerly Espanglish Night), and has served for many years as Big Car staff artist. Arte Mexicano en Indiana was founded in 2020, with a mission to encourage and promote Mexican art, music, and culture in Indiana through collaborations and by organizing and promoting public events. “Our vision is that people of Mexican heritage develop pride in their cultural heritage, and that native Hoosiers develop a richer perspective on the Mexican people and the culture we contribute to Indiana,” says Eduardo. He is a member of the international Mexican Cultural Art Alliance (MCAA), a group of Mexican and Mexican-American arts administrators started by Carlos Tortolero, founder of the National Museum of Mexican Art.

Juan Chawuk: Iridiscencia Cultural
La percepción de la cultura de Chiapas se transforma con las interpretaciones. Ahí surge la iridiscencia (Reflejo de colores distintos, generalmente como los del arco iris)creativa que captan mis sentidos y que se manifiesta a través de estas obras.
En esta muestra de tres series, hago referencia a esas interacciones en el tiempo que muestran a Chiapas como hogar de varias culturas milenarias en gran agitación global, con una identidad en constante conflicto que se expresa en nuevas maneras de crear.
La serie de fotografías es una muestra clara de una combinación de filosofías y creencias religiosas; la interpretación de las imágenes impuestas por una cultura externa con lo local, el pasado remoto de una cultura milenaria, pero que en la actualidad tienen interlocución y genera los prismas que reflejan colores emocionales y formas que sorprenden a la vida diaria.
Esta serie de fotos se hizo reflexionando sobre las emociones que provoca las fusiones de iconografías.
La serie de obras pequeñas es más mítica y su toque de realismo mágico identifica a Latinoamérica con los procesos creativos, desde modelos en vivo hasta animales de la selva. Sus pinceladas recuerdan las energías de la naturaleza que se mezclan con las magníficas obras artesanales de la región Chiapaneca.
Asimismo, la serie de piezas de barro y fibras de la selva que antes utilizaban los lacandones para túnicas, juega con las estampas de los textiles sin ser tan obvias pero pretende llevar al espectador a rememorar un Chiapas que, si ya lo conoce, se transforma en experiencia que revive. Y si aún no lo conoce, transporta al espectador a Chiapas y sus textiles en un contexto contemporáneo, fantástico y creativo que invita a una experiencia de vida con estas culturas y su naturaleza.
Que esta muestra sea una manera de conocer una parte de México que se identifica con lo global contemporáneo pero con una raíz muy valiosa de su pasado milenario.

Made possible by Arte Mexicano en Indiana, The Arts Council of Indianapolis, The City of Indianapolis and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

Power Plant Grants are back for 2022! Visual artists, teams, artist-run spaces apply for grants up to $10,000
2022-05-09 09:00 - 2022-07-10 23:30 | IN
Power Plant Grants are back for 2022! Visual artists, teams, artist-run spaces apply for grants up to $10,000

How it works: A panel of out-of-state and local jurors will select artists to receive Power Plant grants between $2,000-$10,000. Applications will be available online May 9 and are due July 10, 2022. Eligible applicants are…

Visual/multidisciplinary artists who create original work in painting, drawing, sculpture, book art, ceramics, fiber, printmaking, digital media, film, video, photography, performance art, sound art, social practice, interdisciplinary practice of any/all of the above.
21 or over at the time of the application, and not full-time students.
Artists who live and/or work in Indianapolis.
Teams, partnerships, and unincorporated individuals running spaces.

Funding for Power Plant comes to Big Car via a grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts through its Regional Re-Granting Program, the Warhol Foundation supports partners like us across America to, in turn, support visual artists.
Power Plant grants are facilitated by the nonprofit arts organization, Big Car Collaborative and are made possible by funding from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
For more information, and to apply, visit powerplantgrant.org

Lunchtime at Lockerbie Returns
2022-06-02 11:00 - 13:00 | Lockerbie Marketplace, 320 N New Jersey St, Indianapolis, IN, United States
This summer, we’ll welcome local musicians, artists sharing creative activities, and food trucks at Lockerbie Marketplace — a lovely downtown greenspace next to Needler’s Fresh Market. Ping pong, foosball, and giant jenga are always available for additional entertainment as we enjoy live music and local food.
We’re also looking for food and art vendors!
If you’re interested in being a featured food truck at Lockerbie Marketplace for lunchtime on Thursdays from mid May until mid October. We don’t charge any fees and you can use the space to operate beyond lunch hours if you’d like. If you’re interested in being a featured food truck, email us. Also, we’re going to be hosting some after-work happy hour mini-markets. So if you are an artisan vendor let us know if you’d be interested. Lastly, let us know if you’d like to bring your food truck or vendor table to Tube Factory as we look forward to expanding as construction winds down this summer on our outdoor space.

Tsanavi Spoonhunter Select Short Films
2022-06-03 18:00 - 22:00 | IN
“Purple Flower Girl”
Raised from humble beginnings in a rural town, artist Jean LaMarr celebrates her cultural traditions while making a name for herself in the larger art world. Purple Flower Girl will take viewers into a space meant for those who are unfamiliar with LaMarr’s legacy and its impact.
Director and Producer: Tsanavi Spoonhunter
Cinematographer and Colorist: Christian Lee Collins
Composer and Re-Recording Mixer: Conor Chee
Editor: James Tensuan
“Sagebrush Heathen”
Jack Malotte’s work showcases the Native American experience by way of art, and challenges Nevada’s political landscape around extraction and nuclear test sites on tribal lands. From his remote reservation in rural Nevada, Malotte presents a unique perspective of what it means to be, what he describes, a Sagebrush Heathen.
Director and Producer: Tsanavi Spoonhunter
Cinematographer and Editor: Tim Lenard
Composer: Sage Romero
Tsanavi Spoonhunter was born and raised in Payahuunadü— “the land of flowing water,” homelands of her Paiute people— located in Owens Valley, California. She is also a proud citizen of the Northern Arapaho Tribe of the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming.
Her ancestry and upbringing in Indian Country have strongly informed her storytelling and artistic vision. Some of her published works have included federal government funding for tribes, jurisdictional issues between governing agencies and economic development on tribal lands.
Spoonhunter’s educational background is rooted in journalism. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno; and a Masters of Journalism degree from the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley with a focus on documentary film.
Her master’s thesis film, Crow Country: Our Right to Food Sovereignty (2020), has screened at festivals and selected venues across the country and has won numerous awards including Best Documentary Short from the American Indian Film Festival. In all, her short films have screened on Alaska Airlines, at the National Museum of the American Indian, The Redford Center, art museums and PBS affiliates.
She serves as director and producer on her first feature-length documentary titled Holder of the Sky (2023). The film has received support from SFFilm, the International Documentary Association, Sundance Institute, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Center for Independent Documentary, the Native American Media Alliance and the Logan Nonfiction Program. It is currently in production.
Spoonhunter is a 2022 Sundance Institute Humanities Sustainability Fellow, SFFilm FilmHouse Resident and First People’s Fund Fellow. As a Native American reporter and filmmaker, her goal is to pursue the highest levels of accuracy and ethical standards when telling stories about communities across the United States, and abroad.

Image from artist Jean LaMarr.

Rob Funkhouser- Study In Place
2022-06-03 18:00 - 2022-07-24 15:00 | Tube Factory artspace, 1125 Cruft St., Indianapolis, IN, 46203, United States
Study in Place is a set of interactive sound sculptures and instruments that celebrate the everyday sounds and objects around us. An attempt to unify diverse threads in his creative practice, daily life, and occupation, Funkhouser seeks a reckoning with the tension between falling into routine and cultivating long-term personal growth.
“Moving to Indianapolis caused in me this profound, almost cosmic, sense of being in the right place at the right time. It afforded me both the right economic circumstances, and artistic community to begin a period of joyful exploration into my own art and identity. Having lived the better part of a decade here, changes in all aspects of life have surfaced a need to take an inventory and rediscover my place in life– both literally and artistically,” says Funkhouser who previously lived in his hometown of Richmond, Indiana.
This show also features the first exhibition of a collaboration between Funkhouser and his neighbor and visual artist, Justin Cooper (both are residents in Big Car’s Artist and Public Life housing program). Each piece they made together features a flower found in the Garfield Park neighborhood, many of which have taken up residence in their respective yards.“
The kalimbas and sound boxes represent the fruit of many conversations had on one porch or another, and approximately 55 gallons of coffee between us,” says Funkhouser. “Living close to each other, we were able to slowly build a set of instruments that both pushed into new aesthetic territory and helped grow a shared language of form.”In a time where content is being created and served on a bigger scale than any one person can possibly keep up with, Funkhouser shares with his audience the possibilities that music affords us as a medium to connect to place and each other.
About the artist
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 recordings, curated performances, and installed works in many places both around Indianapolis and in many other parts of the country. In 2020, he began a long-term living residency with Big Car as part of their APLR program, and served as a resident artist for Cat Head Press in collaboration with Landon Caldwell. 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, No Exit Theater, and Chicago-based director Ryan Gleason.
Made possible through the generous support of The Efroymson Family Fund. Additional support provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Arts Council of Indianapolis and the City of Indianapolis.

Power Plant Grant Information Session
2022-06-14 18:00 - 19:00 | IN
In 2022, we’ll host several outreach sessions to add clarification and insight to the Power Plant Grant process. Join virtually or in-person:
June 14, 2022 at 6 p.m. (EST) via Zoom. Join here.
June 29, 2022 at 6 p.m. (EST) at Tube Factory artspace (1125 Cruft St, Indianapolis, IN 46203)

Power Plant Grant Information Session
2022-06-29 18:00 - 19:00 | Tube Factory artspace, 1125 Cruft St., Indianapolis, IN, 46203, United States
We’re hosting several outreach sessions to add clarification and insight to the Power Plant Grant process. Join virtually or in-person:

June 14, 2022 at 6 p.m. (EST) via Zoom. Join here.

June 29, 2022 at 6 p.m. (EST) at Tube Factory artspace (1125 Cruft St, Indianapolis, IN 46203)

Lunchtime at Lockerbie Marketplace
2022-06-30 11:00 - 13:00 | Lockerbie Marketplace, 320 N New Jersey St, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Join us on Thursdays at Lockerbie Marketplace — a lovely downtown greenspace next to Needler’s Fresh Market. Ping pong, foosball, and giant Jenga are always available for additional entertainment as we enjoy music and local food by That Vegan Joint.
All events are free at 320 N New Jersey Street in the greenspace right off the Cultural Trail
Check out bigcar.org/lockerbie for details and updates.

We’re also looking for food and art vendors!
If you’re interested in being a featured food truck at Lockerbie Marketplace for lunchtime on Thursdays from mid May until mid October. We don’t charge any fees and you can use the space to operate beyond lunch hours if you’d like. If you’re interested in being a featured food truck, email us. Also, we’re going to be hosting some after-work happy hour mini-markets. So if you are an artisan vendor let us know if you’d be interested. Lastly, let us know if you’d like to bring your food truck or vendor table to Tube Factory as we look forward to expanding as construction winds down this summer on our outdoor space.

Lunchtime at Lockerbie Featuring Live Performance by Joy Caroline Mills
2022-07-07 11:00 - 13:00 | Lockerbie Marketplace, 320 N New Jersey St, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Join us on Thursdays at Lockerbie Marketplace — a lovely downtown greenspace next to Needler’s Fresh Market. Ping pong, foosball, and giant Jenga are always available for additional entertainment as we enjoy live music by Joy Caroline Mills, and local food by That Vegan Joint.
All events are free at 320 N New Jersey Street in the greenspace right off the Cultural Trail
Check out bigcar.org/lockerbie for details and updates.

Frida Está Chida
2022-07-09 10:00 - 15:00 | Tube Factory artspace, 1125 Cruft St., Indianapolis, IN, 46203, United States
El 6 de Julio de 1907, en Coyoacán, México nació una pintora conocida por sus famosos autorretratos. Frida Kahlo se convirtió en una fuerza del movimiento surrealista al crear un estilo único mezclando elementos de la naturaleza y la identidad mexicana con aspectos de su vida.

On July 6, 1907 in Coyoacán, Mexico a painter was born, known for her famous selfportraits. Frida Kahlo became a force in the surrealist movement by creating a unique style mixing elements of nature and the Mexican identify and aspects of her life.

La imágen de Frida continua influyendo la cultura popular. El Festival İFrida está Chida! celebra la influencia de Frida Kahlo a nivel mundial atravesando fronteras, idiomas y tiempo.

Frida’s image continues influencing pop culture. The Frida está Chida! Festival celebrates Frida Kahlo’s influence worldwide piercing through borders, languages and time.
Con sus propias creaciones en honor a Frida, los artistas presentados en éste Festival muestran la fuerza de la imágen de la famosa pintora mexicana.

With their own creations in honor of Frida, the Festival’s artists showcase the famous Mexican painter’s force.

Este evento es familiar y abierto al publico. Están invitados a traer su mejor atuendo para celebrar a Frida porque….Frida está Chida!

This is a family event open to the public. You are invited to join the celebration by wearing your best Frida custom because…Frida está Chida!

Artistas y Vendors participating :
Monica Valadezza
K Cun Aragon
Luz Yoli Urquiza
Samuel Penaloza
Konny Rivera
Mary Mindola
Gissa Mur
Juan Gabriel Tiscareno
Gelone Broadnax’ Gelone’s Creations
Artesanias Mexicanas y Novedades
Alo Croschet
Sophia’s Bows
Maria Moreno
Esperanza Alonzo
Artesanias Ramirez
Comida/Food
Tortas Guicho Food Truck
Musica en Vivo:
Yuri Rodriguez, cantara canciones de Chavela Vargas

Image by: Mary Mindola

Rob Funkhouser and Eric Salzaar Study In Place Live Performance
2022-07-24 16:00 - 18:00 | Tube Factory artspace, 1125 Cruft St., Indianapolis, IN, 46203, United States
Rob Funkhouser will perform live on the Cristal Baschet he created during the pandemic.
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 recordings, curated performances, and installed works in many places both around Indianapolis and in many other parts of the country. In 2020, he began a long-term living residency with Big Car as part of their APLR program, and served as a resident artist for Cat Head Press in collaboration with Landon Caldwell. 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, No Exit Theater, and Chicago-based director Ryan Gleason.
Eric Salazar holds a B.M. in Clarinet Performance from Ball State University and an M.M. in Clarinet Performance from Bowling Green State University. He currently serves as an Director of Community Engagement for Classical Music Indy where he manages, books, and promotes over a hundred and fifty performance events a year in Central Indiana. Eric also mentors and hires 30-40 independent classical musicians annually. With their combined efforts this group brings music to over 100,000 Indiana residents a year, with a focus on people who would not otherwise have access to live music performance.
Made possible through the generous support of The Efroymson Family Fund. Additional support provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Arts Council of Indianapolis and the City of Indianapolis.

Thursdays on the Mall Film Series
2022-08-04 19:00 - 23:00 | Indiana War Memorial, 55 N Michigan Ave, Indianapolis, IN, 46204, United States
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Thursday, August 4, 2022, 7-11 PM
The Indiana War Memorials Foundation in partnership with Indy Film Fest and us at Big Car invite everyone to gather in Indy’s backyard, American Legion Mall (700 N Pennsylvania St.) for a summer evening and free movie screening of Rocky IV on July 7. Enjoy food trucks, beer from Sun King Brewing, popcorn, games, and more. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, soak in city views, and spend time with your neighbors. The fun kicks off at 7 pm, movie starts at dusk!
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse: Bitten by a radioactive spider in the subway, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales suddenly develops mysterious powers that transform him into the one and only Spider-Man. When he meets Peter Parker, he soon realizes that there are many others who share his special, high-flying talents. Miles must now use his newfound skills to battle the evil Kingpin, a hulking madman who can open portals to other universes and pull different versions of Spider-Man into our world.
Please be aware this event is outdoors. Check back on the Indiana War Memorials Foundation page for weather updates.

Qahar Behzad: The Colors of Afghanistan
2022-08-05 08:00 - 18:00 | IN
Opening in Tube Factory artspace’s Guichelaar Gallery is a collection of works by Behzad created between the years 2011-2022 in Afghanistan and the US.
Behzad grew up in Kabul in a family of book publishers, surrounded by centuries-old historical texts and rare books of poetry in his father’s libraries and bookstores. Behzad remembers reading traditional Afghan storybooks his father published that directly influence the art he creates.
Behzad paints about life in Afghanistan, often from observation, depicting places like Kabul’s busy bazaars and Afghanistan’s picturesque mountain ranges. He paints with depth and expressive color, drawing inspiration from one of his favorite Western painters, Claude Monet. Through these influences, Behzad expresses his take on the rich and storied culture of his country.
Behzad’s journey as an artist began in the mid-1990s, when he was six years old. The Taliban had first emerged in his home country, and Behzad’s family found safety in Pakistan. Not able to attend school yet, he spent his days drawing. Here, he completed his first artwork, a drawing of former Afghan king, Mairwais Naika, after studying his portrait in a history book.
His family encouraged him to pursue development as an artist. “I had no real training or instruction in art,” says Behzad. “I just sat down and began to draw. Everyone who looked at my drawings appreciated what my artwork stood for, and pushed me to continue.”
A few years later, his family was able to resume life in their home country, and Behzad began to explore painting in oil and watercolor. After the establishment of US military base Camp Eggers in Kabul, Behzad became the first artist to display and sell artworks there. From 2005-2015, he created daily in his studio on base, producing thousands of drawings, oil paintings, and watercolors. Behzad’s studio became a haven of peace amid an otherwise hectic atmosphere. Soldiers and other military personnel could drop in for tea, to observe Behzad’s creative process, commission a painting, or take a lesson with the artist.
One of the paintings featured in this exhibition, Behzad Bookstore and Afghan Burqas was originally created by Behzad in 2009. In this piece, a group of women dressed in traditional burqas read from shelves of books in his father’s shop in Kabul. The piece celebrates the new freedoms available to women after the first Taliban regime ended, when they could leave their homes, pursue education and learn their rights. In 2021, these freedoms were again taken away. The Taliban is again denying the education and enlightenment of Afghan people, and Behzad Bookstore has closed due to their threats. Behzad recreated this painting in 2022 to highlight this tragic regression, and to remember better times in his country.
Behzad’s works have gained international recognition. Some of these works include portraits of Queen Elizabeth ll commissioned by the British Ambassador to Afghanistan, former US President George W. Bush, for which Behzad received a personal letter of appreciation, and former US President Barack Obama, commissioned by his election campaign staff. The US Navy also commissioned a large canvas mural featuring a fleet of ships stationed in San Diego, California. Behzad has completed many paintings for U.S diplomats and advisors, NATO representatives, and the government of Afghanistan.

Qahar Behzad Bio
A self-taught artist from Kabul, Afghanistan, Abdul Qahar Behzad is now based in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he works as a Legal Assistant for Exodus Refugee Immigration. He earned a degree in Law and Political Science from Rana University in Kabul in 2020.
Behzad was the first artist to display and sell his paintings at Camp Eggers, a US military base in Kabul. From 2005 to 2018, he operated painting studios there, as well as at Camp Phoenix, NKC (New Kabul Compound) Base, ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) “Resolute Support” Headquarters, Camp Cobra, and Camp Qula House, where he created artworks for soldiers and military personnel.
When Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021, Behzad was working as an artist in Kabul. Amidst the chaos and violent takeover, former commanding US officials, many of whom served in the Indiana National Guard, wrote letters of support to bring him to safety in the US. Behzad evacuated to Camp Atterbury, Indiana, where he volunteered as an interpreter for 4 months.
Behzad is committed to helping other refugees like himself. He is working to bring the rest of his family to safety in the US, and advocating for the evacuation of other Afghans who still live under threat of the Taliban every day.

CA Davis:A Jungle, Interrupted
2022-08-05 18:00 - 22:00 | Listen Hear, 2620 Shelby St, , Indianapolis, IN, 46203, United States
What did the jungles of Vietnam sound like before, during, and after the war from 1965 to 1995?
A Jungle, Interrupted is an experimental audio documentary and timelapse that features key moments—reimagined and repurposed through sound—over roughly thirty years before, during, and after the Vietnam War. Davis asks: what does the deep rumble of the free market sound like and how did it overtake the otherwise undisturbed Vietnamese rainforests? What would propel a decade of extreme, confused violence, and was it worth the bloodshed?
In his first solo exhibit, Davis creates a room-shaking, fifteen-minute surround sound piece that traces the tragic and deadly ironies, lies, and realities comprising the Vietnam War. This, staged among ephemera and original illustrations by Chicago-based visual artist Keith Couture, are laid bare for us to sit with and listen through in hopes that we may gain a clearer understanding of the relationship between capitalism and the endless conflicts that occur for or against its profits.
About the artist:
CA is a Black-Filipino-Italian-American multimodal storyteller and documentarian from Carmel, Indiana currently completing his graduate degree at Northwestern University. His most recent documentary, Inhuman Figures: Robots, Clones, and Aliens, was released by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, and he is also the creator and host of a LATTO Thought, an audio documentary series exploring the histories and social developments of interracial life central to the United States. His work has been featured by TriQuarterly Magazine, Filmscalpel, and RØDE Microphones. See more of CA’s work at CADavis.me.
“Through sound and image I explore forgotten, overlooked, and complex histories of racial colonialism and imperialism perpetrated by the United States to better understand mixed racial American identities in the present. The nature of race is not biological, but it is material—our bodies are the historical evidence of oppression, economics, love, war, social justice, and moral bankruptcy. As such, I captivate my audiences with intricately edited stories, sound designs, and films so as to better invite people to learn from otherwise difficult history.”
Curator: Sylver Wallace
Made possible by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

Carlie Foreman: Full Disclosure
2022-08-05 18:00 - 2022-09-18 15:00 | Tube Factory artspace, 1125 Cruft St., Indianapolis, IN, 46203, United States
Full Disclosure’s mixed media works find inspiration in collective memory and how it’s intertwined with the natural world. Foreman looks at the relationship between symbolism in ancient sites, churches and secret societies. She also explores modern-day meme culture in relation to familiar patterns of sacred geometry and environmental symbols. She views the research, process, and creation of this work as a vehicle for spiritual transformation.
Foreman says: “A built network of beliefs becomes ingrained in the DNA of the land, a part of the vibrational fingerprint of the space and its history of culture, conflict, displacement, etc. Energetically, I seek connection and translation of ancestral knowledge to honor the work of those who came before us and to build upon it with the mission of progressing toward a safe and equitable environment.”
In this, her second solo exhibit, Foreman uses color, video, projection mapping, and interactive video to reflect on how the electromagnetic light spectrum and the vibration of sound create a network of living substances.“When you choose love, you’re lifted,” says Foreman. “Full Disclosure works to visualize a future where we feel a wholesome connection to the space around us — within, on earth and beyond. I hope we can start conversations about how our world is connected — energetically and geometrically. And talk about how we can feel empathy and responsibility for collective growth. Each of us is a pillar in the bridge that takes us from our past to our future. We’re a bridge to a different world. We got here just in time!”
About the artist
Carlie Foreman is a multi-disciplinary artist from Indianapolis and studied sculpture at Herron School of Art and Design — a school of Indiana University at IUPUI. Foreman lives in Garfield Park, serves as the director of operations for Big Car Collaborative, and is a board member with the Garfield Park Neighbors Association. With interest in work that focuses on vibration and connection, Foreman works in fine arts, public art, and place-based activation. Since July of 2018, Foreman has hosted Good Vibrations, an electronic radio show, on 99.1 WQRT LP Indianapolis.
This exhibition is made possible by The Arts Council of Indianapolis, The City of Indianapolis, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and The Allen Whitehill Clowes Foundation.

LaShawnda Crowe Storm-Sister Song:The Requiem
2022-08-05 18:00 - 2022-10-16 18:00 | Tube Factory artspace, 1125 Cruft St., Indianapolis, IN, 46203, United States
Sister Song: The Requiem is a community-based project that examines how art and community co-creation processes can be used to heal the intergenerational trauma associated with enslavement and its aftermaths. The project, led by artist LaShawnda Crowe Storm, blurs the lines between the public and private by transforming mundane places into sacred spaces through public rituals.
A requiem is an act of remembrance for the dead. How does honoring the dead give life to the living? How do the living remember their histories while creating new futures? How does embracing history help us release specific traumas and move toward a future where healing is possible? We explore these questions through the community co-creation process that is at the heart of Requiem: womb making.
Each womb is handcrafted and designed in wax by Crowe Storm, then cast in aluminum. After casting is completed, Crowe Storm invites artists and community members to choose a womb. Womb makers then adapt and modify the womb by following these simple directions: Make this into a talisman or spiritual object to heal your/our histories, be willing to allow what needs to emerge to emerge, and transform the womb to reflect a vision of healing. Each womb maker must also be willing to continuously ask themselves the question, “How do I reclaim the ‘spirit of the womb’ when that spirit has been stolen, harmed, wounded?”
Requiem is the second iteration of Sister Song. The first included 8 wombs that were installed as part of the exhibit Keeper of My Mothers’ Dream (2017, Indianapolis). Requiem incudes nearly 50 vessels on exhibition: the wombs by the original 8 participants along with 40 others, some invited by the original womb makers and others identified by Crowe Storm. In addition, some of the original 8 womb makers created new wombs. The exhibit also includes newly commissioned poems by Maria Hamilton Abegunde.
Participating womb makers include: Abegunde, Afriye We-Kandodis, Alice Berry, Ariana Beedie, Bambi Aldridge, Breon Tyler, Clare Wildhack-Nolan and Ezmae Wildhack-Cain, D. Olivia Jones, Joyce Moore, Juaquita Callaway, Julia Rodreguiz , Keesha Dixon, Kianga Jinaki, LaToya Marlin, Lillis Taylor, Malaika Baxa, Marilyn Kunkle, Melissa Larimer, Monica Johnson, N’dieye Gray Danavall, Phyllis Boyd, Ronda Chapman, Samantha Horton, Sharon Clark, Shauta Marsh, Stacia Murphy, Stephanie Roberston, Trish Williams, Tysha Ahmad, Uzuri Asad, Val Tate, Veronica Schwartz DeFazio, Viola Moten Ratcliffe, Yolanda Echols and Yvette Upton.
LaShawnda Crowe Storm is a mixed media and community-based artist, activist, community builder and occasionally an urban farmer. Whether making artwork or sowing seeds, she uses her creative power as a vehicle for dialogue around topics such as racial and gender violence, social change and justice. At the core of her practice is a desire to create community; any community in which the process of making art creates a space for difficult discussions with an eye towards community healing. She has received numerous awards for art and community activism. Crowe Storm received an M.F.A. from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2004.
Image: LaShawnda Crowe Storm, “Mother At The Crossroads,” bronze, 2021. Photographer: Polina Osherov.
Made possible by Mr. & Mrs. Craig E Von Deylen and Laurel S Judkins with support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Arts Council of Indianapolis, The Arts Council of Indianapolis and The Efroymson Family Fund.

Sister Song Womb Makers Artist Talk
2022-08-06 15:00 - 17:00 | Tube Factory artspace, 1125 Cruft St., Indianapolis, IN, 46203, United States
Hear from some of the artists and community members that LaShawnda Crowe Storm invited to create a womb. Womb makers adapted and modified the womb by following these simple directions: “Make this into a talisman or spiritual object to heal your/our histories, be willing to allow what needs to emerge to emerge, and transform the womb to reflect a vision of healing.”
Each womb maker had to continuously ask themselves the question, “How do I reclaim the ‘spirit of the womb’ when that spirit has been stolen, harmed, wounded?”
Womb makers: Abegunde, Afriye We-Kandodis, Alice Berry, Ariana Beedie, Bambi Aldridge, Breon Tyler, Clare Wildhack-Nolan and Ezmae Wildhack-Cain, D. Olivia Jones, Joyce Moore, Juaquita Callaway, Julia Rodreguiz , Keesha Dixon, Kianga Jinaki, LaToya Marlin, Lillis Taylor, Malaika Baxa, Marilyn Kunkle, Melissa Larimer, Monica Johnson, N’dieye Gray Danavall, Phyllis Boyd, Ronda Chapman, Samantha Horton, Sharon Clark, Shauta Marsh, Stacia Murphy, Stephanie Roberston, Trish Williams, Tysha Ahmad, Uzuri Asad, Val Tate, Veronica Schwartz DeFazio, Viola Moten Ratcliffe, Yolanda Echols and Yvette Upton
Made possible by Mr. & Mrs. Craig E Von Deylen and Laurel S Judkins with additional support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

Amy Kligman and Ish Muhammad In Conversation
2022-08-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Tube Factory artspace, 1125 Cruft St., Indianapolis, IN, 46203, United States
Learn more about two of the artists selecting this year’s Power Plant Grant recipients!
Amy Kligman has been the Executive Artistic Director at Charlotte Street Foundation in Kansas City, MO since 2015. Kligman’s career and experience as an exhibiting artist and grassroots curator/arts administrator spans 20 years of studio & exhibition work, independent curating and organizing, and artist-run projects. In 2011 Kligman was one of a team of 5 artist-curators who established Plug Projects, an artist-run project space in Kansas City’s West Bottoms that hosted a robust & nationally recognized calendar of exhibitions and artist-centered programming.

Ish Muhammad is a self-taught artist residing in Northwest Indiana. Muhammad’s work, post-graffiti abstract expressionism, is exhibited in galleries, museums, and site-specific installations nationally. He is a founding member of Crazy Indiana Style Artists (CISA). CISA is recognized as Indiana’s first Latino Art Collective.

Milford Graves-Full Mantis
2022-08-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Kan-Kan Cinema, 1258 Windsor St., Indianapolis, IN, 46201, United States
MILFORD GRAVES FULL MANTIS is the first ever feature-length portrait of renowned percussionist Milford Graves, exploring his kaleidoscopic creativity and relentless curiosity.
Graves has performed internationally since 1964, both as a soloist and in ensembles with such legends as Albert Ayler, Giuseppi Logan and Sonny Sharrock. He is a founding pioneer of avant-garde jazz, and he remains one of the most influential living figures in the evolution of the form.
The film draws the viewer through the artist’s lush garden and ornate home, into the martial arts dojo in his backyard and the laboratory in his basement – all of this just blocks from where he grew up in the housing projects of South Jamaica, Queens.
Graves tells stories of discovery, struggle and survival, ruminates on the essence of ‘swing,’ activates electronic stethoscopes in his basement lab to process the sound of his heart, and travels to Japan where he performs at a school for children with autism, igniting the student body into an ecstatic display of spontaneous collective energy.
Oscillating from present to past and weaving intimate glimpses of the artist’s complex cosmology with blistering performances from around the globe, MILFORD GRAVES FULL MANTIS is cinema full of fluidity, polyrhythm and intensity, embodying the essence of Graves’ music itself.
Live performance by Tyler Damon.
Presented in partnership with Rhythm! Discovery Center and Kan Kan Cinema.

Dear Black Girl with Tamara Winfrey Harris
2022-08-20 15:00 - 17:00 | Tube Factory artspace, 1125 Cruft St., Indianapolis, IN, 46203, United States
A public reading and discussion around the book “Dear Black Girl: Letters from Your Sisters About Stepping Into Your Power.”

Tamara Winfrey-Harris is a writer who specializes in the ever-evolving space where current events, politics and pop culture intersect with race and gender. She says, “I want to tell the stories of Black women and girls, and deliver the truth to all those folks who got us twisted—tangled up in racist and sexist lies. I want my writing to advocate for my sisters. We are better than alright. We are amazing.”
Tamara is the author of two books: The Sisters Are Alright: Changing the Broken Narrative of Black Women in America (Berrett-Koehler Publishers 2015) and Dear Black Girl: Letters From Your Sisters On Stepping Into Your Power (Berrett-Koehler Publishers 2021). The award-winning Sisters, now in its second edition, has been optioned by Wise Entertainment and Gabrielle Union’s production company I’ll Have Another to be turned into a dramedy for television.
Tamara’s work has been published in media outlets, including including The New York Times, The Atlantic, Cosmopolitan, New York Magazine and The Los Angeles Times. And her essays appear in The Lemonade Reader: Beyonce, Black Feminism and Spirituality (Routledge, 2019); The Burden: African Americans and the Enduring Impact of Slavery (Wayne State University Press, 2018); Black in the Middle: An Anthology of the Black Midwest (Black Belt Publishing, 2020); and other books.
Tamara is co-founder of Centering Sisters, LLC, an organization that unapologetically addresses the needs and issues of Black women and girls; and the Black Women’s Writing Society, a monthly virtual space for Black femme creatives. She is also a certified yoga teacher who focuses her work on the healing and well-bring of her sisters.
Tamara is a native of Gary, IN, and a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Inc. She graduated with a BA degree from the Greenlee School of Journalism at Iowa State University.

Made possible by Mr. and Mrs. Craig E Von Deylen and Laurel S Judkins with additional support from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

Lunch at Lockerbie featuring performance by Rob Funkhouser
2022-09-01 11:00 - 13:00 | Lockerbie Marketplace, 320 N New Jersey St, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Join us on Thursdays at Lockerbie Marketplace — a lovely downtown greenspace next to Needler’s Fresh Market. Ping pong, foosball, and giant Jenga are always available for additional entertainment.
This week enjoy live music by Rob Funkhouser and local food by Black Leaf Indy. Music starts at noon.

About the artist
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 recordings, curated performances, and installed works in many places both around Indianapolis and in many other parts of the country. In 2020, he began a long-term living residency with Big Car as part of their APLR program, and served as a resident artist for Cat Head Press in collaboration with Landon Caldwell. 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, No Exit Theater, and Chicago-based director Ryan Gleason.
All events are free at 320 N New Jersey Street in the greenspace right off the Cultural Trail

Art is Around the Corner with Giselle Trujillo
2022-09-01 11:00 - 13:00 | 1 Monument Circle, South Facing Steps, United States
Make something cool out of provided recyclables.
Co-presented by Arte Mexicano en Indiana.

About Giselle Trujillo
Trujillo is an art designer & producer who specialized murals, sculptures, illustrations, videos, staging, and more. Inside of me, like inside of everyone, there are many characters waiting to come out in order to be somehow present in this world. They come out from a pencil and play with papers, from our mind and play with our life.
“Once, when I was a child, I was close to the sea and I understood everything it said to me. then my hands made a face, a body; some faces, some bodies that watched me, touched me, and I watched them and touched them and then they abandoned me, leaving with the sea, melting themselves with all those characters who were born and going to be born from the sand and they had left with the breeze and with the sea (they are still my friends that I will never see again).
It happened the same with the mud, but the faces and the bodies wouldn’t leave. and here they were; I didn’t plan them, I didn’t make a sketch of them and they appeared. They wake me up any hour, any time talking to me, moving through my hands and when they say ” leave me like this ” I transform them in stone… …And my mind and my soul will rest in the stone, in the paper and in the sand, which had already gone.”–Trujillo

Circle SPARK brings you activities like games, live music, artmaking, and socializing in a comfortable place. It is located on Monument Circle in the southwest quad. Hours: Mondays – Thursdays 11 am to 2 pm | Wednesdays 5-9 pm | and Fridays 11 am to 9 pm. SPARK is a project of Big Car, Downtown Indy, and the City of Indianapolis — with support from the Capital Improvement Board and the Indiana War Memorials Commission.

Lunch Break Live-Emma Peridot
2022-09-06 12:00 - 13:00 | 1 Monument Circle, South Facing Steps, United States
Emma Peridot is driven to create music that will capture the hearts of masses, all the while remaining unapologetic about who she is. Her alt-pop sound blends elements of pop-rock and electropop, and her lyrical content examines traditional themes of love, lust, angst and heartbreak, while also getting vulnerable about anxiety, self-doubt, and insecurity.
Her beginnings are humble; during her college years she began releasing music on Soundcloud and performing in small clubs and dive bars around Indianapolis and other nearby cities. But after securing an opening slot for Quinn XCII at Butler University, a confidence was ignited in her that she has something special. Fans have witnessed her hustle since then, and she shows no signs of stopping. As a young, LGBTQ+ pop artist, it’s all about the journey of documenting her experiences in a way that resonates with all those who feel misunderstood. She states, “If my music impacts any number of people in a meaningful way, that’s all I need to feel like I’m fulfilling my purpose.”
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Made possible by Lake City Bank

WALKING WEDNESDAYS-Indy’s German Heritage
2022-09-07 18:00 - 20:00 | 1 Monument Circle, South Facing Steps, United States
This week explore Indianapolis German American History with architectural historian Bill Selm. You don’t need to be German to take the tour…just interested in knowing more about this particular history of Indianapolis. Cosponsored by IUPUI Interior Design Technology & Indiana German Heritage Society.
ALL TOURS MEET at the trailer on the southwest quad of Monument Circle. Expect to walk between a half-mile and 2 miles total. In case of bad weather, cancellation decisions will be made by 3 p.m. Check SPARK social media or website for updates.
* FREE *

What’s This?
We at Big Car are teaming up with Downtown Indy and the City of Indianapolis — with support from the Capital Improvement Board and the Indiana War Memorials Commission— to spark Monument Circle with human-scale activities like games, live music, artmaking, and socializing in a comfortable place. We’re based from the southwest quadrant in front of the Emmis.

Outdoor Pilates & Numerology at Lockerbie Market Place
2022-09-08 11:00 - 13:00 | Lockerbie Marketplace, 320 N New Jersey St, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Join us at Lockerbie Marketplace — a lovely downtown greenspace next to Needler’s Fresh Market. Ping pong, foosball, and giant Jenga are always available.
This week enjoy outdoor pilates by The Hot Room, Numerology Readings by Ellen Robinson, and local food by That Vegan Joint.

About the artist
Ellen Robinson has been reading number energy since 2012. Each human is uniquely coded with their own energy blueprint. Within each human’s coding, which Ellen calls one’s organic formula, lies all that is needed to break out of habitual patterning. Using one’s birthday and name given at birth, the language of numerology is one way to read this distinct coding. Each number or energy is aligned with a theme or archetype and exists along a spectrum. In your reading, Ellen will share the themes your soul has chosen to experience in this lifetime, in service to the evolution of your consciousness and freeing of your soul. A numerology experience with Ellen is truly an opening into your own Self – a portal to one’s truest expression. Make sure to pop in each week for varied activities like pilates, psychic readings, and creative activities with local artists, Rhythm Discovery Center, and the Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library.

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

Check out bigcar.org/lockerbie for details and updates.
