We believe in taking art to people as a way to bring people - of all ages and backgrounds - to art and creativity. We also believe that public spaces should be invigorated with creativity, with play, with the energy of making things and having fun. Our program will make life better in Indianapolis by introducing engaging public programming on our downtown Cultural Trail, Canal and in urban parks and public spaces. Ultimately, these public goods help people connect with their city and each other.
Our city lacks access to creative and socially engaging experiences in public spaces. Parks, The Cultural Trail, Monument Circle, The Canal, City Market are public assets that provide the key to what we're looking for: people. But, when we all visit now, we aren't engaged in playful, surprising and hands-on creative experiences that help us feel happier, healthier and more connected to our community. Let's change that! And, along the way, let's encourage more people to live in our urban core.
We will do this with pop-up creativity stations located near busy public areas that draw people to collaborative art making and participatory performances. We'll facilitate regular days offering non-competitive games in public greens, host parties that celebrate cultures and share food and drink, and surprise visitors with engaging activities that bring people from all backgrounds together, building a stronger community. We'll also launch a culminating annual engagement-based-art festival.
Our city has focused on public art mainly by building brick and mortar infrastructure and placing monuments. This project is about building "soft infrastructure" or public programming for these built public spaces and focusing on reaching people directly with memorable art experiences. The long-term impact will be a change in how people view the urban core, drawing more people to live and visit there. And it will spark creativity in people's lives with the potential of transforming their lives.
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).
