Spirit & Place, IU Indianapolis

Nourishing Words: Feeding the Whole with Poetry and Prose
2023-11-09 13:30 - 15:00 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis) | The Church Within, 1125 Spruce St., Indianapolis, IN, 46203
ASL Upon Request.
Experience the poetry and prose of New York Times bestselling author Cole Arthur Riley alongside young, local BIPOC poets and storytellers as they not only consider but deliver the nourishing power of words.
Featuring bestselling author of This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories that Make Us, Cole Arthur Riley, and other local talent, this event considers and demonstrates both the power of words to nourish us, to feed us, and to empower us to the best, next step in our own lives. In a time when words are used to harm, this event invites you into a deep consideration of the power of words to both nourish us and leave us starved. The speakers gathered will remind those gathered of the power they have at hand with tools no more complex than the words they speak and write.
This gathering will also include an interactive element where performers and attendees will have the opportunity to participate in the creation of an original book at the event. This book will be bound as an original, scanned to be printed in a short run, and presented online.
Questions? Contact 317-683-0829 or thechurchwithin@thechurchwithin.org.
Event Partners: The Church Within, The Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis, The Philippine Cultural Community Center, and The Kneeland Center for Poetry, Inc. with support from Ujamaa Community Bookstore.
Event Registration: Registration requested by November 5. Walk-ins welcome until capacity is reached.

Nourishing Democracy: Healthy IPS School Board Elections
2023-11-10 13:00 - 16:00 | MLK Community Center, 40 W. 40th St., Indianapolis, IN, 46205, United States
Constitutional republics must be nourished to stay viable. As school board elections offer a microcosm of democracy, what does IPS board history teach us about the democratic process and what citizens can do to nurture their own sense of civic empowerment?
Once regulated to the May Primary, Indianapolis school board elections are now large and expensive early November events. Debate from a plurality of perspectives is needed for a healthy democracy and a vigorous public education system. So is an understanding of local history. In the early 1920s, little to no competition existed in school board races which were ostensibly run by the Citizens School Committee. This is the era that deeply segregated and segmented Indianapolis’s public schools into a caste system. As recent media stories have shown, modern school board elections are being inundated with outside money – and agendas – that threaten to shape public schools in ways the community may not want. Using primary sources and recent news articles, attendees will be divided into working groups to compare and contrast the past to the present in an effort to plan for the future. Visual arts, poetry, and music will further help attendees appreciate the challenges democracy faces while inspiring them to stay engaged and active.
Questions? Contact 317-998-1339 or johnharrisloflin@yahoo.com.
Audience Notes: Doors open at 6pm for guests to interact with the exhibits. Programming begins at 7pm.
Event Partners: Charles E. Loflin & Virginia P. Vornehm-Loflin Center on IPS History, the Black & Latino Policy Institute, Virgil and Sheila Boyd, Wyse Ra, Rev. Dr. Thomas L. Brown, and artists Dr. Monday, Clyde Gaw, and Clockwork Janz.
Event Registration: Registration requested by Nov. 9. Walk-ins welcome!

Nourish: Testimonies about Food, Family, and Love (Day 2: Testimony Service)
2023-11-11 11:00 - 14:00 | IN
A two-day celebration focused on the healing powers of food, community, and spirituality featuring films, food, and testimonies from Black femme creators.
The gathering will take attendees on an immersive visual, sensual, auditory, and spiritual experience in the spirit of honoring how Black femmes have nourished themselves and one another while making an indelible impact on the world. On Friday, Nov. 10, two films – “In Our Mother’s Gardens” and “Food as Resistance” will be shown. Dinner will be served in between screenings and a discussion about the ways lineage, love, and (unjust) food systems intersect will close the night.
The following day (Nov. 11) will feature music, storytelling, and the culinary arts in a Testimony Service for all! (Think: Moth Radio Hour.) Testimony services have their roots in the Black church tradition as a time where people can take to the altar and tell a story or sing a song that illustrates a triumphant moment in their lives. Attendees will be given writing prompts for their own reflections and will hear from a selection of Black femme speakers before enjoying refreshments.
Doors open at 4pm with programming beginning at 5pm.
Audience Note: While this event is open to people from all faiths or non-faith backgrounds, Black Christian traditions as well as African ancestral practices will be honored.
Questions? Contact 317-413-1239 or TheTestimonyServiceOnline@gmail.com.
Event Partners: The Testimony Service and The Center for Religion, Arts, and Culture.
Event Registration: Registration requested by Nov. 3, but walk-in guests are welcome.

Image Courtesy of The Testimony Service

Axolotl: The Regeneration of a Woman’s Heart
2025-11-07 19:00 - 21:00 | MLK Community Center, 40 W. 40th St., Indianapolis, IN, 46205, United States
ASL Interpretation provided by IU Indianapolis’s American Sign Language/English Interpreting Program students
Inspired by nature’s great regenerator—the Axolotl—this evening of original music and spoken word explores trauma, healing, and renewal through the lens of a woman’s heart. Join artist Tamra Rose and authors Eva Williams and Lacey Beatty for an intimate and hope-filled performance that invites us to reflect on nature’s wisdom and our own capacity to heal.
Explore the nature of hope and healing through music, literature, and the axolotl. The axolotl is a salamander that never undergoes the typical metamorphosis into its terrestrial form, remaining water-bound for life. Remarkably, it can regenerate diseased or injured parts of its body—including limbs, brain, and heart. Seen through the lens of womanhood, the axolotl becomes a metaphor for those who have endured trauma yet continue to survive and even flourish—blossoming into the fullness of who they were created to be.
Counseling resources available.
Questions? Contact 317-509-5305 or booktamrarose@gmail.com.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Tamra Rose and My Sister’s Keeper.
Registration: Click here to register.

POSTPONED - 12 Moods of Heaven: A Neo-Soul Food & Jazz Journey through the Great Migration
2025-11-15 17:00 - 19:30 | Witherspoon Presbyterian Church, 3535 W. Kessler Blvd. N. Dr., Indianapolis, IN, 46222, United States
Announcement From Grand Griot Productions (11/11/25):
“After much reflection and with deep regret, the creative team made the difficult decision to delay the production following a recent bereavement and several health-related challenges within the ensemble.” Ticket refunds are available to all patrons and 12 Moods of Heaven hopes to premiere in March 2026. Sign up for the Spirit & Place newsletter to learn when a new date is confirmed.
Limited Capacity. Registration Required | $30/pp
Join us for a multi-sensory culinary and cultural experience exploring the nature of movement—of people, traditions, and food across this nation. Rooted in the Great Migration, this event honors the resilience of Soul Food and the African American diaspora through jazz, spoken word, spiritual reflection, and food samplings.
The art of Soul Food is grounded in nature—the ability to take the miracle of soil and transform it into a feast! It is also rooted in the ability to adapt amid hardship. Constant change is no easy task. Our African American ancestors took scraps and turned them into a living testimony of resilience. Their ingenuity is no fable of “making something out of nothing,” but is a demonstration of their creativity, worth, and lasting impact on American food and artistic culture. Weaving together music, gratitude, and praise to God, this event fuses history, art, faith, and culinary excellence to celebrate all that is nourishing about the very nature of soul food.

Doors open at 4:30 pm
Prelude begins 4:45 pm
Event from 5pm-6:30pm
Talk Back from 6:35-7:30

Questions? Contact 317-531-5752 or email grandgriotpro@gmail.com.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Grand Griot Productions LLC, Witherspoon Presbyterian Church, Chef Oya, Rob Dixon & many more.
Registration: Click here to register.

Connected by NATURE - Spirit & Place Festival 30th Anniversary Celebration!
2025-11-16 16:30 - 18:30 | The Amp at 16 Tech, 1220 Waterway Blvd., Indianapolis, IN, 46202, United States
Celebrate the closing of the 30th annual Spirit & Place Festival with an evening of connection, creativity, and community.
Enjoy a live spoken word invocation by Manón Voice, music by Premium Blend, delicious local food, and hands-on activities inspired by this year’s festival events. Reflect on the NATURE theme through art, music, and shared experiences that nourish both spirit and community. Light snacks included, while supplies last!
Walk-ins welcome, but registration is encouraged.
Questions? Contact 317-274-2462 or festival@iu.edu.
Registration: Click here to register.

Manon Voice & Premium Blend
