Spirit & Place, IU Indianapolis

Spirit & Place Festival Opening Preview!
2022-11-03 14:30 - 15:30 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis)
Kick-off the 27th annual Spirit & Place Festival with a showcase of events featuring local poet and spoken word artist Manon Voice and photographer Wildstyle Paschall.
Want to learn more about this year’s festival and its exciting mix of exhibits, community conversations, performances, workshops, and more? Sit back in the comfort of your own home while the talented Manon Voice serves as emcee and helps us showcase all this year’s festival has to offer. We will also hear from photographer, local historian, and community activist Wildstyle Paschall. Wildstyle was commissioned to create an online photography exhibit based on the IDENTIFY theme. Over the summer he captured community images of people in the places and spaces where they could let their identities shine!
A partnership between Spirit & Place, Cavanaugh Studios at IUPUI, and 2022 Festival Partners.
Contact Spirit & Place at 317-274-2462 or festival@iupui.edu with questions.
Register by Nov. 3 at 6pm!
Register below.

Spirit & Place Festival Exhibits
2022-11-03 - 2022-11-14, 2022-11-04 - 2022-11-15, 2022-11-05 - 2022-11-16, 2022-11-06 - 2022-11-17, 2022-11-07 - 2022-11-18, 2022-11-08 - 2022-11-19, 2022-11-09 - 2022-11-20, 2022-11-10 - 2022-11-21 | IN
Image Credit: Marti LaMar by Kaila Austin
An exciting array of exhibits are included in this year’s festival! Information about exhibit hours are below. To check the festival programming tied to the events, return to the Event Page to search for the event. You must register for events separately.
Tearing Down Boxes and Embracing Change
Nov. 4-14, 1-4pm (Tues.-Fri.)
Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center, 705 N. Illinois St.
Monumental Changes: History and Power in Public Art
Nov. 5-17, 10am-5pm (Tues.-Sat.)
Garfield Park Arts Center—Main Gallery, 2432 Conservatory Dr.
The Memory Keepers / Los Guardianes de Memorias
Nov. 4-14, click here to schedule a gallery visit
201 Studio, 201 S. Rural Ave.
The (W)hole in Our Hearts
Nov. 4-12, visit website for hours
Friday, Nov. 5, 5-9pm (First Friday extended hours)
Saturday, Nov. 6, 10am-12pm (Family Day activities)
Nov. 8-12, M-F, 9am-5pm
Circle City Industrial Complex—Stokol Gallery & Hallways, 1125 Brookside Ave.
Introduction to Black Hue-manity: Imagining Blackness Then and Now
Nov. 8-11. Public hours vary.
Eskenazi Fine Arts Center, 1410 Indiana Ave.
We Are the Change We’ve Been Waiting For
Nov. 10, 5:30-8:30pm
Indiana Interchurch Center, 1100 W. 42nd St.
Changing Direction: The Evolution of Treatment at Indiana’s State Psychiatric Hospitals
Nov. 4-14
Online Exhibit

Celebrating and Remembering Family: Día de los Muertos
2022-11-04 12:00 - 13:30 | Bartholomew Co. Public Library – Outdoor Plaza, 536 5th St., Columbus, IN, 47201, United States
This bilingual celebration explores the cultural, spiritual, and intergenerational significance of Día de los Muertos. Author Selene Dávila will share El esqueleto que ama bailar (The Skeleton that Loves to Dance) and families will be invited to participate in art-making activities.
This event will be a bilingual story time that will engage child and parent participants across languages with the cultural, intergenerational, and spiritual significance of Día de los Muertos through multiple senses: a local author’s story, a felt storyboard visualizing a family alter, a craft to honor a deceased loved one, and the traditional holiday bone bread. Selene Dávila, a Columbus parent-author will share the meaning behind the holiday’s traditions in reading her story, El esqueleto que ama bailar, The Skeleton that Loves to Dance. Additional bilingual books authored by Columbus parents and sharing Latinx culture will be on display.
This event is geared toward PreK-6 youth, families, parents, and educators of all backgrounds. The storytelling portion of this event will be conducted live at the library and will also be livestreamed on the Bartholomew County Public Library’s Facebook page. In-person attendance is necessary to participate in the other activities.
A partnership between IUPUC Division of Education; Bartholomew Co. Public Library; Family School Partners; Cultural Learning Center, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp.; and Bartholomew Co. Literacy Taskforce.
Contact the event organizers at (812) 348-7244 or lbliu@iu.edu.
Walk-ins welcome, but registration is encouraged by Nov. 3.
Register below.
Image Credit: The Skeleton that Loves to Dance by Selene Davila

Will You See the Real Me?
2022-11-04 13:00 - 17:00 | Lost Dog Gallery, 1040 E. New York St., Indianapolis, IN, 46202, United States
Exhibit showcasing the work of two fiber art guilds and their creativity to express the stories and identities of individuals leaving incarceration, fighting homelessness, aging out of foster care, and facing other challenges.
We make a lot of assumptions about people. Depending on their personal backgrounds, economic status, gender expression, skin color, and even life struggles, we can unfairly label people and limit their options and opportunities in life. Let’s challenge ourselves to see the whole person based on how they identify for themselves outside of society’s labels.
Working with adults who have been previously incarcerated, struggled with homelessness, or have been in the foster system, fiber artists with INFiber and the Akoma Ntoso Modern Quilt Guild of Central Indiana have partnered with Trusted Mentors to create a dynamic exhibit – including an interactive “in-progress” component exhibit goers can add to – inspired by the stories and self-expression of those too often marginalized and stigmatized by society’s labels.
Upon entering the exhibit, attendees will be asked to respond to an art quilt and words about the difficulties the members of Trusted Mentors have faced. These thoughts can be written on ribbons and attached to the art quilt. Each piece in the exhibit will be inspired from key words and ideas from the mentees about their true selves. These thoughts will be included in the descriptions. As attendees exit the exhibit, they will be asked to again put words on ribbons and attach to another art quilt, but this time the words will be based on what they have seen in the art, expressive of the way those represented really see themselves.
The exhibit will be open for viewing at the Lost Dog Gallery on the following days:
Friday, Nov. 4: 5-9pm (opening reception)
Saturday, Nov. 5: 2-5 pm
Thursday, Nov. 10: 5-7pm
Friday, Nov. 11: 5-7pm
Saturday, Nov. 12: 2-5pm
A partnership between INfiber, Akoma Ntoso Modern Quilt Guild of Central Indiana, and Trusted Mentors.
Contact event organizers at 317-274-2462 or lostdoggallery@gmail.com
Walk-ins welcome! Registrations for the Nov. 4 reception are encouraged by Nov. 3.
Register below.

Between Society and Self/Entre la Sociedad y uno Mismo
2022-11-04 14:30 - 16:30 | Christ Church Cathedral, 125 Monument Circle, Indianapolis, IN, United States
What happens when you leave behind everything that created your sense of identity and start over? How do you explore and express those feelings? When words fail, art steps in to help. Share in the stories of Christ Church Cathedral’s immigrant congregants through visual and performing arts.
When leaving behind the touchstones of family and culture, immigrants are challenged to forge a new identity in their adopted home, blending past with present. Second generation immigrants who do not have the same connection to “home,” must also bridge the expectations of older generations with the expectations of their new culture.
Understandably, this can be hard to articulate to someone unfamiliar with the experience. Art has a way of expressing thoughts and feelings that are hard to put into words. This gathering will showcase art and music created by Hispanic immigrants who call Christ Church Cathedral their spiritual home.
This event is bilingual, presented in English and Spanish and features performing arts group Coro Latinoamericano among others.
A partnership between Christ Church Cathedral, Arte Mexicano de Indiana, and LUNA Language Services.
Event organizer contact info: 317-636-4577 or info@cccindy.org.
Register below.
Courtesy Elise Schrock, Christ Church Cathedral

Outside the Boxes: Challenging Labels Attached to Justice-Involved Individuals
2022-11-04 15:00 - 17:00 | The Church Within, 1125 Spruce St., Indianapolis, IN, 46203
Discover how being a part of the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program challenged participants to re-think their ideas of “identity” and the need to challenge the use of labels that often divide us.
How we each identify, and how we are identified by others, are often not the same. The practice of bringing together incarcerated (inside) and non-incarcerated (outside) people together for engaged and informed dialogue allows for a transformative learning experience that challenges people to re-think their use of labels, such as “offenders,” “addicts,” “felons” — language that dismisses and demeans people who have been entangled in the criminal justice system.
In this session, people who have been formerly incarcerated, people overcoming addiction, and college students who have all participated together in Inside-Out courses together will share their experiences and lead session participants to question the ways society uses labels to define and constrict people’s opportunities and futures.​​​​​​​
A partnership between the Indiana Chapter of the Inside-Out Prison Exchange, PACE Indy, and Dove Recovery House for Women.
Contact the event organizers at 317-274-2462 or suhyatt@iupui.edu.
Walk-ins welcome, but registration strongly encouraged by Nov. 4.
Register below.

Weaving the Web: Circling into Community
2022-11-05 08:00 - 10:00 | Garfield Park Arts Center – Main Gallery, 2432 Conservatory Dr., Indianapolis, IN, United States
During this all-ages event, guests will explore interactive arts activities designed to help the community look past differences and discover commonalities.
View the Ivy Tech student-created exhibit, “I Am Unique,” while engaging in art activities designed to help participants draw connections between their similarities and the importance of creating interconnected and supportive environments where both unique identities can shine and collective identities can flourish.
During this all-ages event, guests will explore interactive arts activities such as constructing a life size poem, making improvisational music, and working together to create a massive web of colorful ribbons. There will also be printmaking, button making, and coloring stations.
Both GPAC and Ivy Tech will host virtual versions of the exhibitions on their websites.
A partnership between Ivy Tech Community College, Central Region including Early Childhood Education and Fine Arts; Garfield Park Arts Center; and Trinity Haven Indy.
Contact event organizers at 317-327-7135 or GPAC@indy.gov.
Walk-ins welcome! This event is “come-and-go” style, but registrations are requested to help the event organizers prep enough supplies.
Register below.

Looking Forward: Black Indianapolis Artists Imagine the Future
2022-11-05 13:30 - 14:30 | Herron School of Art + Design – Eskenazi Hall, Basile Auditorium, 735 W. New York St., Indianapolis, IN, 46202, United States
This exhibit and panel discussion address the long-lasting impact of African American enslavement on our shared history and sense of identity. These offerings provide a space to delve into complicated histories by focusing on Indianapolis artists and how identity creates the context for telling stories.
Artwork in the exhibition Past is Present: Black Artists Respond to the Complicated Histories of Slavery comes from contemporary African American artists addressing the legacies and impacts of slavery and the 160-year-fight to receive equal rights and acknowledgement for their contributions to our collective culture. By featuring works of both nationally renowned and local artists paired with primary source documents from the Indiana Historical Society, Indiana State Museum, and others, this exhibit and panel discussion will help attendees see how slavery has shaped not only our nation, but our neighbors, friends, and communities.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Doors to the galleries will open at 3pm to give visitors an opportunity to meet with the artists, curators, and participants for an informal tour of the exhibit. This panel for Looking Forward: Black Indianapolis Artists Imagine the Future features moderator Kaila Austin, Campus and Community Engagement Coordinator for the exhibit; Curator Dr. Jonathan Square, Assistant Professor of Visual Culture at the Parson’s School of Design; and local artists Shamira Wilson, Matt Cooper, and Lobyn Hamilton.
A partnership between IU Herron School of Art and Design at IUPUI, Center for Africana Studies and Culture at IUPUI, and IUPUI Senior Academy.
Contact event organizers at 317-274-2462 or ktaustin@indiana.edu.
Walk-ins welcome!

Virtual opportunity also available by registering here.
Event: Saturday, Nov. 5, 5:30-6:30pm
Exhibit: Sept. 28, 2022—Jan. 15, 2023, 12-5pm
Matthew Cooper. DNA No. 28, 2022. Oil and paper on canvas. 36 x 24 in.

Tell Me What You Eat and I'll Tell You Where You Are From
2022-11-05 14:30 - 16:30 | MOTW Coffee & Pastries, 4873 W. 38th St., Indianapolis, IN, 46254, United States
Experience foods and flavors from Yemen, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Palestine and more while meeting the people who have prepared those foods. Learn about each other while exploring how what we eat is tightly bound to our identity.
In the documentary High on the Hog, Yoruba artist Romuald Hazoumè repeats a local saying to Stephen Satterfield, telling him, “We say ‘Tell me what you eat, and I’ll tell you where you are from.” This sentiment points directly toward this truth: Food and identity are inextricably linked. You can, by learning what people eat and why, identify not only where they are from, but where they’ve been on their way to where they are now.
This highly participatory and conversation-driven event invites the community to recognize the ways in which, here in the U.S., we very often separate food and flavors from the people and cultures from which they originate. In denying these roots, we are missing out on so very much. We hope folks will make space for the whole story that foods can tell.
Limited free food provided with additional food and beverages for purchase. This event is highly interactive! Willingness to talk and engage with new friends is important.
A partnership between The Church Within and MOTW Coffee & Pastries.
Contact event organizers at 317-683-0829 or thechurchwithin@thechurchwithin.org.
Walk-ins welcome but registering by October 28 helps with planning for enough food.
Register below.
Image Credit: Narmeen Taw, Creative Commons
Patogenetisk behandling – med det formål at afbryde den patologiske mekanisme apoteken24.com for erektil dysfunktion. Ideelt set elimineres indflydelsen af denne mekanisme fuldstændigt. Hvis dette ikke er muligt, sigter lægerne mod i det mindste at reducere dens indvirkning og bremse udviklingen af erektil dysfunktion.

Jadzia, My Beloved Old Friend! Gender Representation in Science Fiction
2022-11-06 09:00 - 10:30 | Center for Inquiry, 350 Canal Walk, Ste. A, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, United States
As with many political and socially sensitive topics, SciFi has long created a safe space to fully explore one’s identity. Hear from SciFi fans who have explored – and embraced – their gender and sexual identities through the art and power of science fiction.
This inclusive and welcoming event features a moderated discussion with SciFi fans who have a nontraditional experience with their own gender identity or sexual orientation. They will explore inspirational models they’ve encountered in SciFi stories and how these models have affected their own journeys. A wider discussion will also examine some of the ways SciFi has represented gender, romance, and sexual orientation through film, writing, and even fannish gatherings (e.g., cosplay) and how these spaces of imagination create accepting environments that encourage a full exploration of one’s identity.
A partnership between Starbase Indy, Gender Nexus, and Center for Inquiry.
Contact the event organizers at 317-626-2163 or Lisa_meece@starbaseindy.org.
Walk-ins welcome, but registration is strongly encouraged by Nov. 6.
Register below.

Voting in Indiana: The Past, The Present, and the Future
2022-11-06 11:00 - 12:30 | St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 100 W. 86th St., Indianapolis, IN, 46260, United States
What are the unique ways we can persuade Hoosiers to identify as voters? Together we will explore what shapes our personal identities as voters and how we can influence others to embrace the statement, “I am a voter!”
Focusing on individual and collective identity, this event will engage guests on the history of voting in Indiana and, using the arts, encourage attendees to clarify what it means to identify as a voter. Examine how your own voting identity has been shaped and imagine ways we can work to create a stronger culture of voting in Indiana by helping others embrace a “voter” identity. Attendees will be inspired by short performances and make their own “Why I Vote” yard signs. Together, we will find new ways to convince those reluctant to vote to engage in this most basic form of our democracy.
Join us early for a short performance at 3:45pm and be inspired by some awesome, young break dancers and future voters.
A partnership between Indiana Vote by Mail, League of Women Voters of Indiana, and St. Luke’s United Methodist Church.
Contact the event organizers at 317-408-3222 or barbtullyINVBM@gmail.com.
This is a hybrid event with both in-person and virtual participation options. Walk-ins welcome but registration is strongly encouraged by Nov. 5.
For ONLINE ATTENDANCE, click here (participation on Zoom; remember to include a shipping address to receive yard sign supplies!)
For IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE, click here (St. Luke’s Methodist, 100 W. 86th St., Indianapolis)
Photo by Jack Moreh from Freerange Stock

Call People What They Want to Be Called: Racial/Ethnic Labeling & Identity in Healthcare
2022-11-07 13:00 - 15:00 | Global Village Welcome Center, 4233 Lafayette Rd., Indianapolis, IN, 46254, United States
Explore how one’s sense of identity affects emotional/behavioral health of Black and Brown people through an interactive TED Talk-like presentation, audience activities, and conversations with local health-focused organizations. Food will be served.
This multi-faceted event invites the public to explore the importance of conscious identity labeling in healthcare situations. Through a short TED Talk-like presentation, an interactive identity-focused session on discovering behavioral triggers, and guided conversations with healthcare organization representatives focused on respectfully engaging Black and Brown community members, attendees will grow in their understanding of why and how identity matters for people of color in healthcare situations. The goal of this event is for Black and Brown people who attend to have more confidence and support in verbalizing their choices of racial/ethnic identification labels, and for white people to have better information and answers to questions they are hesitant to ask out loud. Food reflecting the racial/ethnic cultures of the International Marketplace will be served.
A partnership between the Komen Tissue Bank, Pink-4-Ever Ending Disparities and Men of Pink, Indiana Donor Network, and Global Village Welcome Center.
Walk-ins welcome, but due to food being served, registration by Nov. 4 is strongly encouraged.
Event organizer contact info: (317) 319-6337 or keridley@iupui.edu.
Register below.
Image Courtesy of Movement Advancement Project

Holy Sparks: Celebration the Feminine in Spirituality and Faith
2022-11-07 13:30 - 15:30 | Indiana Interchurch Center, 1100 W. 42nd St., Indianapolis, IN, United States
After viewing the exhibit, “Holy Sparks: Celebrating 50 Years of Women Rabbinate,” guests are invited to explore the feminine influences on religious traditions and faith journeys by hearing from a panel of diverse religious leaders as well as a poet, sculptor, and musician.
Too often, people are not as aware of the deep and profound feminine influence of their faith formation and faith journeys because of the patriarchal nature of religion in general. This emphasizes the feminine through music, art, sculpture, spoken word, and food.
Using the “Holy Sparks” art exhibit as a backdrop, this event encourages attendees to contemplate and identify the feminine influence on their faith formation and faith journey. Stories from sacred texts will be shared along with stories from individuals that identify, recognize, honor, and celebrate the stories of women, how they have shaped faith practices, communities, and individual faith journeys.
Panel speakers include moderator Katherine Tyler Scott (Managing Principal Ki ThoughtBridge), Rabbi Sandy Sasso (Rabbi Emeritus, Congregation Beth-El Zedeck), Dr. Anita Joshi (Hindu Temple of Central Indiana Board), and Reverend Dr. Marilyn Gill (Executive Director of Indiana Christian Leadership Conference). Featured artists include Deepha R. Maturi (poet), D. Del Reverda-Jennings (sculptor), and Dena El Saffar (musician).
A partnership between Center for Interfaith Cooperation, Congregation Beth-El Zedeck, and JCC-Indianapolis.
Contact the event organizers at 317-318-5304 or charlie@centerforinterfaithcooperation.org.
Walk-ins welcome, but registrations is strongly encouraged by Nov. 7.
Register below.
EXHIBIT DATES: Nov. 1 – 30
Image courtesy of Sonia Benjamin, Heller Museum at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion

Ciderside Chats
2022-11-07 14:00 - 16:00 | The Assembly – Restaurant & Cider Bar, 1301 E. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN, 46201, United States
Enjoy cider, snacks, and stories while listening, reflecting, and vibing about how we shape food and how it shapes us.
How have your tastes been shaped by your community and/or family of origin? How do you use food to connect with new acquaintances and old friends? How might food open new spaces for community, connection, and cooperation?​​​​​​​
Both food and stories shape who we are and how we identify. This event invites attendees to reflect on how food has shaped who they are by listening to featured food stories and then perhaps telling their own stories at an open mic!
Limited free food, alcoholic beverages, and nonalcoholic beverages available, with options for additional purchase. Guests under the age of 21 may attend. Guests may mask-up as preferred.
A partnership between Marian University Department of Media, Design, and Communication; and Ash & Elm Cider Company.
Contact the event organizers at 317-450-7972 or mbaumann@marian.edu.
Capacity is limited to 100 guests and registration is strongly encouraged by noon on November 7.
Register below.
Image Credit: Andréa Homoya

Identity and Community in the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis
2022-11-08 13:30 - 15:00
Join us as we explore the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, a resource that helps to define, create, and enhance identity for Indianapolis. Learn how the encyclopedia can be a powerful tool for helping citizens participate effectively in the community.
The digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis (EOI) provides a home for knowledge about Indianapolis’ past and present. Its entries, timelines, an interactive atlas, and in-depth features tell the stories of people, organizations, places, and events that define Indianapolis and its region. The past shapes our future and without a good, reliable, and comprehensive view of our achievements and struggles, we lack a common sense of identity. EOI works with both organizations and individual members in the community to create neighborhood histories, atlas, and features and shares data through a common framework that defines, creates, and enhances our identity as a city while providing information to mitigate and solve problems.
We will spend about 60 minutes presenting the digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis (EOI). We will focus on neighborhood, community, and faith content and how this content serves our community. The program will then shift from us to the audience. For the remainder of the presentation (about 30 minutes), we will act as facilitators–inviting comments, insights, and questions from attendees.
A partnership between Encyclopedia of Indianapolis and Indianapolis Public Library.
Contact the event organizers at 317-275-4135 or evanallen@indypl.org.
Registration required by 4:30pm on Nov. 8 to receive the Zoom link.
Register below.
Image Credit: Mars Hill Arts Center

HIV Modernization: Ending the Stigma of People Living with HIV
2022-11-09 12:30 - 15:00 | Phoenix Theater Cultural Center, 705 N. Illinois Street, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Through an art exhibit and panel discussion, learn how people living with HIV and their allies are working to end HIV stigma by modernizing Indiana’s outdated HIV criminal laws.
People living with HIV often face stigma and discrimination related to Indiana laws that criminalize them due to their positive HIV status. This event features speakers living with HIV who are working to end HIV criminalization through legislative change, activism, art, and community support.
A visual art show featuring Indy-based artist Contonnia Turner, Jr. and photographer/digital artist Todd Fuqua will provide a backdrop for the discussion. Contonnia Turner, Jr. is a talented young Black Hoosier with multiple layers of intersecting identity who creates artwork that reflects who he is physically, mentally, and spiritually. Todd Fuqua is an Indianapolis-based artivist (activism through art) who started a social movement called CelebrateUU, building on the concept of HIV Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U).
Explore the exhibit and interact informally with artists beginning at 5:30. The Talk will begin at 6:15 moderated by Terrell Parker and will include HIV Modernization Movement Chair Dr. Carrie Foote, and Co-Chair Mark Anthony Hughes. The Phoenix bar will be open, and snacks will be provided.
A partnership between Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center and HIV Modernization Movement Indiana.
Contact the event organizers at 317-635-7529 or cmacy@phoenixtheatre.org.
Walk-ins welcome, but registration is strongly encouraged by Nov. 9.
Register below.
EXHIBIT DATES: Nov. 3-13.

Navigating a New Identity After the Loss of a Loved One
2022-11-09 14:00 - 15:00 | Indiana Interchurch Center – Krannert Hall, 1100 W. 42nd St., Indianapolis, IN, 46208, United States
Join us for this profound discussion as individuals from the book Heart Guide share how identity changes after the death of a loved one: such as reevaluating career choices or forging new life paths after losing a child, spouse, parent, or other loved one. Moderated by Award-Winning Author Diana Ensign.
Tackling the topic of death and how we, as individuals and as a culture, go forward in healthy ways after the loss of people we love is a question asked throughout the ages in religion, art, and philosophy. There are no easy answers, but we can share our stories in the hope that it inspires others to forge a new identity in the face of personal hardship.
Drawing from the award-winning book Heart Guide: True Stories of Grief and Healing, panel members will share how they shifted their lives and found hope while navigating a new identity after the loss of their loved one. The audience will find hope in these stories because the speakers have forged ahead in inspirational ways: forming nonprofits to help others, finding new life partners, and creating new identities.
Panelists include Jeanine Hoffman, Franklin Oliver, Justin Phillips, and David Traylor. Moderated by award-winning author Diana J. Ensign. Doors open at 6:30pm for light snacks with presentations beginning at 7pm.
A partnership between Diana J. Ensign, SAMs Watch, and Overdose Lifeline.
Contact the event organizers at 317-828-6883 or dianaensign.com/contact.
Walk-ins welcome, but registrations strongly encouraged by Nov. 9.
Register below.
Navigating a New Identity After the Loss of a Loved One

Finding My Place
2022-11-09 14:00 - 15:30 | KanKan Cinema and Brasserie, 1258 Windsor St, Indianapolis, IN, 46241, United States
A screening of the WFYI film “When Kids Wrote the Headlines,” a story of local student journalists, with a panel discussion on how those experiences shaped their identities and their role in our civic life.
This event showcases the film “When Children Wrote the Headlines,” which is the story of a news bureau – Children’s Express/Y-Press – staffed by students, ages 10-18, who learned the skills of research, interviewing, and, writing to produce news stories for The Indianapolis Star & WFYI from 1990—2012. Their experiences shaped not just their own sense of identity at a critical time in their personal development, but also their role in the civic life of their community.
Following the film screening, moderator Lynn Sygiel, Children’s Express/Y-Press former Director; alum youth journalists Warren Stokes and Lisa Schubert Nowling; a WFYI reporter (TBN); and Bill Moreau, co-founder of The Indiana Citizen will join in conversation on how this experience helped the students identify their skills and interests, shaped their future lives and how they learned the imperative to participate in the wider world, the civic life of our community—to find their place.
A partnership between KanKan Cinema, WFYI, and The Indiana Citizen.
Contact the event organizers at (317) 800-7099 or hello@kankanindy.com.
Walk-ins welcome, space permitting. Registration is strongly encouraged by Nov. 9.
Register below.
Image Courtesy of Lynn Sygiel

(Un)Comfortable Conversations: The Power to Identify
2022-11-10 08:00 - 09:00 | Ivy Tech Community College – Illinois Fall Creek Center, 2535 N. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis, IN, 46208, United States
Hear from local writers, poets, and spoken word artists as they share brief and engaging stories of change centered around how they identify and how their sense of identity has shaped their lives and art.
How do the arts, humanities, and religion help identify the truth of who we are? How have identities changed over time? How does identifying with a group create unity? How does it create division? What does it mean to claim a new identity? How do the arts allow us to express our identities?
Writers and spoken-word artists from diverse backgrounds will honestly and courageously tackle these questions and more during this event in which participants will also be given the opportunity to reflect on and write about similar themes. A Q&A will follow between the audience and presenters.
A partnership between Word as Bond, Inc. and
A partnership between Word as Bond, Inc. and the Department of English, Humanities, and World Languages at Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis.
Contact event organizers at 317-940-9814 or amackjackson@wordasbond.org.
This is a hybrid event with in-person (Illinois Fall Creek Center, Rm. 306) and online participation options. Walk-ins welcome, but registration is strongly encouraged by Nov. 8.
Register below. (The single registration link will register you for both in-person and Zoom options!)

Legislating Students' Identities: Stopping Attacks on Students' Identities in School
2022-11-10 11:30 - 13:00
Hear from students themselves on the ways in which their identities are being policed in schools, specifically related to race, sexual orientation, and gender.
Students have been the target of state legislatures across the country, including Indiana, in recent years. From bans on trans athletes and classroom censorship bills to dress codes that disproportionally affected students of color, student rights to be who they are seem constantly under attack. What do students themselves have to say about this?
This event invites the public, especially other youth (14+), to small resource fair featuring “know your rights” content followed by a panel discussion and small group conversations led by students.
A partnership between ACLU of Indiana, Indiana Youth Group, Shelly’s Voice Advocacy, and other Gay-Straight Alliance Groups.
Contact the event organizers at 317-635-4059 or info@aclu-in.org.
Register below.

Image Credit: – Students Protest by Fibonacci Blue on Flickr

Inking Identity: Indigenous Tattoo Practices
2022-11-10 13:30 - 15:00 | Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, 500 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN, 46204, United States
Artist, activist, and owner/founder of Thunderbird Rising Studios in Indianapolis, Stephanie Big Eagle will talk about the traditional Indigenous practice of hand poked tattooing and how both the practice of tattooing and the tattoo itself shape and reflect cultural identity.
Tattoos are inherently tied to identity as one is choosing to permanently adorn their body with visual aspects of their self. Like many Native art forms, oppression and assimilation practices led traditional tattooing practices to be set aside for a time. Fortunately, these tattooing traditions are experiencing a reawakening and revival in recent years, helping Native Peoples connect deeply to cultural practices that were nearly lost.
Those gathered for the event will have a chance to hear Lakota/Dakota tattoo artist Stephanie Big Eagle and others talk about the practice of hand poked tattooing and how Indigenous tattoos both shape and reflect individual and cultural identities.
A partnership between Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Purdue University Native American Educational and Cultural Center, and Indiana Native American Indian Affairs Commission.
Contact the event organizers at (317) 275-1377 or museumprograms@eiteljorg.com.
Walk-ins welcome, but registration is strongly encouraged by Nov. 9.
This event will also be livestreamed via Vimeo.
Register below.
The second group includes people with innate disabilities. We try to rectify what nature Carly Rae Jepsen has deprived us of. And the third group includes patients who should be discouraged. They hope that after plastic surgery problems in the family or at work will disappear, or they will have good luck in the love life. These people don’t realize that the reasons are within themselves and not in their appearance. Sometimes just talking is enough to make the patient realize that there is no need for surgery, because they just need to solve their psychological problems.
Image courtesy of Stephanie Big Eagle

The Rhythm of Us: Interfaith Understanding Through the Art of Music
2022-11-10 14:00 - 15:15 | Franklin College, Napolitan Student Center – Branigin Room, 101 Branigin Blvd., Franklin, IN, United States
With performances representing different religious traditions and opportunities for participation, attendees will explore how music conveys who we are as individuals, groups, and cultures throughout time.
Music is an especially powerful way to express identity in a pluralistic world. Musicians performing across faith traditions and genres will engage participants in a broader conversation about how we convey who we are, as individuals and as groups, through singing, chanting, and instrumental performances. More information can be found at FranklinCollege.edu/interfaitharts.
Featured musicians and performers include vocalist Maegan Pollonais; chanters Vasanthi (Indu) Vasudevan and Constantine (Dean) Maniakas; and pianist Chang Shen.
Check out the performance schedule at Franklin.College.edu/interfaitharts.
A partnership between Franklin College, Franklin Symphonic Council, Center for Interfaith Cooperation, and Miss Polly’s Music Class.
Contact event organizers at 317-738-8054 or bschmidt@franklincollege.edu.
Walk-ins welcome, but registration is strongly encouraged by Nov. 4.
Register below.

Where’d You Go to High School? Analyzing a Century of the IPS Caste System
2022-11-11 12:30 - 15:30 | Central Library – Center for Black Literature & Culture, 40 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis, IN, 46204, United States
Where we went to high school tells a lot about how we see ourselves and how others see us. Join a session where you and other local grads are challenged to understand identity by analyzing a century-old IPS high school pyramid of caste, power, and prestige through art, poetry, and conversation.
Though we might not think it’s important, when the question “Where’d you go to high school?” is asked, most people know why. Our answer identifies us, making public our social, economic, and cultural background. This is important for our city. Over the past century, Indianapolis created a divided and unjust system of schools sorting/ranking students by neighborhood, race, class, ethnicity, religion, and ability. This caste system betrayed Horace Mann’s promise that our public schools would be the great “equalizer,” a level playing field with equal opportunity for all.
Guests at this event will be challenged, via primary sources, art, poetry, and story sharing, to go deeper, emphasizing important connections to power structures and how we’ve all been used by the system to uphold those systems which have exerted control and influence over public education. Attendees will leave understanding it is worth their time to pay attention to the high school forces that shaped their identity and will be better able to identify current (and future) forces shaping local schools, youth, and neighborhoods.
5PM – Doors open. Check-in begins.
5:30-6PM – Poster board activity reflecting on IPS’s past and present (11) high schools
6-6:30PM – Welcome, Introductions, & Art Presentations
6:30-7:30PM – Small Group Discussions
7:30-8:30PM – Group Report Outs, Discussion, and Conclusion
Artist and poet presentations feature Dr. Monday, Kaila Austin, and Glyde Gaw.
On-site discussion consultants are IPS graduates Guy Russell (Shortridge), John Loflin (Harry E. Wood), Sheila Boyd (Crispus Attucks), and Dr. Thomas Brown (Arsenal Tech).
A partnership between Charles E. & Virginia P. Vornehm-Loflin Center on IPS History, Kheprw Institute, Rev. Dr. Thomas L. Brown, Virgil Boyd & Sheila Boyd, Guy Russell, Kaila Austin, Clyde Gaw, Wyse Ra, and Black & Latino Policy Institute.
Contact the event organizers at 317-998-1339 or johnharrisloflin@yahoo.com.
Walk-ins welcome, but registration is strongly encouraged by Nov. 10.
Register below.
