Spirit & Place, IU Indianapolis

Fear, Mercy, and the Nature of Us
2025-11-14 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis) | 1000 Words Gallery, 3328 E. 10th St., Indianapolis, 46201, United States
Limited capacity. Registration encouraged.
Inspired by the poems Allowables by Nikki Giovanni and Mercy by Rudy Francisco this event explores the roots of our fears and the quiet, transformative power of mercy. Facilitated by Deborah Asante, participants will engage in guided writing, creative reflection, and optional group sharing in a safe and supportive environment.
Through the power of poetry and writing, this event examines and explores how the nature of fear and mercy shape us as individuals and a society. Engage in guided conversation about how we respond to what we do not understand. Write short reflections, letters, or poems and contribute a word or phrase to a collaborative community art piece called the Web of Mercy. Set in a calm and creative space, the program offers time for meaningful dialogue, quiet reflection, and artistic expression, leaving participants with a deeper sense of how the sacred choice of mercy can shape both our inner lives and our relationships with others.
Questions? Contact 317-274-2462 or info@blackworldschoolers.com.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Black Worldschoolers Mobile Bookstore and Imani Willis-Henderson.
Registration: Click here to register.

Hopecraft: Cultivating Possibility in the Climate Crisis
2025-11-14 18:30 - 20:00 | Ujamaa Community Bookstore, 2424 Dr. MLK Jr. St., Indianapolis, IN, 46208, United States
Discover Hopecraft! Part conversation, part hands-on art workshop—“hope crafting” invites those grappling with climate despair to connect through reflection, visual expression, and writing to explore climate hope through the resilient perspectives of Black, Brown, and Indigenous thinkers.
Hopecraft invites participants into a hands-on, heart-centered exploration of hope as both a personal practice and a community tool. Through guided reflection, creative exercises, and conversation, this interactive workshop will help you identify where hope shows up in your life and how it can be nurtured, shared, and sustained. Whether you arrive feeling weary or inspired, Hopecraft offers space to craft tangible practices of resilience and imagination that strengthen both self and community.
Questions? Contact 317-274-2462 or klynnkamara@gmail.com.
Event Organizers: A partnership Kiara Kamara and Ujamaa Community Bookstore.
Registration: Click here to register.

Dreamland
2025-11-14 19:00 - 20:30 | The Athenaeum, 401 E. Michigan St., Indianapolis, 46204, United States
ASL Interpretation provided by IU Indianapolis’s American Sign Language/English Interpreting Program students
Created by middle and high school students, Dreamland is a theatrical journey through eco-anxiety and the climate crisis. Featuring original music, movement, and projection, this youth-driven performance reflects the urgency of our time and invites audiences to listen, feel, and engage in a post-show dialogue with the cast and Earth Charter Indiana.
React, formerly Young Actors Theater, creates original theatre with youth that REACTS to social issues in the world. Earth Charter Indiana exists to inspire and advance sustainable, just and peaceful living in Indiana. Through education, engagement and advocacy, they support schools, municipalities, and mission-aligned organizations in building local resilience.
Questions? Contact 317-258-2255 or georgeanna@reactclasses.org.
Event Partners: A partnership between React and Earth Charter Indiana.
Registration: Click to register here.

Voices of the Land: A Day of Connection
2025-11-15 10:00 - 16:00 | Peace Learning Center at Eagle Creek Park, 6040 DeLong Rd., Indianapolis, 46254, United States
Park admission free with registration. Some experiences are timed — registration is encouraged.
Connect with nature through guided hikes, historical building tours, crafts, sound baths, nature journaling, and artistic performances. This family-friendly event offers flexible, hands-on experiences that deepen your relationship with the land and community.
Spend a full day immersed in nature at Peace Learning Center and Eagle Creek Park, exploring the connections between people and the land. Guided hikes, plant and wildlife identification, nature journaling, and hands-on art projects invite participants to engage creatively and mindfully with the outdoors. The day includes performances celebrating cultural heritage, an outdoor sound bath, and reflections from Native American perspectives that honor and give thanks for the land. Families and individuals of all ages are welcome to participate at their own pace, keeping in mind some experiences – like the guided walks – are timed. Details on how to make the most of your visit will be included in the confirmation materials you’ll be emailed upon registration.
Questions? Contact 317-327-7144 or ajackson@peacelearningcenter.org.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Peace Learning Center, Sacred Path Coaching, The Yoga Lady, Arthentic Arts, and James Todd.
Registration: Click here to register.

The Greencastle Urban Fossil Tour: Discover Ancient Life Around You!
2025-11-15 13:00 - 16:00 | Putnam County Museum, 1105 Jackson St., Greencastle, 46135, United States
Self-Guided Walks: Nov. 7 – 16
Guided Walks & Activities: Saturday, Nov. 8 & 15
Download a self-guided tour map and daily schedule by clicking here!
Join an all-ages community-wide fossil adventure blending science, nature, and art! Explore Greencastle’s buildings and the DePauw Nature Park on your own with a custom map or participate in a guided tour. Visit Fern Cliff’s vivid green sandstone, make fossil prints and poems, hear from experts, and trade your Paleo Art for a fossil cookie.
The Greencastle Urban Fossil Tour was designed with flexibility in mind!

Self-Guided Walks: Pick up a walking tour “fossil map” of downtown Greencastle and the DePauw Nature Park at the Putnam County Museum (1105 N. Jackson St.) or the Putnam County Convention & Visitors Bureau (aka, “Welcome Center,” 12 W. Washington St.). Hours vary but are open most weekdays until 3PM. After touring the area—and noting what you saw—return to the Welcome Center to collect your fossil-shaped cookie!

Saturday Sessions & Guided Walks: On Saturdays, guests and their families can attend interactive presentations at the Putnam County Museum with paleo-artist Janet Panoch (11/8) and geologist Tim Cope (11/15). Activities include fossil rubbings, art displays, short poetry exercises, and optional guided fossil walks in the DePauw Nature Park (1400 W. CR 125 S.). Saturday sessions are from 1 – 4PM with the guided walk beginning at TBA times.

Special Instructions: Please verify hours for the DePauw Nature Park, Putnam County Museum, and Putnam County Convention & Visitors Bureau before picking up a self-guided walking tour map.
Most areas on the tour are ADA compliant.
Questions? Contact 317-748-8462 or jpanoch@iu.edu.
Event Organizers: A partnership between paleo-artist Janet Panoch, Putnam County Museum, DePauw University, DePauw Geosciences Club, and The Doc’s Inn.
Registration: Click here to register.

A Nature Walk Down a Peace Path
2025-11-15 15:00 - 18:00 | Shalom Mennonite Church, 6100 E. 32nd. St., Indianapolis, 46226, United States
ADDRESS CORECTION:
The festival event guide lists an incorrect address. Shalom Mennonite Church is at 6100 E. 32nd St.

Experience the healing nature of the woods through a guided walk and hands-on crafts followed by an evening of poetry, stories, and songs around a campfire. All are welcome to experience nature as a place of peace, connection, and renewal at this come-and-go style event.
Step into the woods for an afternoon of discovery, creativity, and community connection. Guided nature walks along a groomed woodland trail will introduce guests to native trees and plants with moments to pause and consider quotes from poems and scripture. Families are especially welcome—children can join in hands-on craft projects and plant seeds in take-home containers to watch them grow long after the event. As the day winds down, everyone is invited to gather around a campfire for poetry, storytelling, and song—an experience that blends art, reflection, faith, and the healing power of nature.
Questions? Contact 317-549-0577 or office@shalommennonite.com.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Shalom Mennonite Church; Arlington Woods Neighborhood Association; Audubon Gardens Neighborhood Association, Inc.; and Indianapolis Public Library – E. 38th St. Branch.
Event Details:
3 – 5PM – Enjoy the trail and other activities
5 – 6PM – Storytime and campfire programming begins
Rain or shine! Dress appropriately, wear walking shoes – the trail is flat wood chipped and about 500ft long – and bring a lawn chair for the campfire!
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.

Youth Rising for Nature: Getting Community in Action through Service & Advocacy
2025-11-16 13:00 - 16:00 | Fall Creek Trail, 30th & College Ave., Indianapolis, IN, 46025, United States
Community Forum & River Clean Up. Attend one or both gatherings.
Join Sea Scope’s youth Eco-Warriors for a two-part event exploring environmental justice, community dialogue, and a Fall Creek cleanup. Facilitated by local experts and inspired by Laudato Si, this experience blends spiritual reflection and action. Connect with neighbors of Martindale-Brightwood and our living earth—come for one or both days!
This two-part experience (attending both Saturdays is optional) connects storytelling, faith, Martindale-Brightwood neighbors, and environmental action. The first session features an expert and youth-led community forum exploring local ecological challenges and reflections inspired by Laudato Si’ – a 2015 papal encyclical focused on environmental stewardship, climate change, and ecological responsibility, emphasizing the moral and spiritual dimensions of caring for the Earth. A week later, participants engage in a hands-on cleanup along Fall Creek restoring natural spaces in disinvested communities while learning how local actions connect to global environmental issues. Through dialogue, reflection, and collective action, attendees will deepen their understanding of stewardship, equity, and the sacred responsibility to care for our shared planet.
Questions? Contact 317-203-9397 or seascopeincindy@gmail.com.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Sea Scope Inc., Earth Charter Indiana, Indiana Conservation Voters, The Garden Community Church, and Indy Parks and Recreation.
Registration: Click here to register for the Nov. 16 river clean up.
Community Forum Details (Nov. 9): See Nov. 9 event.
River Clean Up Details (Nov. 16): Dress for the weather – with sturdy shoes and work gloves – for the clean-up. Additional details will be provided upon registration.

Nature Meets Spirit: A Walk with Bach, A Pilgrimage with Christ, and a Dance with God
2025-11-16 14:00 - 16:00 | Episcopal Church of All Saints, 1559 Central Ave., Indianapolis, IN, 46202, United States
Journey through music and faith in this Baroque concert featuring works by Buxtehude, Biber, and Bach performed by Colette Abel and friends. Reflect on Christ’s Passion, the nature of pilgrimage, and Bach’s personal walk through grief and spiritual purpose. A moving fusion of music, nature, and spirit.
Questions? Contact 317-635-2538 or music@allsaintsindy.org.
Event Organizers: A partnership between musician Colette Abel, Episcopal Church of All Saints, and Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra.
Registration: Click here.

The Sacred Cycle: Faith, Consumption, and Our Ecological Future
2025-11-16 14:00 - 16:00 | The International School of Indiana, 4330 N. Michigan Rd., Indianapolis, 46208, United States
Join faith communities and experts in a panel discussion and hands-on “Why We Care” fair exploring how faith can inspire ecological action and values-based economic choices. Hear stories from Indy faith groups leading the way, and connect with organizations advancing environmental justice, reducing waste, and protecting our planet through creative, community-rooted strategies.
Questions? Contact 317-762-7834 or pfrancis@schottdesign.com.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Circular Indiana, Mundell & Associates, and the International School of Indiana.
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

Connections Lessons
2026-02-19 10:30 - 11:30
Virtual
What did Connections reveal about what our community is longing for right now?
In this Zoom session, Spirit & Place will share highlights from the 2025 Festival survey and explore patterns, interests, and lessons that can inspire meaningful proposals for the 2026 Festival.
If you’re just getting started in thinking about this year’s festival and simply want to explore the Connections theme, this will be a great info session to attend!
Use the link below to register and receive a Zoom link to join in.
https://iu.zoom.us/meeting/register/p9JBFyuFQKKZgDpNsKkY8Q

Spirit & Place Festival Application Info Session (10:30AM)
2026-03-26 10:30 - 11:30 | College Avenue Branch LIbrary, 4180 N. College Ave., Indianapolis, IN, 46205, United States
Session Offered 2X on March 26!
This group information session is open to anyone interested in applying to the 2026 Spirit & Place Festival. Spirit & Place staff will provide an overview of the Festival, the theme, the application process, selection criteria, collaboration expectations, and funding ideas.
The same information will be presented at the 10:30AM and 3:30PM sessions at the College Ave. branch library.
Just use the link below to register for the time that best works for you!
https://forms.gle/rrGGbZD8pdBMSA4Z7

Spirit & Place Festival Application Info Session (3:30PM)
2026-03-26 15:30 - 16:30 | College Avenue Branch LIbrary, 4180 N. College Ave., Indianapolis, IN, 46205, United States

Spirit & Place Festival Info Session (Virtual)
2026-04-15 10:00 - 11:00
Join us via Zoom in this group information session — open to anyone interested in applying to the 2026 Spirit & Place Festival!
Spirit & Place staff will provide an overview of the Festival, the theme, the application process, selection criteria, collaboration expectations, and funding ideas.
Sign up for the date and time that works for you!
April 15 Info Session (Zoom – 10AM)
https://iu.zoom.us/meeting/register/RW-PyFi4RZC5qGo7umYt3Q
April 16 Info Session (Zoom – 11:30AM)
https://iu.zoom.us/meeting/register/1gyaYDJJTympksjrxFlkQQ
April 21 Info Session (Zoom – 3:30PM)
https://iu.zoom.us/meeting/register/hENCWYoOSUuM0UQcN97FsQ

Spirit & Place Festival Info Session (Virtual)
2026-04-16 11:30 - 12:30
Join us via Zoom in this group information session — open to anyone interested in applying to the 2026 Spirit & Place Festival!
Spirit & Place staff will provide an overview of the Festival, the theme, the application process, selection criteria, collaboration expectations, and funding ideas.
Sign up for the date and time that works for you!
April 16 Info Session (Zoom – 11:30AM)
https://iu.zoom.us/meeting/register/1gyaYDJJTympksjrxFlkQQ
April 21 Info Session (Zoom – 3:30PM)
https://iu.zoom.us/meeting/register/hENCWYoOSUuM0UQcN97FsQ

Spirit & Place Festival Info Session (Virtual)
2026-04-21 15:30 - 16:30
Join us via Zoom in this group information session — open to anyone interested in applying to the 2026 Spirit & Place Festival!
Spirit & Place staff will provide an overview of the Festival, the theme, the application process, selection criteria, collaboration expectations, and funding ideas.
April 21 Info Session (Zoom – 3:30PM)
https://iu.zoom.us/meeting/register/hENCWYoOSUuM0UQcN97FsQ

Revolutionary Religion: How Voluntary Action & Religion Shaped the American Revolution
2026-06-03 18:00 - 20:30 | Herron School of Art + Design – Eskenazi Hall, Basile Auditorium, 735 W. New York St., Indianapolis, IN, 46202, United States
Religion has often been central to revolutionary movements throughout history by serving as the impetus for rebellion, mobilizing and organizing volunteers, and shaping the moral foundations of the revolutionaries themselves. To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this program invites members of the Central Indiana community to ponder how religion and voluntary action shaped the American Revolution and how these themes reverberate throughout history, even to the current moment.

Through a collaborative event from the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, Spirit & Place, all a part of Indiana University Indianapolis, as well as WFYI, attendees will hear from some of the foremost scholars on religion’s role in the Revolutionary War as they explore key areas of religion and volunteering, framed through the Faith and Freedom in America screening reel from The American Revolution documentary by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt.

Doors open at 5:30PM
Refreshments will be available at 6PM
Programming begins at 6:30PM

Registration requested at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/revolutionary-religion-tickets-1988790726600?aff=oddtdtcreator
