Spirit & Place, IU Indianapolis

Spirit & Place Festival Exhibits
2023-10-17 - 2023-10-28, 2023-10-18 - 2023-10-29, 2023-10-19 - 2023-10-30, 2023-10-20 - 2023-10-31, 2023-10-21 - 2023-11-01, 2023-10-22 - 2023-11-02, 2023-10-23 - 2023-11-03, 2023-10-24 - 2023-11-04 and 11 more dates
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

Spirit & Place Festival Opening Night
2023-11-02 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis) | Global Village Welcome Center, 4233 Lafayette Rd., Indianapolis, IN, 46254, United States
Nourish your sense of community by joining Spirit & Place as it kicks off the 28th annual Spirit & Place Festival with the tantalizing flavors of an opening night reception, engaging exhibits, and family-friendly activities. Walk-in guests welcome!
Smell and sample delicious cuisine from area restaurants while viewing community-curated exhibits celebrating the myriad of cultures who call the west side of Indianapolis home. You can also learn how food and faith intersect through a poster exhibit commissioned by Spirit & Place and participate in creative, hands-on family-friendly activities.
Registration will open in September and is requested by Nov. 2, but walk-ins are welcome. Questions? Contact us at 317-274-2462 or festival@iupui.edu.

FACING GRIEF: Nourishing Ourselves and Others Through Loss
2023-11-03 13:30 - 15:00 | Phoenix Theater Cultural Center, 705 N. Illinois Street, Indianapolis, IN, United States
The Nov. 5 performance at 4pm will have live captioning to a screen.
The Nov. 7 performance at 7pm will has ASL interpretation.
All other accommodation requests should be made by Oct. 20.
Many of us don’t know what to say or do when a loved one experiences profound grief. Through live theatrical enactments of various scenarios, audiences are invited to practice reacting to loss and supporting those they love.
Our brains are wired for survival, not loss, creating significant challenges in the aftermath of profound grief. FACING GRIEF, a presentation of The Sapphire Theatre’s award-winning PICTURE THIS® applied theatre programming, engages improvisational actors to act out brief scenarios. Staying in character, they “break the fourth wall” for an interactive talk back with the audience at the crisis point of each scene. Society and the community can do better for those who are hurting. Theatre can help show the way by allowing participants to practice how to have hard conversations, hold space, and listen. Musicians, interfaith ministers, educators, counselors and other subject matter experts will help facilitate this event.
FACING GRIEF will also be performed twice on November 5 at Unity Indianapolis. The 11:30am performance will follow a specially-themed worship service (10am) that all are welcome to attend! A second performance is scheduled for 4pm. FACING GRIEF will be performed a final time on Nov. 7 at the Phoenix Theatre. If interested in these other performances, please return to the event calendar and register for those dates/times.
Questions? Contact 317-966-7529 or andrea@sapphiretheatre.com
Event Partners: Sapphire Theatre Co.; Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center; Unity of Indianapolis; Jon Swanson, PhD.; Deandra Dycus; and Congregation Beth-El Zedeck.
Event Registration: Registration requested by Nov. 3, but walk-ins are welcome as space permits. Registration link forthcoming.
Audience Note: This program is focused on people who are seeking to better support loved ones experiencing profound bereavement. However, those currently grieving are welcome to attend – care is being shown to create an emotionally safe space. Additionally, the November 3 gather will include a post-event reception.

Sovereign Sustenance: Indigenous Food Sovereignty Talk and Cooking Demo
2023-11-03 14:30 - 16:30 | Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, 500 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN, 46204, United States
Chef, educator, and founder of Indigikitchen Mariah Gladstone (Blackfeet/Cherokee) will talk about the meaning and significance of Indigenous food sovereignty and conduct a cooking demonstration with Indigenous recipes, which attendees will have a chance to sample. Attendees will then learn about local Indigenous food sovereignty efforts from Felica Ahasteen-Bryant, the Director of the Native American Educational and Cultural Center (NAECC) at Purdue University and Dani Tippmann, the Community Food Program Director for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma.
Hybrid event with live-stream option!
Questions? Contact 317-275-1377 or museumprograms@eiteljorg.com.
Event Partners: Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art and Purdue University Native American Educational and Cultural Center.
Event Registration: Registration requested by Nov. 1. Walk-in guests are welcome while seating remains. A live-stream link will be posted on the Eiteljorg website and social media for those who are not able to attend in-person.

Image Credit: Shelby McGrady

Making Room at the Table: The Story of the Philadelphia Eleven
2023-11-03 14:30 - 17:30 | Newfields – The Toby, 4000 N. Michigan Rd., Indianapolis, IN, 46226, United States
ASL Upon Request.
Watch The Philadelphia Eleven, a compelling new documentary film about the first women to become Episcopal priests. Join a panel discussion with the filmmaker, two of the Eleven, and some of Indy’s trailblazing female religious leaders.
The film shows how a brave group of women shattered the stained glass ceiling on July 29, 1974, by challenging the very core of patriarchal culture to seek ordination as priests in the Episcopal Church. It is a powerful story of faith and conviction. It is a story for all of us, regardless of faith tradition.
Their story prompts questions such as what does a just and inclusive community look like in practice? How do we break down barriers with grace and remain true to ourselves in the process? How do we, as either the protagonist or as an ally, stand up to institutions that do not allow people to be who they are called to be? How do we practice radical inclusivity?
After the film screening, guests will hear from the filmmaker, Margo Guernsey, as well as two of the “Philadelphia Eleven,” Rev. Dr. Carter Heyward and Rev. Nancy Wittig. Joining them in conversation will be Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, the first Black woman elected diocesan bishop, and Rabbi Sandy Sasso, the first woman to be ordained a rabbi by the Reconstructionist movement. These trailblazing women have each played key roles in making room at the table and in bringing women’s perspectives and leadership to provide spiritual nourishment.
Questions? Contact 317-926-1346 or ktrumancox@trinitychurchindy.org.
Event Partners: Trinity Episcopal Church, Indianapolis; St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Richmond; Christ Church Cathedral; and the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis.
Event Registration: Registration requested by noon on November 3. Walk-ins welcome.
Audience Note: Doors open at 6pm with seating beginning at 6:30pm. Entry to Newfields requires x-ray and bag screening. Please allow extra time for entry. The film screening and parking are free and fully accessible. Food is available at the museum cafe from 6-6:30pm. Please note only packaged food items from the cafe — nothing plated — may be taken into the theater.

Buzz & Flutter: Cultivating, Creating, & Caring for our Pollinators
2023-11-04 08:00 - 10:30 | Garfield Park Arts Center – Main Gallery, 2432 Conservatory Dr., Indianapolis, IN, United States
ASL Interpretation Onsite.
Make art while also learning from community gardeners, beekeepers, and even chefs on how we can all work to sustain and nourish our pollinator friends – bees and butterflies!
Art-making activities, learning opportunities, honey-tasting, and exhibits will be featured at this dynamic all-ages, family-friendly event featuring:

An exhibition featuring images based on gardening, bees, and butterflies created by local artists including Ivy Tech Community College art students
Art-making activities
Info tables on beekeeping and hive management
Honey tasting!
Honey-themed recipe station hosted by Chef Thom England/Ivy Tech Culinary Program
Lessons on how to prep seeds to “winter over”
And more!

Can’t make it to the event? Check out an online edition of the art exhibit here: (LINK FORTHCOMING)
Questions? Contact (317) 916-7832 or srobertson99@ivytech.edu
Event Partners: Ivy Tech Community College Central Indiana including the Culinary, Early Childhood Education, English, Fine Arts and Hospitality programs and Garfield Park Arts Center.
Event Registration: Registration is appreciated by November 3, but walk-ins are welcome! (Registration link forthcoming.)

Eastern Black Swallowtail Courtesy of Renee Rule

Spirit-Filled Songs: Christian Worship Music Then & Now
2023-11-04 12:00 - 13:30 | New Joy Lutheran Church, 316 W. 156th St., Westfield, IN, 46074, United States
ASL Interpreted.
Experience a participatory concert of Christian music spanning decades and genres ranging from traditional hymns to South African songs performed by the multi-racial Faithful Friends Band.
Members of the Faithful Friends Band met during a gathering of the Indianapolis Great Banquet – a multi-racial weekend rooted in Christian faith and music. These talented performers invite you to listen and sing along to a selection of praise music ranging from gospel and traditional music to contemporary Christian and South African hymns. Attendees will also learn about the history of the songs – all of which were chosen on how they nourish the spirit – as well as their composers. Explore and experience how music nourishes the human spirit while forming community with others through song!
Questions? Contact 317-691-9670 or rvertner@yahoo.com.
Event Partners: A partnership between churches and congregants of Walk in the Light Christian Church, Traders Point Christian Church, Alive in the Word, Glory to God Christian Church, Little Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, and New Joy Lutheran Church, with support from the Indianapolis Great Banquet.
Event Registration: Registration requested by Nov. 2. Walk-ins welcome! Registration link forthcoming.

Image Credit: Faithful Friends Band

FACING GRIEF: Nourishing Ourselves and Others Through Loss
2023-11-05 06:30 - 08:00 | Unity Indianapolis Church, 907 N. Delaware St., Indianapolis, IN, 46202, United States
The Nov. 5 performance at 4pm will have live captioning to a screen.
The Nov. 7 performance at 7pm will has ASL interpretation.
All other accommodation requests should be made by Oct. 20.
Many of us don’t know what to say or do when a loved one experiences profound grief. Through live theatrical enactments of various scenarios, audiences are invited to practice reacting to loss and supporting those they love.
Our brains are wired for survival, not loss, creating significant challenges in the aftermath of profound grief. FACING GRIEF, a presentation of The Sapphire Theatre’s award-winning PICTURE THIS® applied theatre programming, engages improvisational actors to act out brief scenarios. Staying in character, they “break the fourth wall” for an interactive talk back with the audience at the crisis point of each scene. Society and the community can do better for those who are hurting. Theatre can help show the way by allowing participants to practice how to have hard conversations, hold space, and listen. Musicians, interfaith ministers, educators, counselors and other subject matter experts will help facilitate this event.
FACING GRIEF will also be performed twice on November 5 at Unity Indianapolis. The 11:30am performance will follow a specially-themed worship service (10am) that all are welcome to attend! A second performance is scheduled for 4pm. FACING GRIEF is also being performed on on November 3 and 7 at the Phoenix Theatre. If interested in these other performances, please return to the event calendar and register for those dates/times.
Questions? Contact 317-966-7529 or andrea@sapphiretheatre.com
Event Partners: Sapphire Theatre Co.; Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center; Unity of Indianapolis; Jon Swanson, PhD.; Deandra Dycus; and Congregation Beth-El Zedeck.
Event Registration: Registration requested by Nov. 5, but walk-ins are welcome as space permits. Registration link forthcoming.
Audience Note: This program is focused on people who are seeking to better support loved ones experiencing profound bereavement. However, those currently grieving are welcome to attend – care is being shown to create an emotionally safe space.

Delicious Silence: Cooking, Eating, & Community Care without Saying a Word
2023-11-05 06:30 - 10:00 | Indy’s Kitchen, 2442 Central Ave., Indianapolis, IN, 46205, United States
SOLD OUT.
ASL Upon Request.
Prepare lunch with a group of strangers and eat it together, all in silence. Afterwards, reflect, via facilitated mindful dialogue, on your communal experience and what it means to nourish and be nourished.
Silent practice is a cornerstone of Zen Buddhism. At its heart, Zen meditation practice is returning to ease in the body and ease in breathing, allowing one to turn towards whatever they are experiencing. Participants will experience the effects of living this way for a short time and then reflect on their experience through a facilitated mindful dialogue at the end of the meal. In this way, we hope participants will have the opportunity to explore what it means to nourish and be nourished on many levels, beyond words and concepts, through the collective experience of making a meal and consuming it together in perfect silence.
Questions? Contact 317-296-4540 or hello@indycommunityyoga.org
Event Partners: Indy Community Yoga, The Indianapolis Zen Center, and Indy’s Kitchen.
Event Registration: Registration required by Oct. 20. Due to the nature of this event, we cannot accommodate walk-in guests.
Audience Note: After an orientation to silent practice and kitchen safety (overseen by professional kitchen staff), participants will prepare, consume, and clean up together in silence. Food allergies/sensitivities or accommodations needed to participate in the meal preparation should be communicated the organizers in the registration form.
Donations: Donations are not expected but are warmly accepted to help us cover the costs of fresh ingredients, facility rental, and the labor of a professional kitchen staff person. Those costs evenly divided amongst participants amount to $30 per person. Thank you for any level of support and your sincere participation in Delicious Silence.

Byakula: Nourishing Others from Congo to Indy
2023-11-05 09:00 - 11:00 | Northminster Presbyterian Church, 1660 Kessler Blvd. East Dr., Indianapolis, IN, 46220, United States
“Byakula” is the Congolese word for nourishment, and you are invited to join in an afternoon of learning, listening, fellowship, and a taste of Congo!
Representatives from Exodus Refugee Immigration will share insights into the process of identifying and helping to relocate refugees from around the world to Indianapolis. They will delve into the history and current situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and highlight ways in which local congregations, such as Northminster Presbyterian, support the work welcoming and supporting refugees. Most importantly, the Lutumika family – mother, Salima and daughter, Helene – will share stories from their time in Congo and Burundi while showcasing and tasting foods that are important to their sense of identity, culture, and family bonds.
Questions? Contact 317-251-9489 or office@northminster-indy.org
Event Partners: Northminster Presbyterian Church and Exodus Refugee Immigration.
Event Registration: Registration requested by Friday, Nov. 3. Walk-ins are welcome as space permits!

FACING GRIEF: Nourishing Ourselves and Others Through Loss
2023-11-05 11:00 - 12:30 | Unity Indianapolis Church, 907 N. Delaware St., Indianapolis, IN, 46202, United States
The Nov. 5 performance at 4pm will have live captioning to a screen.
The Nov. 7 performance at 7pm will has ASL interpretation.
All other accommodation requests should be made by Oct. 20.
Many of us don’t know what to say or do when a loved one experiences profound grief. Through live theatrical enactments of various scenarios, audiences are invited to practice reacting to loss and supporting those they love.
Our brains are wired for survival, not loss, creating significant challenges in the aftermath of profound grief. FACING GRIEF, a presentation of The Sapphire Theatre’s award-winning PICTURE THIS® applied theatre programming, engages improvisational actors to act out brief scenarios. Staying in character, they “break the fourth wall” for an interactive talk back with the audience at the crisis point of each scene. Society and the community can do better for those who are hurting. Theatre can help show the way by allowing participants to practice how to have hard conversations, hold space, and listen. Musicians, interfaith ministers, educators, counselors and other subject matter experts will help facilitate this event.
FACING GRIEF will also be performed twice on November 5 at Unity Indianapolis. The 11:30am performance will follow a specially-themed worship service (10am) that all are welcome to attend! A second performance is scheduled for 4pm. FACING GRIEF is also being performed on on November 3 and 7 at the Phoenix Theatre. If interested in these other performances, please return to the event calendar and register for those dates/times.
Questions? Contact 317-966-7529 or andrea@sapphiretheatre.com
Event Partners: Sapphire Theatre Co.; Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center; Unity of Indianapolis; Jon Swanson, PhD.; Deandra Dycus; and Congregation Beth-El Zedeck.
Event Registration: Registration requested by Nov. 5, but walk-ins are welcome as space permits. Registration link forthcoming
Audience Note: This program is focused on people who are seeking to better support loved ones experiencing profound bereavement. However, those currently grieving are welcome to attend – care is being shown to create an emotionally safe space.

More Than Words: Nourishing the Myaamia Community through Language and Cultural Revitalization
2023-11-05 12:00 - 13:30 | Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, 500 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN, 46204, United States
ASL Interpreted.
Featuring Daryl Baldwin, founding director of the Myaamia Center, discover the ways language nourishes deep connections to self and community through this interactive presentation on efforts to revitalize indigenous culture and languages.
When we view language as simply a tool for communication, it doesn’t seem so harmful to swap one tool for another or to alter – or discard – the tool altogether. But when we recognize language as a knowledge system and a core component of identity, we see how it connects us to our history and ancestry. Local Native and Indigenous communities know this better than anyone else as they fight to reclaim lost, arguably, stolen language. Language revitalization efforts offer the next generation of speakers the opportunity to better connect with tribal knowledge systems, philosophy, and values, thereby nourishing a new generation’s access to ancestry and identity
Questions? Contact 317-274-2462 or festival@iupui.edu.
Event Partners: IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI linguist student Kayla McVeigh with support from the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art and the following IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI departments, programs, and centers: American Indian and Linguistics Programs; Departments of Philosophy, Anthropology, Religious Studies, English, History, Sociology, and World Languages and Culture; The Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture; IUPUI Arts & Humanities Institute; and the Native American Student Alliance (NASA).
Registration: Registration requested by Nov. 4. Walk-ins welcome while seats remain.
