Spirit & Place, IU Indianapolis

A Cinematic Quest for Gratitude Through Grief
2024-11-04 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis) | Heartland Film, 8950 Otis Ave., Indianapolis, 46216, United States
Enjoy a screening of “The Secret Art of Human Flight” – a film offering both an absurd and poignant reflection on mourning – and then unpack the ways grief and gratitude co-mingle in a community conversation facilitated by Indianapolis Queer Grief Community. All are welcome!
In “The Secret Art of Human Flight” (a 2023 Heartland International Film Festival selection), Ben Grady goes through an extreme mourning process. He discovers a mysterious self-help book on the dark web, written by an enigmatic guru named “Mealworm” who claims to have harnessed the power to fly. The book arrives . . . and so does Mealworm, forcing Ben to navigate his family life, accusations of foul play, and the bizarre rituals laid before him by his new mentor, in the hopes of healing and ultimately achieving human flight.
After the credits roll, audience members are invited to share their thoughts in discussion on grief and gratitude facilitated by Indianapolis Queer Grief Community.
Questions?: Contact 317-464-9405 or info@heartlandfilm.org.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Heartland Film and Indianapolis Queer Grief Community.
Registration: Registration is encouraged. Use the blue button below.

Spirit & Place Festival Exhibits
2024-11-04 - 2024-11-15, 2024-11-05 - 2024-11-16, 2024-11-06 - 2024-11-17, 2024-11-07 - 2024-11-18, 2024-11-08 - 2024-11-19, 2024-11-09 - 2024-11-20, 2024-11-10 - 2024-11-21, 2024-11-11 - 2024-11-22 and 7 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

The Legacies We Hold: A Celebration of Our Ancestral Communities
2024-11-05 13:30 - 15:30 | Madam Walker Legacy Center, 617 Indiana Ave., Indianapolis, IN, 46202, United States
Sharing one’s legacy is one of the biggest forms of gratitude we can display. Explore this act by voicing your appreciation for a loved one, adding to the gratitude garden, or experiencing “Unveiling a Forgotten Legacy” an homage to the Black communities that brought Indiana Avenue to life.
The foundation of this event is the photography exhibition, “Unveiling a Forgotten Legacy” which aims to bring awareness to the Black neighborhoods displaced by IUPUI’s expansion. Not only does the exhibit explore themes of gentrification, redlining, and the value or marginalized voices, it embodies the practice of Ubuntu: “I am because we are.” This event invites all of us to honor our family legacies and stories and welcomes all ages to share gratitude for their ancestors through interactive elements, conversation prompts, and more.
NOTE: Attendees are invited to bring an item representing an ancestor they’d like to share their gratitude for. All ages are welcome to participate in interactive activities, thought-provoking conversation prompts and more.
Questions?: Please contact 317-274-2462 or info@madamwalkerlegacycenter.com.
Event Organizers: A partnership between art activist Zola Lamothe, Madam Walker Legacy Center, and Frida’s Flowers.
Registration: Walk-in guests are welcome, but registration is appreciated. Use the blue button below.
Photo Credit: Zola Lamothe

Notes of Thanks: A Paperless Music Celebration
2024-11-05 14:00 - 15:30 | Green Street Pub, 911 N. Green St., Brownsburg, 46112, United States
It’s Election Day. So, let’s sing! Let’s take a break from the news, cultivate community, and unite your voice in song to foster a sense of gratitude for – and belonging with – one another.
Order some snacks and a drink – it’s a pub, yes, you may order a beer! – and then be present with others on what is sure to be a long night. Offer hospitality and encouragement to each other by working with a music leader to collaborate on the joyous act of making music. It’s okay to feel vulnerable and uncomfortable, but we promise by taking a (low hanging!) risk of singing with strangers you will feel better about the civic bonds we are capable of creating with our friends and neighbors.
Questions?: Contact 815-922-0620 or kendall@churchthatserves.org.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Good Samaritan Episcopal Church and Green Street Pub.
Registration: Walk-ins are welcome! Registration is still encouraged using the blue button below.

Driven by Gratitude
2024-11-06 12:00 - 15:00 | Hendricks Live!, 200 W. Main St., Plainfield, 46168, United States
Meet the artists and enjoy a fiber art exhibit by INfiber inspired by reflections on gratitude from the staff and clients of Sheltering Wings. Be inspired to manifest more gratitude in your life. Come-and-go style gathering.
INfiber, a fiber arts group with a long history in the Spirit & Place Festival, knew they wanted to collaborate with a community partner whose message they could help amplify during the festival’s GRATITUDE year. When they discovered Sheltering Wings, a domestic violence shelter in Hendricks County, was focusing on their own theme of “driven by gratitude,” they knew they had found a perfect match.

Fiber artists began working with Sheltering Wings to thoughtfully gather ideas on gratitude generated by prompts presented to both staff and clients of the agency. This exhibit transforms their words and emotions into fiber art pieces for attendees to consider. Exhibit attendees are invited to find their own inspiration from these pieces and then create a “mini” art piece that the fiber artists will combine with the Sheltering Wings logo to create a larger artwork that will be donated to Sheltering Wings.

Exhibit Dates: Can’t make it out on Nov. 6?
Check out the exhibit from Nov. 1 – Dec. 31
Monday – Friday, 9AM – 5PM
Weekends during events
Questions?: Contact 317-690-3851 or amycoconnell@gmail.com.
Event Organizers: A partnership between INfiber, Sheltering Wings, and Hendricks Live!
Registration: Walk-in guests welcome, but registration is appreciated. Use the blue button below.
Image: Hopeful Days by Ann Luther

Exploring Wellness through Card Making
2024-11-06 12:30 - 14:00 | Phoenix Theater Cultural Center, 705 N. Illinois Street, Indianapolis, IN, United States
ASL Interpreted
Create a thank-you card with the assistance of the Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Center team. We’ll explore how our design choices echo the reflections we undergo in determining how best to express gratitude toward one another. Open to all ages!
Concrete—and fun — steps we can take to express appreciation can be difficult. Building off the Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Center’s card-making workshop for patients, guests of all ages, from children to elders, are invited to artistically express their gratitude while reflecting on their design and word choices; colors, styles, and fonts; and how past expressions of gratitude have made them feel.
Questions?: Contact 317-880-4785 or todd.harper@eskenazihealth.edu.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Eskenazi Health and Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre.
Registration: Registration is encourage. Use the blue button below to register.

The Testimony Service: Gratitude Tea
2024-11-06 13:00 - 15:00 | Broadway United Methodist Church, 609 E. 29th St., Indianapolis, IN, 46205, United States
Featuring a DIY tea-bar, a sound bath meditation, and curated testimonies from local voices, this event centers on the importance of practicing gratitude and love towards ourselves and the collective.
Whether you are new to the practice of gratitude or looking to deepen your understanding, our Gratitude Tea offers a welcoming space for personal growth and exploration. Indulge your senses at a DIY (herbal) tea bar before a lineup of local speakers share their inspiring stories and insights on the importance of gratitude in cultivating resilience, fostering positive relationships, and enhancing overall well-being. Our gathering will conclude with a rejuvenating sound bath meditation led by experienced practitioners.
Questions?: Contact 317-413-1239 or TheTestimonyServiceOnline@gmail.com.
Event Organizers: A partnership between The Testimony Service and Center for Religion, Arts, and Culture at Broadway United Methodist Church.
Registration: Limited seating. Registration is strongly encouraged by using the blue button below.
Image Credit: Martina Jackson for Drea & Co.

Gratitude in the Greatest Novel: Anna Karenina
2024-11-06 13:00 - 15:00 | Zionsville Christian Church, 120 N. 9th St., Zionsville, 46077, United States
ASL provided by students in IUI’s Program in American Sign Language (ASL) and English Interpreting
Much is at stake in whether we go through our days feeling resentful or with a sense of gratitude. Fortunately, the “world’s greatest novel” offers deep insights into these matters, deepening our understanding of the many blessings of gratitude and its transformative power in our lives.
Gratitude seems like something we all learn as small children, when our parents tell us to say thank you. In fact, it is a great deal richer and more complex, and it should be a topic of life-long learning. If we lead thankless lives, we suffer, but if we can learn to cultivate our powers of gratitude, going forward with a sense of abundance instead of scarcity, we enrich both our own lives and those of others. This presentation will explore the complexities of gratitude by centering Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina – a book some of dubbed the “world’s greatest novel.” By contrasting the lives of characters who go through life resentfully, feeling they have nothing for which to feel grateful, to those who recognize and savor their many blessings, attendees will be encouraged to follow their own gratitude path.
Questions?: Contact 317-274-2462 or festival@iu.edu.
Event Organizers: A partnership between scholar Dr. Richard Gunderman and Zionsville Christian Church.
Registration: Walk-ins welcome, but registration is encouraged. Register using the blue button below.
Image Credit: Leo Tolstoy by Ivan Kramskoi, 1873

Attitude of Gratitude: Finding Gratitude in Times of Loss
2024-11-07 13:00 - 14:30 | Indiana Interchurch Center – Krannert Hall, 1100 W. 42nd St., Indianapolis, IN, 46208, United States
ASL provided by students in IUI’s Program in American Sign Language (ASL) and English Interpreting
How do you maintain a sense of gratitude during times of loss? Panelists from diverse faith and belief backgrounds, as well as the Threshold Choir, will share their experiences and invite participants to also share.
Sharing from their sacred texts, music, theology, sacred art, photography, and personal lives, panelists will explore what their faith or belief communities have taught them about finding gratitude during times of loss. Created as a reflective and interactive experience, attendees will be given the opportunity to not only ask the panelists questions, but also reflect on select question prompts and listen to (and sing with!) the Threshold Choir.
Panelists in include Indu Vasudevan, writer and guide at the Hindu Temple of Central Indiana; Rev. Dr. Lynn Martin, chaplain and former pastor at Light of the World Christian Church; and Connor Bomar, Client Experience Coordinator at Balanced Alignment Ayurveda and graduate student at Christian Theological Seminary (CTS). Threshold Choir International has over 200 chapters and thousands of singers in several countries with a repertoire of almost 600 songs. Chapters send trios of singers sharing gentle songs of comfort in a cappella harmonies to homes, hospitals, and hospices.
Questions?: Contact 317-268-5300 or deb@indycic.org.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Center for Interfaith Cooperation, Indiana Interchurch Center, Threshold Singers of Indianapolis, and Interfaith Alliance for Mental Wellness.
Registration: Registration is encouraged by using the blue button below.

Sacred Steps: Interfaith Understanding through Dance
2024-11-07 13:30 - 15:30 | Franklin College, Old Main – Custer Theater, 101 Branigan Blvd., Franklin, 46131, United States
Join us for an engaging evening of dance, fellowship, and exploration around how different faiths express gratitude through movement. We hope you learn more about others and yourself through this performance-based event and reception.
Before the performance, enjoy a reception with the artists and local community partners where you’ll also be given a chance to reflect on the role gratitude has had in your life and how it might connect to a spiritual or faith tradition. Following the reception period, at least three dance performances will be featured. Each performance will include a brief narrative from the performers exploring how that group’s faith traditions are expressed and celebrated through dance.
Questions?: Contact 317-738-8140 or hadamingram@franklincollege.edu.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Franklin College and Style Dance Academy.
Registration: Registration strongly encourage. Use the blue button below to register.

Coloring and Conversations
2024-11-08 13:00 - 15:00 | Indiana Interchurch Center – Room 226, 1100 W. 42nd St., Indianapolis, 46208, United States
Cultivate a richer sense of gratitude—whether experiencing happiness or grief—through the mindfulness and creative expression generated through the simple act of coloring.
This 90-minute self-care workshop will introduce participants to practical tools for cultivating gratitude no matter the situation through guided conversation and the creative expression of coloring. Yes, coloring! Join us in this welcoming and accessible gathering that promotes social wellness and connection, grounding, and self-compassion.
Questions?: Contact 317-597-0149 or larona@cwuwonline.org.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Center of Wellness for Urban Women (CWUW), CWUW Sisters Together Walking Club, and CWUW Power of Retreat Program.
Registration: Please register using the blue button below. Limited seating.

Souls of the Seasoned Saints: An Exploration and Exhibition of Aging Bodies
2024-11-08 13:00 - 16:00 | Witherspoon Presbyterian Church, 3535 W. Kessler Blvd. N. Dr., Indianapolis, IN, 46222, United States
Aging bodies have a wealth of knowledge to share with the world – their experiences, courage, triumphs, failures, and redirection. This exhibit highlights seasoned bodies to reclaim and uplift the
narratives and journeys of our elders. Exhibit opens at 6PM with the panel discussion beginning at 7PM.
We only get one body and the journey that body takes is filled with amazing life lessons. Yet, an obsession of appearing young permeates society. This photo exhibition— built around questions such as, “What advice would you give your younger self about the aging journey?”— aims to highlight seasoned bodies (55+) and encourage deep gratitude for the bodies we have. Too often we run away from the idea of getting older. We complain about changes with skin, firmness, attractiveness, and hope to distract the world from our “imperfections.” However, if blessed, we all will age, shift, and change. This opportunity will remind attendees that aging is a gift, one that we are not all fortunate to receive. Join us in a spirit of for the bodies that come before us and the bodies we will one day leave behind.
Exhibit Dates: Can’t make it out on Nov. 8?
Check out the exhibit from Nov. 4 – 10.
Monday – Friday, 10AM – 4PM
Saturday, 10AM – 2PM
*Slightly different times appear in the festival event guide. The times on this webpage are the correct times.
Questions: Contact 317-278-4060 or info@fatnessfiction.com.
Event Organizer: A partnership between Fatness Fiction and Witherspoon Presbyterian Church.
Registration: Walks-in welcome, but registration is encouraged. Use the blue button below to register.

Ordinary Joy
2024-11-09 07:00 - 10:00 | Ivy Tech Community College – Lawrence Fairbanks Campus, 9301 E. 59th St., Indianapolis, 46216, United States
This family-friendly event will feature a variety of activities allowing participants to reflect on and explore the joy that can be found in ordinary routines of daily life.
During this come-and-go style/self-directed gathering, families will be engaged with activities ranging from printmaking to collaging, visual poetry, and more! In addition to hands-on art activities, assorted stations exploring “ordinary joys” such as gardening and auto maintenance will be available.
Questions?: Contact 317-916-7853 or bpike4@ivytech.edu.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Ivy Tech Community College Central Indiana, Teachers’ Treasures, and Indy Parks and Recreation.
Registration: Registration is encouraged, but walk-in guests are welcome. Use the blue button below to register.

Walks & Arts
2024-11-09 07:00 - 10:00 | Peace Learning Center at Eagle Creek Park, 6040 DeLong Rd., Indianapolis, 46254, United States
Participate in a guided and reflective walk through scenic Eagle Creek Park followed by creative opportunities to honor and express gratitude including a sound bath, visual art, poetry, and movement.
Upon arrival participants will be led on a gratitude walk through scenic Eagle Creek Park. (Gratitude walks will depart at multiple times during the event’s 3-hour window.) Afterwards, attendees will be invited to express their gratitude with a range of options including writing stations, dance and movement instruction, sound/listening areas, and visual arts. A joyous but reflective event, we recognize some participants may find themselves grateful for the memories of a passed loved one. There will also be a listening circle for anyone dealing with grief. Truly, all are welcome!
Participate in a guided and reflective walk through scenic Eagle Creek Park followed by the below creative programs:

“Moving Through Gratitude” sponsored by ARThentic Arts featuring TaKisha Jones of MpoweredtobE
Sound bath & light yoga with The Yoga Lady
A poetry experience led by Brickstreet Poetry
Visual art with ceramics with Sarah Zuniga, the outreach director of Allisonville Christian Church

Questions?: Contact 317-327-7144 or ajackson@peacelearningcenter.org.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Peace Learning Center, Brick Street Poetry, Allisonville Christian Church, Brooke’s Place, The Yoga Lady, and ARThentic Arts.
Registration: Registration required to receive a complimentary pass into Eagle Creek Park. Use the blue button below to register.

Having Our Stories Told: Preserving LGBTQ+ History
2024-11-09 09:00 - 11:00 | Eugene and Marily Glick Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio St., Indianapolis, 46202, United States
ASL provided by students in IUI’s Program in American Sign Language (ASL) and English Interpreting
Remembrance is a gratitude that honors our past and propels us forward with love and knowledge. Join LGBTQ+ organizations from across Indianapolis for a community discussion and behind-the-scenes tour of the Indiana Historical Society LGBTQ collection.
Attendees are invited to explore holding of the IHS archives and engage in small group conversations examining the theme of gratitude as well as queer recognition, forgetting, agency, and storytelling. Guests will reflect on how these acts of acknowledgement, or lack of, influence understanding of queer communities and identity. Tour and talk with others to find new connections while delving into the IHS’s LGBTQ collection and deepen your sense of gratitude for past generations and the stories they’ve shared.
Questions?: Contact 317-234-0033 or cterry@indianahistory.org.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Indiana Historical Society, Indiana Historical Bureau, Indiana Youth Group, Indy Pride, Indiana Pride of Color, and artist/citizen historian Sylvia Thomas.
Registration: Registration encouraged; use the blue button below.
Image Courtesy NUVO, Indiana Historical Society

29th Annual Public Conversation featuring Dacher Keltner & Ebony Chappel moderated by R. Eric Thomas
2024-11-10 11:00 - 13:00 | Visionloft at the Stutz, 1060 N. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis, 46202, United States
ASL Interpreted.
Artwork is audio described.
What might a psychology scholar, local creative, and best-selling author and storyteller have to say about GRATITUDE? Join us and find out!
This year’s Public Conversation features Dacher Keltner who is the founder of the Greater Good Science Center and author of Awe: The Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life and award-winning multimedia journalist, business owner and local community leader, Ebony Chappel. Moderated by R. Eric Thomas – best-selling author of Here for It, or, How to Save your Soul in America and Congratulations, The Best is Over! – we are sure this year’s conversation will be filled with some amazing (and affirming) twists and turns!
BONUS!!
Artist Shamira Wilson will debut a new painting inspired by the GRATITUDE theme during a pre-event reception. Wilson’s commission by Spirit & Place was made possible in part by Noblesville Creative and the Indiana Arts Commission, which receives support from the State of Indiana and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Doors open and (cash bar) reception begins at 4PM. The conversation begins promptly at 4:30PM.
Questions?: Contact 317-274-2462 or festival@iu.edu.
Event Organizers: Presented by Spirit & Place, GANGGANG, and the Indiana Medical History Museum with grant support from Indiana Humanities in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Humanities, and from The Indianapolis Foundation, a CICF affiliate.
Registration: Limited seating, registration required. Registration will open in early October.
Parking Map: Visionloft STUTZparking. Parking is an adventure downtown! Be prepared. (And remember metered parking is free on Sunday.)
