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Arts and Culture Timeline

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1822

Performing Arts

First Baptist Church organizes choir

The First Baptist chorus is the first documented vocal group in the city.

Dec 31, 1823

Performing Arts

First theatrical production

A traveling theatrical group presents the first theatrical production on New Year’s Eve, “The Doctor’s Courtship” and “Jealous Lover.” The performances take place in the dining room of Thomas Carter’s tavern, the Rosebush Tavern.

1824

Performing Arts

Society for Cultivation of Church Music founded

The Society for Cultivation of Church Music becomes the first voluntary organization to promote the arts in Indianapolis.

Feb 11, 1825

Culture

Indiana State Library opens

The state library opens with the secretary of state acting as librarian. The General Assembly establishes it to provide library service to the legislature, state government officials, and other governmental personnel.

Jul 4, 1828

Performing Arts

Indianapolis Handelian Society performs first concert

The society forms as the city’s first secular music group. It includes singers and instrumental musicians.

Dec 11, 1830

Culture

Indiana Historical Society established

Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana civic leaders organize the society to ensure that the history of the state is preserved and shared.

1831

Performing Arts

First piano arrives in Indianapolis

James Blake presents the piano to his new wife Eliza. She gives small concerts in her home.

Pictured: James Blake, n.d.
Credit: ddeedavis via Find A Grave View Source

Oct 30, 1835

Culture

First annual fair of the Marion County Agricultural Society

After forming in June, the Marion County Agriculture Society plans the first Marion County fair, which is held on October 30–31 at the Courthouse Square.

1837

Performing Arts

William Lindsay & Company theatrical performance

The troupe of actors travels from Cincinnati to perform in the first plays to appear in Indianapolis since 1823.

1839

Performing Arts

Second Presbyterian establishes music school

Under pastor Henry Ward Beecher, the church organizes a music school and sponsors a small orchestra to accompany the congregation’s choir.

Pictured: Henry Ward Beecher, ca. 1866
Credit: Library of Congress View Source

1840

Performing Arts

Indianapolis Band forms

The band becomes the first secular musical group that performs regularly. It folds in 1845.

Pictured: S. E. Tyler in uniform of the Indianapolis Band, n.d.
Credit: Indianapolis Public Library View Source

1840

Performing Arts

First amateur theatrical group

Called the Indianapolis Thespian Corps, the community theater company first performs Pocahontas by social reformer, author, and Indiana statesman Robert Dale Owen.

Pictured: Robert Dale Owen, ca. 1840s
Credit: Smithsonian Institution Archives View Source

1844

Visual Arts

Jacob Cox becomes first art teacher

The painter maintains a studio in the city for over 50 years and is the major figure in the early development of the visual arts in the city.

Pictured: Drawing of Jacob Cox, ca. 1890
Credit: Indianapolis News View Source

1844

Culture

Marion County Library forms

The Marion County Library forms as a subscription library under the provisions of the 1816 Indiana constitution. It is housed in the basement of the county courthouse.

1847

Performing Arts

Indianapolis enters the national entertainment circuit

With the completion of the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad, musicians and actors begin coming to the city regularly from other parts of the country to perform.

Pictured: Madison and Indianapolis Railroad announcement, 1843
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Jul 28, 1851

Culture

Indianapolis Turngemeinde opens

Located on West Washington Street, the Indianapolis Turngemeinde promotes physical fitness, freethought, liberal politics, and German language and culture.

Oct 20, 1852

Culture

First Indiana State Fair opens at Military Park

Created as a venue for exchanging ideas to improve agricultural productivity, the state’s first fair runs October 20-22. Around 30,000 people pay admission to see exhibits featuring agricultural products.

Pictured: Layout of Indiana's first state fair held at Military Park, 1852
Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

Jan 31, 1853

Culture

First lecture on Indianapolis history

Nathaniel Bolton, the state librarian, delivers what may have been the first lecture on Indianapolis history. It is not published until 1897.

1854

Visual Arts

Herman Lieber founds the H. Lieber Company

Although Lieber starts the business for stationery and bookbinding, he later includes an art gallery, which becomes important for mounting art exhibitions.

Pictured: Interior View of the H. Lieber Art Emporium, ca. 1890
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1854

Performing Arts

Maennerchor Singing Society organizes

Seven young German American men who enjoy singing organize the Maennerchor. The group develops into an amateur music society of distinction, influencing the musical culture of Indianapolis.

1856

Performing Arts

First music convention

Professor George Root organizes the four-day event devoted to instruction and performance.

Pictured: George Frederick Root, 1910
Credit: Public domain via Wikimedia Commons View Source

1857

Literature

Ignatius Brown publishes the first history of Indianapolis

Local attorney Ignatius Brown publishes a history of the city, which appears in the 1857 city directory. It was the first historical sketch of Indianapolis.

1858

Visual Arts

Artist Barton S. Hays moves to Indianapolis

Hays, a painter and early photographer, becomes the teacher of nationally known artist William Merritt Chase and painter John W. Love, who founds the city’s first art school.

Pictured: Barton Stone Hays painted this oil landscape, which is owned by the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.
Credit: Barton S. Hays, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons View Source

1858

Culture

First theater opens

The Metropolitan opens as Indianapolis’ first purpose-built theater complete with gallery, vaulted ceilings, and frescoes. It is later renamed the Park.

Pictured: A drawing of the Metropolitan theater building.
Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1859

Literature

Eunice Beecher publishes From Dawn to Daylight

Eunice Beecher, the wife of influential Presbyterian pastor Henry Ward Beecher, sets her autobiographical novel principally in Indianapolis. Her depiction of the city is so unflattering that local schools and libraries ban it.

Pictured: Eunice Beecher, n.d.
Credit: Public domain via The World\'s Congress of Representative Women View Source

1859

Performing Arts

First full opera performance

The Handel and Haydn Society organizes the opera production.

1862

Performing Arts

Philarmonic Society forms

Directed by Max Leckner, a pianist and a leader of the Maennerchor German Singing Society, the Philharmonic begins offering weekly concerts.

1866

Performing Arts

Music enters public school curriculum

George Loomis begins teaching public school students music and creates his own teaching manual, Progressive Music Lessons, because no published instructional materials exist.

Pictured: Page from Progressive Music Lessons, 1875
Credit: Progressive Music Lessons: a course of instruction prepared for the use of public schools View Source

1866

Literature

Catharine Merrill publishes The Soldier of Indiana in the War for the Union

Governor Oliver P. Morton recruits Merrill to write the history of Indiana’s soldiers in the conflict, considered the most comprehensive history of the state’s military partcipation in the Civil War.

Pictured: T. C. Steele portrait of Catherine Merrill, 1890
Credit: Butler University View Source

Sep 3, 1867

Performing Arts

Maennerchor hosts the National Saengerfest

The North American Saengerbund’s 15th National Saengerfest begins in Indianapolis. It lasts for four days and includes three concerts, a parade, a grand ball, and a picnic.

1869

Visual Arts

Conrad Baker creates the Governors’ Portrait Collection

Governor Baker commissions portraits of Indiana governors. The collection grows to include portraits of nearly all Indiana governors.

Pictured: Portrait of Conrad Baker, ca. 1869
Credit: Indiana Historical Bureau View Source

1871

Performing Arts

Central School of Music established

Carl Weegman, the first director of the Maennerchor German singing society, organizes the school and operates it until his death in 1900.

Jul 4, 1872

Performing Arts

Liederkranz organizes

The merger of the male singing sections of two German secret fraternal organizations, the Druiden Lodge and the Rothmaenner (“Red Men”) creates the Indianapolis Liederkranz.

Apr 9, 1873

Culture

Indianapolis Library opens

Located in one room of the high school building at the northeast corner of Pennsylvania and Michigan streets, the library begins with 12,790 volumes ready for 500 registered borrowers.

Feb 18, 1875

Culture

Indianapolis Woman’s Club founded

Suffragist May Wright Sewall, along with other socially prominent women, organizes the club to offer women the opportunity to enjoy social interaction and intellectual actvities outside the home.

Pictured: Indianapolis Woman's Club 60th Anniversary Commemorative Card, 1935
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Sep 13, 1875

Culture

Grand Opera House opens

The Grand replaces the Park Theater as the preeminent venue for serious theater and variety acts. It closes in 1964.

Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

Jan 10, 1877

Literature

Indianapolis Literary Club organizes

Six men establish the Indianapolis Literary Club . They model the club after the Chicago and Cincinnati men’s literary clubs and the Indianapolis Woman’s Club.

Oct 15, 1877

Culture

Indiana School of Art opens

Indiana artists John W. Love and James F. Gookins found the professional art school, which folds in 1879 because of a lack of funding.

Nov 20, 1877

Performing Arts

Indianapolis Matinee Musicale founded

Nine young women gather in a parlor to spend a musical afternoon together. They establish the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale, an organization for the study and performance of music.

1879

Visual Arts

Bohe Club forms

After the first Indiana School of Art closes, some of its former students, including painter William Forsyth, create the Bohe Club, short for Bohemian, to pursue sketching and etching.

Pictured: William Forsyth is pictured (seated on the ground, second from right) as a young man with other artist friends, possibly the Bohe Club, sometime around 1885.
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1880

Literature

Sarah Bolton publishes The Life and Poems of Sarah T. Bolton

Wife of state librarian and publisher of the Indianapolis Gazette Nathaniel Bolton, she describes the early landscape and life of Indiana in her work.

Pictured: Sarah Tittle Barrett Bolton, 1880
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Jul 21, 1880

Visual Arts

Painters T. C. Steele and J. Ottis Adams leave to study art in Munich

Herman Lieber, owner of the H. Lieber Company, the Fletcher family of bankers, and others sponsor the artists for study at the Royal Academy of Painting in Munich. William Forsyth follows them there in December 1881.

Sep 27, 1880

Culture

English Opera House opens

Hamlet is the theater’s premiere production. The first section of the hotel, constructed around the theater, follows in 1884 and a second section in 1896.

Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1883

Literature

Bowen-Merrill and Company reprints James Whitcomb Riley’s first book of poems

Printing the second edition of the Hoosier poet’s The Old Swimmin’-Hole and ‘Leven More Poems launches the Indianapolis publishing firm’s recognition on the national scene.

Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1883

Performing Arts

Christ Church Cathedral Choir established

First comprised of only men and boys, the choir through the years earns an international reputation for musical excellence.

Nov 6, 1883

Visual Arts

Art Association of Indianapolis mounts its first exhibition

Shortly after the organization is incorporated in October, the association holds an exhibition of 453 works by 137 artists. It runs for three weeks at the English Opera House and establishes the Art Association on the city’s cultural scene.

1884

Visual Arts

Indianapolis High School establishes an Art Department

Roda E. Selleck, an artist and educator, begins offering courses in drawing at the high school. The Art Department expands to include other media, as well as art history and appreciation.

Pictured: Roda E. Selleck, 1924
Credit: Indianapolis Public Library View Source

1884

Literature

Berry Sulgrove publishes History of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana

Sulgrove, editor of the Indianapolis Journal, publishes the comprehensive political and biographical narrative.

1885

Performing Arts

German tradesmen found the Indianapolis Saenger Chor

Dedicated to the goals of the labor reform movement in the late 19th century, the tradesmen establish the group to sing songs of solidarity and justice for the working classes.

Jun 1, 1886

Culture

Dedication of Tomlinson Hall

The hall, which adjoins the City Market, opens as an important public meeting place with the Grand Army of the Republic Music Festival. The festival raises $5,000 for construction of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on the Circle.

Pictured: Tomlinson Hall, 1893
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Jun 30, 1886

Literature

Western Association of Writers organizes

A group of writers convenes at Plymouth Church to establish the organization and elects Crawfordsville novelist Maurice Thompson president. The association remains active until 1907.

Pictured: Western Association of Writers Group Photograph, Winona Lake, ca. 1896
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Jan 25, 1888

Culture

Construction begins on the Indiana State Soldiers and Sailors Monument

Construction officially begins on the Civil War Memorial using the design submitted by German architect Bruno Schmitz and funds that the General Assembly appropriated for this purpose in 1887.

Pictured: Soldiers and Sailors Monument, 1888
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

May 30, 1888

Culture

Indianapolis joins Cyclorama trend

Located on the north side of Market Street just west of Illinois Street, the Cyclorama building exhibits life-size Civil War murals and later serves as a zoo.

Pictured: Cyclorama Building on West Market Street, ca. 1890
Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

Jun 7, 1888

Culture

Indianapolis Propylaeum incorporates

The Propylaeum’s Articles of Association provides that stock is acquired, purchased, and held only by women. The building is to be used for cultural and educational pursuits, particularly for women.

Pictured: Architectural drawing of the original Propylaeum located at 17 East North Street, ca. 1900
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1889

Performing Arts

Precursor to Dramatic Club forms

Young women join the amateur theater group, first known as the Matinee Club. It reorganizes as the Dramatic Club in 1890 with the addition of male members.

Pictured: The Dramatic Club Programme, December 19, 1891
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1889

Performing Arts

May Music Festival

The event follows the success of an 1886 music festival held for the dedication of Tomlinson Hall. It takes place annually until 1898.

Pictured: Ninth Annual May Music Festival program, 1897
Credit: Indiana University Indianapolis View Source

1889

Visual Arts

Work of artist Henry Jackson Lewis appears in the Indianapolis Freeman

Lewis becomes the first African American in the U.S. to work as an editorial illustrator and cartoonist.

Pictured: H. J. Lewis, self-portrait, 1889
Credit: H. J. Lewis via Wikimedia Commons View Source

Nov 14, 1889

Performing Arts

The Grand Opera House uses electric lighting

Following a trend begun in the U.S. in Boston in 1882, the theater becomes the first in the city to use electric lighting, Most theaters switch to electric lighting during the 1890s.

1890

Culture

Local artists establish the Portfolio Club

Mary Lakin Steele, the first wife of painter T. C. Steele, sparks the idea of forming a club to discuss the arts in Indianapolis. It promotes active participation in and support of the arts in all its forms.

Pictured: Front page of the Portfolio Club constitution, 1890
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1890

Culture

Indianapolis Protective Union organizes

Guy and Domenico Montani, local Italian musicians, help organize the city’s first musicians’ union and the third such union in the country.

Pictured: Montani Brothers Orchestra, 1904
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Sep 25, 1890

Literature

First meeting of the Contemporary Club of Indianapolis

Organized in the home of suffragist May Wright Sewall, the Contemporary Club cultivates intellectual pursuits and explores pressing social issues and concerns.

Pictured: May Wright Sewall, 1902
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1891

Visual Arts

Second Indiana School of Art incorporates

The Art Association of Indianapolis incorporates the art school, which T. C. Steele opened in 1889. The school closes in 1897.

Pictured: Indiana School of Art in the Circle Hall Building on Monument Circle, ca. 1890s
Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

Sep 19, 1892

Culture

Indiana State Fair opens at new site

The Indiana State Fair opens at its present site at East 38th Street and Fall Creek Parkway with 72 buildings, a mile racetrack, and a 6,000-seat grandstand.

Pictured: Indiana State Fair, ca. 1940s
Credit: University Library, IUI View Source

1893

Visual Arts

Joseph Bowles publishes Modern Art

Bowles, an artist and employee of the H. Lieber Company, founds the avant-garde art journal, the first magazine in its field. Hollenbeck Press prints the publication in Indianapolis until 1895.

Pictured: Modern art edited by J. M. Bowles, 1895
Credit: Public domain via Boston Public Library View Source

1894

Visual Arts

Hoosier Group forms

The Central Art Association brings together the works of J. Ottis Adams, William Forsyth, Richard B. Gruelle, Otto Stark, and T. C. Steele in a show in Chicago, titled “Five Hoosier Painters.”

Pictured: William J. Forsyth and T. C. Steele outside the John Herron building, ca. 1915
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1895

Culture

John Herron bequeaths funds to establish a museum and art school

Herron bequeaths $250,000 to the Art Association of Indianapolis with the stipulation that the funds be used to build a museum and art school bearing his name.

Pictured: Herron Art Institute Galleries, ca. early 1900s
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Apr 13, 1895

Performing Arts

Local musicians found the Metropolitan School of Music

Four private music teachers establish the school, which merges with the Indiana College of Music and Fine Arts in 1928 and is renamed the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music. The conservatory becomes part of Butler University in 1953.

Pictured: Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music buildings, ca. 1935
Credit: The Indiana Album: Joan Hostetler Collection View Source

Jun 15, 1898

Culture

Das Deutsche Haus opens

Herbert Lieber gives the dedication speech, lauding the structure as the “embodiment of the Americanizing process.” Designed by Bernard Vonnegut, the building becomes the center of German American culture.

Pictured: National Turnfest at Das Deutsche Haus (Athenaeum) Indianapolis, 1905
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Oct 11, 1899

Literature

Booth Tarkington publishes The Gentleman from Indiana

The book propels Tarkington, an Indianapolis native, into the national limelight. In Indianapolis, the book is less well received, with residents feeling mocked.

Pictured: Booth Tarkington as a young adult, ca. 1895
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1900

Culture

Southside Turnverein Hall opens

The hall, designed by Vonnegut & Bohn and completed in November 1900, contains a gym bordered by a proscenium stage and a bowling alley. The building serves the group of Turners that broke away from the Socialer Turnverein to form its own organization in 1893.

Pictured: South Side Turnverein Hall, 1908
Credit: W. H. Bass Photo Company Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

Mar 4, 1902

Culture

John Herron Art Institute opens

Using a bequest left by John Herron, the Art Association of Indianapolis establishes the Institute to operate an art school and museum. The art school opens with 10 pupils and 5 teachers on Talbott Street at T. C. Steele’s former home.

Pictured: The Herron building was built in 1906 and torn down in 1928.
Credit: Indiana University Indianapolis View Source

May 15, 1902

Culture

Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Monument dedication

At the gala event, Civil War general and author Lew Wallace serves as master of ceremonies, and  Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley recites a poem that John Philip Sousa transformed into a march.

Pictured: After nearly 14 years of construction, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument was officially dedicated with a grand event and thousands of spectators.
Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

Dec 17, 1904

Culture

Kin Hubbard’s character Abe Martin appears in the Indianapolis News

Hubbard creates the folksy character, who spouts country wisdom, during the 1904 presidential election. The character becomes the basis of Hubbard’s nationally syndicated newspaper column. Books featuring the character begin publication in 1906.

Pictured: Brown County Folks featuring Frank McKinney "Kin" Hubbard's cartoon character, Abe Martin, 1910
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1905

Literature

Meredith Nicholson publishes The House of a Thousand Candles

The Indianapolis author publishes the national bestseller and his most famous novel. The novel is set in Indiana.

1905

Performing Arts

A People’s Concert Association forms

The association organizes low-cost concerts that are accessible to a wider audience.

Mar 1, 1905

Literature

George Cottman publishes Indiana Magazine of History

Cottman, a historian, establishes the Indiana Magazine of History and serves as its editor, publisher, printer, and author until the Indiana Historical Society takes it over in 1907.

1906

Culture

First movie theater opens

The city’s first movie theater—the Bijou, a converted vaudeville house—opens on East Washington Street. Bijou shows half-hour films viewed during the lunch hour.

Pictured: Bijou Theatre, 1930
Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1906

Culture

Indiana State Archives created

Founded as part of the Indiana State Library and housed in the State House, the archives collect and preserve state government records of value.

1908

Performing Arts

May Aufderheide publishes her first ragtime composition

The Indianapolis ragtime pianist-composer publishes “Dusty Rag” in May. She publishes 19 pieces between 1908 and 1912, several of which are financial successes.

Pictured: May Frances Aufderheide, n.d.
Credit: Fair use via Wikimedia Commons View Source

1910

Literature

Jacob Piatt Dunn publishes Greater Indianapolis

Dunn’s two-volume work serves as the definitive resource on early Indianapolis history.

Pictured: Jacob P. Dunn Jr., ca. 1900
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1910

Performing Arts

Ona B. Talbot establishes her Fine Arts Association

Ona Bryant Talbot begins her own organization aimed at bringing internationally known music artists to Indianapolis audiences.

Pictured: Ona B. Talbot, n.d.
Credit: History of Indiana from Its Exploration to 1922, Volume 4 View Source

Feb 28, 1910

Culture

Murat Temple adds theater

The Shuberts, important U.S. professional theater owners and operators, lease the theater from 1910 to 1930 and bring in a variety of events and shows, including Broadway musicals. It serves as a home for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra from 1930 to 1962 and is renamed Old National Theatre in 2014.

Pictured: Dramatic Club - Murat Theater Stage, 1926
Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1911

Performing Arts

First Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra forms

The orchestra, composed primarily of German musicians, produces seven seasons of concerts. It folds in November 1917 because of World War I, anti-German sentiment.

1912

Literature

Publication of A Hoosier Chronicle

A Hoosier Chronicle,  a novel written by Indianapolis author Meredith Nicholson, explores politics and society in central Indiana, particularly Indianapolis, in the early 20th century.

Pictured: The title page of A Hoosier Chronicle, 1912
Credit: Project Gutenberg View Source

1914

Literature

Booth Tarkington publishes Penrod stories

Tarkington bases his juvenile Penrod stories upon his own experiences growing up in Indianapolis. First serialized in magazines in 1913, the stories are collected and published in book form and followed by two other collections.

Pictured: Title page of Penrod, 1914
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1914

Performing Arts

Little Theatre Society of Indiana forms

Founded as the first community theater in the city, it becomes known as Civic Theatre of Indianapolis in 1929 and then Booth Tarkington Civic Theater when it moves to Carmel in 2011.

Pictured: Civic Theatre building (originally named the Little Theatre Society), 1930
Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

Nov 28, 1914

Visual Arts

City Hospital mural project

St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild provides funding to beautify City Hospital’s new Burdsall Unit. Sixteen Indiana artists create large-scale murals to cover the units’ interior walls.

Pictured: Newsclipping featuring some of the artwork for the mural project, 1914
Credit: Indianapolis News View Source

1915

Performing Arts

Free summer concerts begin at Indianapolis parks

The Indianapolis Parks Department starts its annual free summer concert series at Garfield Park.

Jan 5, 1915

Culture

Indianapolis Foundation promotes humanities

The publicly supported philanthropic institution is created to promote the welfare of residents of Indianapolis including human services, education, libraries, arts and culture, and community development.

Sep 7, 1915

Culture

John Barton Gruelle receives patent for Raggedy Ann doll

Former cartoonist John Barton Gruelle patents his Raggedy Ann doll. Three years later, he publishes Raggedy Ann Stories, followed by a Raggedy Andy volume.

Pictured: Raggedy Ann doll patent, 1915
Credit: Public domain View Source

Oct 7, 1915

Literature

Riley Day observed nationwide

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Franklin K. Lane calls for the national observance of poet James Whitcomb Riley’s birthday. Locally, the full day of events celebrating Riley includes national dignitaries and literary figures,

Pictured: An iconic photo of James Whitcomb Riley surrounded by children, 1916
Credit: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Riley Collection, 1835-1960, Indiana Historical Society View Source

Aug 30, 1916

Performing Arts

Circle Theatre opens

Led by A. L. Block and Robert Lieber, investors contribute over $500,000 to build a new theater. Circle Theatre opens as Indianapolis’ first building constructed specifically for feature-length motion pictures.

Pictured: View of the Circle Theater Balcony, 1916
Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

Oct 2, 1916

Culture

Centennial Jubilee

The Centennial Jubilee for the state is held October 2-15 in Indianapolis. The city hosts expositions, parades, athletic contests, concerts, drama and dance programs, and commemorative addresses by politicians, including President Woodrow Wilson.

1917

Visual Arts

Local artists establish Indiana Artists Club

Forty-six prominent artists, including T. C. Steele, Carl Graf, and Marie Goth, found the club. It sponsors statewide exhibitions, lectures, demonstrations, and workshops.

May 11, 1917

Visual Arts

Indiana adopts Paul Hadley’s state flag design

After winning the top prize in the Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution-sponsored juried flag competition held for the state’s centennial in 1916, Hadley’s design becomes the official state flag.

Pictured: Paul Hadley, designer of the Indiana state flag, looks on as a Herron Art Institute student applies gold leaf to the original flag presented to the state, ca. 1923
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Oct 8, 1917

Culture

Central Library opens

The new building, constructed on St. Clair Street between Meridian and Pennsylvania streets, becomes the anchor of the library system.

Pictured: Central Library building, 1918
Credit: Indianapolis Public Library View Source

1918

Literature

Booth Tarkington wins first Pulitzer Prize

The Indianapolis author wins the prize for the Magnificent Ambersons, set in the thinly disguised Indianapolis Woodruff Place neighborhood. He wins a second Pulitzer in 1922 with his novel Alice Adams, also based on life in the city.

Pictured: Newton Booth Tarkington, n.d.
Credit: W. H. Bass Photo Collection Collection View Source

May 26, 1918

Culture

Slovenian National Home opens

The club serves as the center of Slovene community activities.

Pictured: The Slovenian National Home, ca. 1940
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1919

Performing Arts

Local African Americans establish the Indianapolis Music Promoters Club

A branch of the National Association of Negro Musicians, the club works to identify and to develop the musical talent of young African Americans.

Pictured: Members of the National Association of Negro Musicians, later known as the Indianapolis Music Promoters Club, 1925
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Jun 5, 1920

Culture

City celebrates centennial

The centennial celebration takes place June 5-10. Festivities begin with a mass meeting at Tomlinson Hall. Other events include musical performances, a street parade, a pageant, and a riverboat display.

Pictured: L.S. Ayres celebrates the Indianapolis centennial with an elaborate window display showing Washington Street as it was in 1825.
Credit: W. H. Bass Photo Company Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1921

Performing Arts

Premiere of Shuffle Along, a musical

Indianapolis native Noble Sissle writes and produces the musical with three other musicians. It marks the revival of African  American folk humor, jazz dance, and Ragtime.

Pictured: Noble Lee Sissle with Lena Horne, ca. 1920s.
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Apr 13, 1922

Culture

James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home dedicated

The James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home on Lockerbie Street opens as a fundraiser for the construction of Riley Hospital for Children.

Pictured: James Whitcomb Riley Home, ca. 1936
Credit: The Indiana Album: Joan Hostetler Collection View Source

1925

Culture

Mary Stewart Carey founds The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Carey and several other civic leaders found the museum in the Propylaeum’s carriage house. Children and their families donate to its collections.

Pictured: Mary Stewart Carey, ca. 1930s
Credit: Indianapolis Public Library View Source

1925

Culture

Indiana Historical Commission establishes the Indiana Historical Bureau

The Indiana Historical Bureau promotes the study of Indiana history by providing resources to aid citizens in learning about the state and its people.

Pictured: Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau, Indianapolis, Indiana
Credit: Indiana State Library View Source

1925

Literature

Janet Flanner begins writing for the New Yorker Magazine

A member of the interwar period “Lost Generation” Paris group of authors, the Indianapolis native begins her 50-year career writing for the New Yorker with the appearance of her first semi-monthly “Letter from Paris.”

Pictured: Janet Flanner, ca. 1920s
Credit: The Indiana Album: Tuckaway House Collection View Source

Feb 7, 1927

Performing Arts

Indianapolis native performs at the Metropolitan Opera

Ruth Page, a ballet dancer, makes her Metropolitan Opera debut in Smetana’s The Bartered Bride. She most likely is the first Indianapolis native to appear on the Metropolitan Opera stage. As a choreographer, she pioneers the use of American themes in the Russian-dominated field.

Pictured: Ruth Page, May 29, 1923
Credit: Library of Congress View Source

Jul 4, 1927

Culture

Indiana World War Memorial cornerstone laid

General John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe during World War I, attends the event and lays the memorial’s cornerstone.

Pictured: Indiana World War Memorial, cornerstone laying, with General John Pershing, 1927
Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

Sep 2, 1927

Culture

Indiana Theatre opens

The state-of-the-art movie palace is the largest in the state. It also includes the Roof Ballroom, where some of the most famous musicians of the big band era perform, including Tommy Dorsey, Louis Armstrong, and Cab Calloway.

Pictured: Indiana Theatre, 1927
Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

Oct 31, 1927

Culture

First Irvington Halloween Festival

Irvington holds its first Halloween festival, celebrating the holiday with a costume parade and contest, decorated streets and storefronts, and a street dance.

Pictured: Irvington Halloween Festival parade, 1947
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Dec 26, 1927

Culture

Walker Theatre initial opening

Completed eight years after the death of Madam C. J. Walker, the finished segments of the theatre building open during Christmas week. The entire building opens in August 1928 during the annual Madam Walker Convention.

Pictured: Walker Building on Indiana Avenue, 1928
Credit: W.H. Bass Photo Company Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1928

Performing Arts

Jazz musicians Francis Blackwell and Leroy Carr record as a duo

The duo’s first recording, “How Long, How Long Blues,” sells hundreds of thousands of copies and establishes the pair as innovators in the newly emerging urban blues style.

Pictured: Leroy Carr, n.d.
Credit: Fair use via Wikimedia Commons View Source

1928

Visual Arts

First Irvington Group exhibitions

A colony of Irvington artists begins holding exhibitions featuring their works along with lectures, gallery talks, and art demonstrations. It takes place annually until 1937.

Pictured: Hoosier Group artist and Herron School of Art instructor, William J. Forsyth, ca. 1927
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Apr 21, 1928

Culture

Apollo Theatre wires for sound

Following the release of the first talkie, The Jazz Singer, in 1927, the Apollo Theatre installs the first permanent movie sound equipment in the city and shows its first regular sound feature. By 1930, most major movie theaters are wired for sound.

Pictured: Apollo Theatre, 1941
Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1929

Visual Arts

Bronze statue added to steps of Indiana World War Memorial

Pro Patria, the 25-foot-tall, seven-ton statue, is created by New York artist Henry Herring. The work is reputed to be the largest sculptured bronze casting made in America at the time.

Pictured: “Pro Patria” presents the heroic figure of a soldier carrying the flag to victory.
Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1930

Performing Arts

Nancy McCann Martens establishes Marten’s Concerts

Martens creates the company to help local music artists and to bring a steady stream of classical music and dance performers to Indianapolis.

Nov 2, 1930

Performing Arts

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra performs first concert

Ferdinand Schaefer begins the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and serves as the orchestra’s conductor until the 1937–1938 season. The first concert takes place at Shortridge High School.

Pictured: Ferdinand Schaefer rehearses with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, 1934
Credit: IndyStar View Source

1931

Culture

Ferguson Brothers builds jazz club empire

Denver and Sea Ferguson, African American leaders in the jazz and entertainment scene, open the Trianon Ballroom at 244 West Vermont Street, followed by the Cotton Club, also on Vermont Street, in 1933. In 1937, they open the Royal Palm Gardens and Sunset Terrace Ballroom on Indiana Avenue.

Pictured: Wisdom Brothers Band at the Cotton Club, ca. 1950s
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1933

Visual Arts

Faculty shake up at Herron

Painter and educator, Donald Mattison becomes the head of Herron and replaces many of the faculty members to boost the school’s national reputation.

Pictured: Donald M. Mattison, Dean of the Herron School of Art, 1933-1970
Credit: Indiana University Indianapolis View Source

1934

Culture

First Italian Street Festival

Members of Holy Rosary Catholic parish create the event to celebrate Italian heritage, raise funds, and increase church membership.

1934

Culture

Eli Lilly purchases Conner House

The pharmaceutical entrepreneur and philanthropist purchases the William Conner house in Hamilton County to preserve the site where state capital commissioners first met in 1820 and to recreate pioneer Indiana for the visiting public.

Pictured: Conner House, 1945
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1934

Visual Arts

Printmaker Evelynne Bernloehr Mess Daily founds the Indiana Society of Printmakers

The Society of Printmakers is the first outlet for the work of artists of the genre in the state.

Pictured: Evelynne Mess Daily, ca. 1970s
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1934

Culture

Indianapolis Art League forms

Ten women form the Indianapolis Art Students’ League with commercial artist and fine arts painter William F. Kaeser as their first teacher. The organization incorporates in 1938 and changes its name to Indianapolis Arts Center in 1996.

Pictured: William F. Kaeser, a founder of the Indianapolis Art Students' League, the forerunner of the Indianapolis Arts Center, 1936.
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Dec 7, 1934

Culture

Dedication of the Indiana State Library and Historical Building

Designed by Indianapolis-based architecture firm Pierre & Wright, the building is the first permanent home of the Indiana State Library, Indiana Historical Bureau, and Indiana Historical Society.

Pictured: Indiana State Library Building, former home of the Indiana State Archives, 1934
Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1937

Culture

Lilly Endowment, Inc. founded

Pharmaceutical executives J. K. Lilly Sr., Eli Lilly, and J. K. Lilly Jr. establish the foundation that provides support to many arts and culture organizations. Its gifts to such institutions as the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Children’s Museum help build their reputations on a national scale.

1937

Visual Arts

Mural installation at the Indianapolis post office

Grant Wright Christian paints Early and Present Day Indianapolis Life and Mail—Transportation and Delivery as part of a Works Progress Administration project.

Credit: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons View Source

1937

Performing Arts

Sunset Terrace opens

Entertainment entrepreneur Denver Ferguson opens Indiana Avenue’s Sunset Terrace that attracts some of the nation’s most prominent Black performers.

Pictured: Sunset Terrace on Indiana Avenue, ca. 1953
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1938

Performing Arts

The Hampton family of jazz musicians moves to Indianapolis

After a successful engagement at the Sunset Ballroom on Indiana Avenue, the family moves to Indianapolis and establishes a jazz family dynasty that includes the Hampton Family Band and the Hampton Sisters (Virtue, Aletra, Carmelita, and Dawn).

Pictured: Duke Hampton Family Orchestra, ca. 1938-1950
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Apr 2, 1938

Performing Arts

Indianapolis Symphonic Choir debuts

Musical conductor Fabien Sevitsky initiates creation of the choir to accompany the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at the Murat Temple.

Pictured: Fabien Sevitsky, ca. 1937
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Jun 18, 1938

Culture

Vogue theater opens in Broad Ripple

The upscale theater opens with much fanfare, attracting 28 Hollywood stars. In 1977, the space is remodeled into a nightclub and music venue.

Pictured: Vogue Theater, 1946
Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1940

Performing Arts

Philharmonic Orchestra of Indianapolis founded

Former Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra percussionist Herman H. Rinne establishes the ensemble as a community orchestra.

Pictured: Philharmonic Orchestra of Indianapolis with conductor Wolfgang Vacano, 1960
Credit: Philharmonic Orchestra of Indianapolis via Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library View Source

Jun 6, 1940

Culture

City’s first drive-in theater, the Pendleton Pike, opens

Located in the Lawrence Township district, the drive-in can accommodate 500 cars. The theater opens with two showtimes of That’s Right, You’re Wrong.

Pictured: Pendleton Pike drive-in grand opening ad, 1940
Credit: Cinema Treasures View Source

Jan 18, 1942

Visual Arts

Hoosier Salon moves to Indianapolis

The annual art exhibition moves from Chicago to Indianapolis and is held at William H. Block Company.

1943

Performing Arts

Ensemble Music Society organizes to encourage public presentations of chamber music

Amateur violinist Leonard Strauss and a core of local music enthusiasts presents the society’s first concert on April 12, 1944, with the Musical Art Quartet. The concert attracts nearly 500 attendees.

Pictured: The Musical Art Quartet is comprised of S. Jacobsen, Bernard Ocko, Marie Roemaet-Rosanoff, and L. Kaufman.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons View Source

Jul 22, 1944

Performing Arts

Starlight Musicals debut performance

A production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance, staged at Garfield Park, marks the beginning of Starlight Musicals.

1945

Performing Arts

Jazz trumpeter J. J. Johnson tours with Count Basie

National legend Basie recognizes Johnson’s talent, and the trumpeter, who honed his skills at Indiana Avenue clubs, spends a year touring and recording with the jazz musician’s band.

Pictured: J. J. Johnson (left) and Coleman Hawkins, 1950
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1947

Visual Arts

Eli Lilly makes first gifts of Chinese art to the Indianapolis Museum of Art

The pharmaceutical entrepreneur and philanthropist makes additional gifts of Chinese art to the museum through 1961. The Lilly collection, one of the most significant of its kind, forms the core of the museum’s Asian collections.

Mar 20, 1948

Performing Arts

James Franklin Baskett receives Academy Award

Baskett, an Indianapolis native, is awarded an honorary Oscar for his controversial portrayal of Uncle Remus in Song of the South.

Pictured: James Franklin Baskett in "Song of the South," 1946
Credit: Fair use via Wikimedia Commons View Source

Nov 27, 1948

Visual Arts

L. S. Ayres iconic cherub statue debuts

David Kresz Rubins, a sculptor and faculty member at the Herron School of Art, creates the 3-foot-tall bronze sculpture. Ayres employees place it on the building’s clock the day before Thanksgiving, sparking a new tradition.

Pictured: L.S. Ayres Clock with Cherub, ca. 2000
Credit: Banayote Photo Inc., Indiana Historical Society View Source

1952

Culture

The Clowes Fund established

Philanthropists George and Edith Clowes create the fund to support education and the literary, performing, and visual arts.

Nov 12, 1952

Performing Arts

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Pops series premiers

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s new programming featuring light semiclassic and popular music debuts at the Indiana Theatre Roof Ballroom

1953

Performing Arts

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra ranks top in nation

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is listed in the top 10 of the nation’s orchestras.

1954

Performing Arts

Theatre group establishes Avondale Playhouse

The summer stock theater contracts nationally recognized stage and screen personalities to headline casts composed largely of local talent.

Pictured: Avondale Playhouse, later known as the Avondale Theatre, ca. 1960s.
Credit: Indianapolis Public Library View Source

1954

Literature

Joseph Hayes publishes The Desperate Hours

The Indianapolis native’s thriller novel is well received and adapted into both a play and a film a year later.

Pictured: Joseph Hayes, ca. 1980
Credit: Indiana University View Source

Nov 5, 1954

Culture

Holcomb Observatory and Planetarium dedicated

Indiana architect Robert Frost Daggett serves as architect for the building on the Butler University campus, which houses the largest telescope in Indiana.

Pictured: Butler University Holcomb Observatory, 1982
Credit: The Indiana Album: Paul W. Wetzel Collection View Source

1955

Performing Arts

Volunteer group establishes Footlite Musicals

The all-volunteer nonprofit organization produces musicals and other programs to provide education and training to nonprofessionals in the theater.

Pictured: Hedback Theater, Footlite Musicals, 1986
Credit: Indiana University Indianapolis View Source

Jul 8, 1955

Performing Arts

Starlight Musicals finds permanent home

The open-air Hilton U. Brown Theatre located on the south side of the Butler Bowl becomes the permanent home of Starlight Musicals. The theater remains in operation until 1993.

1956

Culture

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum opens

Tony Hulman, the track’s owner, creates the museum along with Karl Kizer, who becomes its first director, to house the Speedway Hall of Fame and a collection of vintage racing cars.

Pictured: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, 1985
Credit: Indiana University Indianapolis View Source

1956

Visual Arts

Emmett Brown establishes photography studio

Brown works for the Indianapolis Recorder, documenting African American life in the city.

Pictured: Emmett I. Brown, Jr., ca. 1950s
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1956

Visual Arts

First Talbot Street Art Fair

A group of students from the Herron School of Art initiate the first Talbot Street Art Fair, located in the Herron-Morton Place neighborhood.

Pictured: Paintings that were exhibited at the first Talbot Street Art Fair in 1956.
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1957

Visual Arts

1444 Gallery opens on the Old Northside

A nonprofit group of artists and art patrons organize the gallery to encourage the development of contemporary art and design in the city.

1957

Literature

Historian publishes The Negro in Indiana before 1900

Emma Lou Thornbrough’s book sets the standard for histories of the Black experience in northern states.

Pictured: Emma Lou Thornbrough, ca. 1950s
Credit: Butler University View Source

May 31, 1957

Culture

First 500 Festival

Four civic-minded individuals create the first 500 Festival in just 60 days, which includes a parade, ball, and square dance. This community-led endeavor celebrates sports, health, and education.

Pictured: The Allison Division of G.M. parade float makes its way down the street during the Indianapolis '500' Festival Parade in 1957.
Credit: Indiana University Indianapolis View Source

1958

Visual Arts

Eastgate Mile of Art

The Eastside Art Center organizes the art show, which is likely the first in the nation to take place in a shopping mall.

Pictured: Eastgate Mile of Art scene, ca. 1960s
Credit: IndyStar View Source

1959

Performing Arts

Jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery releases first album

Montgomery makes a name for himself while playing in clubs on Indiana Avenue. He records his first album with brothers Monk and Buddy on the Riverside record label.

Pictured: Wes Montgomery, 1964
Credit: Indianapolis Recorder Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1960

Performing Arts

Jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard records debut album

Blue Note record company signs Hubbard for his debut album, Open Sesame. During the next year, he releases three more recordings—“Goin’ Up,” “Hub Cap,” and “Ready for Freddie.”

Pictured: Freddie Hubbard, 1976
Credit: Tom Marcello Webster, New York, USA via Wikimedia Commons View Source

1960

Literature

Liberty Fund founded

Created by Pierre Frist Goodrich, the fund emphasizes liberal education and the “Great Books” tradition. It publishes scholarly and accessible editions of classic works.

1960

Culture

Volunteer group establishes Indiana Landmarks

Founded as Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, Indiana Landmarks grows from an all-volunteer group, which includes Eli Lilly, Calvin Hamilton, and H. Roll McLaughlin, to become the largest, nonprofit statewide preservation organization in the U.S.

1960

Culture

Filipino immigrants found Barangay Club of Indiana, Inc.

A group of Filipino students and professionals interested in promoting the arts and culture of their country of origin form the club.

1961

Culture

Young Audiences Arts for Learning establishes affiliate group in Indianapolis

Arts for Learning, a community-based arts education program, educates school-age children about the arts. It is the largest and oldest provider of professional arts programs for children in Indiana.

Pictured: Arts for Learning participants, ca. 1960s
Credit: Indianapolis Public Library View Source

Dec 3, 1961

Culture

Marion County Historical Society founded

Community leaders and local historians establish the society to collect and preserve local history materials, mark historic sites, and promote the preservation of historic structures in Indianapolis.

Oct 18, 1963

Culture

Clowes Memorial Hall opens

Compared to New York City’s Lincoln Center, Clowes Hall provides a world-class venue for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra until 1984 and hosts a variety of musical performances, including traveling Broadway shows.

Pictured: Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University at the time that it opened, 1963
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1964

Culture

Volunteers establish Irvington Historical Society

The Irvington Historical Society is created to document and collect the history of the east side neighborhood.

Pictured: Benton House, ca. 2005
Credit: Indiana University Indianapolis View Source

Jan 2, 1964

Culture

Eli Lilly gifts Earlham College Conner Prairie

Lilly makes Earlham College the owner of the living history museum. Earlham operates the farm and opens it up to school groups, clubs, and historical organizations.

Apr 18, 1964

Culture

Indianapolis Zoological Society establishes city’s first zoo

The effort to establish a zoo, initiated 20 years earlier by newspaper columnist Lowell Nussbaum, finally succeeds. The zoo is located in Washington Park on East 30th Street.

Pictured: Penguins at the Indianapolis Zoo, ca. 1964
Credit: The Indiana Album: Evan Finch Collection View Source

Sep 3, 1964

Performing Arts

Beatles perform in Indianapolis

The Beatles play two shows at the Indiana State Fair, one at 6 p.m. in the Coliseum and the second at 9:30 in the Grandstand.

Pictured: The Beatles at the State Fair Coliseum, 1964
Credit: Indiana State Archives via IndyStar View Source

Jun 10, 1965

Culture

Christ Church Cathedral hosts first annual Strawberry Festival

The Cathedral Women of Christ Church Cathedral organizes the Strawberry Festival to raise funds for charity. The women sell 100 homemade strawberry shortcakes during the festival, selling out in two hours.

Pictured: Christ Church Cathedral Strawberry Festival, 1967
Credit: Indianapolis News View Source

1966

Literature

Janet Flanner wins National Book Award

The Indianapolis native and author earns the National Book Award for Arts and Letters for Paris Jounals, 1944-1965.

1966

Culture

Hooks Historical Drug Store Museum opens

Located in the Indiana State Fairgrounds, the museum opens as part of Hook’s Drug Stores’ commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Indiana’s admission to the Union.

Pictured: The Hook's Historical Drug Store and Pharmacy Museum, located on the grounds of the Indiana State Fair, 1989
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1966

Performing Arts

Indianapolis Early Music established

First known as the Festival Music Society, the group promotes early classical music through educational opportunities and performances. The organization holds its first Early Music Festival in 1967.

Pictured: Indianapolis Early Music ensemble in costume, ca. 1970s
Credit: Indianapolis Early Music via Indiana Public Library View Source

1967

Culture

Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission forms

The commission is a government agency that functions in cooperation with the City of Indianapolis to preserve both the character and fabric of historically significant areas and structures in Marion County.

1967

Culture

First Christmas at the Zoo

The Indianapolis Zoo becomes the first zoo in the U.S to initiate a holiday event featuring light shows and family activities.

Jan 31, 1967

Culture

Indiana State Museum opens

Previously housed in various locations, including a basement, the museum finally has its own building—the renovated former Indianapolis City Hall at Alabama and Ohio streets.

Pictured: Indiana State Museum at the former City Hall, ca. 1970s
Credit: City of Indianapolis, Department of Metropolitan Development, Indiana Historical Society View Source

Jul 1, 1967

Culture

Herron School of Art and Museum split

The Herron School of Art becomes part of Indiana University, and the Art Association of Indianapolis makes plans to move the museum to Oldfields, the former estate of J. K. Lilly Jr. The Art Association becomes the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 1969.

Pictured: Exterior of Oldfields, Museum of Decorative Arts, ca. 1970
Credit: The Indiana Album: Joan Hostetler Collection View Source

Sep 9, 1967

Visual Arts

First Penrod Arts Fair

The Penrod Society, established earlier this same year, holds its first art fair. The fair goes on to become one of the largest single-day arts fairs in the country.

Pictured: Herron tent at Penrod Art Fair, ca. 1990s
Credit: Indiana University Indianapolis View Source

1968

Performing Arts

David Baker establishes Jazz Studies program at Indiana University

An Indianapolis native, trombonist, and composer, Baker establishes one of the first jazz studies programs at an American university. It becomes a highly respected and internationally recognized academic jazz program.

Pictured: Jazz musician David Baker, 1970
Credit: Indianapolis Recorder Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1968

Performing Arts

Fine Arts Society established

Eli Lilly and Company research scientist Norbert Neuss, along with other Lilly colleagues, forms a corporation to broadcast classical music to the radio listeners of Indianapolis. It becomes known as Classical Music Indy in 2013.

1968

Literature

Etheridge Knight publishes Poems From Prison

In his first book, Knight focuses on his experiences in the Indiana State Prison after his arrest for robbery. It establishes him as a poet of the national Black Arts Movement, in which artists embrace and celebrate their African American heritage.

Pictured: Etheridge Knight, ca. 1960s
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1968

Culture

India Association of Indianapolis organizes

Established by the first Indian families that come to the city, the India Association of Indianapolis promotes the cultural activities of India, fosters cultural exchange, and carries out educational and charitable activities.

Pictured: India Association of Indianapolis Holi celebration, 2013
Credit: Matt Kryger, IndyStar View Source

1969

Culture

Indiana Arts Commission begins operations

The Indiana General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts funds the statewide arts agency that provides leadership for the public stewardship of artistic resources for all the state’s citizens.

1969

Culture

Indiana Medical History Museum incorporates

Housed in the Old Pathology Building at Central State Hospital, the museum preserves the building and collects artifacts related to the history of medicine.

Pictured: The Pathology Building of the Central State Hospital, home to the Indiana Medical History Museum, 2010
Credit: Huw Williams (Huwmanbeing), Public domain via Wikimedia Commons View Source

Feb 28, 1969

Literature

Kurt Vonnegut publishes Slaughterhouse-Five

Vonnegut, an Indianapolis native, suddenly becomes famous with the release of his anti-war book, based on his experience in surviving the firebombing of Dresden during World War II. The book becomes a bestseller and instant classic.

Pictured: Kurt Vonnegut Jr., 1972
Credit: WNET-TV/ PBS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons View Source

1970

Literature

Mari Evans publishes I Am a Black Woman

In the poetry collection, Evans asserts the role of Black women in creating African American culture and instilling resiliency in the community.

Pictured: Mari Evans with her Indiana Authors Award, 2015
Credit: Indianapolis Public Library View Source

1970

Literature

Dan Wakefield publishes Going All the Way

The novel explores the narrow-minded and confining attitudes of Indianapolis during the 1950s. Despite being poorly received in Indianapolis, it quickly climbs the bestseller list.

Pictured: Dan Wakefield signing a copy of Going All the Way, 1997
Credit: Indiana University Indianapolis View Source

Oct 25, 1970

Culture

Indianapolis Museum of Art opens at new location

The institution, formerly known as the Herron Art Museum, opens at Oldfields, the former estate of J. K. Lilly Jr., with the new Krannert Pavilion.

Pictured: Indianapolis Museum of Art, 1970
Credit: The Bretzman Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1971

Performing Arts

Sunshine Promotions founded

Dave Lucas and Joe Halderman establish Sunshine Promotions to promote local rock concerts in Indiana. The company later builds Deer Creek Music Center, now Ruoff Music Center, a 20,000-capacity amphitheater in Hamilton County.

Pictured: Deer Creek Music Center, ca. 1990s
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1971

Culture

El Centro Hispano/The Hispanic Center opens

The Hispano-American Association, responding to the needs of the city’s Hispanic population, opens El Centro Hispano/The Hispanic Center with funding and support from the government and several churches.

Jan 6, 1971

Year-long sesquicentennial celebration begins

Celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of the city’s founding begin in January and continue throughout 1971. Mayor Richard G. Lugar launches the festivities at an evening performance of “We Celebrate Our City,” based on Edward Leary’s narrative history.

Credit: Indiana State Library View Source

May 23, 1971

Visual Arts

First Broad Ripple Art Fair

The Indianapolis Art Center and the Broad Ripple Village Association cosponsor the event to highlight the work of local artists. Approximately 100 artists participate in the first fair.

Pictured: Artist at the Broad Ripple Art Fair, 2018
Credit: Jenna Watson, IndyStar View Source

Jun 19, 1971

Culture

Indiana Black Expo begins

The annual exposition holds its inaugural event, a one-day gathering, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. It aims to highlight the talents and achievements of African Americans and identify and address their challenges.

Pictured: Crowd scene at the 1971 Indiana Black Expo.
Credit: Indianapolis Recorder Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

Sep 1, 1971

Performing Arts

Edyvean Repertory Theatre incorporates

In residence at the Christian Theological Seminary, it is the only seminary-sponsored community theater in the U.S. It remains in operation until 2002.

1972

Culture

Indiana Convention Center opens

The Indiana Convention Center increases the city’s capacity to host large meetings and events for the tourism industry. It helps revitalize downtown Indianapolis and sets the city on a path to become a major convention site.   

1972

Culture

Mayor Lugar establishes International Center of Indianapolis

The need for interpreters and translators for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Conference of Mayors in 1973 sparks the formation of the International Center. It later grows to provide services to local ethnic groups.

Pictured: Food and culture meet during one of the programs at the International Center of Indianapolis, 1974
Credit: Indiana University Indianapolis View Source

1972

Visual Arts

K. P. Singh Designs created

Well-known as a community leader, Indian immigrant K. P. Singh establishes his business to market his hand-drawn drawings and prints of Indianapolis landmarks and other buildings across the world. His artwork is featured in many public and private collections.

Pictured: Bart Peterson at the Westin Hotel for Rangeela Punjab, a celebration of Punjabi culture that features ethnic food and music, 2002
Credit: K.P. Singh, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1972

Performing Arts

Dance Kaleidoscope forms

The equity dance company brings dance into public schools. The group holds its first concert in 1978.

Pictured: Dance Kaleidoscope of Afternoon of the Faun, 2008
Credit: Indianapolis Public Library View Source

1972

Literature

The Indiana Historical Society publishes Calvin Fletcher’s diaries

Covering the period from 1817 to 1866, Fletcher’s multi-volume diaries document the early history of the city.

Pictured: Calvin Fletcher diary, 1821-1866
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1972

Culture

Indiana Humanities established

The National Endowment for the Humanities collaborates with a group of five Indiana residents to establish the nonprofit to help carry out its work in the Hoosier State.

Pictured: The house of Indiana author Meredith Nicholson has served as the home to Indiana Humanities since the 1980s.
Credit: W.H. Bass Photo Company Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

Apr 1, 1972

Visual Arts

Robert Indiana’s Love sculpture moves permanently to the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA)

After coming to Indianapolis for IMA’s opening in 1970, the iconic Robert Indiana sculpture becomes a permanent museum installation.

Pictured: The original LOVE statue by Robert Indiana as displayed in the main foyer of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields in 2019.
Credit: Cerebral726 via Wikimedia Commons View Source

Jul 31, 1972

Culture

Woodruff Place becomes a city Historic District

The subdivision is the first of the city’s neighborhoods to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission approves plans for it to become a protected city historic district in 2001.

Oct 18, 1972

Performing Arts

Indiana Repertory Theatre premiers first production

The theater company first resides at the Athenaeum. In 1980, the company moves to its present location, the Indiana Theatre on Washington Street.

Pictured: Indiana Repertory Theatre, ca. 1980s
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1973

Performing Arts

Indianapolis Ballet Theatre established

Indianapolis Ballet Theatre forms as an outgrowth of the Civic Ballet Society of Indianapolis. Initially performing only for Indianapolis Public School audiences, the ballet programs prove successful and expand.

Pictured: Elaine Bauer and David Brown of the Indianapolis Ballet Theater, performing as part of the Civic Ballet Society of Indianapolis, its forerunner, in 1969.
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1973

Performing Arts

Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre opens

Beginning as part of a chain of dinner theaters, Beef & Boards becomes a privately owned venue that produces professional Broadway shows and plays featuring its own resident acting company.

Pictured: Beef 'n Boards Dinner Theater, ca. 1975
Credit: The Indiana Album: North Central High School Archives View Source

1973

Culture

First Indy GreekFest

Holy Trinity parish begins hosting Indy GreekFest, a festival aimed at celebrating and sharing Hellenic heritage and the Orthodox Christian faith.

Pictured: Greek Fest at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 2018
Credit: Jenna Watson, IndyStar View Source

1973

Culture

Lockerbie Place becomes an official historic district

Lockerbie Place is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission approves plans for the neighborhood to become a protected city historic district in 1987.

1973

Culture

“The Ruins” dedication at Holliday Park

Artist Elmer Taflinger designs the piece to display sculptor Karl Bitter’s “Races of Mankind,” which had been created in 1896 for the St. Paul Building in New York City.

Pictured: The Ruins, 1981
Credit: Indianapolis Public Library View Source

1973

Performing Arts

Crazy Al’s opens

Al Finch establishes the restaurant and music venue on College Avenue in South Broad Ripple. The restaurant has an eccentric vibe and features alternative music, including new wave and punk as well as other genres.

1974

Culture

The Indianapolis Association of Chinese Americans organizes

The association provides a sense of community to the Chinese in the city. It offers opportunities to showcase Chinese culture and heritage and to integrate with American society.

1974

Culture

Benjamin Harrison home opens as museum

Following a complete renovation, the entire home of the Indianapolis U.S. president opens as a house museum with regular hours.

Pictured: President Benjamin Harrison Home, ca. 2000s
Credit: Lee Lewellen, Indiana State Library View Source

Mar 31, 1974

Culture

Conner Prairie dedication

Former Indiana governor Roger D. Branigan presides over dedication of the living history museum’s 1836 pioneer village.

1975

Performing Arts

Helen Whitelowe establishes Soul People Repertory Company

One of the first African American acting companies in Indianapolis, Soul People introduces actors and audiences to theater from a Black perspective.

Pictured: Soul People Repertory Company's Rent Party at Pearl's Lounge (Helen Whitelowe standing in the center), 1981
Credit: Indianapolis Recorder Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1975

Performing Arts

Latvian immigrant founds Carmel Symphony Orchestra

Viktors Ziedonis, an immigrant from Daugavpils, Latvia, organizes the ensemble that becomes the orchestra in residence at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in 2011.

Sep 29, 1975

Performing Arts

Indianapolis Opera forms

Opera enthusiasts organize the new opera company as a nonprofit corporation. Its first season is limited to a one-night performance of two short works.

Pictured: Indianapolis Opera actors performing in Carmen, 1977
Credit: Indianapolis Public Library View Source

1976

Culture

International Festival begins

Under the management of the International Center, the festival begins as part of the nation’s bicentennial. It provides a platform for various ethnic groups to showcase their contributions to the culture, history, and economy of Indiana.

Pictured: The International Festival, 1982
Credit: Jill Kramer, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1976

Performing Arts

Local actress Charlotte Kaufman founds Young Actors Theatre

The organization provides classic theater training to children. It is refounded in 2005 with a new focus on “Self-Empowerment Theatre.”

1976

Culture

The Polish Cultural Society of Indiana forms

The Polish Cultural Society of Indiana organizes to heighten awareness of the contributions of residents of Polish descent to Indianapolis and the state.

Oct 2, 1976

Culture

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis becomes the largest in the world

New facilities for the Children’s Museum open with visits from U.S. First Lady Betty Ford and other dignitaries. It includes five floors of exhibit space, the Ruth Allison Lilly Theater, classrooms, and administrative offices.

Pictured: Youth performing Princess & the Pea in the Lilly Theater, n.d.
Credit: Indiana University Indianapolis View Source

Jun 26, 1977

Performing Arts

Elvis Presley performs his last concert

At Market Square Arena, Presley performs all his hits to a crowd of 18,000 fans. The show receives mixed reviews, and the star takes a break from touring. Presley dies six weeks later.

Dec 31, 1977

Performing Arts

The Vogue reopens as a music venue

The Broad Ripple movie theater, which opened in 1938, becomes a successful music venue, featuring local and national bands.

Pictured: Vogue Theatre, ca. 2000s
Credit: Lee Lewellen via Indiana State Library View Source

1978

Literature

Indiana Writers Center established

Writer and teacher Jim Powell founds the Indiana Writers Center to support local writers. The organization quickly grows from a small community group into a professional nonprofit organization.

1978

Literature

First Marian Mcfadden Memorial Lecture

The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation establishes the author lecture series to recognize Marian McFadden, director of the Indianapolis Public Library from 1944 to 1955 who left over $150,000 to the library.

Pictured: Marian McFadden, 1948
Credit: Indianapolis Public Library View Source

Feb 10, 1978

Performing Arts

First production of Epilogue Players

The theater group, primarily made up of actors 50 years or older, presents its play in the Ruth Allison Theatre at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

Mar 24, 1978

Culture

The Old Northside becomes an official historic district

The Old Northside is added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission approves plans for the neighborhood to become a protected city historic district in 1979.

1979

Culture

Madam Walker Urban Life Center created

Created as a nonprofit organization, the Madam Walker Urban Life Center, Inc., begins work to save the historic Walker Building from deterioration and demolition.

Pictured: An artist's rendition of the interior for the Madame Walker Urban Life Center, 1983
Credit: Indianapolis Recorder Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1979

Literature

Indiana Historical Society publishes Black History News and Notes

The free quarterly newsletter from the Indiana Historical Society includes articles on the political, social, and cultural history of Black people in Indiana.

Pictured: Black History News and Notes, 1983
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1979

Performing Arts

P. E. MacAllister founds the MacAllister Award competition

Named for P. E. MacAllister, Indianapolis businessman and philanthropist, the competition brings together young opera singers nationwide to compete in Indianapolis for the largest nonrestricted monetary awards in North America.

Pictured: Norman Shankle, right, is congratulated by P. E. MacAllister after winning the 1998 MacAllister Awards.
Credit: Indianapolis News View Source

1980

Culture

Fletcher Place becomes a protected city historic district

The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission approves plans for the neighborhood to become a protected city historic district, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Mar 13, 1980

Culture

Chatham Arch becomes an official historic district

Chatham Arch is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission approves plans for Chatham Arch and Massachusetts Avenue to become a protected city historic district in 2006.

1981

Performing Arts

Indiana Opera Theatre emerges from split

The Indiana Opera Theatre forms as a split with Indianapolis Opera, and the nationally recognized MacAllister Awards for aspiring opera singers becomes part of its operations. The company ceases to exist in 2002.

Sep 1, 1981

Culture

First FIESTA Indianapolis festival

The first annual festival to celebrate the Latino community is a day-long event that takes place at the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza. It becomes part of La Plaza, Inc. in 2004.

Pictured: Anderson Ballet Folklorico at Fiesta Indianapolis, 2008
Credit: Jammy Straub, IndyStar View Source

1982

Culture

Freetown Village planning begins

Ophelia Wellington conceptualizes Freetown Village out of her desire to teach African American history. The organization begins as a live-action exhibit in the Indiana State Museum, portraying Black history. Freetown actors later travel the Midwest and recreate Indiana’s post-Civil War Black settlements.

Pictured: Freetown village costumed interpreter, ca. 1990s
Credit: Indianapolis Public Library View Source

1982

Performing Arts

Indiana Puppetry Guild chartered

The guild is dedicated to educating residents of Indiana about the art of puppetry.

1982

Performing Arts

American Pianists Association move to Indianapolis

Founded in 1979 in New York City, the music fellowship organization moves to Indianapolis because of its central location and affordability.

1982

Visual Arts

Patrick King Contemporary Art gallery opens on Mass Ave

The gallery signals the birth of a contemporary downtown gallery district in Indianapolis. It sparks the growth of commercial art galleries in the area.

1982

Culture

The Wholesale District becomes an official historic district

The Wholesale District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission approves plans for the area to become a protected city historic district in 1990.

Jun 5, 1982

Performing Arts

Symphony on the Prairie

The summer, outdoor, annual Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra series debuts at Conner Prairie.

Sep 30, 1982

Performing Arts

Indianapolis debuts the first International Violin Competition

Planning for the first quadrennial competition began in 1980 when Cathedral Arts asked Indiana University violinist and teacher Josef Gingold to be the founding jury president of a violin contest based in Indianapolis.

Pictured: Behind the scenes at the first International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, held in 1982.
Credit: International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, Indianapolis Public Library View Source

1983

Culture

Three downtown neighborhoods become official historic districts

Lockefield Gardens, Herron-Morton Place, and Fountain Square are added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission approves plans for Fountain Square and Lockefield Gardens to become protected city historic districts in 1984. Herron-Morton Place follows in 1986.

1983

Performing Arts

Chatterbox begins featuring jazz

Previously a small, Mass Ave bar serving first and third-shift factory workers, it expands to include a stage for jazz performances.

Pictured: The Chatterbox, 1990
Credit: City of Indianapolis, Department of Metropolitan Development, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1983

Performing Arts

First Waldo M. and Grace C. Bonderman National Youth Theatre Playwrighting Competition

Dorothy Webb, an IUPUI professor, initiates the competition that becomes known nationally for giving new playwrights opportunities to develop new works of theater for young audiences.

Oct 28, 1983

Culture

Phoenix Theatre established

The nonprofit theatre opens under the leadership of founding artistic director Bryan Fonseca. Actors and crew are local residents.

Pictured: Phoenix Theatre at 705 North Illinois Street, 2021
Credit: Jenna Auber

1984

Performing Arts

Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra forms

The orchestra plays its first concerts in the medieval cloister of Trinity Episcopal Church.

Pictured: Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, n.d.
Credit: Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra View Source

1984

Culture

Holy Rosary revives Italian Street Festival

Holy Rosary Catholic Church revives the annual festival, first established in 1934, to celebrate the Italian heritage of its surrounding neighborhood.

May 6, 1984

Performing Arts

Errol Grandy Day

A benefit concert, featuring 14 leading Indianapolis jazz groups, highlights the day honoring Grandy’s jazz contributions.

Pictured: Erroll Grandy, ca. 1980s
Credit: Morgana via Find A Grave View Source

Oct 12, 1984

Performing Arts

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) presents premier performance at Hilbert Circle Theatre

ISO performs in the renovated movie palace for the first time. It becomes one of the few U.S. symphonies to own its venue.

1985

Culture

Prelude awards initiated

The awards identify, encourage, and reward Marion County high school students who show great potential in dance, instrumental music, literature, theater, visual arts, and vocal music.

1985

Culture

Slippery Noodle Inn becomes blues venue

Hal Yeagy Jr. transforms the city’s oldest continuously operating bar into a blues venue that gains national recognition.

Pictured: The Slippery Noodle Inn, 1940
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1985

Literature

Bobbs-Merrill Company ends

The Bobbs-Merrill Company imprint, based in Indianapolis since the mid-19th century, ends with the sales of its backlists to the MacMillan Company.

1986

Literature

Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize established

Ruth Lilly, niece of Eli Lilly, establishes the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, an annual $25,000 award for U.S. poets who warrant extraordinary recognition. The nation’s largest poetry prize is raised to $75,000 in 1993.

1986

Performing Arts

Meshach Taylor lands role in Designing Women

Taylor is cast in his most memorable role as Anthony Bouvier on the long-running CBS comedy series.

Pictured: Meshach Taylor, 2011
Credit: Lia Chang via Wikimedia Commons View Source

1986

Performing Arts

Indianapolis Children’s Choir forms

Performing at civic and cultural events in the city, in addition to its own concert series, the choir becomes one of the most admired youth choral programs in the country.

1986

Culture

Pan American Arts Festival begins

The Pan American Arts Festival, which runs through the Tenth Pan American Games in August 1987, celebrates the arts in the Western hemisphere. The Arts Council of Indianapolis works with nearly 40 local arts organizations to produce 200 events.

Pictured: Pan American Games Opening Ceremonies at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, August 7, 1987
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1986

Performing Arts

Blues Society formed

The society is founded to promote blues and jazz in Indianapolis.

Apr 26, 1986

Culture

Renovated Union Station opens as a historic site and retail center

Preserving the most significant architectural elements, the $30-million restoration focuses on retaining the experience of a station in its conversion to over 100 restaurants and shops.

Pictured: Union Station, 1970
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1987

Performing Arts

IndyBaroque Music forms

The ensemble performs and promotes music of the 17th and 18th centuries using period instruments and historically informed performance practices.

Pictured: Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, in concert at the Ruth Lilly Performance Hall, Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center, the University of Indianapolis.
Credit: Thomas Gerber, IndyBaroque Music, Inc.

1987

Performing Arts

American Cabaret Theatre comes to Indianapolis

Founded in the 1970s in Connecticut, the theater group moves to Indianapolis and performs at the Hilton Hotel for two seasons before moving into the Athenaeum’s renovated ballroom in 1990.

Pictured: The historic Metzger Building, home of the Cabaret and Arts Council of Indianapolis, 2021
Credit: Jenna Auber

1987

Visual Arts

The Indiana Historical Society acquires the Bass Photo Collection

The Historical Society’s ownership of the W. H. Bass Photo Company Collection makes available to the public the largest surviving historic collection of photographs of 20th-century Indianapolis.

Pictured: W.H. Bass Photo Co., 1932
Credit: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

May 29, 1987

Culture

Part of Irvington becomes an official historic district

The Irvington Historical District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission approves plans for the neighborhood to become a protected historic city district in 2006.

Oct 31, 1987

Culture

Arts Council of Indianapolis incorporates

The Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee organizes the Arts Council of Indianapolis as the city’s arts advocacy agency. It works to strengthen the relationship of the arts to economic development and the business community.

1987

Culture

The City begins funding the arts

The City of Indianapolis contracts with the newly organized Arts Council of Indianapolis to grant $500,000 to local arts and cultural groups. The grant program becomes one of the Arts Council’s core functions each year.

1988

Visual Arts

First Meet the Artists exhibition

Indianapolis Public Library artist-in-residence Anthony Radford organizes the showcase that highlights the works of the city’s top African American visual artists. It becomes an annual event.

1988

Culture

Japanese residents organize the Japan-American Society of Indiana

The cultural and educational organization fosters cultural exchange between Indiana and Japan.

Pictured: Advertisement for a Japan-American Society of Indiana Japanese language program, 1996
Credit: IndyStar View Source

1988

Performing Arts

Theatre on the Square debut performance

Theater director Ron Spencer establishes the theater in Fountain Square to produce plays that address controversial issues. It moves to Massachusetts Avenue in 1993 and becomes known as The District Theatre.

Jun 11, 1988

Culture

Indianapolis Zoo relocates along the White River

The Washington Park Zoo closes in November 1987 and by early December, the zoo’s 500 animals are transferred to the new facility in White River State Park.

Pictured: Indianapolis Zoo Entrance, ca. 1980s
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Sep 14, 1988

Culture

Start with Art directory released

The Arts Council of Indianapolis releases its first comprehensive listing of all nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in Marion County.

1989

Literature

Indiana Historical Society publishes Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History

The Indiana Historical Society quarterly history magazine focuses on little-known people and events from Indiana’s past.

Pictured: First issue of Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History, 1989
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1989

Culture

New Augusta becomes a historic district

The Unigov included town is added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission approves the area’s plans to become a protected city historic conservation district in 1999.

1989

Culture

A Profile of the Arts in Indianapolis published

The Arts Council of Indianapolis (ACI) releases a study of arts organizations in the city, carried out immediately after its incorporation in 1987, with the aim of devising a plan to better serve members of the arts community.

Pictured: Profile of Arts in Indianapolis, 1987
Credit: University of Indianapolis View Source

May 20, 1989

Performing Arts

Deer Creek Music Center begins operation

Sunshine Promotions of Indianapolis opens the $12 million Deer Creek Music Center, now Ruoff Music Center, located near Noblesville. The first concert, a benefit event, features gospel singer Sandi Patti, an Anderson, Indiana, native.

Pictured: Deer Creek Music Center (later Ruoff Music Center), 2023
Credit: Visit Indy View Source

Jun 30, 1989

Culture

Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art opens

Located in White River State Park, the museum showcases Native American art and Western American art. It is named for its founder, Harrison Eiteljorg.

Pictured: Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, ca. 1990s
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Sep 15, 1989

Culture

First ARTI Awards

The Arts Council of Indianapolis awards recognize the support of businesses for the arts.

1990

Performing Arts

Crossroads Performing Arts, Inc. establishes Indianapolis Men’s Chorus

The chorus gives Central Indiana audiences high-caliber concerts while representing the LGBTQ community.

Pictured: The Indianapolis Men's Chorus at the 2013 Cadillac Barbie IN Pride Parade.
Credit: Courtesy of NUVO, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1990

Culture

The Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation incorporates

The foundation continues the legacy of philanthropist Allen Whitehill Clowes supporting charitable organizations that promote and preserve the arts and humanities.

Pictured: Allen W. Clowes, ca. 1943
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1990

Performing Arts

Deborah Asante establishes Asante Art Institute

Asante, a storyteller and performance artist, starts the African American children’s theatre, a community-based performing arts group.

Pictured: Storyteller and performance artist Deborah Asante, founder of the Asante Children's Theater, 1998
Credit: Indianapolis Public Library View Source

Feb 23, 1990

Culture

Cottage Home becomes an official historic district

The neighborhood is placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission approves plans for it to become a protected city historic conservation district in 2008.

May 31, 1990

Culture

First Circle City Pride Festival kicks off

The Pride Festival takes place at Monument Circle. With 3000 attendees at the festival, it becomes the largest event centered on supporting and celebrating the LGBT community.

Pictured: The Indianapolis Men's Chorus performed for the Indy Pride festival in 1992.
Credit: Mark A. Lee LGBT Photo Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1991

Culture

New Arts Council of Indianapolis Financial Assistance Program

The Arts Council of Indianapolis launches its technical assistance mini-grant program using funds received through its first National Endowment for the Arts grant award.

Jan 13, 1991

Visual Arts

National Art Museum of Sport opens in Bank One Tower

Founded in 1959 in New York City, the museum moves to Indianapolis because of the city’s growing reputation as a sports center. It subsequently moves to IUPUI in 1994 before transferring its entire collection to the Children’s Museum in 2018..

Pictured: The National Art Museum of Sport in the Efroymson Gallery at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, ca. 2018
Credit: The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis

Jun 27, 1991

Culture

St. Joseph Neighborhood becomes an official historic district

The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission approves the neighborhood’s plans to become a protected city historic district, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Jun 21, 1992

Culture

New Arts Council of Indianapolis strategic plan

The Arts Council releases A Community Cultural Strategic Plan for the Arts in Indianapolis. The strategic plan compares the city’s arts culture and funding with that of 50 of America’s largest cities, showing that Indianapolis ranks in the middle for most categories studied. The plan sets eight long-range goals to increase the stature of the arts in Indianapolis.

Aug 9, 1992

Culture

First Balkan Fest

The St. Stephens Bulgarian and S.S. Constantine and Elena Romanian Orthodox Church partner with the St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church to hold the festival that highlights the culture of these Balkan countries. St. Nicholas later sponsors the Serb Fest alone.

Aug 10, 1992

Performing Arts

First Biennial American Jazz Piano Competition begins

The American Pianists Association holds the unique competition that spans 13 months every 2 years to find the best aspiring young American jazz pianists.

Oct 31, 1992

Culture

Heartland Film Festival holds its inaugural event

Jeff Sparks, then executive director of a children’s home, founds the nonprofit organization to inspire “filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film.” Heartland curates and supports a variety of cinema from filmmakers and storytellers from around the world.

Pictured: 2013 Heartland Film Festival Guidebook
Credit: Indianapolis Public Library View Source

Nov 8, 1992

Literature

Darryl Pinckney wins award for High Cotton

In his thinly veiled autobiographical novel, Indianapolis native and acclaimed critic Pinkney writes about a young, middle-class Black man growing up in the northern suburbs of Indianapolis in the 1960s. It wins the prestigious Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction.

Pictured: Cover of Darryl Pinckney's book, High Cotton
Credit: Fair Use

Dec 10, 1992

Culture

Ransom Place becomes an official historic district

Ransom Place is placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission approves plans for the neighborhood to become a protected city historic conservation district in 1998.

Jun 25, 1993

Culture

First Indian Market and Festival

The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art holds its first Indian market to build support for and interest in Native American arts and cultures.

Pictured: Leaf Arrow Storyteller, Joe Cross, mixes Coyote and creation stories with folklore during his performance at the annual Indian Market and Festival, 2015
Credit: Jenna Watson, IndyStar View Source

1994

Culture

Construction begins on the Michael Graves-designed Indianapolis Arts Center building

With a growing demand for classes, exhibitions, and services, the Indianapolis Arts League builds a new 40,000 square-foot facility in Broad Ripple. The new building opens in 1996, and the League changes its name to the Indianapolis Art Center.

Pictured: Indianapolis Art Center, 2021
Credit: Kara Chinn

1994

Culture

University of Indianapolis builds Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center

The educational and public arts facility houses the university’s Department of Music and its Department of Art and Design, It includes a 500-seat performance hall named for Ruth Lilly, state-of-the-art rehearsal halls, and art studios.

1994

Performing Arts

Crossroads Performing Arts founds Indianapolis Women’s Chorus

The chorus seeks to present the LGBTQ community in a positive light, promote a spirit of pride, and build bridges of understanding.

Pictured: Indianapolis Women's Chorus Concert Announcement, 1994-1995
Credit: Mark A. Lee LGBT Photo Collection, Indiana Historical Society View Source

1994

Performing Arts

Jazz Kitchen opens

The jazz club and restaurant moves into the former home of Crazy Al’s—a punk and new wave venue. It quickly becomes a hotspot for Indianapolis jazz musicians.

Pictured: Renovated Jazz Kitchen, 2021
Credit: Kara Chinn

May 14, 1994

Culture

Groundbreaking for Kennedy-King Landmark for Peace memorial

President Bill Clinton and the families of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy attend the event for the memorial that commemorates the spot where RFK made his famous speech upon hearing the news of MLK’s assassination, April 4, 1968.

Pictured: Kennedy-King National Commemorative Site, ca. 2020s
Credit: Visit Indy View Source

1995

Performing Arts

Metropolitan Youth Orchestra incorporates

Incorporation of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra formalizes the program that Betty Perry initiated to remedy the lack of classical music training for African American youth.

Pictured: Betty Perry, director of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, and Kevin Randolph a former member, 2006
Credit: Robert Scheer / USA TODAY NETWORK View Source

1995

Culture

Indianapolis Firefighters Museum opens

The Museum celebrates and preserves the history and contributions of Central Indiana Fire Departments. The Museum opens in the remodeled Fire Station #2, the oldest remaining fire station building in the city.

Pictured: Indianapolis Firefighters Museum, 1996
Credit: Indianapolis Public Library View Source

Mar 1, 1995

Culture

Fayette Street becomes an official historic district

The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission approves the neighborhood’s plans to become a protected city historic conservation district.

Jun 5, 1995

Performing Arts

Baby Face Edmonds wins his first two Grammy Awards

Indianapolis native Kenneth Brian Edmonds wins two Grammy Awards, one for his R&B Song “I’ll Make Love to You” and the other for Male R&B Vocal Performance in “When Can I See You.” He goes on to win his 13th Grammy in 2024 for his work “Snooze” from SZA, tying him with Michael Jackson for most wins.

Pictured: Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, 2013
Credit: Angela George, via Wikimedia Commons View Source

Aug 31, 1995

Culture

Dedication of USS Indianapolis Memorial

It takes decades before survivors of the USS Indianapolis raise enough money to erect a memorial, which is located at the north end of Canal Walk. The dedication takes place on the 50th anniversary of the tragedy.

Pictured: USS Indianapolis Memorial, Vermont Street
Credit: Indiana University Indianapolis View Source

Sep 8, 1995

Culture

Indianapolis Artsgarden opens

The Arts Council of Indianapolis operates the Artsgarden, built with funds from Lilly Endowment, Inc., as a performance and exhibition space.

Pictured: The original entrance of the Artsgarden, ca. 1980s-1990s
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Oct 23, 1995

Culture

Indianapolis Chinese Community Center incorporates

The community center organizes to provide Chinese families in Indianapolis a place for children to learn Chinese language and culture. Its mission includes teaching Chinese to non-Chinese-speaking families and to promote Chinese culture and heritage.

Pictured: Dragon head of Chinese Dragon Group, at the Indianapolis Chinese Community Center's annual Chinese School/community center picnic, May 19, 2019.
Credit: Kelly Wilkinson, IndyStar View Source

1996

Culture

First Indy Irish Fest

The festival highlights Irish culture and the contributions Irish immigrants have made to the city.

Pictured: Indy Irish Fest, 2019
Credit: Michelle Pemberton, IndyStar View Source

1996

Performing Arts

Indianapolis Jazz Foundation Forms

The organization recognizes the rich jazz history of the city and provides support and resources for individuals and organizations working to promote jazz in the city. The Indy Jazz Fest, established in 1999, becomes its best-known program.

May 31, 1996

Culture

Indianapolis Art Center opens new building

Indianapolis native and internationally known architect Michael Graves designs the building located in Broad Ripple.

Pictured: Indianapolis Art Center front entrance, 2019
Credit: Momoneymoproblemz via Wikimedia Commons View Source

Nov 1, 1996

Culture

Spirit & Place Festival launches

The Spirit & Place Festival springs from the Project on Religion and Urban Culture, an initiative of The Polis Center at IUPUI. It brings together the arts, humanities, and religion to frame programs that address issues of concern to Indianapolis. The first festival features a conversation between John Updike, Kurt Vonnegut, and Dan Wakefield at Clowes Hall.

Pictured: Spirit & Place Festival event at Clowes Hall, 2008
Credit: Indiana University Indianapolis View Source

1997

Performing Arts

Indiana Wind Symphony forms

The Indiana Wind Symphony includes wind, brass, and percussion players who are all volunteers, The group becomes one of the original resident ensembles at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel in 2011.

1997

Performing Arts

Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre founded

Artistic Director Gregory Hancock establishes the professional theatrical and contemporary ballet company, combining ballet and modern dance with world music into its programming. It becomes the resident dance company of the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel in 2011.

Sep 26, 1997

Culture

Monument Circle becomes an official historic district

Monument Circle is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission approves plans for it to become a protected city historic district in 2013.

1998

Literature

Catherine Lucille Moore enters Science Fiction Hall of Fame

The award recognizes the Indianapolis author’s contributions to raise science fiction to a creditable literary field.

Pictured: Catherine Lucille Moore, n.d.
Credit: Fair Use via Wikimedia Commons View Source

1998

Culture

Crispus Attucks museum opens

The Crispus Attucks Museum opens at Crispus Attucks Middle School to raise consciousness about the heritage of the school and African American life and culture.

Pictured: Crispus Attucks Museum, 2016
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

1999

Visual Arts

Transfer of Clowes Collection of paintings to the Indianapolis Museum of Art

The Clowes Fund begins transferring ownership of the collection of European Masters paintings, valued at $55 million, to the museum.

1999

Culture

City arts funding doubles

Mayor Stephen L. Goldsmith doubles arts funding to $1.5 million, using $750K from the Capital Improvement Board and $750K from the city budget.

May 28, 1999

Culture

Congressional Medal Of Honor Memorial opens

Designed by Eric Fulford and Anne Reed of Ninebark Studios, the memorial pays tribute to Indiana Medal of Honor recipients, dating to the Civil War. It is located on the north bank of Indiana Central Canal.

Pictured: Congressional Medal Of Honor Memorial, 2007
Credit: Rogerd via Wikimedia Commons View Source

Jun 13, 1999

Culture

White River Gardens opens

Part of the White River State Park and the Indianapolis Zoo, the gardens showcase more than 16,000 plants, exotic and native. Many species are rare or historic in value.

Pictured: White River Gardens, ca. 1990s
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

Jun 17, 1999

Performing Arts

First Indy Jazz Fest

The Indianapolis Jazz Foundation establishes the annual Indy Jazz Fest—a community celebration of Indianapolis’ rich jazz legacy. The festival takes place over four days and features a long list of local and national jazz stars.

Pictured: Jared Thompson performs during an Indy Jazz Fest block party outside the Jazz Kitchen, 2016
Credit: Kelly Wilkinson, IndyStar View Source

Jul 10, 1999

Culture

The Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center opens

The Indiana Historical Society moves out of the Indiana State Library and into its own building along the Indiana Central Canal. The facility is complete with collections vault, conservation labs, a library, and experience spaces.

2000

Culture

Infozone opens at the Children’s Museum

The Children’s Museum partners with the Indianapolis Public Library to create the first public library branch in a musem.

Pictured: Children enjoying the INFOZONE, 2001
Credit: Indiana University Indianapolis View Source

Feb 29, 2000

Culture

National Collegiate Athletic Association Hall of Champions opens

The Hall of Champions includes a grand hall honoring the heroics of past college athletes as well as a museum area with a theater and Exhibition Center.

Pictured: IUPUI men's basketball exhibit at NCAA Hall of Champions, 2004
Credit: Indiana University Indianapolis View Source

2001

Culture

Part of Cumberland becomes a historic district

A portion of the Unigov town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission approves plans for it to become a protected city historic conservation district in 2005.

2001

Culture

Harrison Center organizes

The nonprofit community arts center, cultural promoter, and neighborhood activist organization opens in the building that was originally First Presbyterian Church in the Old Northside.

Pictured: Harrison Center, 2020
Credit: Harrison Center View Source

2001

Culture

Bloombox Festival

The Harrison Center for the Arts hosts the festival (formerly First Independent Music + Art Festival) to showcase original works by local musicians, visual artists, and crafters.

Pictured: Performers at First Independent Music + Art Festival, 2022
Credit: Harrison Center View Source

2001

Visual Arts

Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art brings modern art to Indianapolis

Created as a “museum without walls,” the contemporary art museum mounts exhibitions around Indianapolis to connect people to inspiring and innovative art.

Pictured: Transaction Boundries, by Artur Silva, was a solo exhibition at IMOCA's Murphy Art Center space that opened in 2016.
Credit: Michelle Pemberton, IndyStar View Source

Jun 27, 2001

Culture

Mayor Bart Peterson announces major arts initiative

The city and Lilly Endowment, Inc. plan to spend $10 million to lift the city’s arts and culture profile.

2002

Culture

Local artists establish IDADA

The Indianapolis Downtown Artists and Dealers Association promotes art, artists, and art dealers within a 20-block square of the center of the city. The organization dissolves in 2017.

Pictured: IDADA First Friday at Circle City Industrial Complex, 2014
Credit: Circle City Industrial Complex via IndyStar View Source

May 22, 2002

Culture

Indiana State Museum opens in White River State Park

Having outgrown its space at the old City Hall, the Indiana State Museum’s board approves a move to White River State Park. The museum’s new location adjoins a preexisting IMAX movie theater.

Pictured: Indiana State Museum, 2016
Credit: Visit Indy View Source

2003

Culture

First official city cultural districts selected

A steering committee of the Indianapolis Cultural Development Commission designates Broad Ripple, the Canal and White River State Park, Fountain Square, Massachusetts Avenue, and the Wholesale District as official Indianapolis Cultural Districts.

May 8, 2003

Culture

Public Art Master Plan announced

The Art Council of Indianapolis (AIC) and the Cultural Development Commission announce that public art is a priority to position the city as a world-class art destination. AIC commissions Freeman Whitehurst Group of Phoenix, Arizona, to complete the plan.

Jul 24, 2003

Culture

Gen Con moves from Milwaukee to Indianapolis

The tabletop gaming convention moves to the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis from Milwaukee to better accommodate the growing number of attendees. Gen Con soon becomes one of Indianapolis’ largest conventions.

Pictured: Gaming on the opening day of the 2019 Gen Con at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.
Credit: Robert Scheer/IndyStar via Imagn Content Services, LLC View Source

2004

Visual Arts

Big Car Collaborative created

Jim Walker and wife Shauta Marsh cofound Big Car Collaborative, which focuses on socially engaged art and cultural community development. The studio and gallery space features monthly exhibits.

Pictured: Big Car founder Jim Walker at "The Tube" community art space, June 2015.
Credit: Matt Detrich, IndyStar View Source

2004

Culture

First Indy Film Fest

Originally named the Indianapolis International Film Festival, the event features films from around the world that provide challenging and new perspectives.

2004

Culture

La Plaza forms

FIESTA Indianapolis, El Centro Hispano, and the Hispanic Education Center merge to become La Plaza, Inc.

2004

Culture

Indiana Avenue becomes an official city cultural district

Already on the National Register of Historic Places (1987), the historic center of African American culture becomes a separate cultural district after area leaders appeal the decision that initially had made it part of the Canal and White River State Park District.

2004

Culture

The Dinosphere opens at the Children’s Museum

In connection with the exhibit that transports museumgoers to the world of the dinosaurs, the museum also funds a $27.5 million project for paleontological research.

Pictured: The T-Rex in the Dinosphere, 2004
Credit: The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis View Source

Nov 8, 2004

Performing Arts

Crispus Attucks graduate makes Metropolitan Opera debut

At the age of 40, Angela Brown, who finds her niche in classical music while in college, makes her Metropolitan Opera debut in the title role of Verdi’s Aida.

Pictured: Angela Brown sang at Yuletide Celebration, showcasing the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, at Hilbert Circle Theater in 2018.
Credit: Robert Scheer/IndyStar View Source

2005

Performing Arts

Actors Theatre of Indiana founded

Artistic directors Don Farrell, Cynthia Collins, and Judy Fitzgerald establish the Actors Theatre of Indiana that becomes the resident professional theater company of the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel in 2011.

Apr 15, 2005

Visual Arts

First major temporary public art exhibition begins

The Arts Council, in partnership with the Indianapolis Cultural Development Commission, creates and launches, Thomas Otterness in Indianapolis, which features 25 bronze sculptures of the famed public artist placed throughout the city.

Pictured: "Free Money" - Tom Otterness - Indianapolis
Credit: Brent Moore via Flickr View Source

Apr 30, 2005

Culture

Herron School of Art opens on the IUPUI campus

The art school moves into the newly built Eskenazi Hall, a facility that triples the amount of space available to Herron students and includes a library, auditorium, gallery space, and several computer labs. It marks the unification of all IUPUI schools in one location.

Pictured: Student in painting class in Herron, 2007
Credit: Indiana University Indianapolis View Source

May 5, 2005

Culture

Indianapolis Museum of Art opens new expansion

As part of the 1999 new campus master plan, the art museum expands to feature the new Efroymson Family Entrance Pavilion, the Wood Gallery Pavilion, and Deer Zink Special Events Pavilion.

Pictured: Kinetic sculpture in the Efroymson Family Entrance Pavilion titled "Meadow" from the artist collective Studio Drift, 2019
Credit: Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar View Source

Aug 31, 2005

Performing Arts

First IndyFringe Festival

IndyFringe’s inaugural theatre festival launches with over 100 shows performed over 10 days. The festival goes on to become an annual summer event featuring local and national performers.

Pictured: News clipping advertising the IndyFringe festival, 2005
Credit: Journal and Courier, Lafayette, IN View Source

2007

Culture

First Asian Fest

Hosted by the Asian American Alliance, Inc., Asian Fest celebrates the diverse Asian cultures of central Indiana.

Pictured: Gigi Thomas, of south side Indianapolis, performs during the eighth annual Asian Festival, 2015
Credit: Jenna Watson, IndyStar View Source

Nov 10, 2007

Culture

The Power of Children Making a Difference exhibit debuts

Building on its awards of the same name established in 2005, the Children’s Museum opens the award-winning exhibition that features local AIDS activist Ryan White, holocaust victim Anne Frank, and civil rights activist Ruby Bridges.

Pictured: Visitors at the Power of Children exhibit at The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis, n.d.
Credit: The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis View Source

Dec 9, 2007

Culture

Indianapolis Public Central Library unveils its new atrium

Demolition of the mid-1970s annex and stacks makes way for the steel and glass tower that surrounds the historic 1917 building. The renovations double the size of the library.

Pictured: This sketch of the atrium of the Indianapolis Central Public Library was completed by Roberta Avidor, a local Indianapolis artist.
Credit: Ken and Roberta Avidor, Indiana Historical Society View Source

2008

Performing Arts

American Cabaret Theatre becomes known as The Cabaret

Renamed The Cabaret, the professional nonprofit theater company leaves the Athenaeum and performs in a variety of venues. The Metzger Building, at 9th and Pennsylvania streets, becomes its permanent home for the 2018 season.

Pictured: The historic Metzger Building, home of the Cabaret and Arts Council of Indianapolis, 2021
Credit: Jenna Auber

2008

Culture

First GermanFest

The first annual GermanFest at the Athenaeum highlights the strong German heritage in Indianapolis and raises funds for the maintenance and care of the building.

Pictured: Wiener dogs race during German Fest at the historic Athenaeum building, 2019
Credit: Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar, Indianapolis Star via Imagn Content Services, LLC View Source

2009

Culture

Great American Songbook Foundation moves to Carmel

Michael Feinstein created the foundation in 2007 to preserve and promote the music of the Great American Songbook. He moves it to Carmel when he becomes artistic director for the Center for the Performing Arts.

2009

Culture

Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library established

Julia Whitehead founds the museum to commemorate the life and work of critically acclaimed author and Indianapolis native Kurt Vonnegut. The museum opens in 2011 and moves to a new location on Indiana Avenue in 2019.

Pictured: Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library, 2012
Credit: Rsfitzharris at English Wikipedia View Source

2009

Literature

First Glick Indiana Authors Award

Real estate entrepreneurs and civic leaders Eugene and Marilyn Glick provide funding for the award to honor the contributions of Indiana authors. The award moves from the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation to Indiana Humanities in 2020.

2010

Visual Arts

Gallery 924 organized

The Arts Council of Indianapolis creates Gallery 924 in response to the closure of 80 percent of the locally owned art exhibition spaces in the aftermath of the Great Recession.

Pictured: Visual arts on display at Gallery 924 as part of the annual Art & Soul celebration produced by the Indianapolis Arts Council, 2022
Credit: Mikaela Helane via Visit Indy View Source

2010

Culture

The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres opens at the Indianapolis Museum of Art

The interactive art and nature park is one of the largest of its kind in the U.S. and includes art installations by national and international artists.

Pictured: "Free Basket" by Los Carpinteros
Credit: Visit Indy View Source

2011

Performing Arts

First Onyxfest

The IndyFringe theater festival organization establishes Onyxfest as a separate event to expose theatergoers to new and emerging Black playwrights and to counter the lack of diversity on stage and in audiences.

2011

Visual Arts

First Art Squared

The free celebration of art and music forms through the unification of three previously separate gatherings: Fountain Square Art Fair, Fountain Square Art Parade, and Masterpiece in a Day.

Pictured: Morgan Howard, Indianapolis, makes a piece of art during Art Squared, 2014
Credit: Robert Scheer, IndyStar View Source

Jan 22, 2011

Culture

Carmel’s Palladium Concert Hall opens

The anchor of Carmel’s Center for the Performing Arts, the Pallaidium costs $126 million to complete. It includes 1,600 seats and boasts acoustic refinements throughout the hall.

Pictured: The main stage at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts, 2010
Credit: Frank Espich, IndyStar View Source

Apr 16, 2011

Culture

Indiana Landmarks Center opens

Following a major capital campaign to which the Cook family of Bloomington contributed $17 million, Indiana Landmarks moves to the center, which originally was the building for Central Avenue Methodist Church.

Pictured: Indiana Landmarks Center in Indianapolis, 2016
Credit: MSWoolman via Wikimedia Commons View Source

May 13, 2011

Performing Arts

Butler University breaks ground for the Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts

The Schrott Center becomes the main performance venue for the Butler Theatre, Butler Ballet, and Butler School of Music.

Credit: Butler University View Source

Sep 11, 2011

Culture

Indianapolis dedicates the Indiana 9/11 Memorial

The city commemorates the 10th anniversary of the tragedy with the dedication of the memorial. The structure contains two steel beams from Ground Zero in New York City.

Pictured: A general view of the Indianapolis Project 9-11 Memorial, 2021
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports View Source

Sep 24, 2011

Performing Arts

Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre moves to Carmel

After calling Indianapolis home for nearly 100 years, the oldest area community theatre debuts in its new home at Carmel’s Center for the Performing Arts

2012

Visual Arts

Public art murals created for Super Bowl XLVI

The Arts Council of Indianapolis commissions 34 artists to create 46 new public murals for the Super Bowl throughout Marion County.

2012

Culture

NOPAL Cultural established

The grassroots multicultural volunteer-operated organization forms with the goal of enhancing Latin-American art in the city.

2013

Culture

Indy Arts Guide released

The Arts Council of Indianapolis launches its comprehensive arts and cultural calendaring and database system.

May 13, 2013

Culture

Indianapolis Cultural Trail opens

Six years after the groundbreaking ceremony, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail is complete. The 8-mile urban bike and pedestrian path in downtown Indianapolis connects neighborhoods, cultural districts, and entertainment amenities. It also serves as the downtown hub for central Indiana’s greenway system.

Pictured: The Cultural Trail runs alongside business and residential complexes on Virginia Avenue in Indy's Fletcher Place and Holy Rosary neighborhoods, 2020
Credit: Kelly Wilkinson / The Star, York Daily Record via Imagn Content Services, LLC View Source

Nov 2, 2013

Cultural

First Day of the Dead celebration

NOPAL Cultural launches its first Dia de Muertos event at Studio B Gallery on Massachusetts Avenue. The organization begins its partnersip with the Eiteljorg Museum for the event in 2014.

Pictured: Young performers with the Anderson Ballet Folklorico perform during the Día de Muertos event at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, 2019
Credit: Doug McSchooler, IndyStar View Source

2014

Culture

The Children’s Museum wins national award

The Children’s Museum receives the National Medal for Museum and Library Service for its commitment to its surrounding community.

2014

Performing Arts

The Murat Temple renamed

The venue becomes known as Old National Centre. In 2016, the entertainment company Live Nation purchases the building.

Feb 20, 2014

Performing Arts

The Art Assignment premieres

The show, based in Indianapolis, is a weekly educational web series on YouTube that connects viewers to contemporary art through the artists who created it.

Pictured: John Green and Sarah Urist Green in The Art Assignment, ca. 2010s
Credit: The Art Assignment

Apr 16, 2014

Culture

Market East designated a cultural district

The area surrounding the historic City Market becomes the city’s seventh cultural district.

May 16, 2014

Performing Arts

The Fault in Our Stars premieres

The feature-length film adaptation of local writer John Green’s book The Fault in Our Stars premieres at the Seattle Film Festival. It later opens number one at the box office. Set in Indianapolis, it features several iconic city locations.

Pictured: Indianapolis premiere of The Fault in Our Stars, 2014
Credit: Brandon David Brungard

2015

Performing Arts

Oreo Jones founds Chreece hip-hop festival

Chreece, a combination of “cheers” and “peace,” is a single-day festival created to bring together and celebrate hip-hop artists from Indiana and the Midwest.

Pictured: Chreece hip-hop festival, 2017
Credit: Visit Indy View Source

2015

Visual Arts

First Monument Circle Art Fair

The fair, held at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, provides a forum for regional artists to showcase and sell their work in a historically artistic setting.

Pictured: Visitors look over work by artist Charles McNally during the 2018 Monument Circle Art Fair.
Credit: Michelle Pemberton, IndyStar View Source

Jul 10, 2015

Performing Arts

L. Steven Taylor cast in a leading role in Broadway’s The Lion King

Taylor, an Arsenal Tech High School alum, takes on the role of Mufasa in Broadway’s The Lion King. He has been a cast member in other roles in the musical since 2006.

Credit: Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York from United States of America, via Wikimedia Commons View Source

2016

Visual Arts

Welcome Race Fans arts initiative

The Arts Council of Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway partner to celebrate the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 by commissioning 33 artists to create original “Welcome Race Fans” artwork. The initiative continues as an annual event.

2017

Culture

Wilma Gibbs Moore receives Eli Lilly Lifetime Achievement Award

The award recognizes the significant contributions she made to document Indiana’s Black heritage.

Pictured: Wilma Gibbs Moore, 2017
Credit: Indiana Historical Society View Source

2017

Literature

John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down published

The young adult teenage detective story is set in Indianapolis.

Pictured: Turtles All the Way Down, 2017
Credit: Fair use via Wikimedia Commons View Source

Aug 15, 2017

Culture

Indianapolis Museum of Art unites campus as Newfields

Newfields becomes the home for the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Fairbanks Park, The Garden, Lily House, and the Elder Greenhouse. Newfields’ Miller House and Garden extends the Newfields brand into southern Indiana.

Pictured: Newfields sign, 2018
Credit: Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar View Source

Oct 21, 2017

Culture

Indianapolis Public Central Library Opens Center for Black Literature And Culture (CBLC)

The center, located in the library’s West Reading Room, features a collection of books, interactive displays, and research tools to aid in exploring the Black experience in Indianapolis.

Pictured: Center for Black Literature & Culture, 2017
Credit: Indianapolis Public Library

Nov 18, 2017

Culture

First Carmel Christkindlmarkt

Modeled after traditional German holiday markets, the Carmel holiday festival opens in center green at the Center for the Performing Arts.

Pictured: Christkindlmarkt at the historic Athenaeum building in downtown Indy, 2022
Credit: Visit Indy View Source

2018

Performing Arts

Indianapolis Ballet established

Indianapolis Ballet becomes the first resident ballet company to be based in the city since the demise of Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, also known as Ballet Internationale, in 2005.

Mar 16, 2018

Visual Arts

Artist Nancy Noel wins national recognition

The National Gallery of Art, in Washington, D.C., honors the popular painter for her artistic and philanthropic achievements.

Credit: N.A. Noel Studio, Inc. View Source

Mar 17, 2018

Culture

The Children’s Museum opens outdoor expansion

The museum partners with IU Health’s Riley Children’s Hospital for its 7.5-acre “Sports Legends Experience” designed to encourage families to be active together. The collection of the National Art Museum of Sport transfers to the Children’s Museum as part of the project.

Pictured: The Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience, 2021
Credit: Kara Chinn

Apr 4, 2018

Culture

Landmark for Peace memorial designates the Kennedy-King National Commemorative Site

The Landmark for Peace memorial, site of Robert Kennedy Jr.’s famous 1968 speech upon the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., is designated the Kennedy-King National Commemorative Site.

Pictured: Kennedy-King National Commemorative Site, ca. 2020s
Credit: Visit Indy View Source

Oct 3, 2019

Visual Arts

Jiffy Lube of Indiana wins a national arts award

Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading organization of advancing the arts and arts education, presents Jiffy Lube of Indiana with the Arts and Business Partnership Awards for its “Every Part Matters” murals painted on the exterior walls of nine oil change locations in Central Indiana.

Pictured: Indianapolis artist Carl Leck's 3D mural creation on the Jiffy Lube off of Olivia Way in Fishers, 2020
Credit: Grace Hollars, IndyStar View Source

2020

Culture

COVID pandemic arts funding

The Arts Council of Indianapolis (AIC) begins its initiative to support nonprofit organizations and independent artists during the pandemic. By 2022, AIC raises more than $16 million to ensure #IndyKeeps Creating.

2020

Culture

Arte Mexicano en Indiana established

Arte Mexicano en Indiana organizes as a nonprofit that encourages and promotes Mexican art, music, and culture throughout the state.

Apr 3, 2020

Culture

Indianapolis Contemporary ceases operation

A year after its relaunch, the board of Indianapolis Contemporary, formerly IDADA, decides to close the institution. Already at financial risk, Indianapolis Contemporary falls prey to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jun 30, 2020

Visual Arts

Murals for Racial Justice Project begins

The Murals for Racial Justice Project, an initiative of the Arts Council of Indianapolis, commissions 22 Black artists to create 24 temporary murals on boarded-up storefronts in downtown Indianapolis. The works are later recreated on banners displayed at the Central Library and available for educational use by the community.

Pictured: "I Can't Breathe" by Michael "Kwazar" Martin, 2020
Credit: Indianapolis Public Library View Source

Aug 1, 2020

Visual Arts

Indy BLM street mural

A block party is organized by Indy10 BLM to celebrate the start of the Black Lives Matter street mural painted on Indiana Avenue between the Walker Theater and the Urban League. Funding for the project, which hires Black artists to complete each of the letters, is provided by the Indianapolis Urban League and the Central Indiana Community Foundation. The street will later be repaved, covering the mural, as part of the planned expansion of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail.

Pictured: Indy10 Black Lives Matter and other community groups organized the painting of a 'Black Lives Matter' mural on Indiana Avenue, 2020 Blm Mural1
Credit: Joe Tamborello & Stephen Beard/IndyStar Drone via Imagn Content Services, LLC View Source

Oct 23, 2020

Visual Arts

Indianapolis Art Center launches exhibit, EIGHTEEN: Black Lives Matter

The exhibition features the work of the 18 artists that created the Black Lives Matter mural on Indiana Avenue.

Credit: Jenna Watson/IndyStar View Source

2021

Culture

Swish arts initiative

The Indianapolis Arts Council, in partnership with Indiana Sports Corp., develops the project with funding from Lilly Endowment, Inc. to highlight the city’s creative talent during the men’s NCAA basketball tournament. It employs artists who have lost income during the pandemic.

Jun 1, 2021

Culture

Several Indianapolis organizations host events to showcase Black Lives Matter artists

The Indiana State Museum opens “RESPONSE: Images and Sounds of a Movement,” which features six murals. The Arts Council of Indianapolis hosts “Art & Activism: One Year Later.” The Indianapolis Public Library holds a panel discussion with the previous summer’s mural artists and displays their work.

Pictured: Artist Israel Solomon stands in front of a mural he painted on boarded windows in the 300 block of Mass Ave in Indianapolis, 2020
Credit: Jenna Watson/IndyStar via Imagn Content Services, LLC View Source

Sep 3, 2021

Visual Arts

First BUTTER fine arts fair

Cultural development firm GangGang establishes the Black fine arts fair with the goal of making the city an arts destination while educating the public about Black fine art.

Pictured: Muralist and Painter Ashley Nora stands with the mural she created for the first BUTTER Fine Arts Fair in 2021.
Credit: WFYI News/Abriana Herron View Source

Nov 18, 2021

Culture

Encyclopedia of Indianapolis website launches

A legacy project of the Indianapolis Bicentennial Commission, the digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis updates and expands upon the original 1994 Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, adding new content to reflect developments in the culture and landscape of Indianapolis since 1994.

Pictured: Staff and volunteers of the Digital Encyclopedia celebrating the launch of the website, 2021
Credit: Beth Van Allen

2022

Culture

Indiana Landmarks launches Black Heritage Preservation Program

Landmarks expands the work of its African American committee to help identify, save, and celebrate historic African American sites throughout the state of Indiana.

Pictured: Black Heritage Preservation Program helped obtain new signage in the Flanner House Homes neighborhood, recognizing its historic district status.
Credit: Indiana Landmarks View Source

2022

Visual Arts

Public art inventory published

The Arts Council of Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Bicentennial Commission partner with Rokh Research & Design Studio to complete an inventory that reveals 3,090 works of public art across Marion County.

Pictured: Joy by Ashley Nora at 870 Massachusetts Ave in Indianapolis, 2022
Credit: Michael Blackshire, IndyStar View Source

Apr 1, 2022

Literature

Library adds Black authors’ names to Central Library engravings

The inclusion of 10 Black authors’ names whose works span pre-Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement and beyond are added to the walls of Central Library. The library aims to add additional names of authors of color in the years to come.

Pictured: Inside the Central Library the names of ten Black authors have been added to wall carvings, 2022
Credit: Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK View Source

May 20, 2022

Literature

Local student Alyssa Gaines named National Youth Poet Laureate

The Park Tudor graduate and inaugural 2019 Indianapolis Youth Poet Laureate is chosen among 65 finalists to become the National Youth Poet Laureate.

Pictured: Alyssa Gaines, 2022
Credit: Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK View Source

May 23, 2022

Culture

Colette Pierce Burnette becomes first African American president and CEO of Newfields

Following the resignation of its CEO after controversy over its stance on issues of diversity and inclusion, Newfields chooses Burnette to lead an action plan that includes a $20 million endowment to acquire works from marginalized artists, increased diversity on its board, and the institution of antiracism training. On November 10, 2023, Burnette abruptly announces her departure from the organization. Newfields provides no explanation for the move.

Oct 13, 2022

Performing Arts

District Theatre announces plans to bolster Black theater

District Theatre establishes a development hub for Black theater artists and technicians and supports the production of six plays by Black Indiana playwrights set around historic Indiana Avenue. Named Black Theatre, the company is independent of DT and is the second Black professional equity theater established in the city.

Oct 21, 2022

Visual Arts

We. The Culture: Works by The Eighteen Art Collective opens at Newfields

The exhibition is a collaboration between Newfields and the 18 artists who originally came together to paint the Black Lives Matter Murals on Indiana Avenue in August 2020. Open through September 24, 2023, it highlights the original works of each of them.

Pictured: Guest-curator Alan Bacon sits in the 'We. The Culture' gallery, 2022
Credit: Armond Feffer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK View Source

May 13, 2023

Performing Arts

First Black-owned professional equity theater

Naptown African American Theater Collective, the first Black-owned professional equity theater in the city, debuts with Black Book, the 2019 winner of the Kennedy Center Outstanding New Work Production by award-winning playwright and actor Austin Dean Ashford. Phoenix Theater hosts the company’s first season.

Aug 23, 2023

Culture

Hamilton East Public Library Board suspends controversial book review process

The library system ends a book review policy that sparked weeks of intense controversy over the removal of local author John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars from its teen section.