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thehatchcreates · 7 years

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Art Profile: The Indianapolis Art Center

If you’ve been into The Hatch lately, you’ve probably noticed an interactive art installation called “The Art Bar.” Designed to foster creativity and intuitive breaks in your day, The Art Bar is an installation that is part of an art outreach by the Indianapolis Art Center. In an effort to better understand the center, we sat down for an in depth Q & A with two key people at the Art Center, Alyson Walbridge and Michelle Winkelman. Read on to hear what they have to say...

-How did you come up with the idea for the Art Bar? What do you hope to accomplish with it?

Michelle: We came for a tour of the Hatch with Maggie and tossed around a lot of ideas for how our spaces and programs could work together. Alyson and I were impressed with how the Hatch integrates creativity and wellness into the coworking space. We saw the self-service juice bar with fresh juice from the Garden Table and riffed off of that to create the Art Bar.

Alyson: The Art Center has also been thinking about wellness in the workplace. One of the things I was already thinking about was how to re-boot my work flow – how to get that creative jolt when I get stuck or tired during the day. The Art Bar is really about that. We want to encourage people to be creative every day, even if it’s only for five minutes. And of course we hope the Art Bar is a way to connect people to the Art Center to take that creativity even further.

-For those who don't know, what is the Art Center? Who does it serve? What is it's mission? Where is it located?

The Indianapolis Art Center’s mission is to engage, enlighten, and inspire our community through interactive art education, outreach to underserved audiences, support of artists, and exposure to the visual arts. We started as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) program during the Great Depression with just a few teaching artists and a handful of students. Today our building and nine-acre ArtsPark are located at 820 E 67th Street in the Broad Ripple neighborhood, welcoming over 250,000 visitors annually. The Art Center’s building has gallery spaces with rotating, curated exhibits featuring contemporary art, and over a dozen studio spaces equipped for art media ranging from drawing and painting to blacksmithing, ceramics, glassblowing, and many more. Our core programs include:

-Art classes varying in skill level, length, and media for adult and youth students

-Rotating exhibitions that are always free and open to the public

-ArtReach, a free, community-based after-school art program for youth in low-income areas of Indianapolis, which reaches about 1,000 students annually

-Six weeks of Summer Art Camps for youth ages 4-18

-The Broad Ripple Art Fair

-Indy’s first Teen Art Council

and lots more!

-What other upcoming projects are you most excited about?

Alyson: Lately I’ve been having a lot of fun planning our Pop-Up Date Night coming up on February 17, not only planning the classes but also putting together decorations and goody bags and really going all-out with the Valentines theme, making it really cheesy but also really fun! I’m excited to see people here on that night, not only in the studios but also mingling at an Art Center event.

Michelle: Even though my work is mostly focused on our classes, I always get excited when we have an exhibition opening coming up. The next one is February 10 from 6-9pm. One of the shows opening that night is called About Face, and it’s various interpretations of portraiture and features several local artists. Our openings are a great way to cap off the week, and with bars and restaurants within walking distance you can really make a night of it. Our openings are free and family-friendly, too.

-What inspires you or drives you to create?

Michelle: I see visual art as another way to communicate – sometimes a better way to communicate, especially complex ideas or emotions that I have a harder time putting into words. Creativity and the creative process are a process for me; sometimes it matters a lot more what happens during that process than what the end result ends up being. When I haven’t created something in a long time I can feel bottled up; art and art-making is a release for me. It’s a way to work with, interpret, or make sense of the world around you.

Alyson: I’m currently in a ceramics class at the Art Center, and I find I’m inspired by the other students in my class. The community really helps to draw out new ideas and try new things in my work. Working in such a creative environment, I’m also inspired daily by my coworkers and the exhibitions in our galleries.

-How do you balance the creative side of your organization with the business/administrative side? Do you have any advice for individuals in creating a similar balance?

Michelle: Well, as a non-profit, we definitely have to pay attention to the business side of what we do. That’s a large part of my role at the Art Center, trying to make opportunities possible but also sustainable. I guess that I have some days that I work more heavily on those kind of projects. When I find myself sitting behind the computer for too long I try to remind myself to get out of my chair and walk through the halls, pop into the studios, and witness people in the midst of that creative process. I’ve had lots of conversations on this topic with people in all kinds of non-profits and it always seems to come back to the mission – don’t lose sight of your mission, live your mission.

Alyson: I try not to separate those two sides, actually. Since our mission is encouraging others to be creative, I try to be creative in all of my work, whether it’s business/administrative or something more typically “creative” – I think it is more of a mindset of how you approach your work.

-What is your favorite aspect of the Indy Arts community?

Alyson: I’m constantly learning something new from this community, constantly exposed to a new concept or artist. Indy’s art world can seem small, but the opportunities are large.

Michelle: I feel it’s a very supportive community. We want each other to succeed. When the arts succeed in Indy we’re all better for it. So we turn out for each other, we challenge each other to be better, we work together. We make things, and we make things happen.

-What originally drew you to the Art Center?

Alyson: I applied for and received an internship opportunity in the Education department and shortly realized I loved being around people who were as excited about art as I was. I love the Art Center’s focus on providing access to art education for all people.

Michelle: In school I discovered I had a passion for connecting people with art. I was looking for a place where people could make art, see art, and talk about art with others. It wasn’t until a friend took me to visit the Art Center that I realized this place already existed, and it was much more than I could have even imagined. I love hearing our students’ stories and am inspired by the variety of reasons people have for taking classes here.

-How can people connect with you?

We’re online at www.indplsartcenter.org, where you can find links to our current classes, exhibitions, and upcoming events. You can register for classes online, by phone, or in person at our Guest Services desk. When classes are in session, the Art Center is open Monday-Friday 9am-10pm, Saturday 9am-6pm, and Sunday noon-6pm; between semesters we close every day at 6. The building and grounds are always free and open to the public, and we love it when people just stop by! In fact, since we’re along the Monon Trail, we often get casual visitors who just stop in for a moment during their workout or weekend stroll. If you want to plan your visit, though, check out what’s happening by going to our website or checking our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages.

Michelle Winkelman has a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art from Lake Forest College. She discovered the Art Center after moving to Indianapolis in 2006. Since then she has held a variety of positions at the Art Center, including managing their ArtReach program. From 2011-2015 she served as Director of Outreach, and now is the Director of Education and Outreach, overseeing programs for over 5,000 students annually.

Alyson Walbridge graduated in 2015 from Ball State University with a degree in Art History. She has a passion for audience engagement and connecting people to all kinds of art, whether on the wall, in the studio – or at the Hatch! She is the New Audiences Programs Manager at the Art Center, managing their Pop-Up programs, Access Art (their tuition assistance program) and a variety of other activities that introduce people to art education and the Art Center.

Stop by the Art Center itself to learn more and meet these lovely ladies, or just stop by The Hatch and take a brain break for a few moment’s creativity. A $3 donation to the Art Center is encouraged for everyone participating in the Art Bar. Cash and card are accepted.

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