The Lilly Endowment recently granted over $4 million in funding as part of its Strengthening Indianapolis Through Arts and Cultural Innovation Initiative to support the continued development of the East 10th Street district. The John Boner Neighborhood Centers submitted the proposal in collaboration with Near East Area Renewal (NEAR), Englewood Community Development Corp., and Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership.
The funding helps fulfill the hopes of the area to see East 10th Street revitalized with neighborhood-enhancing shops, arts programming, restaurants, and a revitalized Rivoli Theatre as the centerpiece of the corridor. Last year, the groups formed a new organization, Inspire 10th Street, to promote community development activities through the arts and other economic development tools.
The core of the proposal has three components:
• Re(Imagined) Places: To transform underused and vacant buildings along East 10th into functional and creative spaces for artists and the community.
• Innovative Spaces: To transform a minimum of five vacant spaces along the corridor, such as alleyways or empty lots) into opportunities for arts, programming, and gather places for residents.
• Inspiring Voice: To foster partnerships and programming that will create unique and accessible art experiences in the corridor for visitors and residents.
Joanna Nixon has been hired as the 10 East Arts + Design Director. She will work with Inspire 10th Street on meeting the goals, plus create an Eastside Arts Advisory Council, and more.
The City of Lawrence also received a $5,851,969 grant as part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Strengthening Indianapolis Through Arts and Cultural Innovation initiative. Arts for Lawrence bolstered its partnership with The City of Lawrence to realize its vision and proposed the Fort Harrison Cultural Campus concept. The Cultural Campus is the arts and cultural piece of a redeveloped Fort Harrison, the new, unique and vibrant downtown for the City of Lawrence.
The geographic area of the Cultural Campus is already home to an array of arts programming by Arts for Lawrence at the historic Theater at the Fort and includes the Sterrett Community Center, operated by the Lawrence Parks Department. Additions to the city-owned property will include moving the historic Fort Harrison Communications building to the campus to be repurposed for visual arts programming and gallery space. A new plaza that includes an amphitheater, green space with functional artwork as benches, bicycle racks and signage will celebrate the history of Fort Benjamin Harrison. Innovative artwork that includes an interactive playground space for all ages, and a virtual reality tour of historic Fort Harrison (think Pokemon Go) among other art-centered projects will ensure arts and culture become a larger part of the experience to residents and visitors alike.
Other organizations that received funding include Big Car for Cruft Street Commons, the Harrison Center for their project Convertible, IndyFringe for Fringe on Wheels, and Phalen Leadership Academies for Arts as Empowerment programs. In addition, Downtown Indy received funding for their “Shining a Light on Indianapolis” project that will improve lighting, sound and staging for events at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Newfields will also receive significant funding for new festival infrastructure and programming.
