Graduating college is a milestone, an accomplishment, and a joy that seems to wear off the moment you get your diploma in the mail. The diploma is just a reminder of the fact that college is officially over, and it’s time to decide what’s next. I studied Fine Art at Ball State University in Muncie, a small town that I came to love during my time there.
I made a lot of close friends in the art community there and leaving those connections felt like a huge loss. Starting a career elsewhere, especially with a background in the arts, was a daunting task. I moved to Indianapolis prepared to start this next stage in my career and that’s when I realized I knew nothing about this city that I had grown up right next to.
I grew up in Carmel, a short drive from downtown, but far enough away that I never really explored what Indy had to offer. When I moved thirty minutes south of my hometown, I was pleasantly surprised to find a vibrant art scene. The more established arts organizations such as the the Harrison Center for the Arts, The Stutz, and the Arts Council of Indianapolis’ Gallery 924 provide high quality art exhibits every First Friday (a tradition where galleries are open for business the first Friday of every month) and the Indianapolis Museum of Art never fails to impress.
But what I was most excited and surprised to find were the small groups of emerging artists that are doing big things in Indy. Finding these groups may be difficult if you’re anything like me and just moved to the area so here’s a list of emerging arts organizations to get involved in whether you’re an artist, just interested in taking a workshop, or an appreciator of local talent:
Located in the Englewood neighborhood of Indianapolis, Cat Head Press is a printshop and artist cooperative that provides a variety of workshops for the community. They also host and organize Middlespace Gallery, a small gallery that holds exhibit openings on a rotating schedule.
Located in the Circle City Industrial Complex (CCIC), RUCKUS offers a variety of professional development panel discussions and artist workshops. RUCKUS Makerspace provides studio space to artists and access to high tech fabrication equipment. CCIC boasts its own artist studios and DIY gallery in a separate part of the building and occasionally hosts open studios and art exhibits on First Friday.
As Indianapolis’ only Museum of Contemporary Art, iMOCA’s mission is “to bring contemporary exhibitions and programs to the Indianapolis community to stimulate minds, inspire new discoveries and demonstrate the vital connections between visual culture and life”. Definitely worth a look or an exhibit proposal!
The Oilwick is a non-profit located in a warehouse building near Fountain Square that serves as studio and gallery space for emerging artists providing a communal space for projects and artistic endeavors.The Oilwick Gallery will have a full line up of exhibits every month of 2018 and is accepting exhibit proposals for 2019.
In the last few months a myriad of small galleries have opened in Indy including Sugar Space Gallery, Storage Space Indy, Kime Contemporary, and 10th West Gallery. The DIY inspired Sugar Space will be opening their first exhibit called Post-it Show: Celebrating young art talent in Indy on February 9th from 6 – 10 p.m. Check out this IndyStar article for more info!
Katie L. Norman is an emerging Indianapolis artist and community activist whose work has been featured in exhibitions throughout the Midwest. She graduated from Ball State University with a B.F.A in Drawing and a B.A. in Art History. Katie received an award for Artistic Citizenship and Community Arts for her work with Muncie community leaders to organize art shows in non-traditional spaces. She founded Dynamo Art Exhibitions, a group of civically engaged artists that continue to create opportunities for artists in Indianapolis. She spends her days as the Arts and Events Coordinator for the Indianapolis International Airport and her evenings making art at the Oilwick Art Studio. View her work at katielnorman.com.
Instagram: @katiel.norman
