Hello creative readers-- my name’s Emily Neuharth and here’s my belated introduction! I’m lucky enough to spend this summer at the Harrison Center as one of their Cultural Entrepreneur Interns where I’ll be participating in creative placemaking by making the literary arts more accessible to Indy.

I’ll be pursuing this goal through blog writing, running weekly Ekphrastic exercises with my fellow interns, leading a writing-response project for July’s First Friday DigIndy exhibit, collecting stories of long-term residents, and any other opportunities that might stumble into my path!

I’m a junior Creative Writing major and Christ College Scholar at Valparaiso University, and I received this internship opportunity through the Institute of Leadership and Service’s CAPS (Calling and Purpose in Society) Fellows Program.

I’ll never forget when I first found out about the Center. I was just giddy, telling my dad “I can’t believe there’s a real-life, successful organization that develops community through art!” I’m a firm believer in artivism (art + activism) and as Editor in Chief of Valpo’s literary magazine The Lighter, I’ve experienced first-hand the healing and persuasive powers of all art forms.

I was skimming their website and became immersed in fine art, videos and music. As I continued to look, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the literary arts were lacking in representation. I’m thrilled to be now advocating for writing and reading in the context of the Center because I believe it will be an effective platform for making art interpretation and appreciation more accessible.

I have a little more than two weeks of work behind me, and I can honestly say: so far, so great! I spend my time writing, interpreting art, and getting to know the Center’s amazing artists, interns, and countless quirks! I can tell that I’m already growing in this creative environment, and am learning so much from the inspirational, successful women who run this crazy show. I can’t wait to see where this summer takes me!

You can find more of my writing in The Lighter’s archives, collegiate journals CSUF’s DASH and IUE’s Tributaries, online magazine typishly, and ValpoScholar.

Allow Me to Introduce Myself!