HCA intern finds inspiration in community
When I look back on my four years of being at Herron High School, taking part in and watching a community grow, I can’t imagine it without the Harrison Center. Ever since the beginning of my Freshman year, I’ve seen so many students and neighborhoods impacted by the art center, community center, urban living center and gym on 16th and Delaware. Growing up in the middle of this active community, I knew I had to find a way to take some part in its growth, and there was no better place I could have done this than at the Harrison Center.
HCA interns Tucker Krajewski and Brandon Lott performing at the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" Speech
In my Junior year, I began my first internship as a video production intern. Knowing next to nothing about this new and effective form of marketing, the Harrison Center fostered my new found love for it and gave me space to learn and an outlet to show my work. I created First Friday videos to promote our monthly art openings and, in the process, I learned what it meant to create a community, work in an office with deadlines, and, perhaps most importantly, I learned how to use my talents to help further the idea and mission of the Harrison Center. In the process, I fell in love with Indianapolis, I met many people with innovative and inspiring ideas, I was a part of music projects, festivals, tours, performances, and I was surrounded by art and community.
Video project about rebuilding of 16 Park apartments
In one semester and one summer of working at the Harrison Center, the potential that I never realized I had opened up for me. I got a paid internship for one year at Interactive Intelligence as a video producer, I was a part of two different place-based music groups and performances, I’ve worked on several wedding videos, and I am now in the process of making a documentary about Herron and the surrounding community. Without being involved at the HCA, none of this would have happened. I would not be as passionate for the community of Indianapolis and would have no interest in making videos.
Neighborhood Ballad Project -- Andrew Christenberry, Brandon Lott, Tucker Krajewski
When I initially signed on to be a part of the staff, I expected none of the opportunities that were put in front of me. After several jobs around the city, I soon realized that my internship at the Harrison Center was far from normal. Unlike many businesses, the HCA worked to get me involved in anything they could find. They taught me, trusted me with creative freedom, and let me explore my own projects using their resources. What sets them apart from any other place is their willingness to provide that space, not only for qualified adults, but for unqualified students who have a passion for community. They not only believe in our potential, but invest in it and strive, every day, to help it grow and form until it becomes something greater than an interest. Being a part of such a vibrant art center has uncovered the love I have for forming a community, and using my talents in video and music production for further that goal.