July 29th, 2024

Join us on Aug 2nd for First Friday

On August 2nd from 6-9 PM, join us for a First Friday Gallery Opening featuring a strong lineup of local artists, including Jay Parnell, Barb Knuckles, Josh Rush, Elise and Caleb Keitt, Kristin Whitney, and Willard Johnson.

In the Harrison Gallery,

Love Comes Quietly by Jay Parnell. Parnell’s latest body of work, consisting of oil paintings on wood panels, delves deep into naturalism, engaging the viewer in emotionally riveting scenes. Through meticulously applied brushstrokes, he conveys the raw beauty and complexity of human emotions, inviting the audience into a contemplative journey.

In the Gallery Annex,

Down Shift by Josh Rush. Through this series of paintings, Rush captures the ephemeral landscapes encountered through the lens of a midwestern bicycle commuter.

In the City Gallery,

Persimmon, Persimmon by Elise and Caleb C. Keitt. This is the debut exhibit of the married makers. Both individuals use their mixed-media practices and imagination to depict shared human experiences.

In the Speck Gallery,

Night Train by Willard Johnson. Drawing from the digital landscapes of Google Earth, Johnson's mixed media paintings capture the essence of Tokyo, Cairo, and Guam—all places he has called home.

In the Underground Gallery,

Holy Spirit Flow by Kristin Whitney. Whitney explores and conveys the realm of divine collaboration using acrylics.

In the Hank & Dolly’s Gallery,

Roots and Bones by Barb Knuckles. Kuckle's work, a mixed media ensemble on paper and canvas, delves into the profound theme of heritage passed down from our parents, exploring the inextricable roots and bones that shape our beings.

Online galleries will open on August 3rd.

Special Senior Hours are every Friday from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm.

With support from Indy Arts Council, City of Indianapolis, Indiana Arts Commission, Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, Lilly Endowment, and Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation.

Volunteers help make First Friday happen. We would love your help as a gallery attendant, assisting with serving wine (Indiana Servers license required), or greeting guests.

Volunteer at First Friday

Explore FoodCon 11 @ First Friday

This year’s FoodCon promises a lineup of activities, including edible bugs, beekeeping, chickens, cooking on your car engine, cheesemaking, mushroom music, aquaponics, food desert education, food preservation techniques, vertical gardening, and more! In a special feature for this year's convention, attendees will also be treated to screenings of the "Food for Thought" Short Film Series presented by Indiana Humanities.

Don't miss out on vendors such as Indianapolis Public Library’s Seed-Saving and Mobile Library, The Chaotic Forager, Strawberry Moon Farm, and Tulip Tree Creamery. And, of course, some of our favorite food trucks, including Black Leaf Vegan and Garnacha Spot.

The Unexpected Coincidence of Mr. Karl's Greatriarch Portrait

As part of the Greatriarch program, an artist learns each new Greatriarch’s story and gathers inspiration for their large-scale portrait drawn from African American art history.

In 2023, artist Danielle Harrell created this portrait of Mr. Karl Fredericksen inspired by his ancestral roots and the artist Aaron Douglas’ work, "Into Bondage," a painting about slavery and seeing hope in the worst of times.

Fast forward almost exactly one year after the completion of his portrait, Mr. Karl passed along a message to Danielle, including a document he found discussing his uncle's education at Fisk University and Meharry Medical College. The last paragraph stated, "[Mr. Karl's uncle] has many pleasant memories of Fisk. But the two that he cherishes most are that he was in the last class that was taught by James Weldon Johnson and the first class that was taught by Aaron Douglas."

Danielle exclaims, "I’m not sure how the artist I chose for Mr. Karl Fredericksen's portrait coincidentally had a personal connection to his family in the first place. It is crazy how some things just click into place."

Read more of the artist's retelling of this unexpected coincidence on our blog.

Meet Intern Tony Welch

Hi, my name is Tony Welch, and this is Act 3 of my working life.

I wanted to explore a new side of life, had time on my hands, and had zero desire to go back into "corporate life" after spending 40 years toiling in various global corporations within procurement departments. So, I took a leap and began volunteering for First Fridays in June 2023, followed by Bloombox. I continued to volunteer each First Friday for 12 months and discovered I had a bit of a knack for selling artwork and interacting with guests. The positive vibe from the first visit was real and not simply a performance. It left me curious and wanting to explore this new side of life. This led me to April 2024, when I decided to pursue this more seriously and expressed an interest in an Internship.

I'd encourage others to always be open to new experiences and not hold back.

Learn more about Tony's experiences that led to his internship at the Harrison Center on our blog.

Investing in Martindale-Brightwood

On Saturday, the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood came together for a town hall meeting to kick off its new quality of life plan. The Harrison Center was fully present:

Fellow Kenny Mason hosted the arts and culture goals table.
Artist Cierra Johnson emceed the meeting.
Intern Destiny Tims documented the event and collected oral histories.

The Harrison Center has served on the MOVE Martindale Brightwood Board since 2020 and is committed to supporting the neighborhood in achieving its goals.

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Erika BlueJuly 29, 2024