For many residents of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Arts Garden, Gallery 924, and the Indy Arts Guide are the most obvious emblems of the Arts Council of Indianapolis citywide. Lesser known are the Arts Council’s efforts to secure major grants for community-led arts initiatives in pursuit of its mission to “advocate for the need and importance
Aging Commercial Spaces in Eastside of Indianapolis Many commercial spaces in the IndyEast Promise Zone have been around for several decades, longer than even their most resilient tenants. Peeling paint, burned-out lights, cracked windows, dead plants, and other indicators of deterioration are telltale signs of their age, especially at sites that have been vacant for
The Near Eastside of Indianapolis is home to artists of all disciplines and experience levels, but nonetheless has a dearth of permanent spaces specifically dedicated to community-oriented artistry and art exhibition. Hoy Polloy, an artist-run gallery, performance venue, and event space at 2121 East 10th Street, was established by Near Eastside community members in the
If you are a pizza aficionado on Indianapolis’ Near Eastside, then you know that your local options for a good slice or pie used to be few, branches of chain restaurants, and most likely far from your home or workplace. Thanks to Alicia and Adam Sweet, who opened King Dough in Holy Cross at the
At a time when blue-collar jobs are becoming increasingly scarce, growing bastions of industrial employment with expanding career opportunities are anomalies. Nelbud Services Group, the most eminent provider of kitchen exhaust hood cleaning, fire protection, and grease-trapping services from the Midwest to the East Coast, stands out as a thriving company that is steadily creating
On December 5, 2018, a spokesperson from the Lilly Endowment announced the recipients of its Strengthening Indianapolis through Arts and Culture Initiative grants at the John Boner Neighborhood Centers. Of 226 vying entities, a collective comprised of the John Boner Neighborhood Centers and eight partner organizations became one of 18 awardees whose visionary approaches to
Since the summer of 2016, the IndyEast Promise Zone (IEPZ) has been supported by the capacity-building efforts of AmeriCorps VISTAs. Below are reflections from members of the three cohorts of VISTAs who have served the IEPZ so far. 2018-2019 Cohort Kira Zagorc | Economic Development Planner “As the Promise Zone’s Economic Development Planner VISTA, I
Since 2015, the City of Indianapolis and its partners have leveraged the IndyEast Promise Zone designation to secure funding and technical assistance from 12 federal agencies, namely the Economic Development Administration (EDA), which supports innovation and entrepreneurship in communities nationwide under the U.S. Department of Commerce. Engagement between Promise Zone stakeholders and the EDA began
Executive Director of the Near Eastside Innovation School Corporation and Principal of Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School Ross Pippin, HUD Midwest Regional Administrator Joseph Galvan, and IHCDA Executive Director Jacob Sipe are pictured above from left to right. The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority leveraged the IndyEast Promise Zone designation to secure a $130,079 grant through
U.S. Attorney Joshua Minkler addressed a crowd of neighbors and city officials at Sherman Park to congratulate the JBNC and outline his hopes for the CBCR Grant’s impact on public safety. At the beginning of October, the John Boner Neighborhood Center was awarded the Community-Based Crime Reduction Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, $143,000 of which