New year means new experiences. Add these 2024 events to your calendar and immerse yourself in Indy’s arts and culture scene. From rubbing elbows with famous authors to a Charlie Parker opera and a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles exhibition, there’s a little bit of everything to get you and your loved ones excited about what Indianapolis has to offer.
Visual Arts | Literature | Theatre | Kids | Music
Visual Arts
Jan. 5: Philip Campbell’s exhibition “Old Clothes: Works of Comfort” will open during First Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Harrison Center’s Speck Gallery. Campbell transforms old clothes into comforting objects that feel safe and familiar.
Jan. 5 through March 24: “Take Me Back,” an exhibition of abstract textiles and works on paper by Julian Jamaal Jones, will open from 6 to 10 p.m. First Friday at Tube Factory Artspace. The works explore the artist’s inspiration from growing up in the Black church in the ’90s.
Feb. 10-11: During the month of love and desire, head to the Murphy Art Center for BRIDGE Collective’s 5th Annual Amorous Art Show. Co-founders of BRIDGE Collective, Shannon Kay Wilson and Mike Graves, produce the show as a safe space for artists and spectators to express themselves freely through sexuality and erotic art.
Literature
Jan. 18: At the Loudmouth Books Literary Trivia Night from 7 to 9 p.m., you can brave it alone or get a group of friends to help you out. The winning team or person will walk away with prizes, which will probably be really cool new books.
Jan. 27: Brian Allen Carr will read at Dream Palace Books and Coffee. The new independent bookstore will provide the stage for the critically acclaimed Indiana-based author’s latest book, “Bad Foundations,” from 6 to 8 p.m.
Jan. 31 through April 17: Butler University has announced the speakers for the Spring 2024 Delbrook Visiting Writers Series, and they include New Yorker staff writer and National Book Award winner Masha Gessen, fiction writer Brandon Hobson, poets Tiana Clark and Michael Torres, and Indy’s Loudmouth Books owner and author Leah Johnson.
March 4: Author Emma Hudelson will launch her new book, “Sky Watch: Chasing an American Saddlebred Story,” at the Efroymson Center for Creative Writing at 7 p.m. The nonfiction book follows the story of a show horse that not only captured the hearts of an entire industry but the author’s, as well.
Theatre
Jan. 12-13: District Theatre presents “The Perfect Storm” as part of a series of shows celebrating the history of Indiana Avenue. The play follows Momma E. as she plans a birthday for a community matriarch. Through her, the audience will learn how music shaped the area.
Feb. 9-25: Summit Performance presents “Queen” at Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre. The play by Madhuri Shekar tells the story of two doctoral students and friends researching vanishing bee populations.
Kids
Jan. 27: The Indiana State Museum will host a “Stay and Play” from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event is an opportunity for kids and their caregivers to make friends and explore sensory play, STEAM activities, music and movement.
March 4: Clowes Memorial Hall presents Disney Princess–The Concert. In addition to singalongs of favorites, like “Just Around the Riverbend,” kids will also get a behind-the-scenes look into the stories behind the music that has touched many generations.
March 9 through Sept. 2: The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis will launch a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles exhibition where kids can learn teamwork, collaboration and problem-solving through puzzles, mazes and obstacles. Other features include a dojo, video games and a pizza thrower.
Music
Feb. 24: Jon Batiste will bring his 2024 tour, “Uneasy Tour: Purifying the Airwaves for the People,” to Indy’s Old National Centre. Batiste’ s music spans jazz composition, modern pop and New Orleans R&B.
March 6: At 4:00 p.m, the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation will dedicate a marker for Wes Montgomery on the northside of 10th Street, west of the I-65 overpass. There will be a reception at Bottleworks Hotel at 6 p.m. following the dedication.
March 16: The Indianapolis Opera presents “Charlie Parker’s Yardbird,” the story of legendary jazz musician Charlie Parker. Featuring opera singer Angela Brown, the story follows Parker’s last attempt at composing a masterpiece through racial injustice and the 1950s opioid crisis.
April 20: Curated by Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra creative partner-in-residence, Joshua Thompson, “Black Keys: The Evolution of the Black Classical Arts” is a musical odyssey that weaves dance with powerhouse vocals and world-class artistry. Featuring Jared Thompson, Psywrn Simone and Kenyetta Dance Company, the repertoire will include music by Black composers spanning three centuries.
May 18: GANGGANG is teaming up with Forty5 to bring the I Made Rock ‘N’ Roll Festival — Indiana’s first one-day Black rock festival designed to honor the true origins of rock ‘n’ roll while celebrating the ongoing legacy of Black rock and promoting equity in the genre. Featuring live performances by Janelle Monáe, Gary Clark Jr., Robert Randolph Band, Joy Oladokun, Meet Me @ The Altar and Inner Peace, the I Made Rock ‘N’ Roll Festival will take place at The American Legion Mall downtown.
June 21: Boyz II Men will headline the 2024 Legacy Fest Concert. The Legacy Fest is one of Madam Walker Legacy Center’s biggest fundraisers, which supports initiatives in STEAM, women’s equity, social justice and arts programs.
June 30: Mexican rock bands Caifanes and Café Tacvba will play at the Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park (formerly TCU Amphitheater). This will be the first time the legendary bands from Mexico City tour together in the United States.
August (dates to be announced):
The Chreece festival is a day of Black joy, local hip hop and rap. The single-day independent music festival is a Fountain Square staple and features over 60 artists, international headliners, and a slew of art activations like breakdancing, live painting and free DJ sets.
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