Today we have a cause for celebration: Rapper Reckless Rhymacide was our first reader to submit a memory for our Time Machine section. Did you know you can send your arts & culture scene memories to Ariana Beedie at ariana.beedie@mirrorindy.org? All you have to do is include a photo with 3-4 sentences.
And, because the Indiana Fever plays the Los Angeles Sparks tonight, we also resurfaced our WNBA Culture Journal from Mirror Indy’s BCC months (before Caitlin Clark).
But that’s not all! Mirror Indy’s staff shares what films, books and events they’re into these days, all while still basking in the afterglow of summer’s brightest days.
WHAT’S NEW IN ARTS & CULTURE
We made a list of 32 things to do in September that include hip-hop on the water, a fashion show, film screenings, pork tenderloin eating, Irish dancing, jazz music and more.
Listen to a choir from St. Paul’s Indianapolis Episcopal Church — with singers ranging in age from 11 to 76 — perform some of the greatest hits in church history. The ensemble recently joined a centuries-old tradition at a cathedral in England.
In case you missed something, see all arts and culture coverage here.
WHAT WE’RE DOING
- “It seems like new social meetups are popping up left and right! The latest: My friend April started a queer pickleball group with meetups — 11 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Mondays — at Brookside Park. All skill levels welcome, and yes, you can absolutely Google the rules real quick before you go. Follow @queerpickleballindy on Instagram for weather updates.”
— Jenna Watson, art director
- “Staying in bed because I cashed in all my extrovert points last weekend at Butter, a demolition derby at Circle City Raceway, a party at McGowan Hall, and a hike at Yellowwood State Forest. I’m going to read ‘Turning to Stone: The Subtle Wisdom of Rocks.’”
— Amanda Kingsbury, managing editor of innovation
- “I’ve been on a 2000s Black films spree. I just watched ‘Brown Sugar,’ a rom-com featuring two prominent actors of the Brat Pack: Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs. The film follows two best friends, Sidney and Andre, who love hip-hop.”
— Mesgana Waiss, social media strategist
- “My New Year’s resolution philosophy: Get started in September so you get all your failures out before Jan. 1. Case in point: I’ve signed up for two 5K runs this fall: The Arsenal 5K Run/Walk, which funds college scholarships for near eastside seniors, and the iconic Irvington Vampire Run. See you at the back of the pack!”
— Emily Hopkins, data reporter
- “This Friday I’m attending the First Friday Writer’s Mixer at Golden Hour Books and then I’ll head to the art show ‘Cosas Bonitas‘ at the Marilyn Rose Center. The exhibition is curated by artists Samuel Penaloza and Elias Garza, and highlights local and national Latinx/e/o artists.”
— Jennifer Delgadillo, arts and culture editor
Looking for other things to do? Check out Mirror Indy’s events calendar.
CITY CHATTER
What’s good, friends!
I don’t know about y’all, but I’m still floating on a cloud of “buttery” bliss after this past weekend.
My partner in community ministry, Sarah Jene, and I built a “mystical confessional” for Butter 4, and through heat, wind and rain, it was a true labor of love. My favorite part was putting some of my mom’s handwritten aspirational notes on the cork board inside the confessional and placing a $2 bill from my grandma on the altar right in front.
I also took a moment on Friday to enjoy “PERM,” an exhibit from Butter curator Greg Rose at the Madam Walker Legacy Center, then bounced over to Belmont Beach for the monthly movie night. (On Sept. 9 the feature film will be “Higher Learning” — if you’re a Westside-owned business, send an email to Antonia@BelmontBeachIndy.org to inquire about vendor space.)
This weekend was quite charged emotionally. I turned 36 and memorialized the one-year anniversary of my father’s passing. The love and beauty of community held me up back then and now. I am beyond grateful.
In other news:
- Prepare to ooh and ahh over these Butter photos.
- One of my fave modern writers/cultural critics Hanif Abdurraqib will visit The AMP with Loudmouth Bookstore’s Leah Johnson in October.
- ICYMI: Circle City Industrial Complex has rebranded as the Factory Arts District.
—Ebony Chappel, Free Press Indiana market director
MUSIC NEWS
Chreece festival took Fountain Square by storm on Aug. 24. Now that the hip-hop party has settled, we have Indy Documenter notes to share.
“It’s a beautiful display of the growth of our creative economy,” said documenter Korie Griggs.
Indy Documenters trains and pays neighbors to attend local meetings and events to create a new public record in Indianapolis.
— Breanna Cooper, arts and culture reporter
TIME MACHINE
Indianapolis rapper Reckless Rhymacide shared a memory about premiering his film, “Seeing is Believing”:
I remember Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, I premiered my first film at Kan-Kan Cinema. It is titled “Seeing Is Believing.” It wasn’t a movie. It was actually a collection of my music videos along with some commentary.
The idea was the result of brainstorming with my producer Whodunit Beats about how we could generate some revenue with our music. Throughout the years we had filmed about 16 music videos, but couldn’t make any money on YouTube because of their monetization requirements. Therefore, we decided to showcase our work on the big screen.
I had two screenings and both ended up selling out. Everyone that attended was impressed with our film and our ability to think outside of the box. It is a memory that I will forever cherish.
The moral of the story is that you should see the power in your art and showcase it to the world.
What memory do you have? Email it with a photo to ariana.beedie@mirrorindy.org
— Ariana Beedie, community journalism director
CULTURE JOURNAL
Once upon a time, when Mirror Indy was still very young, and before Caitlin Clark was a Hoosier superstar, the Indiana Fever shared their culture journal with us.
Aliyah Boston, Grace Berger, Erica Wheeler and Lexie Hull took Indy Mirror readers behind the scenes of NBA All-Star Weekend.
Here’s a sample of one of Boston’s journal entries:
9 p.m. I’m at the Rising Stars game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and I’m sure I have the best seats in the house. I catch up with Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and the Pacers guys. We’re watching Bennedict Mathurin and Oscar Tshiebwe play as well. Those guys are very supportive of us and I love seeing how pumped they are.
Read the WNBA Indiana Fever’s Culture Journal here.
CLASSIFIEDS
- Join a free or by-donation poetry salon with the Indiana Writers Center on Sept. 10 with Nick Reading.
- Kids 6-12 can learn cyanotype and watercolor for $26.50 at a special class Sept. 17-19 at Garfield Park Arts Center (GPAC).
- The Harrison Center’s free drawing sessions let artists practice while listening to stories from long-term Indy residents.
- Learn ceramics with a 2-hour night class at Yellow Door Ceramics for $45.
- See more ideas for taking a dip into the creative life.
Send us your creative service ad to hello@mirrorindy.org and write “Classifieds” in the subject line.
Thanks for reading.
You can reach me at jennifer.delgadillo@mirrorindy.org. I’d love to hear from you!
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This newsletter was written by Jennifer Delgadillo and edited by Mirror Indy’s managing editor of innovation, Amanda Kingsbury.
Play List’s illustrations are by Rebekah Nolan.
The audio version of this newsletter was recorded and edited with Joseph Kilbourn.
The music in the audio version of this newsletter is “Treasure Everywhere” by Forestero.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
