0
View Post
Sounding a Space: Evening Embers at Monument Circle

Sounding a Space: Evening Embers at Monument Circle

by Rob Funkhouser

Living near and working downtown, and growing up in Indiana in general, I always took Monument Circle for granted. On the face of it, it’s a cool architectural hub, but it’s also a big traffic roundabout, when it isn’t being shut down for American Ninja Warrior. What I thought the least about in general was the sound there. Sure, there are speakers everywhere, but, up until recently, the most interesting musical moment for me was walking around the Circle near Christmas and playing a game with my buddy trying to recognize which song the muzak engine was trying to imitate. 

Even during the original iteration of Spark, in the halcyon days of 2015, when I had the chance to perform on the Circle, the experience was one that felt like glorified busking, playing near the edge of something magnificent, but short of the center. That all changed for me when I played on the Circle earlier this year when Spark started up again. Playing a sound on the central sound system in that space as an artist is a revelation, and gets at the heart of what music can do when it is effectively married to a space.

Evening Embers, which takes place each Wednesday evening at 6:30 through October 26, has been a study in just how easily a space can become an immersive experience when sound becomes a dominant factor in the environment. It has been a chance to allow artists to hear themselves in a way they probably never considered, and for people to engage with the peace of the quieter spots in the central grounds. Throughout the series so far, we’ve heard artists that live right in the zone where the beauty of the sound has equal standing with the content of the music to completely transform the atmosphere of Monument Circle from that of traffic din, to a space of deep calm and exploration. 

Performances so far have included Landon Caldwell creating a collage of sound from woodwinds, voice, and sampled instruments, Mark Tester building a whole world out of a single synthesizer, Michael Raintree playing glacially paced abstractions of his songs, Airport People’s plaintive tunes, and Clare Longendyke playing a set that reached back to the very beginnings of ambient music. Most recently, DJ Little Town breathed some drum-heavy life into the series with an hour-long mix of varied instrumentals.

Clare Longendyke performing at Evening Embers, 9/14/22.  Photo by Jim Walker.

And there’s more to come: 

October 12 – Jordan Munson and Rob Funkhouser in duo preceding a huge night of art including an anthology reading of poems written about Monument Circle, and the premiere of No More No Place, which features 40 of Indianapolis’ most talented composers and videographers paired together for shorts to be projected via the Circle’s ten-story building projector.

October 19 – Composer and performer Hanna Benn will bring a touch of the sacred in her vocal improvisations.

October 26 – Classical Music Indy is partnering with SPARK for a screening of the 1920 film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, with a live score by Jennifer Page, flute; Eric Salazar, bass clarinet; Allison Vickery, piano; and yours truly on percussion. 

It is my hope that as many people as possible will come to experience the art of sound at Monument Circle for themselves and see the possibilities that imagination can bring. 

Because, whether you like the art itself or not, hearing it in such a massive context will change the way you view the space, will hopefully open up new ways of thinking about public space, and, perhaps most important of all, it will be interesting.

Landon Caldwell performs at Evening Embers, 9/21/22

0

Spark by the Numbers

2015 SPARK By the Numbers by Big Car

We’ve pulled numbers together from surveys and counts from Spark. Check them out above or download a one sheet here.

0
View Post
Love Letter Writing Booth

Love Letter Writing Booth

On the last day of Spark Monument Circle, stop by and write a love letter to Indianapolis (maybe it’s your favorite restaurant, your favorite very specific place, or even your favorite non-profit– HINT, HINT). Tag it with #LoveIndy. Presented by Plan 2020 and Big Car.

0
View Post
Indiana Landmarks’ Monument Circle Tours

Indiana Landmarks’ Monument Circle Tours

Indiana Landmarks’ guided tour explores the physical and symbolic heart of Indianapolis and tells the intriguing story of Monument Circle, past and present. During the tour, you’ll hear about the Soldier and Sailors Monument, including why the woman on top faces south, as well as the roundabout’s role in the city’s original plan and stories regarding encircling architecture.


No tour if raining cats and dogs! Reservation required. Advance tickets are $8 per adult (12 and up); $5 per member of Indiana Landmarks; $5 per child (6-12). If space is available the day of the tour, tickets are $10 per person regardless of age.

0
View Post
Sung Compline presented by Christ Church Cathedral

Sung Compline presented by Christ Church Cathedral

Good Night, Indy. The Christ Church Cathedral Schola will be singing traditional end-of-day prayers on the north end of Monument Circle at 8:15pm on October 15th. Take a moment to wind down with this beautiful choral music, which has been sung for centuries.

Sung compline is an essential part of the Anglican Choral tradition, which the Christ Church Cathedral Choir– a historic staple of the arts community on Monument Circle– has traditionally and continually strived to embody.

0
View Post
Spark In Lights on the IPL Building

Spark In Lights on the IPL Building

Spark 2015 goes out in style: watch for the Spark logo to scroll across the colored lights in the windows of the IPL building. Thanks, IPL!

Check our partner, IPL, by clicking here.

0
View Post
Placemaking Lunch Conversation: David Engwicht

Placemaking Lunch Conversation: David Engwicht

With Spark: Monument Circle winding to a close, let’s consider the impact of creative placemaking projects. Bring your lunch as Australian public space guru David Engwicht discusses the challenges and outcomes of creatively transforming our shared spaces.

This event is part of the Big Car and Reconnecting to Our Waterways series on Creative Placemaking. Find out more at:
http://www.bigcar.org/placemakingseries/.

Other partners include:
Indiana Arts Commission, Love Indy, Indianapolis City Market, IndyGo, Harrison Center for the Arts and City Gallery, StreamLines, White River Festival, DaVinci Pursuit, Ball State University Department of Landscape Architecture, Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center (INRC), TEDxIndianapolis, and Spark Monument Circle.

0
View Post
Indy Look Up

Indy Look Up

Every Wednesday at noon, bring your camera phone/camera, some comfy shoes, whatever you know about our city, AND meet us at the Spark Welcome Trailer to take part in British artist/writer Cara Courage’s Indy Look Up Project!

As you take pictures, share what you know as you walk with us and post to Facebook/Twitter.

To upload the images to Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lookupproject

Twitter (with the hashtag #IndyLookUp)

This can be done as the walk progresses or afterwards in one go– whatever you like.

You don’t have to wait till Wednesdays either; contribute to Indy Look Up anytime you are out and about!

More about Look Up from www.caracourage.net.

0
View Post
Indiana Landmarks’ FREE Monument Circle Walking Tour

Indiana Landmarks’ FREE Monument Circle Walking Tour

Indiana Landmarks’ guided tour around the physical and symbolic heart of Indianapolis tells the intriguing story of Monument Circle, past and present. Join Indiana Landmarks docent Susie Dawson to hear about the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument and why the woman on top faces south. You’ll learn the roundabout’s role in the original city plan and the stories of the encircling architecture, both past and present.

Meet outside the South Bend Chocolate Company on the southwest quadrant of Monument Circle.

0
View Post
Ask Me Anything (About the Monument) presented by Indiana Landmarks

Ask Me Anything (About the Monument) presented by Indiana Landmarks

The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument is the icon of Indianapolis. Who designed it? What’s it made of? What does the imagery mean? On Talking Tuesday at Spark, ask an Indiana Landmarks docent anything you want about the amazing Monument we sometimes take for granted.