A Grave Matter in Indiana: Cemeteries and Hoosiers Presenter: Jeannie Regan-Dinius Talk Description: Before most of any city was developed, the first thing our pioneers established was burial grounds.  Whether a family site, religious based, or community focused these essential spaces evolved in importance, design, and use. This Spark will explore the city’s relationship with these places. Bio: Jeannie R. Regan-Dinius, Director of Special Initiatives, has a life-long interest in history, family history, and research. She earned her Bachelors in Public…

Bollywood with Usha Sirimalle | September 14th, 4-5pm Using a creative mix of technique, energy, and emotion, but most of all massive fun, Usha will teach participants poses, grace, hand and foot movements and expressions.These are all key elements of Bollywood dance, which allows participants to explore the meanings of songs and dance and act them out. Bollywood is an upbeat fusion dance class that showcases traditional Indian Dance (Bhangra), and classical and modern (influenced by Hip Hop and salsa)…

Have a question about the city of Indianapolis? Questions such as: is the Circle going to close completely? Who picks up the trash after events? Find out the answers to nearly any question you have about the city of Indianapolis and how it works. Every third Monday the Department of Metropolitan Development will be out at Spark to answer all your questions!

About: Alejandro Reyna is an Indiana-based teaching artist who teaches private voice lessons at Butler Community Arts School and is a tenor staff singer for El Coro Latino at Christ Church Cathedral. The melodies you will hear today are some of Alejandro's most cherished. Alejandro thanks his parents for cultivating his taste and passion for the music of Mexico and Latin America.

A gathering where knitting and graffiti collide! Simultaneously inspired by traditional knitting and graffiti, this ever-evolving piece combines fiber adjacent activities, coloring sheets derived from graffiti and knitting motifs, and opportunities for participants to share their creative path stories. You are invited to come join the fun, because without YOU, Boo, this project can’t happen. About the artist: Mary Jo Bayliss specializes in creating environments that help people feel at ease using space, light and color to achieve these goals.

Talk Date: September 21 Recovering Etheridge Knight Talk Description: This talk will discuss the process of recovering Knight's unpublished and out-of-print works for The Lost Etheridge: Uncollected Poems and the forthcoming book On Etheridge Knight for the University of Michigan Press's Under Discussion Series. Poems will additionally be shared. Bio: Norman Minnick is the author of three collections of poetry and editor of several anthologies. Most recently, he is the editor of The Indianapolis Anthology and The Lost Etheridge: Uncollected…