Family fun time in the Blue Foam Playscape.
Learn to build, create and play with a variety of shapes
including ramps, tubes and spheres.
29
Aug 2015
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24
Aug 2015
Rain sets the backdrop for a unique Spark performance
By Rob Peoni, Spark writer in residence
My routine of walking from my home in Fletcher Place to Monument Circle for Listen Hear’s ambient, experimental, Mellow Monday set was interrupted due to weather this week. A late afternoon rain was showering downtown Indy. Despite the weather, the performance by local multi-instrumentalist Rob Funkhouser was scheduled to proceed – rain or shine. With walking out the window, I called an Uber rather than attempt to negotiate parking.
“Look at that mural!” my driver chuckled as we emerged from beneath the parking garage on Virginia Ave. She was pointing at the image of a man on a ladder, supporting an impossibly large scroll. Franklin, TN muralist Michael Cooper, designed the piece, entitled “Indy – Always On A Roll!” My driver admits she has never noticed the mural.
Rain falls steadily as we roll onto the circle from Market Street. Upon exiting my ride, I see Big Car’s Spark crew arranging chairs beneath the marquee in front of Hilbert Circle Theatre. On a folding table in front of the chairs, Funkhouser is assembling his rig: a MINIBRUTE SE analog synthesizer, a MacBook Air, a composition notebook and a cluster of cords connecting the devices.
Droves of umbrella-headed business suits pass by abandoning their day’s work at their desks. By the time the bells toll at Christ Church Cathedral signaling the six o’clock hour and the start of Funkhouser’s performance, the rain is reduced to a drizzle and the large cabanas arranged to protect the crowd and Funkhouser’s gear are deemed unnecessary, folded, and set aside. The sun peeks through the clouds, baking the soaked bricks of the circle.
Funkhouser kicks off with spacey, ambient notes that seem to sparkle and burst like globs of hydrogen in the cosmos. The music becomes more full, with Funkhouser adding swaths of sound by playing chords on the keys of his synthesizer. It grows darker and more ominous, with the occasional wave of calm. A pattern of distortion cuts through the atmosphere adding a backbeat to the ambience. A teenage couple looks on while silently sipping fluorescent sodas before ambling onward.
Big Car executive director Jim walker captures photos or video footage from a tall tripod across the street. He’s standing just beneath a statue of Oliver P. Morton. The 14th governor of Indiana stands with his hand extended, waist high, palm held upward as if inviting the cacophony at his feet. Walker is wearing a Big Car mechanic’s shirt, cargo shorts, and teal blue socks. He’s smiling. He looks like an urban safari guide. Most days, that description isn’t too far off.
A trio of skateboarding teens rolls by. On the other side of the marquee, a leather-clad guy who looks alarmingly like Julian from Trailer Park Boys revs up his Harley Davidson. Befuddled, quizzical smiles from passers-by walk on the sidewalk behind Funkhouser.
I can’t help but chuckle at my surroundings, pinching myself at how lucky I am to witness this experimental performance on the doorstep of Indy’s most hallowed musical institution, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. This isn’t something that happens with regularity across the country. Experimental musicians are rarely offered this type of platform, and the unique nature of the performance isn’t lost on the crowd.
John Flannelly, the curator for Listen Hear’s contribution to Spark is seated in the front row. He’s wearing a jean jacket, white paints, purple sunglasses, black dress shoes and is sporting a fresh haircut. For the previous two performances, Flannelly has been on top of the time, reminding performers: 30, 15, 5 minutes left. Today, he lets Funkhouser roll. He’s right to do so, as Funkhouser closes the set promptly at 7 p.m. Flannelly is on stage himself on Monday Aug. 24 at 6 p.m. as this week’s Listen Hear artist.
With Funkhouser’s performance and rainfall in the rearview, I decide to walk home along the Cultural Trail to digest what I’ve just heard and seen. This fall, Funkhouser will return to school to study musical composition at Butler University. I can’t help but wonder whether one day the symphony held inside the doors in front of which he just performed will be celebrating and rearranging his works.
Rob’s pick for this week’s Spark programming:
At 6:30 p.m on Wednesday Aug. 26, Indianapolis artist Kipp Normand will lead a themed walk that begins at Spark’s welcome trailer parked in front South Bend Chocolate Company on Monument Circle. As an artist, Normand uses found and repurposed materials as the building blocks for his celebrated installations. For a primer, check out Jennifer Delgadillo’s recent profile on Normand via Sky Blue Window. As one who specializes in found art, Normand’s view of his surroundings likely differs from the rest of ours substantially. With that in mind, I’m anxious to hear his interpretation of “Indy Oddities.” RSVP for the walk via Facebook.
20
Aug 2015
India Day, Spark postcard project bring the world together
By Karla D. Romero, Spark writer in residence
As I walked towards Circle Spark last Sunday, the morning was barely underway in downtown Indianapolis. I circled around the Monument and noticed that along with the extra seating and parklets provided by Spark, there were colorful new booths, stands and tables covered in even more colorful clothing, food and knick-knacks.
People began to arrive in large numbers, many of them dressed in dhotis, saris and other traditional garments. Orange, white and green ribbons and balloons decorated the stage that sat just a few feet away from the trailer I had to report to for Spark – “INDIA ASSOCIATION OF INDIANAPOLIS,” said the gigantic flag on the stage. It was India Day and my task on this particular Sunday was to facilitate the postcard project, which consisted of encouraging people to either create their own or send one of the many Monument Circle postcards (a partnership with the Indiana Historical Society) Big Car provides to anyone, anywhere in the world, for free (we’ll have them out every Sunday as well as other days until Oct. 16). As we began to set up, I felt several raindrops fall on my arms and before the rain could fall and wilt the postcards, Jim and I went back to the trailer, with just enough time to avoid the insane (yet brief) rainstorm.
I don’t know about you, but to go to work and to get to watch a rainstorm wash away the weekend at Monument Circle on India Day is quite a beautiful sight, especially when the sun finally made its debut. Once the rain cleared a bit, Jim and I gave it another go and set up the postcard table. On the sandwich board next to the table, I wrote, “MAKE A POSTCARD & WE’LL SEND IT! FREE!”
At first, it was hard to get people to come by, but a few curious onlookers did manage to make their way over. “What is this for?” Asked one of them. I gave them the spiel and they couldn’t believe it. “Seriously? You’ll send it anywhere in the world for free? Why?” Everyone asked the same set of questions, most of those questions with a hint of skepticism. After several answers to these set of questions, I found one that made the most sense, “Why not?”
We had a few more issues with the weather, but once the sun came out again and lunchtime rolled around, people started to crowd the table, many of them ate and chatted with me but weren’t interested in making or sending a postcard. “Do you send them to India?” Asked a young guy who walked by. I looked over at Nick Zuckerman who was there with me at the time and we both kind of nodded. “Yes, anywhere.” I answered. “We just have to make sure we put another stamp on it.”
A little girl stepped away from the Shalimar food line where she stood with her dad and asked me, “Can you send one to my grandma?” “Sure!” I answered. She spent several minutes on her personalized postcard and handed it to me. Although for the most part it was illegible, I could see that the recipient address line said, “Grandma.” She handed it to me and asked, “Do you know where she lives?” And walked away. Everyone who stood nearby laughed and a few minutes later, the little girl’s dad came up to me. “Are you really sending them to India?” He asked. I told him we were and handed him the postcard. He smiled, filled out the recipient’s address line with grandma’s address. “Thank you so much! Thank you!” He said.
Word must have gotten out that we were actually sending postcards to India, (on India Day, for free) because I was now alone and surrounded by people who wanted to send a piece of this day to their loved ones. “I cannot believe that you’re doing this for free,” said a woman who had sent a couple to family in India. More and more people came, several from Latin America, Europe, from all across the U.S., and many from other towns and cities in Indiana.
Those of us who had sent postcards or letters in the past laughed when kids came up to send one. “How does this work?” I laughed and explained it. Once they understood the purpose of postcards altogether, the majority of the kids who participated while I was there wanted to send several more.
In a time where new technology and fairly easy global communication is the norm, to see so many people, young and old, from all over the world, get so incredibly excited and emotional to send a physical object to someone they love is the kind of human interaction that perhaps reminds us that we need more human interaction.
Last Sunday, I was reminded that touching, making and physical presence as a community isn’t a luxury, but an innate part of the human condition. Many people who participated in the postcard project on India Day probably feel something similar. Now, can you imagine every Sunday being this fulfilling in Indianapolis? Spark is making that happen.
The historic and artist-created (Niina Cochran and Andy Fry) postcards available during Spark. This is a partnership with the Indiana Historical Society. Stop by and ask for one and we’ll mail it anywhere for you.
13
Aug 2015
Phono Fridays brings music to Monument Circle
By Rob Peoni, Spark Writer in Residence
For those that don’t know, the city of Indianapolis is using Spark Monument Circle to experiment with placemaking initiatives and evaluate the optimal use of its most prominent public space. In a broader sense, Spark also serves as a case study in Big Car’s mission to “bring art to people and people to art, sparking creativity in lives to transform communities.” Much of the Spark programming is possible to ignore, if that’s your prerogative. That will prove much more difficult with the onset of Phono Fridays, when Spark programming features a full afternoon of live performances spotlighting Central Indiana’s diverse musical offerings.
“I’ve always liked to describe Monument Circle as Indianapolis’ front yard,” says Patrick Burtch, co-organizer of Virginia Avenue Folk Fest and one of Spark’s musical curators. “It’s where visitors go. It’s our most visible, iconic spot in the entire city. It’s really awesome to have our name connected with an organization like Big Car and Monument Circle to put some music that we really like out there. Hopefully, this will become more of a regular thing. It’s just too perfect of a spot for music in particular, I think, to not take advantage of that.”
Phono Friday Schedule: August 14th
- Noon – 12:30: Classical Music Indy presents Sarah Shreko and Deb Shebish
- 12:30 -1:30: Musical Family Tree presents Caleb McCoach
- 4 – 5pm: Rhythm! Discovery Center presents drum circle & percussion demonstration
- 5 – 6pm: Musical Family Tree presents Rachel & Jonny
- 6 – 7pm: Virginia Ave. Folk Fest presents Isle of Manhattan
Burtch and his partner Mike Angel are fond of Big Car’s approach to turning atypical venues and public spaces into artistic destinations. This shared vision has led the duo to try some innovative promotional techniques for their music business. Like pulling Kentucky’s Buffalo Rodeo down Virginia Ave. through Fountain Square while the band performed on a trailer or performing on a rooftop during First Friday. “Pat and I both have rebellious spirit,” Angel says. “We’re not going to ask for permission to do things like pull a band around on a trailer. If a band wants to do it, we’re gonna do it.”
Listen to Caleb McCoach ahead of his performance tomorrow:
Phono Fridays will kickoff at noon each week, with programming provided by four different curators. The curators include Musical Family Tree, Virginia Ave. Folk Fest, Classical Music Indy and Rhythm! Discovery Center. “We definitely wanted it to be family-friendly and all-ages friendly, but also wanted to incorporate as many genres as we could,” Musical Family Tree executive director Jon Rogers says of his approach to programming. “Keeping the line-up diverse in terms of having different ethnicities, genders, even different ages of musicians… I think we collaborated to get a line-up that was a good representation of the whole city in different ways.”
All of the Phono Fridays curators were excited about the prospect of bringing music to an audience they may not reach on a regular basis. “There’s a lot of people around here who don’t know what kind of music we have to offer,” Angel says. “It will be a good chance for them to realize that there are really talented people around here.”
Rogers reiterated that sentiment, saying, “That’s one of the main reasons I was attracted to [Spark], because we would be able to reach a different audience – say, people who work downtown and come out for lunch or happy hour. I’m assuming with all the other programming that Big Car and Spark are doing, that there will be increased interest as this thing goes on and continues to build. It’s an exciting opportunity.”
