18 Apr 2024
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SPARK park back in 2024!

SPARK park back in 2024!

April 18, 2024 | 0 Comments | , , ,

We had a great season at Monument Circle in 2023! SPARK on the Circle is an ongoing partnership between Big Car Collaborative, Downtown Indy, City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development, the Capital Improvement Board, and the Indiana War Memorials Commission.

SPARK — returning from June until November in 2024 — brings a free, fun, playful, welcoming, and art-filled park to the heart of Indianapolis. Read the press announcement about the 2024 version here.

On Monument Circle, you’ll find comfortable places to sit in the shade, free games to play like ping pong and chess, a cafe serving food and drink, art experiences, and special offerings like live, local music. Big Car Collaborative approaches its aspects of SPARK on the Circle as a site and community specific public art project.

Find our report from 2023 here.

Check out our highlight video from 2023 by Ben Rose

19 Oct 2022
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WALKING WEDNESDAYS: Public Art Crawl

WALKING WEDNESDAYS: Public Art Crawl

October 19, 2022 | 0 Comments | , , ,
What is public art? Let’s take a look. Inspired by the recent Public Art Census produced by Rokh – a cultural equity research & design studio – take an artist-led tour highlighting Downtown’s public works by artists of the global majority (Black-Diaspora, Asian, Latinx, dual-heritage, Indigenous, and Women). Tour led by artist Greg Rose (@hay_kidd), covering 7 murals, 3 sculptures and 2 installations.


PART of the SPARK What a Wednesday event.


Meet at the SPARK trailer on the southwest quad of the Monument. Expect to walk between a half-mile and 2 miles total.


* FREE *


What’s This?
We at Big Car are teaming up with Downtown Indy and the City of Indianapolis — with support from the Capital Improvement Board and the Indiana War Memorials Commission— to spark Monument Circle with human-scale activities like games, live music, artmaking, and socializing in a comfortable place. We’re based from the southwest quadrant in front of the Emmis.
07 Apr 2016
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Spark by the Numbers

April 7, 2016 | 0 Comments | , , , , ,

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.

08 Nov 2015
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Celebrating the people of Spark

Celebrating the people of Spark

November 8, 2015 | 0 Comments | , , ,

What’s Spark? Many things: A placemaking effort to energize our city’s most important space, a tactical urbanism test to examine the approaches of a redesign in progress, a complicated and rewarding partnership that brought Monument Circle stakeholders and officials together with an array of cultural organizations, and a socially engaged art project that focused on interacting with people as the main ingredient to the success of all of the above. The participants in the human-scale programming at Spark during 11 weeks in 2015 were both members of the public who joined us there (by chance or on purpose) and the artists, program designers, and facilitators who created and cultivated opportunities for the public to play, create, socialize, and have fun.

The photo mosaic above includes many of the people who worked with us at Big Car on this project. We involved more than 50 artists and creatives in this project — all in paid positions. To them, though, it was more than a job. It was an opportunity to celebrate Indianapolis and help make this city a better place — and help people feel connected with the culture of our community. We appreciate the creativity and dedication of this group and the participation of all of the visitors to Spark. And, we are so thankful to our funders and partners for the opportunity to help make this happen on Monument Circle. We hope to be back in 2016 and beyond!  — Jim Walker, executive director of Big Car and lead artist on Spark 

Photos by Kurt Nettleton of Big Car. See his Spark wrap up video here and more of his great work and photos from Spark and everything else we do here.

 

16 Oct 2015
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Virginia Avenue Folk Fest: Dear Lincoln

Virginia Avenue Folk Fest: Dear Lincoln

October 16, 2015 | 0 Comments | ,

Dear Lincoln is an indie folk quartet that draws their inspiration for songs from personal relationships and experiences, American history and politics, and nature. This quartet’s live concert presented by Virginia Ave. Folk Fest will make sure you have quadruple the fun!

More info on Dear Lincoln!

Learn more about our partner, Virginia Ave. Folk Fest!

16 Oct 2015
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Musical Family Tree presents Ampersand Blues Band

Musical Family Tree presents Ampersand Blues Band

October 16, 2015 | 0 Comments | ,

You won’t want to miss this free concert by Ampersand Blues Band! It’s blues, punk, and rock’n’roll all blended up!

 

Get more info on Ampersand Blues Band.

Learn more about how Musical Family Tree makes it their mission to spread Indiana music!

16 Oct 2015
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Musical Family Tree presents Peter and the Kings

Musical Family Tree presents Peter and the Kings

October 16, 2015 | 0 Comments | ,

Bring a friend, pull up a chair, and enjoy the top-notch songwriting of this psych/folk/rock group!

Get more info on Peter and the Kings.

Learn more about how Musical Family Tree makes it their mission to spread Indiana music!

16 Oct 2015
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Mobile Cassette Motorbike

Mobile Cassette Motorbike

October 16, 2015 | 0 Comments | ,

You don’t want to miss out on this weekly performance by Stuart Hyatt Studio as part of “Phono Fridays.” This artist designed cassette motorbike will be making its way around the circle every Friday. Cassettes will be available for purchase. Ahhh… let the nostalgia set in!

16 Oct 2015
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Love Letter Writing Booth

Love Letter Writing Booth

October 16, 2015 | 0 Comments | , ,

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.

15 Oct 2015
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Sung Compline presented by Christ Church Cathedral

Sung Compline presented by Christ Church Cathedral

October 15, 2015 | 0 Comments | ,

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.