Renovated museum building is ready to buzz with activity in Garfield Park
The opening of the main building of the Contemporary Art Museum of Indianapolis is merely days away after more than seven years of planning.
The opening of the main building of the Contemporary Art Museum of Indianapolis is merely days away after more than seven years of planning.
Surrounded by dense residential developments and workplaces, the plaza was a buzzy spot when it opened in 2018. Eight years later, it is more frequently a loitering spot, where people have been known to abuse drugs and alcohol.
In the interest of brand clarity and long-range planning, an arts-focused campus in the Garfield Park neighborhood is adopting a new name before opening a 40,000-square-foot multipurpose building in 2026.
The Lilly Endowment is paving the way for the renovation of a 40,000-square-foot vacant factory in the Garfield Park area into artist studios, performance spaces, a public cafe and more.
Approved artists would co-own the renovated homes in the Garfield Park neighborhood and only pay half the cost of the property.
Walker heads Big Car, which he describes as an “art-based, creativity-based not-for-profit that’s focused on community development.” Put simply, it uses art to jump-start neighborhood involvement and development.
The arts-focused Big Car Collaborative, birthed in Fountain Square in 2004 and most recently headquartered at Lafayette Square Mall, has found a permanent place to park on Indianapolis’ south side.