Open House


all the Art Center has to offer on September 11, 2009 from 6-8pm at our annual Open House! All of the Art Center’s studio classrooms will be abuzz with faculty and student demonstrations. And if they want to, visitors may even join in and make art themselves:

  • Take a turn at the wheel and put your mark on a ceramic piece being created by Art Center students
  • The printmaking studio will allow visitors to create their own 6” print
  • Visitors will learn the art of jewelry-making by fusing and forging metal
  • An Art Center instructor will help people get a feel for the brush by creating their own watercolor

No experience is necessary, and is even preferred.

And if visitors don’t want to see or make art, there are plenty of opportunities to purchase art:

  • Student-made ($5) or faculty-made ($10) ceramic bowls with a scoop of Yats chili
  • Custom-made purses in your choice of fabrics by artist Joan Diercks (10% off on orders that night)
  • Artwork in a variety of mediums by student and faculty artists

Dress to play and sink your hands into art! This year the Art Center is excited to offer 15-minute art activities. Experience selected art mediums and leave the Open House with your creation. All activities are free and will take place throughout the Open House. If creating art isn’t your thing, feel free to look in on any of the classrooms as faculty members demonstrate techniques in their medium.


Yats is back! This popular Art Center fundraiser in the Ruth Lilly Library features Yats chili served in student- and faculty-made ceramic keepsake bowls. Proceeds from the sale go towards the ceramics department at the Art Center. Faculty-made bowls will be selling for $10 and student-made bowls will be selling for $5. But don’t wait until the last minute; the bowls and chili sold out last year.


Indianapolis artist Joan Diercks creates one-of-a-kind purses in a multitude of styles, fabrics and patterns, from contemporary to classic. Dierks will bring ready-made purses and tons of fabric to the Art Center’s annual Open House for you to co-create the purse of your choice. Choose multiple exterior fabrics, the interior fabric, strap colors and their lengths, and widths and trims. Or, design your bag with custom pockets sized for plane tickets, cell phones, sketchbooks… whatever you want! All orders will be ready in time for holiday giving and there will be a 10% discount on all orders placed at the Open House. The Basile Studio Shop will also host a sidewalk sale during the Open House. Items will be marked off 50% or more, so make sure to bring your wallet!

 


The Open House is also opening night for several exhibitions:

Shirley Carr Faculty of the Year:

David Owen Best of Show Adult Division:

Susan Downs Best of Professional Student Adult Division:

Patricia Richardson Best of Advanced Student Adult Division:

Andrew Ball Best of Intermediate Student Adult Division:

Lisa VanMeter Best of Beginning Student Adult Division:


Connect with Indiana’s own J. Scott McElroy during his book signing. McElroy’s new book Finding Divine Inspiration: Working with Spirituality in your creativity is on sale in the Basile Studio Shop and will be available for purchase during the Open House. ($15.99)


 

 


Visitors will be able to relive last year’s Day of the Dead extravaganza and prepare for this year’s during the Open House. T-shirts will be available for purchase as will a sign-up for the upcoming workshops and tours, led by New York illustrator and designer, John Parra. The nationally-known Parra will exhibit his work at the Art Center beginning Oct. 9 and will lead a workshop in honor of the Art Center’s 10th Day of the Dead celebration.

 

About the Art Center

Established in 1934 during the Great Depression, the Indianapolis Art Center is a not-for-profit community arts organization offering 300 art classes, workshops and samplers each semester for all ages and all art abilities, art exhibitions and ARTSPARK, a 12-acre outdoor creativity and sculpture park. Located in the Broad Ripple Village Cultural District and bordered by the White River and Monon Greenways Trail, the Art Center is the place to make art, see art and learn about art. For more information and to link to the Art Center's YouTube, Facebook and Shutterfly pages, visit www.IndplsArtCenter.org or call (317)255-2464.

The Art Center is open Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm and Sunday Noon-6pm until August 30, 2009. On Augusts 31, the Art Center is open weekdays until 10pm. Admission to the Art Center is free.