Garfield Park Creative Community

Why Garfield Park? Garfield Park is an under-utilized and undervalued working class neighborhood just south of Downtown on a large city park 1.5 miles from an arts district and university. Once a vibrant and complete neighborhood, Garfield Park has been damaged by an interstate cutting it in half and roads redesigned for speed. Yet many neighbors are active and invested long-term residents. Butespecially in areas outside barrier streetshomes and commercial buildings sit empty, crime is common, educational attainment rates are low, and many households struggle for financial security.

Why us? Big Car is based here. Our Exectutive Director, Jim Walker, and other staffers live here. We see this as an area full of people who shouldnt have to move to live in a better neighborhood, to quote Majora Carter.

Whats the project? Big Car Collaborative works with Garfield Park neighbors to create collaborations, bring art to all, support local businesses, fill vacant commercial buildings, and connect people with the park and each other.

The Garfield Park Creative Community

Neighbors pose and celebrate at the Garfield Park mural after a group walk, May of 2013.

We see this as an area full of people who shouldnt have to move to live in a better neighborhood

615 N. Alabama #119 | Indianapolis, IN 46204 | www.bigcar.org

What are the assets and challenges? A 128-acre gem, Garfield Park is the citys oldest park and features a conservatory, sunken gardens, large fields and gathering places, an art center and rec center. Still most neighbors dont use the park; and facilities are underutilized and often unavailable for community use. Access by foot to the park is difficult, as few crosswalks exist. The commercial corridor struggles. And people are disconnected from each other due to barrier streets (Shelby, Raymond and Troy) and communication challenges.

How does this work fit with larger strategies? In 2013, an initiative that Big Car is a key part of, Reconnecting to Our Waterways, received a large grant from Kresge for creative placemaking (CP)

work. As lead in training artists, weve seen the CP approach take hold. Our project is also linked with efforts to better connect the University of Indianapolis, located 3 miles south of downtown, to the city and neighborhoods. We are participating in a quality of life planning process that UIndy has launched. The project is likewise linked to a proposed bus rapid transit line that would run down Shelby Street. And we know that many local foundations and the City are excited about

supporting work on the south side, an area that has not received much foundation support before.

How are artists and the arts central to this work? Artists at Big Car lead this project. Our staff is made up of artists, public programmers and community organizers. All we do is make art and make art experiences available to people. In part through our influence, artists are more often at the table for key conversations with foundation, city, and

neighborhood leaders as these ideas take shape and become reality.

Whats our artistic vision for this work? Why shouldnt artists living and working in a neighborhood help revitalize their place? We bring creative ideas; experience solving problems, communicating, and working collaboratively. We understand the value of good design. And we know how to put on fun, inclusive events. Our vision is to use our skills as artists to help our community thrive.

Who are our key partners? The Garfield Park Neighbors Association is our key collaborator on commercial revitalization efforts and our work in the park and neighborhood. Big Car belongs to the organization, has two staffers on its board and worked

The Manual High School art club works with kids at Garfield Park Better Block, October of 2014.


closely with it on two Better Block events and much more. The City: our solid connections here are helping with crosswalks, bike lane, rapid transit planning, and partnerships at the park. Riley Area Development Corporation: Riley Area shares Big Cars passion for the southeast side and is a collaborator on visionary creative placemaking strategies that will bring economic development and improve quality of life for the area. IndyGo: Partner on on a project to re-imagine bus stops in the corridor. UIndy: Partner on efforts to connect to campus, including a Big-Car-taught art class and a new major focused on community and engagement-based art.

Why do we work with these partners? All of our work in Garfield Park, from idea on, is part of conversations with our neighbors. They value our expertise and connections

and we value theirs equally. The City is a key partner because they could say no to many ideas. But, by collaborating with City officials in a number of ways, weve found them happy to say yes. Riley Area: Riley Area brings years of successful community development experience and strategic leadership to our project. IndyGo: We believe encouraging transit use is crucial to driving traffic to the area. UIndy: A university partner, students and faculty are an awesome asset for a neighborhood.

How do we involve the community and stakeholders? Our work is a collective impact collaboration between Big Car, neighborhood residents and stakeholders. We connect via steady communication and by working together on hands-on, real-world projects like Better Block. This approach helped merge two Garfield Park neighborhood associations into one in 2014.

What are the details of the project? What will we actually do? Big Car started in the southeast in 2004 in Fountain Square. The neighborhood soon transitioned from neglected and vacant to vibrant and walkable. Were proud to have helped. But artists/arts organizations are now being priced out. So weve moved our focus 1.5 miles south to again work as artist leaders to

spark, maintain and remain in the center of a place rich in culture and social and physical connectivity. Our work: (1) Open a new 12,000 square foot permanent home in the neighborhoodThe Tubewith co-op workshop, social practice lab, exhibition and community meeting and cultural event space. (2) Establish a short and long-term artist residency program (social practice, landscape architects) focused on the area and located near the workshop (this is currently happening in Fountain Square). (3) Support businesses with interactive art projects/events in a pizza shop, coffee shop, hardware store, video store. (4) Advocacy and intersection painting to improve walkability/ park access. (5) Broadcast a low-power FM community/art radio station based in the area to the area (we recently received our FCC license for a station with a 4-mile radius).

Garfield Park Neighbors Association logo, created by Big Cars Design for Good program


Why is now the right time for our project? We worked closely with neighbors for 2 years to prepare for this completing two successful Better Block interventions, leading directly to the opening of a new coffee shop, among other work.

How does our new space meet community demand? Our audience is nearby community members, and artists and arts patrons from all over. The city lacks a cooperative space where artist can work together, share tools, and build and print things. While theres demand, the city lacks venues focused on social practice art, installation, sound/video art, and experimental/unusual events and performances.

Who will use our new space?A very diverse group of children, adults and seniors

of all economic statuses and ethnicities from across the city used our previous spaces Big Car Gallery and Service Center. The new space will enjoy an equally diverse set of users/audience members with nearby neighbors added to the mix.

What other spaces located near you are doing similar work? The Garfield Park Art Center, run by IndyParks with limited hours/success due to Parks bureaucracy, offers classes, events and a gallery (with stanchions to keep people from the art) but no workshop or free community gathering space. We partner frequently

there, last with with a Halloween interactive shadow puppet project. In Fountain Square, iMOCA and General Public are two remaining art spaces. We partner with both. Neither offers workshop or social practice projects. We see no competitive spaces.

How will we sustain the new space? For 3 years, we maintained an 11,500 square foot Service Center space. We received access to this space at a low cost with the deal that wed move out if a full-rent-paying tenant came along. This happened in May of 2014. Since, we worked

to find a permanent home near Garfield Park. Big Car has made a significant investment by purchasing the building for $40,000, with an in-kind investment from a local business owner who deeply discounted the price to support our presence in the community, a contribution valued at $160,000. This facility will be designed flexibly for change. Community need is long-term here.

What will Garfield Park be like after this work? Artists will have a place to work, experiment, and connect with residents on socially engaged projects. Neighbors will have a free and welcoming location to gather. More artists will live and work in the neighborhood. New and existing businesses will thrive. People will be able to safely walk into the park. Neighbors will know each other better.


Better Block, Garfield Park

2004 20082006 2010 20122005 20092007 2011 2013 2014 2015

Timeline - past


2004 - Big Car Gallery opened in Fountain Square, organization formed

2010 - Annual budget surpasses $100,000 for the first time

2013 - Annual budget surpasses

$500,000 2012 - hosted first

TEDxIndianapolis at Indianapolis Museum of Art

2013-2014 - Organized two Better Block events

2009-2010 - Made For Each Other neighborhood projects

2014 - St. Patricks Artist-In-Residency

program starts

2011 - Jim Walker became our first full-time employee

2011 - opened Service Center for Culture and Community

2013 - Completed neighborhood-designed Welcome to Garfield Park mural

2014 - Helped complete a neighborhood strategic plan

2014 - Celebrated Big Cars 10th year with an interactive exhibit at the University of Indianapolis gallery; taught a social practice art class (at UIndy) linked to our exhibit

2014 - K&S Appliance Store pop-up art show

2014 - Helped unite north and south Garfield Park neighborhoods into one association (the park is in the middle)

2004 - 2012 - Boosted Fountain Square, successfully advocating for extension of The Cultural Trail to the area.Led effort to create the popular First Friday.

2013-2015 - Led three Jane Jacobs Walks from Garfield Park to Downtown, UIndy, and ROW destinations

2009 - Made for Each Other project: Pictures of

Us and Our Neighborhood Taken By Our Neighbors

2006 - Organized and managed Masterpiece In A Day

Listen Hear opens 7/2015 The Tube opens 10/2015 Cruft Street Artist

Residency spring through fall 2016

Phase III of Tube plan - Art Center - fall 2016

present future

Timeline - present and future


Rehabbing a vacant storefront and large manufacturing building for cultural and community use

Working with the City of Indianapolis to advocate for safer streets for walking and biking

Create an artist-in-residence program for the area/park

Bring TEDxIndianapolis to the University of Indianapolis

Help the park with creek cleanup, better signage, better neighborhood engagement and programs

Working on Garfield Alive, an interactive, self-guided audio tour of the park in partnership with the Friends of Garfield Park

Participating in Pleasant Run Reconnecting to Our Waterways planning

Working with neighbors to start a block-party program

Operate a low-power FM radio station based in, connected to, and reaching the area

Bring our mobile DoSeum to the parks playground area, making the park more creative and fun for people who speak English and Spanish

Bring cultural experiences to the park, helping make it the citys art park

The People of Garfield Park


Acitve area in green. Red line indicates proposed rapid transit route (stops indicated by white circles). Radio station main service area indicated by green circle line in inset map.

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Creating a More People-Centered Village


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Listen Hear: Draft Plans


The Tube Building: History


The Tube Building: Facade Rendering

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Cruft Street: Artist Residences

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Cruft Street

Garfield Park Creative Community

Documents

Transcript of Garfield Park Creative Community