Community Inspires Creative Economy in Indianapolis, IN
Local organizations strive to keep the city’s creatives at their most imaginative.
If you work in a creative role, you already know that labor involving imagination often seems ancillary, like it’s a nice-to-have bow on top of others’ serious work. But that perception couldn’t be further from the truth, says Malina Simone Bacon, co-founder and executive director of the creative agency GANGGANG.
“The creative community impacts the city as a whole by breathing life into it,” Bacon says. “People are attracted to cities because of their creative communities. A creative community is critical to a thriving city, and further, a city is in a dangerous place when its creatives stop dreaming.”
Several organizations in Indianapolis show that a creative’s role is foundational to the area’s long-term success. Most importantly, they’re working to develop connections and support to ensure Indy’s creative community continues to thrive.
From a numbers perspective, creatives significantly impact Indiana. In 2021, for instance, the creative economy added approximately $8.6 billion to the state’s economy, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The Indiana Arts Commission’s most recent figures show more than 81,000 Hoosiers work in creative positions.
So which groups in Indy are facilitating these successes? Here are three organizations that create spaces for people to connect, share ideas and drive change.
Designing a Pattern for Success in Indianapolis, IN
Creative work is in vogue – and if anyone knows this, it is the staff at PATTERN. The magazine launched in 2010 with a focus on fashion, but it has expanded to provide broader cultural coverage.
“The impetus [to create PATTERN] was the collective desire of Indy’s indie fashion design community to grow the economic infrastructure of the fashion industry,” says Polina Osherov, PATTERN’s executive director. “Over the last 13 years, the organization has grown significantly, and [it] plays a crucial role as a hub for artists and creative entrepreneurs of all kinds.”
The magazine amplifies the visibility of creatives within the community, and its activities contribute to the region’s economic development. As such, PATTERN continues to advocate for greater funding for arts and culture. In fact, the magazine’s 24th issue at the end of October 2023 focuses on the creative economy as well as its short- and long-term benefits.
“In today’s highly competitive landscape where cities fiercely compete for talent and companies, Hoosier arts and culture can absolutely serve as our competitive advantage,” Osherov says.
PATTERN supports Indy’s creative economy by fostering growth and encouraging innovation while empowering and bridging communities. A healthy creative community adds vibrancy and diversity, defines the identity of a city and its neighborhoods, and attracts talented individuals, Osherov says. In Indy, it serves as a magnet for economic growth and tourism.
“Investing in the creative economy can definitely help Indianapolis as a forward-thinking and culturally rich hub, solidifying our position as a desirable destination for individuals and businesses alike,” she says.
A Group Push Toward Economic Justice in Indianapolis, IN
One organization making these investments is GANGGANG. Founded in 2020 by Bacon and her partner, Alan Bacon, this creative agency focuses on collaborations and supporting Indy’s makers in new, equitable ways.
“The inspiration for starting it was to do equity in action and to find realistic and sustaining ways for humanity to connect so that it can end racism,” she says.
GANGGANG cultivates Indy’s creative community by empowering, inspiring and investing in the community. To fund its initiatives, the organization raised $2.6 million in a single year. This directly benefited local artists, with a focus on creatives of color, and empowered many to turn their passions into careers.
“10 artists have gone full-time because of our advocacy and our work toward economic justice,” Bacon says.
If you follow the arts scene in Indianapolis, it’s difficult to find an initiative the group hasn’t been involved in. GANGGANG curates events such as Black: A Festival of Joy as well as a collaboration with The Eighteen Art Collective called “We. The Culture.,” which runs through Sept. 24 at Newfields art museum.
Its flagship event, BUTTER, is a festival over Labor Day weekend that features Black visual artists from Indiana and across the U.S. Among Bacon’s many goals for the creative community, sustaining BUTTER provides a clear path to greater economic justice in the arts.
“I hope to see the creative community in Indy grow to retain its talent. I hope to see the creative community in Indy grow to invest at worth versus value,” Bacon says. “… Indy is building a thriving creative community, so what better place to live?”
Starting the Morning Right in Indianapolis, IN
While GANGGANG and PATTERN help with producing and presenting work to broader audiences, CreativeMornings provides a place for creatives to recharge. The Indy chapter formed over eight years ago, and Ryan Hunley has served as host for most of that time.
“The impetus for starting CreativeMornings was recognizing how transformative face-to-face connections are,” Hunley says. “Indianapolis is big enough to provide access to many resources, but it’s small enough that you’re just two people away from the person who can help make the vision happen.”
CreativeMornings simply offers a place to connect, Hunley says: “It’s not a business networking thing, but it’s not an unstructured arts event. It’s in between, so it provides a wonderful space to intersect with other people.”
Each CreativeMornings event features a keynote speaker who is active in Indy’s creative community. Preferably, it’s someone who’s doing great work, has a compelling message, and could benefit from greater exposure.
“We really seek to platform them and exert no editorial control,” Hunley says. “…We serve a vital role in the community, but we are not necessary for the vibrancy of the creative community to continue in Indianapolis. We are simply storytellers — we don’t own the story.”
Hunley’s goal is to shine a light on emerging talents, but he also hopes to expand the definition of what creative work is and show how imagination is key to success, no matter your title.
“Creativity is the undercurrent of a community. It’s the energy that exists between all of us, and it’s what pushes things forward,” he says. “So in terms of cultivating the creative community, the No. 1 thing we can do is express that everyone is creative and everyone belongs.”
This article was sponsored by Life in Indy.