Visual arts

With a permanent collection of 54,000 works, the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields is the city's primary art museum. It is among the largest and oldest art museums in the U.S., tracing its roots back to the Art Association of Indianapolis, which was founded in 1883.^[226] The museum's 152-acre (62 ha) Newfields' campus includes Oldfields (Lilly House), the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres, eight gardens, and four performance spaces.

Established in 1902, the Herron School of Art and Design's first core faculty included Impressionist painters belonging to the Hoosier Group. Eskenazi Hall at IU Indianapolis has been home to the school since 2005, hosting five public galleries and numerous programs throughout the year.^[227]

Located in Broad Ripple, the Indianapolis Art Center houses the Marilyn K. Glick School of Art, galleries, and a sculpture garden. The center hosts and manages art classes, exhibitions, art fairs, and outreach programs throughout the year.^[228] The Harrison Center in the Old Northside and the Murphy Art Center in Fountain Square house several galleries and artist studios and participate in First Friday events.

Located in downtown Indianapolis, the Eiteljorg Museum is home to a diverse collection of visual arts by indigenous peoples of the Americas and Western American Art. The museum hosts numerous lectures, artist residencies, special exhibitions, and events annually.^[229]

In 2021, there were more than 3,000 recorded works of public art in Indianapolis. More than one-third of those are concentrated in the downtown Indianapolis area, including dozens belonging to the Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis Public Art Collection, the Indiana Statehouse Public Art Collection, or the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. Murals are the most popular medium of public art found in the city.^[230]

Since 2020, Ganggang has been a prominent supporter of Black artists in the city. Their annual art fair "BUTTER" is a multi-day art exhibition that takes place over Labor Day weekend.^[231]^[232]^[233]^[234]

Performing arts

Several of the city's most prominent performing arts venues and organizations are located in the downtown area, including the Hilbert Circle Theatre^[236] (home to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra)^[237] and the Indiana Theatre (home to the Indiana Repertory Theatre).^[238] Other notable venues near the central business district include The Cabaret,^[239] Indianapolis Artsgarden,^[240] Phoenix Theatre,^[241] Slippery Noodle Inn,^[242] and Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park, the city's largest outdoor venue.^[243]

The Mass Ave Cultural Arts District is home to Old National Centre, the oldest stagehouse in Indianapolis, having opened in 1910.^[244] The performing arts center features the 2,500-seat Murat Theatre, the 2,000-seat Egyptian Room, and the 600-seat Corinthian Hall. Mass Ave is also home to the Athenæum, Basile, District, and Indy Eleven theaters, all of which host the annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, or "IndyFringe".^[245]^[246] Hedback Community Theatre in Herron–Morton is home to Footlite Musicals^[247] and Epilogue Players theater companies.^[248]

The Madam Walker Legacy Center opened in the heart of the city's African-American neighborhood on Indiana Avenue in 1927. The building's theater hosted vaudeville shows and anchored the Indiana Avenue jazz scene from the 1920s through the 1960s.^[249] "The Avenue" produced greats such as David Baker, Slide Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, J. J. Johnson, James Spaulding, and the Montgomery Brothers (Buddy, Monk, and Wes).^[250] Wes Montgomery is considered one of the most influential jazz guitarists of all time,^[250]^[251] and is credited with popularizing the "Naptown Sound".^[252]

Local performing arts organizations include the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra,^[253] Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra,^[254] Indianapolis Men's Chorus,^[255] Indianapolis Opera,^[256] and Indianapolis Youth Orchestra. Other notable venues include Butler University's Clowes Memorial Hall^[257] and Melody Inn in Butler–Tarkington, and the Frank and Katrina Basile Opera Center and the Jazz Kitchen in Meridian–Kessler.^[258] The city's Broad Ripple and Fountain Square neighborhoods are known for local live music, home to dozens of venues.^[259]^[260]

Indianapolis is home to a variety of national professional musical organizations, including the American Pianists Association,^[261] Bands of America, Drum Corps International, and the Percussive Arts Society.^[262]^[263] Annual music festivals and competitions held in the city include the Drum Corps International World Class Championships, Indianapolis Early Music Festival,^[264] and Indy Jazz Fest.^[265] The quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis is considered among the most prestigious of its kind in the world.^[266]

Literature

From about 1870 to 1920, Indianapolis was at the center of the Golden Age of Indiana Literature. Several notable poets and writers based in the city achieved national prominence and critical acclaim during this period, including James Whitcomb Riley, Booth Tarkington, and Meredith Nicholson.^[13]^[267] Perhaps the city's most acclaimed twentieth-century writer was Kurt Vonnegut, known for his darkly satirical and controversial bestselling novel Slaughterhouse-Five.^[268] Vonnegut became known for including at least one character in his novels from Indianapolis.^[269] Upon returning to the city in 1986, Vonnegut acknowledged the influence the city had on his writings:

All my jokes are Indianapolis. All my attitudes are Indianapolis. My adenoids are Indianapolis. If I ever severed myself from Indianapolis, I would be out of business. What people like about me is Indianapolis.^[269]^[270]

A key figure of the Black Arts Movement, Indianapolis resident Mari Evans was among the most influential of the twentieth century's black poets.^[271] Indianapolis is home to bestselling young adult fiction writer John Green, known for his critically acclaimed 2012 novel The Fault in Our Stars, set in the city.^[272] Notable sites in Indianapolis include the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home, the Ray Bradbury Center at IU Indianapolis, and the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library.^[270]

Attractions

Thumb — Indiana Farmers Coliseum during the 2015 Indiana State Fair

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the largest of its kind in the world, with 433,000 square feet (40,227.02 m²) of exhibit space and a collection of over 120,000 artifacts.^[273]^[274] Due to its leadership and innovations, the museum is a world leader in its field.^[275] Child and Parents magazine have both ranked the museum as the best children's museum in the U.S.^[276] It is one of the city's most popular attractions, drawing nearly 1.3 million visitors in 2019.^[277]

The Indianapolis Zoo houses more than 1,400 animals of 235 species while the adjoining White River Gardens contains more than 50,000 plants of nearly 3,000 species, respectively.^[278] The zoo is a leader in animal conservation and research, recognized for its biennial Indianapolis Prize award.^[279] It is the only American zoo accredited as a zoo, aquarium, and zoological garden by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.^[280] It is among the largest privately funded zoos in the U.S.^[281] and one of the city's most visited attractions, with 1.1 million guests in 2019.^[277]

Located inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum exhibits an extensive collection of auto racing memorabilia showcasing various motorsports and automotive history.^[282] Daily grounds and track tours originate from the museum. Located at the National Collegiate Athletic Association headquarters, the NCAA Hall of Champions contains exhibits on collegiate athletics in the U.S.^[283]

The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site includes the archives and restored home of the 23rd president of the U.S., Benjamin Harrison.^[284] Harrison is buried about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the site at Crown Hill Cemetery. Other notable interments at the cemetery include three U.S. vice presidents (Fairbanks, Hendricks, and Marshall), notorious American gangster John Dillinger,^[285] and First Lady Caroline Harrison.^[286] State-specific historical institutions based in Indianapolis include the Indiana Historical Society, Indiana Humanities, the Indiana Jewish Historical Society, Indiana Landmarks,^[287] the Indiana Medical History Museum, and the Indiana State Museum.

Two museums and several memorials in the city commemorate armed forces or conflict, including the Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum and Indiana World War Memorial Military Museum at the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza. Outside of Washington, D.C., Indianapolis contains the largest collection of monuments dedicated to veterans and war casualties in the nation.^[28]^[29] Other notable sites are the Crown Hill National Cemetery, the Indiana 9/11 Memorial, the Medal of Honor Memorial, the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, and the USS Indianapolis National Memorial.

Many annual fairs, festivals, and parades take place in Indianapolis.^[288] The city's largest event, the Indiana State Fair, is held from mid-July to mid-August and regularly draws 800,000 attendees. Another major event in Indianapolis is the 500 Festival, a series of more than 50 programs and events preceding the Indianapolis 500 during the "Month of May".^[277] Other notable annual events include the Indy Pride Festival and the Marion County Fair in June,^[289]^[290] the Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration in July,^[291] the Historic Irvington Halloween Festival in October,^[292] and the Circle of Lights in November.^[293]

Cuisine

Indianapolis has an emerging food scene as well as established eateries.^[294] Founded in 1821 as the city's public market, the Indianapolis City Market has served the community from its current building since 1886. Before World War II, the City Market and neighboring Tomlinson Hall were home to meat and vegetable vendors. As consumer habits evolved and residents moved from the central city, City Market transitioned from a traditional marketplace to a food hall.^[295] In addition to City Market, The AMP and The Garage food halls opened in 2021.^[296]

Situated in the Corn Belt, Indianapolis has maintained close ties to farming and food production. Urban agriculture in the city dates to the 1930s, when Flanner House began teaching Black arrivals how to farm on vacant lots during the Great Migration. Within a few years, more than 200 families were tending 600 garden plots on nearly 100 acres (40 ha) of land on the city's near north side.^[297] Urban agriculture has made a comeback in recent years in an effort to alleviate food deserts.^[298] According to the city's Office of Sustainability, there were 129 community farms and gardens in 2020.^[299] As of 2020^[update], several farmers' markets have been established throughout Indianapolis.^[300]

Distinctive local dishes include pork tenderloin sandwiches,^[301] sugar cream pie, and beef Manhattan, invented in Indianapolis.^[302] Longstanding local eateries include The Workingman's Friend, Long's Bakery, Mug-n-Bun, Shapiro's,^[303] and St. Elmo Steak House, best known for its signature shrimp cocktail.^[304] In 2012, St. Elmo was recognized with the America's Classics award by the James Beard Foundation.^[305] In 2008, the Indianapolis metropolitan area had the highest concentration of chain restaurants per capita in the U.S.^[306] The city's growing immigrant population has contributed to a rise in global cuisine, with the opening of some 800 ethnic restaurants in recent years.^[307]

In 2016, Condé Nast Traveler named Indianapolis the "most underrated food city in the U.S.", while ranking Milktooth as one of the best restaurants in the world.^[308]^[309] Food & Wine called Indianapolis the "rising star of the Midwest", recognizing Milktooth, Rook, Amelia's, and Bluebeard, all in Fletcher Place.^[310]^[311] Several Indianapolis chefs and restaurateurs have been semifinalists in the James Beard Foundation Awards in recent years.^[312]^[313] Microbreweries have become a staple in the city, increasing fivefold since 2009.^[314] There are now about 50 craft brewers in Indianapolis, with Sun King Brewing being the largest.^[315]

Film and television

Indianapolis natives have left a mark on the entertainment industry, most notably during the Classical Hollywood cinema era. James Baskett received an Academy Honorary Award in 1948 for his role in Walt Disney's Song of the South, becoming the first Black male to receive an Oscar. Sid Grauman, one of the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, received an Academy Honorary Award in 1949, recognized for raising the standard for film exhibition. Perhaps the most famous actor from the Indianapolis area is Academy Award-nominee, Steve McQueen, who was born in Beech Grove. Other Academy Award nominees from the city include costume designer Gloria Gresham, actress Marjorie Main, and actor Clifton Webb.^[317]

The city's storied sports venues have served as backdrops for such films as Hoosiers (1986) and Eight Men Out (1988).^[318] The city's largest contribution to popular culture, the Indianapolis 500, has influenced entertainment for decades, referenced in film, television, video games, and other media.^[319] Three motion pictures filmed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway include Speedway (1929), To Please a Lady (1950), and Winning (1969).^[320] Other motion pictures at least partially filmed in the city include Going All the Way (1997), Palindromes (2004), Saving Star Wars (2004), Amanda (2009), Walter (2015), The MisEducation of Bindu (2019),^[321] Athlete A (2020), and Our Father (2022). Hoosiers and Ringling Brothers Parade Film (1902) were added to the National Film Registry in 2001 and 2021, respectively.^[322]^[323]

Television programs that have shot on location in the city include 100 Days to Indy, American Ninja Warrior,^[324] Antiques Roadshow,^[325] College GameDay,^[326] Cops,^[327] Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,^[328] Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,^[329] Gaycation,^[330] Ghost Hunters,^[331] Good Bones,^[332] Hard Knocks,^[333] House Hunters,^[334] Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,^[335] Man v. Food,^[328] Parks and Recreation,^[336]^[337] Say I Do,^[338] SportsCenter,^[339] Today,^[340] and What Would You Do?^[341]

Annual film festivals held in Indianapolis include the Circle City Film Festival, Heartland International Film Festival,^[342] Indy Film Fest,^[288] the Indianapolis Jewish Film Festival, and the Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival. Founded in 2018, the Indy Shorts International Film Festival is one of 34 film festivals in the world used to qualify for the Academy Awards.^[343]

Film Indy was established in 2016 to support local visual artists, filmmakers, and aspiring filmmakers; recruit film and television-related marketing opportunities to the region, and provide resources for producers interested in filming in the city.^[328] Since 2016, more than 350 film and media projects have been produced in the Indianapolis region with a collective economic impact of $24.1 million and the creation of 1,900 local jobs.^[344]