Home of BOO! Naptown Purls and The Village

Wednesday at Ivy Tech was a blast! Every time I go there, things grow–more conversations, more interest, and more people happy to spend some time working on The Village and sharing their lives. Special thanks to LaTrinda Hutchinson for taking some time from her busy life these past couple weeks and talking about her love of art and the business administration classes she’s taking. I REALLY HOPE she sees the potential for being an arts administrator!!!! WE NEED YOU!

The beautiful thing about this project is the people. I love chatting about the project, learning about people’s interests and lives, and just sharing some positive moments with them. A young person was interested in what we were doing, and came by and asked about it. LaTrinda explained the project and then showed them how to attach their name and pompom onto the panel we were working on–it was a full circle moment for me that brought tears to my eyes. I am just so profoundly grateful that people are interested in participating in this project, that they see the potential for it, and understand the message of positivity it carries. We need each other. It’s not for convenience, not some “oh wouldn’t it be nice” kumbaya situation–we need each other for happiness, growth, and survival. We need all the different experiences, ways of being in the world, and thoughts in order to be happy and healthy. We need to know how to listen, ask questions, and appreciate each other.

All the conversations were so encouraging. Even if people didn’t have the time to attach a pompom, they still thought this is a great idea, and offered so much love and support. I’m looking forward to next semester! Other growth and good news–I was invited to lead an event in February for staff members at the Indy Star!

And special thanks to Anya Aslanova from Arts For Learning Indiana for connecting me to Clockwork Janz about the possibilities of workshops during the summer. Please keep your eyes open for new scheduling for early summer!

And finally, a HUGE thank you to Jill Edwards from Indianapolis Public Libraries for organizing all the library events for the first quarter of 2025! THANK YOU!!!!

The Village is dedicated to the women of Indianapolis who are keeping art alive. Stephanie, Jesse, Kathy, Julie, Anya, Kate, Samantha, Patty, Gina, LaTrinda, Anya, Jill–your intelligence and heart are keeping the culture of Indianapolis alive.