February’s unseasonal weather made for plenty of unplanned exploratory outings. Oliver Colt and I had lunch at Locally Grown Gardens and decided to walk the Monon a little and explore the neighborhood. By complete coincidence, without knowing who Forrest Formsma was or that his show “I Am Here. Am I Here?” would be in the […]

You may have noticed the new billboard on the corner of 16th & Delaware showcasing Riverside High School, a second campus of Herron High School set to open this fall. With community revitalization as a core value, the Naval Armory site seemed ideal for a second school following Herron High School’s model. The new public high school will […]

We are pleased to present the third tour in our Hip Hoperetta Musical History Tour series: Maple Crossing. Come along! Our tour begins with School 43/Swingset, a musical ode to the neighborhood school and Tarkington Park.     The Hip Hoperetta Musical History Tours set to music the history of the Herron High School campus, the Harrison Center for […]

The Near East Side Community Organization (NESCO) is a 501c3 umbrella organization on the near east side of Indianapolis with a deep history. NESCO engages near eastsiders to work toward the safety and betterment of neighborhoods. The organization holds an annual Congress with a theme and this year it is “Empowering and Envisioning our Future.” […]

I recently had the privilege of discussing the history of this area with HCA artist William Rasdell and music intern Aine Montgomery. In this blog, Aine reflects on how her life coincides with places mentioned by Rasdell, as well as how Hip Hoperetta and Pre-Enactment will revive the downtown community. (Isabelle Matthies, editor)  — Kids […]

Below ground level you can find Hank & Dolly’s gallery surrounded by artist studios-namely Asa Gauen, Dominic Senibaldi, Carl Leck, William Denton Ray, Quincy Owens as well as Lori Lee Andrews, Liz Pinnick, Christina Hollering and Katherine Fries. Enjoy “Hank and Dolly”, it’s a fun one!   The Hip Hoperetta Musical History Tours set to music the history of the […]

  At 3PM sharp, neighborhood children flocked to the back door of Omar’s Bakery. Walking away with bags of broken cookies, they’d skip across the street to get milk, all given for free from neighbor to neighbor. In the heyday of the Martindale-Brightwood area, before the interstate came, the community thrived. Veteran HCA artist William […]

“Herron wasn’t built in a day,” reads the front page of the inaugural Herron High School yearbook. Now nationally ranked, Herron began in 2006 with just over 100 students crammed into the basement of the Harrison Center of the Arts, with which Herron maintains a close relationship to the day. Thanks to generous private and […]