Creative Convergence

Fall 2024 Program Information

The two-day 2024 Fall Creative Convergence workshop was held on November 21st and 22nd in Fishers, IN.  View photos of the training.

Following the training, communities had the opportunity to apply for an Early Action grant to employ the lessons of the training. The ten Fall 2024 Creative Convergence communities, and their projects, are as follows:

Chesterton Cultural District: Chesterton will establish and designate a Cultural District via town-wide engagement, cross-sector collaboration, and community celebration. A series of community feedback gatherings will provide opportunities for residents and stakeholders to inventory and map our shared cultural assets leading to a district designation via Town Council resolution. The district will then be celebrated and made visible via artist-made markers or signs welcoming creatives, residents, businesses, and visitors.

Michigan City Artist-in-Residence Program: The Michigan City Artist-in-Residence Program (AIR) will serve as a pilot for a regular program in Michigan City. A visual artist will be selected to receive a studio space and a stipend to create work for the time of the residency. In exchange, the artist will open their studio and engage with the public for a determined number of hours per week, giving the public a behind-the-scenes understanding of the artist's influences, creative process, choice of materials and their professional practices.

Kendallville Imaginuity - Immersive Art Experience: Imaginuity is a community project to bring unique & immersive art to Northeast Indiana. The project will curate art that visitors can interact with through visual/tactile experiences. The goal is to expose the community to a wide range of art, spark new ideas, and embrace the artistic talents that exist in Kendallville. The project also plans to create a public work of art that will be created piece by piece by patrons.

Mount Ayr Beacon for the Arts: Mount Ayr's vision is to employ a local artist to design bell tower "Beacon for the Arts" for all to see for miles. Mount Ayr will also use a recently restored historic building owned by the community as an exhibit space to host a public art exhibit. The fabrication will require extensive architectural work, artistic replication, and installation. A local, Mount Ayr artist will fabricate the "beacon" to identify the symbolism to be "called to the arts".

Tipton Teaching Artist in Residence: The Tipton Public Arts Commission (TPAC) will invite youth and older adults to create. Together with a visiting artist in residence, it will build community excitement and curiosity for arts activities with workshops for families, youth engagement, creative community gatherings, and a culminating celebration. These activities will generate input and inspiration for future public art projects and community art opportunities.

Winamac Creative Hub Community Conversations Project: Winamac will engage, educate, and explore opportunities for arts to elevate the quality of life while simultaneously having a positive economic impact. The project will be focused on securing a space for open dialogue, creating awareness through campaign assets, hosting creative workshops to gauge community support, and celebrating the impact of art.

Pendleton Creative Convergence - An Interactive Artistic, Cultural, and Eco Trails Experience: The grant will launch a unique program combining art, culture, and nature through a series of guided walking tours in Falls Park and downtown Pendleton. Creative Convergence will transform trails and historical locations into an interactive corridor featuring dynamic, mobile "totems" where residents and visitors gain artistic and cultural appreciation, environmental awareness, and economic vitality through creative placemaking.

Franklin Artcraft Alley Kites: The Public Arts Commission will commission 180 kites to be hung overhead in the Artcraft Alley. The kites will be hung on a platform originally placed to commemorate the state and city Bicentennial in 2023 and had 200 stars held over the alley. These kites will be in the school and city colors, and will have a very unique blacklight feature that will allow them to glow at night, creating an art installation that shines during the day and night both.

Evansville My Evansville (ME) - Veterans' Stories, Told Through Art: Through artwork, the ME Project tells the stories of veterans---particularly POW, MIA or KIA---priceless resources vanishing daily. A trained author/journalist will visit VFWs to teach memoir writing and gather veterans' art, be it plays, poems or paintings. The author will make individual visits (e.g., to nursing homes) for accessibility. The event will end in a traveling exhibition to permanently rest at the VFW. Last, a time capsule will be sealed in the VFW, marked by a public ceremony.

Santa Claus Hometown Holiday Tree: The Santa Claus Arts team will engage the community to help create a 20-foot Hometown Holiday Tree. The tree, displayed near Santa Claus Town Hall, will feature disc ornaments decorated by residents, celebrating the artistic spirit and creativity of the Santa Claus community. The tree will be affixed to a platform with a mobility option to travel to local events. This festive art installation will bring the community together and help launch a larger arts initiative for all of Spencer County.

Fall 2024 Program Timeline

• Application Deadline: Tuesday, September 24, 11:59 pm ET
• Application Notification: Friday, October 4, 2024
• Workshop Dates: November 21-22, 2024
• Action Grant Period: March 1, 2025- February 28, 2026

Access the participation guidelines.

Access the Early Action Grant Guidelines.

Anne Johansson
Community Services Program Manager
AJohansson@iac.IN.gov

Fall 2025 Program Information

The 2025 Fall Creative Convergence training took place from November 4-5, 2025 in Fishers, Indiana.

Following the training, communities had the opportunity to apply for an Early Action grant to employ the lessons of the training. The ten Fall 2025 Creative Convergence communities, and their projects, are as follows:

• Angola — Synergy: Enriching Everyday Life through Creativity & Collaboration: Synergy will expand creative opportunities in Angola by offering artist-led classes and workshops in underutilized community spaces. The project aims to foster connection, encourage artistic exploration, and make creative experiences more accessible by covering artist compensation, supplies, and hosting costs.
• Delphi — Delphi Arts Garden: The Delphi Arts Council, working with local arts leaders and Delphi Main Street, will transform an underused space between the historic Delphi Library and City Building into the Delphi Arts Garden. The project will create a vibrant outdoor cultural hub featuring a small performance stage, flexible seating, twinkle lighting, and interactive musical play equipment for children and families.
• Gary — ARTIV: Active Arts: ARTIV: Active Arts will activate public spaces surrounding Gary’s two Jackson 5 murals by building programming around the “art of play.” The project will use the murals’ popularity to draw residents to popup skating rinks, dance instruction, outdoor movies, and games. Building on the success of the city’s ice rink, the initiative aims to create lively communal gathering places.
• Greensburg — Decatur County Skate Park Revamp: This project will revitalize the community’s only skate park—unchanged since 2004—by commissioning murals on the sides of its ramps. Funding will support artist fees, materials, and installation. The updated space will celebrate creativity, enhance a heavily used recreational area, and create a more welcoming environment for youth and visitors as broader improvements continue.
• Indianapolis — littlebikegallery and PEDESTAL Routes: Storage Space Gallery and littlebikecity will launch littlebikegallery and PEDESTAL Routes, a mobile, bike-pulled gallery system designed to bring art directly into Indianapolis neighborhoods. Following greenways, protected bike lanes, and low-traffic streets, the routes will connect existing arts organizations, encourage community gathering, and support the local arts economy while laying the foundation for future creative expansion.
• Kewanna — The Heart of Kewanna: The Heart of Kewanna initiative will develop a central public green space at the town’s crossroads, strengthening community identity and collaboration. Grant funds will support site assessment, artist engagement, project marketing, and community participation in planning and design. The space will incorporate creative elements that establish a cohesive visual “pulse” throughout the town.
• Marion — Penrod Plaza Gateway: Creative Placemaking at the Marion Bus Station: The Marion Arts Commission will install a vinyl window mural by a local artist at the city’s central bus station, enhancing downtown placemaking and promoting free public transit. The station also serves as the backdrop for 18 summer concerts at Penrod Plaza. Funding will support the artist stipend, a promotional video, and production and installation of the mural, strengthening community pride and economic vitality.
• Muncie — Close Encounters Muncie: Close Encounters Muncie is a two-phase public art initiative inspired by Close Encounters of the Third Kind, set in Muncie and approaching its 50th anniversary in 2027. Phase 1 will debut an outdoor pipe organ sculpture at Minnetrista on July 4, 2026, playing the film’s iconic five-note motif. Support for this phase will help launch Phase 2: a 12foot iron sculpture of Bear Lodge Butte (Devils Tower) and a drone show reenacting the film’s climactic landing sequence.
• Terre Haute — Light Up Wabash: Light Up Wabash will support the conceptual design of an interactive public artwork incorporating light and augmented reality projection elements. Led by artist Becky Hochhalter, the project will develop plans for a future installation on a prominent downtown structure, laying the groundwork for a larger immersive experience that strengthens public engagement and cultural vibrancy. Light Up Wabash is a collaboration between ArtSpaces Inc. and Terre Haute’s Convention and Visitors Bureau with a goal of enhancing arts and culture tourism.
• Vincennes — Fleur de Lis Collaborative Public Art Project: The Fleur de Lis Collaborative Public Art Project will engage schools and volunteer groups in creating public art that celebrates Vincennes’ longstanding fleur de lis symbol. Participants will design and paint 3–5 stenciled murals throughout downtown in partnership with local property owners and businesses. The completed artworks will support community activities such as scavenger hunts, selfie stations, and festival programming.

Program Guidelines and Application Materials:

• View the Fall 2025 Creative Convergence Guidelines.
• View the Fall 2025 Creative Convergence Evaluation Criteria.
• View the Fall 2025 Creative Convergence Scoring Rubric.
• Access the Indiana Arts Commission Application Portal.

Fall 2025 Program Timeline

Spring 2026 Program Information

Program Guidelines and Application Materials:

• View the Spring 2026 Creative Convergence Guidelines.
• View the Spring 2026 Creative Convergence Evaluation Criteria.
• View the Spring 2026 Creative Convergence Scoring Rubric.
• Access the Indiana Arts Commission Application Portal.

Spring 2026 Program Timeline