Indianapolis Ambassador
Walk & Talk tour guide Sampson Deon Levingston leads participants around Indy’s historic neighborhoods, paying special attention to areas that have flourished with attention from city government—for example, Mass Ave—as well as areas (such as Indiana Avenue’s now-demolished Black Wall Street) that have suffered. Throughout, Levingston’s tone is indefatigable, curious, and conversational. “I love Indianapolis, and I want everyone else to love it, too,” he says. “That doesn’t mean I’m not going to criticize what needs to be criticized, just that I want it to be a dialogue, not a lecture.” —Eve Batey
Drone Photography
The film of his own wedding inspired Aaron Milbourn to start practicing videography on the side. After receiving a DJI Mavic Series drone camera as a gift in 2016, he never looked back, eventually building a freelance career in commercial film. But his most stunning work is his breathtaking aerial videography of downtown Indy that he shares on his Instagram account. Swooping up the side of the JW Marriott hotel, circling Lady Victory, or banking the turns high above the IMS, Milbourn’s camera work showcases the beauty of the city from a daredevilish bird’s-eye view. —Gabriela Bell
Hometown History
It’s a no-brainer that state pride is what drives T-shirt purveyor United State of Indiana, from the deep cuts in their epically cool Hoosier-themed designs to the little bits of regional trivia and pop culture sprinkled around their Broad Ripple shop. The love carries over to the brand’s Instagram, where owner Graham Brown and staff research and post fascinating Hoosier facts and history. Did you know the Indiana State Fair is Indiana’s longest-running tradition at 172 years, or that Dee Bradley Baker, the voice of every clone in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, is a Hoosier? Before hitting the follow button, we didn’t either! 1051 E. 54th St., 317-426-2552 —Camille Graves
Silent Auction
Film buffs and art lovers descend on the Factory Arts District for Lodge Design’s annual Bigger Picture Show, a combination poster exhibit and live silent auction that benefits the Indy Film Fest. Local designers put new spins on the visual branding of their favorite flicks, creating 100 or more one-of-a-kind framed prints that guests of this packed party can bid on and take home at the end of the night. Each year, the art focuses on a different unifying theme, such as movie villains or 50 degrees of Greg Kinnear. The 2024 show, which raised $14,000, highlighted coming-of-age films, with depictions of titles such as Finding Nemo, The Wizard of Oz, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Next year’s auction is scheduled for March 28. —Andrea Ratcliff
Photos by Tony Valainis
Writing Prompt
In 2021, poets Chantel Massey and Mitchell L.H. Douglas were standing outside The Jazz Kitchen after an Indiana Humanities–sponsored event when the idea for a literary festival in Indianapolis came to them. That idea became a reality in October’s Proof: A Midwest Lit Fest, which reunited them with Indiana Humanities in a free festival that featured workshops, readings, a book market, meet and greets with publishers, and an open mic where participants shared their work. —CG
Photos by Tony Valainis
Creative Studio
You’re a fan of Guide & Anchor’s work; you just don’t know it yet. The design studio has created the look and feel of some of Indy’s most beloved brands, from La Margarita restaurant to the Bloomington Craft Beer Festival. Husband-and-wife team Joey Potts and Sara Jean flex their artistic muscles from a bright blue eastside studio, where they also host makers’ markets, pop-ups, and DJ events. 3315 E. 10th St. —EB
New Music Festival
In the past few years, GangGang has taken Indy by storm, introducing the already-iconic Butter art fair, collaborating with Newfields on groundbreaking exhibits, and helping to support the Chreece hip-hop festival. On May 18, the group, in partnership with Forty5, took over American Legion Mall with the I Made Rock ’n’ Roll festival, a daylong celebration of Black music history with a lineup spanning the rock genre from folk to punk, including acts like Joy Oladokun, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Gary Clark Jr., and the effervescent Janelle Monáe. Vendors, food trucks, a kids’ area, and photo ops rounded out the experience, but nothing beat the outstanding performances—Oladokun’s heartfelt vocals, Clark Jr.’s mind-numbing guitar skills, Monáe’s multiple electrifying encores—reverberating for blocks. —CG
Hand-Painted Signs
The writing’s on the wall, and it looks really cool. Since 2021, Juicy Signs has been making its mark all over town with colorful murals and impossibly steady hand-painted letters, counting Natural State Provisions, Commissary Barber & Barista, and Alley Cat Ceramics among its growing list of clients. “We love blending elements of traditional sign painting with modern aesthetics to create visually striking pieces that are deeply personal to the brands we work with,” says owner Justin Young. “Each is crafted to tell a unique story, capturing the essence of the business it represents.” —Amy Lynch
Irish Music Night
Having trouble finding a decent pint of Guinness in your neck of the woods? Open your own pub. That’s what Jim Arnoldt, Blythe Kinsey, Carey Shea, and Timothy Barrett of Snug did last January, reinventing a local Irvington building that most recently operated as a hair salon. On Tuesday nights, a core group of musicians led by Mario Joven settles in for traditional Irish jam sessions that cover everything from Gaelic classics and sea shanties to the Cheers theme song. Instruments, playlists, and performers change weekly, but the good vibes are always the same. 210 S. Audubon Rd., 317-308-8553 —AL
Photos by Tony Valainis
Aquascaper
Before he placed 13th in Japan’s prestigious International Aquascaping Contest in 2023, Ryan Noel was decking out aquariums as a hobby. “I just became obsessed,” says Noel, by day a creative director at Borshoff. “I was doing college credit levels of research.” That expertise shows in his Zen-like botanical vignettes filled with driftwood jutting skyward, stones resting in artful layers, and carpets of moss that are actual living ecosystems but look more like visual poetry. He works with materials such as Manzanita wood and Icelandic lava stone—and fish, of course. Follow along on Noel’s Instagram, where he shares all the drama in creating these lush, watery Edens and fields questions from fellow enthusiasts. —Julia Spalding
Photos by Tony Valainis
Mom Band
Manic Mondays are something most moms know all about. What most don’t know is what it feels like to get up on stage and rock out to “Manic Monday” by The Bangles. “It’s very, very addictive,” says Amanda Leet, lead guitarist for the Zionsville-based, all-female cover band The Janeways. Leet, rhythm guitarist Joan Champagne, lead vocalist Ellie Brown, bass guitarist Debbie Shook, and drummer Amber Nunes all had zero musical training before signing up for lessons at a local School of Rock. The friends, whose kids range in age from 8 to 19, played their first gig at the erstwhile Books & Brews four years ago. The opener was, fittingly, their rendition of “I Love Rock ’n Roll” by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. They knew all of four songs in total. They now play shows of at least two hours regularly. While Jett—and The Bangles—are inspirations, the group also pays homage to Tom Petty, Cheap Trick, Van Halen, and Poison. “Many times, we as women pour our time and energy into others, whether partners, colleagues, or kids,” says Leet. “But here’s the truth: You are never too old to learn something new that’s just for you.” —Christina Vercelletto
Photos by Tony Valainis
Stage Presence
If you’ve wondered how playwrights develop immersive scripts, the New Harmony Project arts organization based in New Harmony, Indiana, lets you step into the writing process through PlayFest Indy. Launched this year, it partners with area theaters to bring audiences together with emerging playwrights for a series of readings and discussions about the writers’ plays in development. This year’s lineup included Jessica Huang, Indiana Repertory Theatre’s 2024 playwright-in-residence. —CG
Photos by Tony Valainis
No-Nonsense Podcast
It appears Megan Bennett and Lesley Meier of GenX Women Are Sick of This Shit have had enough, and they’re not alone. The podcast they launched in May as a spinoff of their popular Facebook page of the same name has struck a chord with fellow Gen Xers and is currently sitting pretty with a 4.8/5 Apple rating. Full of nostalgic remembrances, references to pop culture touchstones, and discussions on timely topics, the all-inclusive chats appeal to a diverse demographic that goes well beyond just the latchkey kids of the ’70s and ’80s. —AL
Hair Show
It’s business in the front, party in the back, and a fun time all around during the Indiana State Fair’s annual contribution to The USA Mullet Championship. Vetted contestants—men, women, and kids—strut their stuff in the friendly competition that crowns the Joe Dirtiest of all the land based on length, style, uniqueness, and showmanship. Indiana’s winner snags a cash prize and a spot in the national “Mane Event,” but spectators at the live show score big, too. —GB
