Indy East Art Walk Brings Eastside Creativity to 10th Street
The Indy East Art Walk is an annual celebration of Eastside creativity, bringing artists, makers, musicians and community organizations together along 10th Street in everyday outdoor spaces. This year, however, the event came with an unexpected challenge: a heat index that climbed to 104 degrees.
Despite the heat, creativity—and the community—continued to flow.
Outside 10 E Art Hub, Urban Hope Indy’s “Street Surfer” bus was parked and helping transport visitors between venues along 10th Street. The colorful bus, complete with a basketball hoop mounted on the back, reflects Urban Hope Indy’s work with local youth. The organization provides art classes at 10 E Art Hub, a basketball program, mentorship and other opportunities for underprivileged children.
As visitors arrived, they were welcomed by the sounds of Arsenal Tech jazz students. Beyond the vendors, House Lab offered free, refreshing mocktails—available as slushies or traditional drinks—along with free pizza, providing a welcome break from the heat.
IndyGo was also a sponsor of the event, bringing its “People We Meet on the Bus” project to the Art Walk. Children were invited to draw the people they encounter on public transportation, and the second book in the People We Meet on the Bus series was available for visitors.
The project began with a simple I conversation between two people walking through the city and discussing the communities and people they encountered while riding the bus. That conversation grew into a collaborative zine celebrating the everyday moments of connection experienced through active transportation. Indianapolis artists and writers were invited to contribute poetry, prose, photography and visual art inspired by the city’s transportation system and the people encountered along the way.
And the project is continuing.
On September 26 from 1–4 p.m., the bus will become a moving creative space featuring a live poetry reading, interactive art activities, artist vendors and music.
Artists on the Street
As the day continued, a DJ stepped in for the band, keeping the atmosphere lively while visitors explored the vendors.
Among them was artist Hang Doan of Hanibear Shop, who had an assortment of stickers available for purchase and offered something especially fun: adorable caricatures of visitors. Her finished drawings were handed through a small opening in her display, like a tiny portrait printer producing each new creation.
Artist Lily Groot brought her unique mobile printing setup. Her Prints for My City project operates from a bicycle, creating a fully portable printing lab that can travel wherever the art takes her. Each design is numbered through 150 before she moves on to the next design, giving the prints a limited-edition quality while documenting her connection to the city.
Photographer Michelle McAtee offers another distinctive perspective on Indianapolis. Riding her bike throughout the city, McAtee captures street-style photographs with strong focal points, interesting details and places that might otherwise go unnoticed. What began as texting photographs to a friend eventually developed into a portfolio of work documenting the city from her bicycle.
If you have the opportunity to see McAtee’s exhibit, take the time to look closely. Her photographs offer a unique way of seeing familiar streets and neighborhoods. McAtee also contributed the cover image for this story.
A Piece of Indianapolis History Next Door
Just steps away from 10 E Art Hub sits another piece of Indianapolis history: the Rivoli Theater, built by Universal Studios in 1927.
The historic theater will host a Marquee Unveiling Ceremony & Celebration on Saturday, October 24, from 6–9 p.m. The celebration will include food, drinks, music and guided tours, offering visitors an opportunity to experience one of the Eastside’s historic landmarks.
The Indy East Art Walk may have been challenged by the extreme heat this year, but the creativity along 10th Street proved difficult to stop. From youth programs and public transportation projects to mobile printing, caricatures, photography, music and historic spaces, the event demonstrated just how much artistic energy exists on Indianapolis’ Eastside.
For another opportunity to experience the neighborhood’s independent creative scene, catch Factory Arts on a First Friday for the full experience of independent shops, restaurants, bars, entertainment and local vendors.
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