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Converted from paper version of the Broad Ripple Gazette (v05n06)
State Museum kicks off Downtown Cultural Tour - by Heidi Huff
posted: Mar. 14, 2008

by Heidi Huff

Last week I attended a media tour of downtown Indianapolis coordinated by Indianapolis Downtown Inc. The tour started at 8:30 in the morning and ran for twelve hours. A twelve hour tour (cue the Gilligan's Island music.) Some of our stops along the way were the Indiana State Museum, Monument Circle, Hilbert Circle Theatre, Iaria's Italian Restaurant, Fountain Square, The Atheneum, Central Library, 14 West Restaurant, and the IDADA gallery tour on Mass Ave, just to name a few. At the end of that long day I was treated to a stay at the recently renovated Hyatt Regency. In this issue, and others to follow, I will highlight our downtown discoveries.
Our first stop on the tour was the Indiana State Museum and IMAX. The museum is located on West Washington Street at the south end of the Canal in White River State Park. ISM features exhibits related to the arts, culture, history, and natural science. With 60,000 square feet of core galleries and 12,000 square feet of changing exhibit space all dedicated to Indiana, you never know what you will find. It also houses a two-story gift shop with Indiana items and two restaurants: the Canal Café and the replicated L.S. Ayres Tea Room.
Even the building itself could be considered an exhibit. It's built from Indiana materials including limestone and steel. The grid pattern on the floor and subsequently the odd wall angles represent past and present highways and byways. The museum has state-of-the-art preservation labs and collection storage facilities. It houses 400,000 artifacts with only 2% of the inventory on display at any time. Wait for the weather to warm and then take the tour of the 92 county-related artworks along the outside of the building.

A Robert Indiana sculpture at the Indiana State Museum.
A Robert Indiana sculpture at the Indiana State Museum.
Quan


Currently the ISM is featuring two major exhibits; "Quilting Blocks and Binding Threads" an examination of quilt gifts and the personal bonds that they form and "Footprints: Balancing Nature's Diversity" where you can see examples of and learn about extinct, extricated, and reintroduced native wildlife. Beginning March 29th, 2008, "Symphony in Color" will take the stage on the Third Floor Bridge displaying art created by children while listening to classical music. Starting April 25th, 2008, is "Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting" a traveling exhibit of unusually constructed textiles. For more info about the museum check out their website at www.indianamuseum.org. Did you know the IMAX is not actually part of the Indiana State Museum? Read the next issue for more fun facts about the IMAX, the next stop on my downtown media tour.

State Museum kicks off Downtown Cultural Tour - by Heidi Huff
Quan


State Museum kicks off Downtown Cultural Tour - by Heidi Huff
Quan


State Museum kicks off Downtown Cultural Tour - by Heidi Huff
Quan


State Museum kicks off Downtown Cultural Tour - by Heidi Huff
Quan


Editor's Note:
As part of an expansion of the Gazette's coverage of Indianapolis Cultural Districts we begin with a downtown cultural tour. Broad Ripple Village is one of six specially designated cultural districts in Indianapolis. The downtown districts are Fountain Square, Mass Ave, Wholesale District, Indiana Avenue and The Canal & White River State Park. We currently let the other districts know what is going on in Broad Ripple via the Gazette and will begin to let Broad Ripple know what is going on in the other five. We will begin with coverage of Cultural District events and eventually include calendars of events and news bits.
-Alan


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