Harrison Center

I used to attend First Friday events in Indianapolis, but I've never attend the events at the Harrison center until now. Oh boy was it an experience! 10/10! There were so many different artist on display and the energy was on point. I attended the event with my 1 year old and she even had a good time. It was kind of crowded in the hallways, so we opted to let her walk around with us instead of bringing the stroller. There are elevators that go to each floor but we found it fun to go up the stairs. Its seemed like every corner was packed with some form of art display. In the gymnasium there was chili buffet along with a live music. I wasn't expecting that, but a pleasant surprise. They were honoring a fallen artist and it was good to see the community come together. The artists were engaging and the staff was super helpful. I def will be coming back again!

If you love art and haven't been to the Harrison Center, this is another place you must put on your list! As you walk up to the center, you are visually greeted by whimsical art that captures your imagination. Once inside the building you are greeted by wonderful artists who are willing to talk and share about their work. There is a a wide variety of art mediums. I must say though, my personal favorite in the shared building is , ArtMix This studio employs students with various disabilities. These students create various art through clay and digital art. The sale of their reasonable priced art goes back into the program to help continue their program. Students are paid through stipends during the school year and paychecks during the summer. It is a wonderful way to get some awesome art and gifts while supporting a great community program!! The Harrison Center is a must see all around.!

There's much to love about Indy's Harrison Center, a place I hadn't visited for quite some time until recently when I had the opportunity to stop by and check out a friend's exhibit during a First Friday event. This entire corner has always intrigued me. The roots of the Harrison Center go all the way back to 1903 when the First Presbyterian congregation planted its fourth church home at the corner of 16th and Delaware. It was also the neighborhood housing the home of President Benjamin Harrison, a First Presbyterian elder and Sunday School teacher. In 1970, the Presbyterian Metropolitan Center became a central location for Indy Presbyterian congregations to do community outreach. However, by the late 90's the building had fallen into disrepair and was acquired by local philanthropist Jeremy Efroymson. In 2000, he opened it as the Harrison Center for the Arts, a secular and for-profit arts center with tenants like VSA (Very Special Arts), Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Herron School of Art, The Nature Conservancy, and other artists. A year later, a concert was held during Talbot Street Art Fair here and this would turn into the acclaimed Independent Music & Art Festival. Redeemer would acquire the building and in 2002 began operating as Harrison Center. By 2003, Harrison Center became a non-profit and its artist population grew. Within a couple years, it received Nuvo's Cultural Vision Award. In 2007, it housed the birth of Herron High School. Numerous other projects are started over the next several years and in 2017, Harrison Center for the Arts becomes simply Harrison Center. Programs include First Fridays, Art Dish, IMAF, Community Engagement Drawing Sessions, Greatriarchs, Preenact Indy, Music, Video, Foodcon, Porch Party Indy, Place-Based Art, and the podcast "Music in Place." The artist slate is full here, though Harrison Center has a variety of rooms that can be rented (not all are fully accessible - be sure to ask if that's needed!). There's even a gymnasium that's pretty awesome. Facilities include the 1,100 square foot Harrison Gallery, the 1920s gymnasium, Speck Gallery, 24 artist studios (on 3 floors, again not all accessible). The artist studios are cool because many of the spaces were formerly parts of a church and retain that feeling. You can buy art from the artists and some of it is available online. I'm currently eyeing a couple of pieces. This is a wonderful space with a tremendous feeling filled with people who love art and artists. Art comes in a variety of prices, though these are all professional artists and prices reflect that. While I'm tempted to take off a star simply because there are some accessibility issues, it has improved over time and generally I can typically get where I need to go. However, if you have certain places you're trying to get to it's definitely a question I'd ask first. I recently returned for a First Friday event and fell in love with the space again. I look forward to returning in the near future.

I don't know how I didn't review this place before. I visited the Harrison Center during a first Friday event two months ago. All I have to say, is that it was a labyrinth of artist studios, with hundreds of people interacting with artists, and even a gymnasium with a live band performing.

I love coming to the Harrison Center for events. The place is full of whimsy. There is a slide to the basement for example! And a karaoke elevator! The art inside is all so different and there is a lot to see. They keep it tidy as well which is always nice.

Usually I only come here on first Fridays for the art tour. This is a very active art space for both younger and mature artists. All mediums can be found here and special events make every first Friday new and original. Tonight's theme is Food. So local farmers, survival schools, nutritionists and food crafters take center stage. Booths are set up outside and inside through out the space. Many of the art pieces are centered around food as well. We bought goat cheese and green beans that were just picked this morning. It's kind of like a farmers market that educates here tonight. Honey, homemade beer demonstration, and seeds for fall planting. We signed up for the mailings and are now notified by postcard of the first Friday attractions. Look for race themes in May and harvest themes in the fall. They are creative about enticing new visitors to check out all the great offerings here. Back in June, they were teaching swing dancing, so you never can tell what you will see. Come and check it out!!

Looking for one place during First Friday with lots of different art techniques, genres, designs, etc? This is one of my favorite places to go! They always have tons of featured local artists throughout their huge space. Additionally, it's home to lots of local artists to work on their latest and greatest pieces before showcasing it to Hoosiers. What makes Harrison different is all of the great events that go on throughout the year. They've got lots of art shows and special events. Great, large art venue showcasing some of Indy's talented local artists.

Did you ever have one of those places that seemed to keep popping up in articles you read or heard discussed, but had never found time to visit? Well, the Harrison Center was becoming "that place", so I decided to visit on a winter day. I contacted them ahead of time to arrange for a guided tour (free) since I have heard that that there is a confusing floor plan that may baffle first time visitors. I pulled in off 16th Street into the mid-block parking lot between Delaware and Alabama. Parking is limited when lots of artists are in their studios or the Center is having an event, but because I was going on a chilly afternoon, I was able to grab a spot. Be aware that the Center is made up of three buildings that are linked by basement hallways and multiple stairwells. Some floors are split level (the Gymnasium for example), so if you have mobility concerns, you may need to limit your visit to the two main galleries in the southern building: City Gallery and Speck Gallery. The Harrison Gallery and the Gallery Annex are on the first floor of the northern building, but do not have a ramp to make it up the three steps. If that is not too much climbing, you can approach the northern building via the sidewalks in the courtyard area (exterior). If you want to experience the full exposure to the galleries and studios, take the guided tour. The guide will take a large set of keys which will open the individual studios of the artists so that you can appreciate how each individual arranges their tools of the trade. Note that artists are free to decorate the inside of their studios as they wish and frequently use the wall space in the hallways outside their studios to hang their works, many of which are available for purchase. Since there are many artists with preferences for working all hours of the day and night, you are bound to run into some artists working in their studios when on the tour. If you catch them at an appropriate time, you may be able to engage in a conversation. Just keep in mind that they are there because it is their work time, so brevity is in order. I was able to chat with several, including resident curator Kyle Ragsdale, who has a retrospective featured in the Speck Gallery. I also met William Rasdell, a photographer and digital artist who uses his art to study the effects of migration on culture. Artist Chad Campbell took time to explain his motivations and background leading up to his work with found materials and the use of the familiar to make his art relatable. There were numerous wire art forms arranged outside his studio on the basement level. If you plan on taking the guided tour, please allow yourself time to go back and visit the galleries in greater detail or maybe engage in a conversation or two. You can easily extend a visit from an hour to several if you explore on your own.Review #210

I like that this place exists within walking distance from my place. It doesn't seem that big on the outside, but there are small spaces with artists all throughout the building, and you can end up spending several hours walking through the place without ever leaving the basement. Lot of events, including First Friday openings in March and May (every other month perhaps?) with other events in the summer out on the lawn. Get on their mailing list to stay informed about what's going on, and if you live in the neighborhood, walk over instead of taking up some of the street parking. It's a residential area and parking can be at a premium as there is only one small lot and the rest is on the street.

First Friday in Indy has changed over time but one constant is the Harrison Center. You can always count on interesting exhibitions at the monthly open house. There are two main galleries on the first floor, and during First Friday the artists' studios are also open throughout the building. The studios are located mainly in the basement, but there are also a few on the second floor. You can easily immerse yourself in art during the visit. Beer and wine are usually available for purchase during First Friday, and some snacks may be available as part of the exhibition openings.Harrison Center also play host to various events throughout the year. The events include INDIEana Handicraft Exchange in the gymnasium, 5x5 Indy in the courtyard, and Independent Music + Art Festival just to name a few. Because of proximity to the 16th Street corridor, you can also check out the burgeoning restaurant and cafe scene nearby.Next time you are interested in checking out the arts in Indy. make a stop at Harrison Center for the Arts!