PLAY LIST

Have you done something nice for yourself today?  As you take a break to hydrate and unwrap the PB & J sandwich you brought to work, we recommend you pop in your headphones and listen to today’s newsletter.  We have a special audio treat for you. Today’s edition of Play List also has 15 breakfast ideas that will take you around the world, and new public art eye candy from our neighborhood art...

It was unplanned, but this week we have a lot of kid-friendly things families can do. We have free movies, egg hunts and even financial advice from a 10-year-old author.  We also have a Time Machine memory from Ari Beedie’s trip to a cool installation at 1000 Words Gallery and a new Culture Journal by devoted journaler Anne Laker.  Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org/...

Greetings.  We are in the era of delivering sad news like federal cuts to funding for cultural programs, all while sharing the uplifting work of creatives working with very small budgets.  The show must go on, as our showbiz friends say.  In Indianapolis, every week is still packed with burlesque and markets, book clubs and movies, fancy art shows with art by very important people and startup gall...

With April Fool’s out of the way, we are pleased to announce the not-foolish-at-all new video series we’re launching at Mirror Indy. It captures the heart and soul of beloved food places by pairing poets with restaurants. Our first video of the poem, “Love is Found in the Kitchen” by Januarie York, celebrates the Indianapolis diner Just Judy’s.  You can watch the poem video here.  Get more Indiana...

How do you celebrate a new season? We celebrated the start of spring five days ago. But for some, the spring equinox also marks the start of a new year.  At Indy's Global Village Welcome Center the Persian community celebrated Nowruz, the Iranian or Persian New Year, with artists, performances and food. You can see photos of the celebration here .  Another way you can celebrate the blooming f...

I keep a shriveled orange on my desk to remind me to drink water when I get busy. In the same spirit, we’d like to remind you that we need to water ourselves with joy too, every once in a while.  Laugh a little, then roll up your sleeves and support the things you love.  Today’s newsletter — besides including timely reporting for International Happiness Day — has news about a local Afrofuturist, T...

You know that March is Women’s History Month, and that it’s packed with holidays like Ostara, Eid, Nowruz and St. Patrick’s Day. But did you know that there’s a new holiday in town? According to the National Day Calendar , today is the very first National Skin Barrier Day. That’s right, a day to think about the body’s largest organ.  How to celebrate: moisturize, wear sunscreen and contemplate the...

Greetings from almost-springtime! We’re excited to kick off Women’s History Month with the announcement that we have a new arts and culture reporter: Mesgana Waiss . That’s right, we have an all-women team.  Mesgana was an Indianapolis Press Club Foundation fellow at Indiana Landmarks and at the Indianapolis Recorder, where she told stories that celebrated local voices and Black heritage. She like...

This is a lunchtime newsletter and we have some very good lunch news for you today. I told you last week we’d have hard-hitting news. Let’s get to it.  Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org/Arts . You can also subscribe to get the Play List email newsletter .

According to musician Clockwork Janz , Pisces season (Feb. 19-March 20) is the most dynamic and important time to breathe slowly and listen deeply. When the weather is very cold, sound travels differently — the air is more dense, soundwaves slow down and the sounds appear to be more clear. When it snows, sounds might sound muffled.  Clockwork traveled the city, collecting what they call “aural exp...

Who knew that the decapitation of a man known as “Valentino” would some day lead to really great chocolate and some of humanity’s most passionate moments? Well, call me a romantic, but I don’t buy (hehe) that Valentine’s Day is a commercial holiday.  To prove that love is alive and well, I made a voicemail box and invited people to tell me who they love. The result is … well … you have to listen f...

Plus: A guide to celebrating Black History Month February 7 is "First Friday," when art galleries all over the city stay open late. Many serve free snacks and drinks. It's a chance to meet local artists and see new shows at your own pace. There's no pressure to buy anything, and everyone is welcome  –  including kids.  Most of Indy's galleries aren't uptight. One even...

In this episode:  Wrestling biz, First Friday stops, book crawl 2.0, Ivan Cornejo tickets and Groundhog Day things. Do you feel it too? It’s been January for a long time.  At Mirror Indy we’re celebrating that it’s the last Wednesday of the month by looking ahead.   In this edition, you’ll find: Groundhog Day plans, A February First Friday guide , A head’s up about a big thing happening in March,...

In this newsletter: Announcing the 2025 Art & Soul featured artists, Mad Libs with writer Kaveh Akbar, and Valentine’s things. It’s basically February already. For Valentine’s Day, we are asking YOU to leave us a voicemail and tell us who you love.  These recordings are meant to be anonymous — unless you are a PDA-type person and want us to share your name.  All you need to do is call ‪(317) 7...

Chinese American art, MLK Jr. Day, and an artist’s big gesture for a tiny museum. Greetings on this cold as hell day. Today we are feeling grateful for the shovelers, the plowers and the heroic mail carriers who are working through adverse weather, hiking over the hills of ice in our neighborhoods.  Also, for places like public libraries and cultural spaces where we can gather and be warm. We have...

Are you a New Year’s resolutions -type person? I, myself, like beginnings. Not so much mornings or Mondays, but I do like the first days of a month, and yes, a new year. Planners with clean calendars and the starting pages of a novel. I like chances to dream up new things.  For this reason, this newsletter is packed with 2025 theatrical events to look forward to, music shows that are followed by m...

Dear Indy, It’s Christmas Eve. And today we’re bringing you the best gift of all: a combined newsletter from Ryan and Jennifer!  Today’s special edition contains a holiday song video, ideas for celebrating Hanukkah with the whole family, a Kwanzaa meditation and, yes, a Culture Journal from Old Saint Nick.  Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org/Arts . You can also subsc...

Here’s what a year of Mirror Indy’s Culture Journals looks like. When Mirror Indy launched last December, I set out to find people who wanted to share what a week in their cultural lives looks like.  A year later, we shared a total of 31 culture journals from people who eat, dance, organize, love, dream, read poems and novels and make art and music in Indianapolis.  We now know that Indy Fever pla...

From the looks of it, you have a sweet tooth and like to know what’s up in Indy.  Can you believe it? We’ve been sharing arts and culture content with you for a full year now. More than 50 writers and artists have told us about Indy’s music scene, food offerings, places to be and people to know. Together we lived, we laughed and we loved.   While planning for 2025, I wondered what stories our read...

We’re laughing because there’s so much to do. It can be easy to get caught up in the holiday whirlwind to the point that some of the joy gets squeezed out.  Caring for ourselves and others is a delicate balance! So consider our lists of “things to do” as ideas for mindful celebrations of our neighbors, students and local businesses.  When we celebrate local talent, resilience and creativity, we he...

Dear Indy, Happy Thanksgiving! We have two gifts for you today: Mirror Indy’s Holiday Gift Guide and a cartoon by artist Brent Aldrich. Let’s get to it. Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org/Arts . You can also subscribe to get the Play List email newsletter .

Zines, why LongShot closed, and farmers market vendors you need to know... Dear Indy, We searched and we found. You can pet a reindeer, watch a spin-off of “The Nutcracker,” see holiday concerts and celebrate Festivus — all for $25 or less.  From now until who knows we will have an ongoing list of things to do for the holidays that won’t break the bank.  If you are the type that holds off thinking...

See the full newsletter here. Dear Indy, We’re about to launch into a season of indoor extravaganzas: holiday concerts and art shows, combinations of sparkle and jingles, anthropomorphic animals and snow creatures.  And while things ramp up, they’ll also be winding down, in countdowns and nostalgic lookbacks. We will look forward to a clean slate: a new year with new challenges.  At Mirror Indy we...

See the full newsletter here. Dear Indy, A few days ago Mirror Indy did a call out for photos of foliage. After seeing what readers sent , we imagined a poet might have something to say, so we commissioned writer Autumn Pryor to create something for the moment. Here’s what she wrote: Aubade for Turning Leaves It’s 81 degrees on October 28th I had to remove my sweater in the voting line nothing wil...

Not to stress you out, but even though it feels like Halloween happened already, it hasn’t. And after those kids come knocking to take your candy (bowl included) you’ll have to drive for a few days through “Swift City” (which will be great for local businesses), then watch the map change colors on TV for the 2024 elections.  And before you know it, it’s Thanksgiving and then the other holidays fol...