PLAY LIST

Feeling “81355ed” for the good culture things.   Summer is in full swing.  The city pools are poppin’, the sidewalks are sizzling and your neighbors just can’t stop mowing the lawn at too early a.m. This edition of Play List celebrates Naptown’s new music, WNBA All-Star weekend, kids that are done with school and some very special happenings happening around town, including our very own Play List...

Picnic this Saturday, plus things to do!  If it feels like June flew by, it’s because it did.  Perhaps it was the combination of breaking news every single day, plus the Pacers and the Fever, and just regular life.  July starts next week — next week!  Today we have a brand-new calendar of things to do, an exhibition about the city’s toxic heritage, some pretty neat Juneteenth photos, as well as ot...

 Teen art show, basketball art and a new Culture Journal. Greetings friends, Today we have a story about a local artist who said he believes he was censored by Newfields when he was asked to remove his artwork depicting Trump from an art show. Newfields said that although they were unable to display this work of art, they will continue to champion diverse voices. We also have a visit from our frie...

Plus: $5 theater, a cool new cafe and festivals to attend. I don’t know about you, but I keep refreshing the news lately, keeping an eye on the many things happening — not just in Indy, but in other places, too.  It can be easy to forget the part we play in the bigger things when they are only headlines to us, but the big issues are personal to many of us here in Indy. Every week when I sit to wri...

Free art shows, cuts to arts funding and a new culture journal.  Buckle up because we have a lot of stuff today. This Friday is First Friday, which means there are tons of places to be and lots of art to see. And, this is all happening in the midst of arts budget cuts . What does that mean for your favorite galleries and arts organizations? And, don’t forget we’ve stepped into shiny June, which me...

It’s about to be a lit summer. With June around the corner, we did our monthly homework of scavenging neighborhood flyers, social media posts and Eventbrite pages, and texting our busy friends who know what’s up to compile a list for you.  We have 48 things to do in June — 48! Parades, porch parties, concerts, little wine soirées and art shows are all on the menu.  Obviously, you don’t have to do...

Malcolm X, Chef Oya and Chasten Buttigieg walk into a newsletter  Last Sunday, people gathered at Riverside Family Center to celebrate Malcolm X on the weekend of his 100th birthday, when the Indianapolis City-County Council proclaimed May 19, 2025, as Malcolm X Day.  We have some photos of the celebration you can see .  More than a handful of times, when I was a tutor with the Vonnegut Youth Writ...

New restaurant poems and celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Today we have poems, photos, more things to do in May and a few other things to put on your radar — including Chef Oya’s debut as a food correspondent for Mirror Indy, and an upcoming story on arts funding cuts.  For now, please enjoy the views and words, and remember to reach out to me or arts and culture reporte...

Plus, a Chreece playlist, kids these days and a big party for a tiny gallery.  Last year, Indy Art Center and Patchwork Indy, a nonprofit that works to improve the lives of refugees, kicked off a partnership where immigrants from different countries are paired to curate an art exhibition. Mirror Indy interviewed Jean Claude Lofenia, who is from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Saw Kennedy, fr...

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...