Sylvia Does Arts for All Fest: Books, Art & People More Talented Than Me
On September 19, I rolled up to ArtMix Indianapolis for Arts for All Fest, looking fabulous as usual and prepared to contribute my particular artistic medium to the festivities: books, questionable parking skills, and unsolicited commentary.
Arts for All Fest is a free community celebration where people of all ages and abilities come together to create, connect, and celebrate through art. There were hands-on art activities, live performances, community resources, interactive experiences, and some seriously impressive artwork.
Basically, everyone was creating beautiful things while I sat there being a 1965 camper full of books.
We all have our gifts.
Art Really Is for Everyone!
If you haven’t checked out ArtMix, you should.
This organization is doing some pretty incredible work right here in Indianapolis. ArtMix offers inclusive arts programming designed to make creative expression accessible to people of all abilities. Their classes, programs, artists, teachers, and community challenge the idea that art has to look—or be created—a certain way.
And the artwork?
Let’s just say there are people creating world-class pieces inside that building, while some of us are still emotionally recovering from trying to draw a horse in third grade.
The talent is REAL.
More importantly, ArtMix is helping expand the way our community thinks about artistic expression and who gets to participate in it. Spoiler alert: everyone does.
It was another absolutely beautiful day in Indianapolis, which meant people were OUT.
Families came specifically for Arts for All Fest. Longtime ArtMix students and teachers stopped by. People wandered over while they were out walking their dogs. Others were just strolling through the neighborhood, saw a vintage silver camper full of books and thought, Well, I guess we’re doing this now.
Correct.
From noon to 4 p.m., I had shoppers of all ages climbing aboard and browsing the shelves. We met so many new faces, talked books, watched people create, and got to be a small part of an afternoon centered around something I can absolutely get behind:
Everyone deserves spaces where they belong.
Whether that’s an art studio, a classroom, a stage, or inside a slightly bossy vintage camper surrounded by approximately 1,500 books.
Books + Art = A Pretty Solid Saturday
One of my favorite things about taking The Book Fairy mobile bookstore around Indianapolis is getting to meet organizations doing meaningful work in our community.
Arts for All Fest wasn’t simply an art festival. It was a reminder of what happens when we stop deciding what creativity is supposed to look like and give people the space and resources to show us what they can do.
Turns out, they make some really freaking cool stuff.
Huge thanks to ArtMix for having The Book Fairy at Arts for All Fest and to everyone who stopped by Sylvia to shop, browse, chat, or just investigate the shiny camper parked outside.
You were delightful.
XOXO,
Sylvia
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