Happy birthday to us! 🎊

Did you know Pattern just turned 15? (That’s right, we can officially get our learner’s permit now. Pretty cool stuff 😎) Last week, we got to celebrate this incredible milestone with our community—from supporters to donors to past fellows and interns. We want to give a huge thank you to all the artists who contributed Pattern-inspired work—and if you missed the event, you can still check out the art through Oct. 6 in the SPACE Lounge at the Stutz Building!

We mean (creative) business

Shoutout to David Lindquist and the Indianapolis Business Journal for featuring Polina to talk about what to expect at this year's Creative Economy Summit. Here’s an excerpt:

After devoting events in 2023 and 2024 to highlighting the financial impact of industries such as design, fashion, marketing, film and architecture, this year’s gathering aims to promote the creative economy as an asset for Indiana cities and towns.

“I hope we are going from just explaining to people what the creative economy is and why it’s important to providing actionable steps on how to bring it into your community and incorporate it into your economic development and tourism strategies,” Osherov said.

The Summit will take place Oct. 13-14 at the Fishers Art Center. Tickets are going fast, so be sure to get yours now!

Now or NIVA

Oh, and as if the Creative Economy Summit by itself wasn’t cool enough, it’s immediately followed by the National Independent Venue Association’s NIVA Live Policy Summit presented by Tixel on Oct. 15-16 at the HI-FI. This gathering of policymakers, industry leaders, and venue operators will address critical issues affecting independent venues across the country, including ticketing reform, state incentives for live performance, cultural planning, and licensing. You won’t want to miss it!

KNOW YOUR TERMS

Have you heard the phrase “Main Street entrepreneurs” before? It refers to entrepreneurs that own and operate a small, local business that mainly focuses on serving their community rather than rapid growth.

What does this have to do with the creative economy in Indiana? Well, a lot of Main Street entrepreneurs are creatives as well. Polina referenced this in her IBJ interview:

“Who are creative entrepreneurs? Look at Main Street in your rural town. I’m going to say probably 70% of those folks could be considered creative entrepreneurs. It’s your bookstore, your gift shop, your tattoo parlor, your gallery and it goes on and on. I know Main Street entrepreneurs are a big focal point for Gov. Braun. You need to realize that most of these people that you’re trying to help are actually creatives.”

In July, Gov. Mike Braun launched the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation “to help Main Street entrepreneurs start, grow, and scale their businesses to grow Indiana’s economy and support Hoosier workers.” So, since many Main Street entrepreneurs are creatives, this should lead to more support for the creative economy, too!

Oh—and in case you missed it—we will be having a panel conversation on how Indiana’s Main Streets can thrive when creative entrepreneurs are at the center at the Creative Economy Summit! Check out details and the rest of the agenda here.

INSIDE PATTERN

Back and BUTTER than ever

The fifth iteration of BUTTER went incredibly well, with 104 pieces of art sold and $192,247 in artwork sales. Just goes to show what amazing things can happen right here in Indiana when you center creatives and prioritize the creative economy!

And not to toot our own horn, but didn’t those BUTTER books look beautiful? We’re proud of all our client projects, but this one turned out especially great!

Our client projects help foot the bill so we can continue to host events like the Creative Economy Summit and podcast and film labs, along with publishing our print magazine and our fellow and intern zine (plus, keeping the lights on!) If you’ve got an idea for a print project, need content creation help, or design for an event, hit us up! We’d love to help you shine.

Keeping up with the Pattern fellows

Last week, we brought in Pattern Alum Maria Dickman to chat with our fellows about all things personal branding, plus special guest Abby Gardner, who is a senior copywriter at Apple, adjunct professor at Indiana University’s Media School, and former New York City magazine editor.

It’s just one example of how we prioritize learning opportunities for our fellows so they can shape their creative paths in Indiana. We love inspiring this talented next generation of writers, graphic designers, social media managers, and beyond!

To our podcasters and filmmakers: thank you!

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to our Podcast Lab and Set Savvy events! Between these two series, we hosted seven events, which wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of the grant funders, the Herb Simon Family Foundation and Samerian Foundation—thank you! Know that these events are just the beginning of our efforts to engage more directly with our podcasting and filmmaking communities, and we’re so excited for the journey ahead. Stay tuned!

SPOTLIGHT

FREE filmmaking event

On Sept. 20 at the Carmel Clay Public Library Community Room, The Carmel Film Forum will host the IFN Cinematic Arts Expo and Grant Writing Best Practices for Filmmakers. Keynote speakers include Indiana Filmmakers Network President Nathan Bechtold, Grant Writer Anne Laker, and Arts and Nonprofit Leader Paige Sharp. The expo opens at 10:30 a.m. and keynote speakers are at 1 p.m.

Proof: A Midwest Lit Fest

On Oct. 10-11, Indiana Humanities in partnership with local poets Mitchell L.H. Douglas and Chantel Massey will host the second annual iteration of this exciting event celebrating all things literary that come out of the Midwest. Come out to the Harrison Center for free workshops with experienced writers, readings and panel discussions, and bookish activities, along with a book fair and bookish activities for all ages!

Filmmaker mixer

On the second Wednesday of every other month, Kan-Kan Cinema hosts a filmmaker mixer for casual networking with others in the industry. Missed the September date? No worries! The filmmaker mixer will return Nov. 12. Email [email protected] to RSVP.

PS. To our funders and sponsors—thank you for believing in the power of creativity!