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Goodbye Summer Interns & Hello New Marketing Director! Plus much more!

The Bi-Weekly Dispatch on Indiana’s Creative Economy

August 17, 2025

Field Notes: From Interns to Indiana’s Future

Last week, we said goodbye to our summer interns — Ayrianna, Ethan, Gabriela, Lydia, and Nicholas. They weren’t just extra hands around the office. They were talent in training: writers, designers, marketers, thinkers, doers.

And that’s the bigger story. Every time we pour into emerging creatives, we’re not just filling a summer gap — we’re fueling Indiana’s future workforce. If we want to be a state that attracts and retains talent, (and we say we do!) we have to build systems that recognize and invest in creative skills right alongside STEM, business, and healthcare.

That point was underscored on Thursday at the ITIA 2025 Annual Summit, where state leaders spoke about the urgent need for talent attraction, retention, innovation, and quality of life — all things the creative economy directly drives. Yet “creative economy” wasn’t mentioned once. Sitting in the audience, it was clear: Indiana has a huge opportunity at hand, but much work remains to connect the dots.

This summer, our interns gave us a glimpse of that future. Now, it’s on all of us to keep building.

—Polina Osherov, Executive Director

ICYMI: The early bird gets the discount

Early bird pricing for the 2025 Indiana Creative Economy Summit ends Sept. 1. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the state’s most forward-thinking conversation on creativity, innovation, and economic growth.

KNOW YOUR TERMS

A quick, fun explainer series where we break down the jargon of the creative economy.

CREATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE: The physical spaces, institutional supports, and community ecosystems that nurture creative talent and innovation.

Examples of Built Infrastructure Supports:

  • South Bend | LangLab — A former warehouse turned arts hub, LangLab is a 33,000 sq ft space for concerts, film screenings, studios, and co-working, fueling South Bend’s creative community.

  • Indianapolis | Harrison Center — art galleries + artist studios + community programming hub.

  • Franklin | Historic Artcraft Theatre — classic movie house now serving as a hub for film festivals and community screenings.

  • New Albany | Cultural Arts Center — A contemporary art gallery and museum housed in a historic Carnegie Library building; part of the Floyd County Library.

  • Fishers | Maker Playground — A public makerspace spanning 15,000 sq ft at Fishers Parks HQ, equipped with tools for woodworking, welding, 3D making, resin art, and design workshops.

Examples of Institutional Supports:

  • South Bend – IDEA Center at Notre Dame (entrepreneurship & innovation hub for students and startups, with crossover into creative ventures).

  • Fort Wayne – Purdue Fort Wayne School of Music & Arts (training pipeline for creative professionals).

  • Bloomington – Jacobs School of Music + IU Cinema (world-class arts education, major draw for film & music).

  • Evansville – Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science A multidisciplinary museum that blends art, science, and cultural history while supporting creative education and public programming.

  • Muncie – Ball State University’s Film and Media Program — one of the few comprehensive film production programs in the state, training talent for Indiana’s growing media and entertainment industry.

Examples of Ecosystem Drivers:

  • Gary – Miller Beach Arts & Creative District (grassroots arts district spurring cultural identity).

  • Fort Wayne – Middle Waves Music Festival (multi-day music fest attracting regional audiences).

  • Bloomington – Lotus World Music & Arts Festival (longstanding festival that fosters international cultural exchange).

  • Columbus – Exhibit Columbus (biennial architecture + design program linking art, design, and community). (Happening as we speak! Go check it out!)

  • Indianapolis – Chreece Hip Hop Festival (grassroots festival elevating hip hop culture and artists, while fostering community pride). (Next weekend, y’all! 8/23!)

INSIDE PATTERN

Welcome Frances Keppes

We’re thrilled to welcome Frances Keppes as Pattern’s new Marketing Director.

Frances brings a wealth of experience in strategic communications, branding, and audience engagement, with a proven track record of helping organizations tell their story and grow their reach. Her career spans agency, corporate, and nonprofit work, and she’s passionate about building creative ecosystems that connect people and ideas.

At Pattern, Frances will lead our marketing strategy across all platforms, amplifying the work of Indiana’s creative economy and making sure the stories of our state’s talent reach the audiences that matter.

Final Podcast Lab: Sept. 3

Our podcast series wraps up with Connecting with Your Audience. Hear from Michael Durr (North Indy) and John Overton (Conversation Piece, Follow D$, North Indy Podcast) on building reach and resonance across platforms.

Sept. 3 | 6–8 PM | SPACE Lounge at the Stutz

Set Savvy Workshops Continue

Professionalizing Indiana’s film crews isn’t just about skills — it’s about infrastructure. Join us for the next sessions:

Register for multiple workshops and use code GETSETSAVVY for 50% off.

SPOTLIGHT

Image by Cheria Caldwell

🖤 BUTTER Returns, Bigger Than Ever

The fifth annual BUTTER Fine Art Fair (Aug. 28–31 at the Stutz) is back—and this year it’s expanding with a lineup of immersive cultural experiences, live performances, and collaborations that celebrate Black artistry.

Highlights include:

  • 🎶 Buddy Red Live — A special rock & blues set on the 10th Street Performance Stage (Aug. 30, 8PM), in collaboration with I Made Rock ‘N’ Roll.

  • 🎷 Ju’s Juke Joint — A new pop-up honoring Indiana Avenue’s legacy, featuring local acts like Chreece, Bashiri Asad, Taylor Hall, Clint Breeze, and Rob Dixon, plus Maxine’s Chicken & Waffles and Tru-Taste Indy.

  • 🍴 CRG 5-Course Dining Experience — A chef-curated tasting menu in the BUTTER Loft (Aug. 29–30) with wine pairings and admission to BUTTER.

  • 👟 PerryCo Shoes x BUTTER — Limited-edition customizable sneakers, plus one-of-a-kind artist-designed pairs up for auction.

As BUTTER grows, so do the leaders shaping it. One of them is Deonna Craig, artist and director of BUTTER, who graces our August digital cover. In her story, she reflects on layered identity, leadership, and what it takes to help build a cultural movement from the ground up.

ps. Grab a copy of the BUTTER Book while you’re there—that was a Pattern creative agency project we’re particularly proud of!

WHAT’S ON

More Creative Economy Industry Events…

Torchfire Film Festival — Aug. 21 | Historic Artcraft Theatre, Franklin
An annual showcase of indie films from across the Midwest. Tickets are just $5, and each screening includes filmmaker Q&As for a behind-the-scenes look at the craft.

Preston Lauterbach: How Indy Shaped Rock ‘n’ Roll — Aug. 21 | Indiana History Center
Music historian Preston Lauterbach digs into Indianapolis’s forgotten influence on early rock and R&B. Free talk + book signing.

Indiana Filmmakers Network Meetup — Aug. 26 | The Box Media Space
A monthly gathering of film pros and aspiring creatives. This session focuses on working with talent agencies—what they look for and how to get represented.

Email [email protected] for additional information.

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