With so many creatives in my life, it was just a matter of time before I learned of some of the…read moreactivities that take place here. Art With a Heart is a non-profit with a mission to provide hands-on visual arts experience to educate and inspire at-risk children. My experience began when I signed my daughter up for Re-Generation Indy, a group of local artists that lead affordable art workshops and host Youth Art Shows around Indianapolis, using this space. For only $5, your child can spend a couple of hours getting creative and expanding their mind through with others. A Youth Art Show is scheduled on March 4th to highlight work done by participants in the program. I'm excited to see all of the wonderful ideas and jumped in myself to draw with the rest of the class. Donations accepted! More info on their website: http://www.regenerationindy.com/

It was around 2004-2005. My oldest daughter was 4 and had just completed summer camp at Holy Angels…read moreCatholic school. We were roaming around the school thanking the teachers, learning about what the students accomplished during the summer and looking at art work when we were approached by a man. He asked if Gylani (my little 4 year old at that time) would like to continue her art program and that the art class she had during camp actually offered honors Saturday classes. I looked at her dad...we shrugged and signed her up...that was 2004-2005.... Gylani is now 14 and a starting freshman at North Central...and she is also a honors student at Art With a Heart. The knowledgeable caring teachers, the ability to work with different mediums of art, field trips and the family atmosphere has kept our family in the Art with a Heart Program. This not very well known program, this gem, deserves your support and if you know a child, especially one from a low-income household that loves art but doesn't have the resources to attend expensive costly classes, this is the organization for that child. The child will grow, be nurtured, be inspired and be taught how to be confident in their skills.

This is such an artsy setting for an art studio! A charming house broken into mini studios makes…read morefor an interesting tour. We came here during a fairy event where you could purchase the supplies and make a fairy wand. Our daughter loved it. They were very patient with her and had great supplies to use.

This place -- which happens to be a cluster of old buildings that house artwork and artists studios…read more-- satisfies the peeping tom in me. No, not in that way, you sicko. What I mean is that Nickel Plate Arts is open for everyone to explore at their leisure, so visiting this place means entering houses, and climbing up stairs, and walking into real working artists studios. As in, real artists use these spaces to create their work, as is evidenced by the acrylics and paintbrushes and easels that are left out in the open for you to see. I'm kind of surprised that people like me are just allowed to tour this place, but that's what makes it so special: it's like you're getting a behind-the-scenes tour of an artist's daily life. In some of the rooms, the artists' artwork is displayed with price tags, if the mood strikes you to buy something. There is one person chilling at a table in one of the buildings, next to a table of complimentary coffee and tea, so I'm thinking this is the person you give your money to when you want to buy something. It's all very relaxed and zen, if you want to know the truth. It's like, here is a place to view beautiful art: come and look upon it for free and without any guidance. Now, this is my experience of Nickel Plate Arts during a casual Saturday afternoon -- I'm sure it's different when they have gallery openings and such. I also saw flyers lying about for different events that are held here. There is also a Little Free Library outside one of the buildings, which is awesome.

Tear Down the Walls Ministries is one of Indy's hidden gems. For over 15 years, the organization…read morehas served the people of Indianapolis with a dedication to being the church in action for those in the inner city. Inspired by the work of John Perkins, they focus on Christian Community Development through a variety of ministries and community outreach programs. Outreach to the homeless includes case management (counseling, relationship building, help to find housing/employment/medical care/clothing), a lunch and Bible study ministry, street outreach, and remodeling of abandoned buildings to serve as housing. They have outreach to youth that includes youth leadership, VBS, after school programs, summer camp, youth service projects (which is how I initially became familiar with them), student mission trips, internships, and youth-focused events and block parties. Community development programs include "remodeling abandoned buildings in poor, under resourced neighborhoods of the inner city to be used for housing and ministry, Urban Farming projects transforming abandoned lots into beautiful Community Gardens, teaching others how to raise small animals and produce their own nutritious foods in the inner city and working with those in the community to promote community development and create jobs, leaders, and friends. Their current CCD focus is on King Commons a neighborhood on the near northwest side of Indy near Riverside. The children and youth that I know who've worked with them have loved the experience because it's filled with much love, compassion, and tangible service with concrete results. It's remarkable to me how few people actually know about the organization. They are fiscally responsible and steadfast in their work. If you're not familiar with the work of John M. Perkins, there are a myriad of books you could read but one of my favorites is "Let Justice Roll Down." Seriously, this is a wonderful organization and a great option for churches looking to involve their youth in the community right here in Indy.

Downtown Indy, the nonprofit is located in a neighborhood which is unsafe after dark…read more I got mugged around the corner from the Downtown Indy Headquarters. I wrote to Downtown Indy asking them to create outreach programs that improve safety and consideration towards tourists, but they don't care. The entire crew of Downtown Indy pretend to care about people but are only selfishly interested in promoting their nonprofit organization. Downtown Indy may now call itself Downtown Indy Alliance. Downtown Indy doesn't have any oversight or accountability. Either way, this organization is insensitive towards ordinary people. The president of Downtown Indy , Taylor never made any effort to answer me besides an automated email which mentioned "she was out of town". Nobody within Downtown Indy or most of its Board of Directors made any effort to contact me. After one year of waiting, I got a short email from someone on the board of directors from Downtown Indy, who mentioned they will bring attention to my concerns! The whole process of communicating with Downtown Indy is inadequate. Often, nobody answers the phones at Downtown Indy. Downtown Indy is an insincere nonprofit organization. Downtown Indy has done an awful job of helping visitors to downtown Indianapolis. None of their security teams were even outside the night I got mugged around the corner from Downtown Indy. The streets were all dark, whatever improvements the Downtown Indy organization claims to have brought about to their city were not noticeable. To make matters worse, I had been mugged on the first night of Indy 500, the most important event in Indianapolis. Awful Service! Awful Quality! Awful Value! Avoid Downtown Indy HQ and its area! Downtown Indy is both inconsiderate and unhelpful. Downtown Indy or Downtown Indy Alliance under their "rebrand" is still insincere and apathetic towards ordinary citizens. Crime in downtown Indianapolis is a topic which Downtown Indy hasn't resolved. Downtown Indy has no real motivation to resolve the problems of downtown Indianapolis. It was my first time in both the state of Indiana and the city of Indianapolis, I was booked to stay at the hotel across the street from Downtown Indy HQ. The hotel tried to pull a bait and switch on my room rates. I argued with the clerk who then threatened me with security. I ran out of the hotel in fear. I got mugged around the corner from Downtown Indy headquarters. One of the upper level crew at Downtown Indy works for Yelp. I fear that there is a potential conflict of interest concerning Yelpers posting positive reviews towards Downtown Indy. Yelpers may feel obliged to post positive reviews of Downtown Indy only because they know upper management is a Yelper too. NOTICE: they just changed their name to Downtown Indy Alliance, it's the same arrogant and pretentious organization filled with hypocrisy! I repeated this message twice because getting mugged around the corner from Downtown Indy Alliance and getting ignored traumatized me, especially since they posted annoying YouTube videos a few months afterwards which mention that they want "public feedback". Everything I have mentioned about my mugging near Downtown Indy Alliance really happened. Anybody who tries to discredit me is a real liar and should go stare into a mirror to reflect on the evil within their own heart!

Put your hands in the air if you're thankful for Downtown Indy!…read more From hosting incredible events that involve our whole city, to beautifying the streets we walk everyday, Downtown Indy works tirelessly to make our city the beautiful gem it is. They're responsible for the Circle of Lights, partnered with Lyft for discounted rides around Indy in a program called "Safe Summer Nights", put on a film summer film series on the canal, and recently executed a project that allowed local artists to decorate potholes covering the Cultural Trail. Those are only a handful of recent projects, and nothing compared to what they do throughout one year. Show them some love and support by writing your review too!

4 stars because this place has yet to host a production at this address in Broad Ripple. 4 stars…read morebecause the director of this facility is motivated to change this space into a nice theatrical destination. Look for upcoming productions to start around September.

The space is perfect for theatre. My daughter just participated in a play with the non profit MAR…read morefoundation. Love the space!!

I've got a couple friends who regularly have exhibits in shows at The Garfield Park Arts Center,…read morehowever, since I live in Lawrence I simply don't get down this way as often. I really should. The Garfield Park Arts Center, like the park itself, falls under Indy Parks. Originally built in 1922 as the "Community House," it was designed to look like a picnic shelter with enclosed walls, high ceilings, and fireplaces at each end. In 1930, a large swimming pool was located in the area that is now the parking lot. At that time, it was primarily used as a locker room and rec center area. In 1990, the pool was removed and replaced by the Aquatic Center that is now located at the Burrello Family Center. In 2006, the "Community House" was remodeled with a $2.7 million grant. It became the Garfield Park Arts Center. The 8,000 square foot facility now houses a multi-use performing arts space, exhibition hall, visual and production arts classrooms, a recording studio, a literary arts library, and a rehearsal room. The GPAC is big enough that it typically has multiple exhibits going. For example, right now there's a modern quilting show, a solo show by Jay Hamm, and a show by Christy Harp. GPAC hosts a variety of workshops and classes including current activities like voice and piano lessons, ceramics, and quite a few visual arts options including those specifically for children. The classes are way affordable - for example, there's a $10 rock painting class for kids. As someone who has a pet rock, I'm all for rock painting. GPAC also hosts summer camps and special events. The calendar is on their website. I'm particularly enchanted by a classic movie night. They've also assisted with some of the public art in Garfield Park. The art center tends to be open limited hours - for example, 1-5pm during the week. It does participate in First Fridays. I'm a big fan of Garfield Park and I'm a big fan of having access to the arts. I find this facility to be quite accessible and even more after their 2006 renovation. It's not perfect (no building of this age is), however, it's quite good. Prices are affordable and the center itself has a nice combination of nostalgia with contemporary comforts. Especially for those with kids who may enjoy the classes, GPAC is a definite winner.

This is a great little arts center that always seems to have something going on. I went for a paint…read morepour class and found the price of $25 to be very reasonable. The class was small to, so you will receive one on one attention if needed. The gallery was also a nice experience before the class.

Awesome service and people who live there, I live there. This is my apartment, I love my place and…read morethe quality is amazing, and value too

Located in the Fort Ben area of Indianapolis within blocks of Fort Harrison State Park, Village of…read moreMerici is a non-profit organization providing residential supported living and community integration services to individuals with developmental disabilities. Village of Merici has built and continues to expand upon a neighborhood village offering a continuum of supports and options in all areas of living including residential, occupational, educational, spiritual and social. Village of Merici recently acquired a second building, also located on Lawton Loop, allowing them to expand upon their residential service offerings. They renovate the buildings, most being former Fort Harrison barracks and offices, and turn them into residential settings for individuals with developmental disabilities who have a wide range of support needs. There's a strong emphasis on skill-building - many of those who live in the apartments work at nearby businesses including one of the several restaurants nearby. I've had the pleasure of touring Village of Merici on a couple of occasions and started one of my Tenderness Tour events there. The residential building itself is largely secured to ensure safety. However, as the individuals are renting (and paying for) their own apartments they do also have the ability to access the neighborhood, go outside, and participate in a wide range of activities hosted by Village of Merici. Village of Merici is an approved provider for the Family Supports Waiver and the Community Integration & Habilitation Waiver and is CARF accredited. Village of Merici encourages self-direction and emphasizes the concept of dignity of risk - essentially, people have the right to make their own decisions and to experience the risks that can go along with those decisions. While some circumstances may limit that, for example having a legal guardian, there's a strong leaning toward supported decision-making and, whenever possible, independent living with supports as needed. The building itself has been made accessible throughout. While the building is older, there's an elevator that goes to all floors and every apartment is fully accessible. There isn't a part of the building that is not accessible to individuals with both physical and intellectual disabilities. The original building has 16 one-bedroom apartments and 4 2-bedroom apartments. They are set-up for people with low-incomes. Rather than acting as segregated housing, they seek to offer individuals with varying degrees of disability who meet low-income requirements to live within the Fort Ben area. The building was built with both "green" and energy-efficient technology. Every apartment has a full kitchen and an accessible bathroom. There's a long list of ongoing activities, always voluntary, and services provided are in accordance with a person-centered individualized service plan. You do not have to be in waiver services, or even need supports, to live at Village of Merici but you do need to meet the income requirements. The staff I've met there have been friendly and helpful. The building has a relaxed vibe and has maintained many of the original features while incorporating adaptive options. Village of Merici has both paid and volunteer opportunities and it's not uncommon to see groups volunteering to help them with maintaining their facility. The Village of Merici was established as a non-profit in 2007 and was named after Angela Merici, who became St. Angela of Merici.

An outstanding charity organization with a unique, effective modus operandi!…read more The mission of the group primarily involves combating homelessness by encouraging an active lifestyle, including regular group walks & runs. Other support methods are given as well for those in need, such as workshops on employment or financial topics. I have volunteered with BOMF for at least five years now. Over time, I have seen how the program changes and improves lives. The personnel and volunteers have changed some since I've started volunteering, and everyone is excellent at what they do! A fun, fulfilling way to volunteer!

Such an incredible organization. The team at BOMF go above and beyond to support the city's…read morehomeless with positive programming and wraparound support that truly educate one's body, mind, and soul. The reason I love this charity so much is because you can truly give with your time, talent, and treasure. If you like to walk or run, commit to being there once a week for the morning runs. Do you have a skill that the program members need? Offer to have a class or training session. Want to sponsor a table for the BOMF Breakfast Bash? They'll gladly use your financial support! It's a great place to meet good people and put your talent to good use.