Descend into the depths of the Harrison Center for the Arts and you’ll find photographer and digital artist Bill Rasdell in his studio. His elongated space is filled with artwork, sculptures and photographs, but has the coziness of a living room.
“I wasn’t the first artist here, but I’ve been here longer than the rest. I was able to choose my space,” said Rasdell comfortably in an upholstered chair, as natural light from the street-level windows streamed into the room and fell upon his impressive record collection.
Due to an economic downturn in the early 70s, Rasdell, then a New York citizen, lost his job as a hospital administrator. He’d just become interested in photography when the city went broke.
He’d heard of a government “stimulus package” that offered job training and further learned Indianapolis was one of a few cities in the country training artists. In 1975 he packed his bags, and headed to the Midwest.
Rasdell worked as a campaign photographer for Richard “Dick” Lugar’s first successful attempt at the Indiana Senate and was an artist-in-resident for the city’s arts council.
He then met Jeremy Efroymson, a grass roots artist, who was in the process of starting an incubator-like art space that had artists-in-residents. Rasdell jumped at the chance.
“It’s been marvelous to watch the Harrison Center grow and change over the years, the number of artists here, the development of the galleries, and all around opportunities for arts-related activity,” said Rasdell.
Much of that change is under the leadership of Joanna Taft, executive director of the Harrison Center for the Arts.
“The second Saturday in June is our Independent and Music + Art Festival, so we have a small event that month because we’ve put a lot of resources into the festival,” said Taft.
Casually in command, she listed a litany of other upcoming programs and initiatives. She made special note of the center’s presentation of the “5X5 Indy” program, a platform for anyone with a great idea to compete for a $10,000 prize. This year’s theme is “Look Indy: The City’s Your Classroom.”
“We’d love to target educators that figure out how to connect their students to place, how can they inspire their students to love their neighborhood,” said Taft. “We also want non-educators too.”
Some would argue that what makes the Harrison Center for the Arts special, is its continuous aim to creatively connect the community. The center has four art galleries: City Gallery, which focuses on place-based art; the Harrison Gallery; Gallery No. 2, which is currently showing liturgical art; and Hank & Dolly’s Gallery.
But it’s through programs such as summer porch parties; city suppers; the 16th and Delaware Streets art billboards; VSA Arts Indiana, an art program for people with disabilities; and First Friday art shows that makes Harrison a community center for the arts. It’s also the 24-hour studio access home to 36 artists, including Rasdell.
“Maybe doing artwork about place wasn’t cool when I started in 2011. Artists weren’t sure what it meant. Now we have a ton of artists that want to do it,” said Taft. “There’s a movement to show Indianapolis through art.”
Taft said the Harrison Center is also a concierge service for neighborhood information and has helped grow a new generation of unconventional art patrons.
“We’re entry level sales here. Here, you can buy a painting for $20. We even have a lay-away plan,” said Taft. “The fact that our sales increase every year shows us that more and more emerging patrons are buying art.”
For more information, visit Harrisoncenter.org.
