Local artist Adele Schluge, a 40-year resident of Indianapolis’ east side, had enough of the violence and crime engulfing her community. It’s a common complaint in a city that has set all-time homicide records four years in a row, but Schluge — who said her now-grown children never owned a bike that wasn’t stolen — has invested herself in the process of change.
Schluge has a batch of paintings she calls “urban icons,” which feature scenes ranging from ideas she comes up with on her own to a man she saw walking down the sidewalk on her way to the dollar store. Schluge wants to sell these paintings — she has 10 of them — and give the proceeds to Young Men Inc., a nonprofit that’s part of Great Commission Church of God on Indianapolis’ northeast side.
Paintings range in size from about 7-by-10 inches to 8-by-10 inches and emphasize African-Americans. One painting shows a Black man standing beside a white man holding sunglasses in his hand. Written above is the famous Bible verse from John: “One thing I do know is that I was blind, but now I see.” For those who want to contribute but don’t want the painting, Schluge said people can sponsor a piece of work that she could then donate.
Schluge first got involved with Young Men a few years ago after reading about Malachi Walker, pastor of Great Commission Church of God and the organization’s director. That summer she volunteered with a camp for boys and teens, helping them create a mural for their meeting space in the church. Schluge said she wants those who buy the paintings to use them as a reminder that leaders such as Walker and programs such as Young Men aren’t giving up.
“When you feel overwhelmed by the idea of violence” she said, “[I want them to know] there’s something out there chipping away at it.”
Walker established Young Men in 1993 to empower African-American boys and teens, focusing on mental, physical, emotional and spiritual development. Every year Young Men hosts Summer Empowerment Camp, and many participants are from public housing communities. Young Men relies mostly on grants and other outside funding, making contributions from people like Schluge valuable.
“She’s an angel God sent to help those less fortunate and make a difference in the community,” Walker said. “What she does helps our community be a better place to live in.”
Walker said Young Men often runs into financial barriers during the summer, but well-timed outside help makes it so he can reach out to more youth in the community and offer scholarships to attend the camp.
“That shows the kindness in our community,” he said. “There are people who are willing to bend over backwards and help those who are less fortunate or those who are in need. … That’s basically what she’s doing.”
Schluge, a retired art teacher who still volunteers at Arsenal Tech High School, did the same thing last year to benefit Young Men. This kind of work goes back a long way for Schluge, who started with a poster called “Share Peace” after the 1999 school shooting in Columbine, Colorado. Locally, she’s sold art to benefit other organizations such as Reach for Youth and the Julian Center.
Anyone who buys a painting will know they’ve helped a local organization try to solve problems many people care deeply about, but they’ll also have a piece of art, something Schluge said she hopes inspires by itself.
“I hope it’s something that, when you look at it, you can believe it’s representing something about a better world,” Schluge said.
Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick.
Adele Schluge
