Martindale Brightwood community members, city officials and partner organizations gathered on Aug. 27 to celebrate the City of Indianapolis’ certification of the neighborhood’s Quality of Life Plan.
The event, held at the historic Polk Stables, also launched the first-ever Tysha Hardy-Sellers Excellence in Leadership Award.
The announcements were made during PreEnact Polk Stables, a six-hour community festival that combined interactive theater, art, history and networking opportunities. The event drew longtime residents, new neighbors and local leaders to recognize the area’s past while envisioning its future.
Certified plan years in the making
The certified Quality of Life Plan is the result of three years of collaboration under MOVE Martindale Brightwood, a coalition of organizations including Edna Martin Christian Center, Martindale Brightwood CDC, Oasis Christian CDC, Martindale Brightwood Community Center, KIPP Indy Schools, the Felege Hiywot Center, IUI Office of Community Engagement, Martin University, Citizens Energy and several city partners.
The five-year plan identifies 10 focus areas: arts and culture, education, economic development, environmental justice, youth engagement, neighborhood engagement, health and wellness, public safety, workforce development and housing and infrastructure.
“Our neighborhood has undergone significant changes over the past decade,” said Immanuel Ivey, executive director of Edna Martin Christian Center. “We aim to have our new and old neighbors engage with each other, learn about Martindale Brightwood’s rich history and appreciate the amazing opportunities available today.”
City-County Councilor Jesse Brown, who represents the district, said the initiative offers a different vision of growth.
“PreEnact intentionally looks forward to the future of the neighborhood and refuses to accept the proposition that gentrification and displacement must accompany the development that is picking up in the neighborhood,” Brown said. “With a whimsical but grounded, participatory cultural and artistic event like PreEnact, we help all neighbors feel like they are a necessary part of the neighborhood’s future.”
Honoring a community leader
One of the afternoon’s central moments came when Gina Lewis Alexander presented the inaugural Tysha Hardy-Sellers Excellence in Leadership Award. The award, which will now be given annually, recognizes individuals who demonstrate resilience, service and commitment to the Martindale Brightwood community.
Alexander described Hardy-Sellers as a “quiet strength in the trenches” whose work has shaped the neighborhood’s trajectory for decades.
“It seems the banner she has worn personally and for Martindale Brightwood has been one of perseverance and resilience,” Alexander said during the presentation. “She has shared so many of her gifts and talents that you really can’t help but to admire and love her.”
Hardy-Sellers, who grew up in the neighborhood and served with the Edna Martin Christian Center, said she was humbled by the honor.
“My only mission was to be able to contribute to the community,” Hardy-Sellers told attendees. “No matter where you start, no matter your circumstances, everyone has an opportunity to contribute. And that is so important — that we look out for everyone and we include everyone in contributing to the positive trajectory of our communities.”
The award was formally renamed the Tysha Hardy-Sellers Excellence in Leadership Award during the ceremony.
Preenactment as visioning tool
PreEnact Polk Stables served as both backdrop and community stage for the announcements. The immersive format invited participants to act out neighborhood goals identified in the Quality of Life Plan.
Attendees toured the historic Polk Stables, joined neighborhood history walks with Sampson Levingston, and engaged with live music, art activations and business networking sessions. Local restaurants, including the newly opened Seoul Fresh, and food trucks provided dining options.
Sajan George, owner of Polk Stables, said the event reflected a balance of honoring history and preparing for growth.
“PreEnact is helping Polk Stables envision a neighborhood future that honors its history while creating opportunities for all residents to thrive,” George said.
Art rooted in memory
Among the installations in the Polklore Micro-Museum was a piece by artist Linda Belton, who drew on her family’s experience of losing a beloved tree during new apartment construction.
The tree, which shaded her family’s home for more than 50 years, was cut down as part of redevelopment. Belton said she and her family requested that slabs be preserved, with nine pieces set aside for each family member.
Her resulting artwork, featuring a central portrait of her mother Lula Belton-Hilliard, represents both memory and resilience. Each stone in the piece symbolizes a family member, their colors woven together through the roots and branches.
“It’s a living tree. It has roots,” Belton said. “We played around it, our kids played around it. It was just a cool place to gather on the front porch. I wanted to have it be vibrant and still living.”
Belton has also contributed to other Harrison Center projects, including yarn installations around the Polk Stables, and said her work is focused on connecting communities through art.
Looking forward
The event concluded with live gospel music, a community feast along the Monon Trail and the opening of the Polklore Micro-Museum, which will continue to house rotating exhibits tied to the Quality of Life Plan.
For Hardy-Sellers, the award presentation underscored the importance of shared responsibility in community progress.
“Working together is the most important thing,” she said. “Each and every last one of us can take care of one another and ensure that Martindale Brightwood grows.”
The certified plan will be rolled out in phases over the next five years, with updates shared by coalition organizations online and at future community meetings.
Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
