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INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2025 A5chloegm@indyrecorder.comBy CHLOE MCGOWAN%u00a0Indianapolis Art Center%u2019s largest and longest-running fundraiser is back this May.The 53rd annual OneAmerica Financial Broad Ripple Art Fair returns May 17-18 at the Indy Art Center. Throughout the weekend, attendees are invited to enjoy live music, interactive art demonstrations, make-it-takeit classes and more than 150 local and national exhibiting artists, according to Shannon Bennett, vice president of events and exhibitions.%u201cIt%u2019s just got this familiarity to it that is welcoming and inviting,%u201d Bennett said. %u201cThe Indy Art Center itself is so welcoming and interesting and intriguing on so many different levels %u2026 When you can come to the Indy Art Center and experience all of these artists on the grounds and walk around and just see so much creativity going on, it%u2019s just very special.%u201dGoing on 53 years strong, the Broad Ripple Art Fair has become a staple of the Indianapolis arts community and a platform for emerging artists, such as Indianapolis-based ceramicist Essence Jones.%u00a0Jones has worked with clay on and off for the last 10 years but only %u201cmade the plunge%u201d to hone her craft for the last two and a half years. The idea of functional pottery for daily use inspires her work. Jones focuses on the color and functionality of items like bowls and coffee mugs.%u201cIt does sound simple,%u201d Jones said. %u201cI like to focus on this stuff because there%u2019s something about a ball of clay going from a wheel to a kiln to your kitchen table to be used every day.%u201dJones, who graduated from the Herron School of Art + Design, said she still uses mugs she made in the eighth grade. Having a piece she can look forward to grabbing during her morning routine %u201cjust kind of sets my day.%u201dThis year marks Jones%u2019 first time vending at the Broad Ripple Art Fair; however, she tested the waters by exhibiting during the Indy Art Center%u2019s Winter Art Sale. Having attended the fair as a guest in previous years, Jones said she is excited to meet other artists in the area and join in the tradition of the fair.%u00a0%u201cYou definitely see a different variety of art that I%u2019ve never even thought of,%u201d Jones said. %u201cAnd while some people may be selling the same thing, or showing the same thing, each piece is different, and specific to the artists.%u201dHonoring the longstanding tradition of the event, the theme of this year%u2019s fair %u2014 %u201cBuilding Community Through Art%u201d %u2014 aligns with the Indianapolis Arts Center%u2019s capital campaign to raise $8.8 million to fund improvements to the building, studios, programs and campus, Bennett said.%u00a0The auditorium has already felt those improvements, complete with a new projector unit and screen. In fact, for the first time in Broad Ripple Art Fair history, short films from Heartland and the Indianapolis Black Documentary Film Festival will be screened in the auditorium.In addition to the variety of exhibiting artists, the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation is curating a lineup of live entertainment throughout the weekend, including performances from Bashiri Asad, Tad Robinson, Goldie, Son de Esquina, Phelps Connection, Cathy Morris and The Doo.All proceeds from ticket sales and vendor fees go directly back into the Indy Arts Center, funding essential programs and exhibitions to %u201cmaintain that community art center feel%u201d and keep programs free year-round, Bennett said.%u201cThere are people that have been going to the fair for years and years and years %u2026 I grew up from Broad Ripple and I know I%u2019ve been going to the fair since I was four years old, and that was almost 40 years ago,%u201d Bennett said. %u201cIt%u2019s just a tradition. Every year, you just go to the Broad Ripple Art Fair.%u201dThe 53rd Broad Ripple Arts Fair is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 17-18 at the Indianapolis Arts Center. Tickets are $20 at the gate (cashless). The preview party, which features 36 artists and food and entertainment from the Jazz Kitchen, takes place from 6-8 p.m. on May 16. Tickets are $150 and include admission for the weekend as well. For more information, visit indyartcenter.org/braf.Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.chloegm@indyrecorder.comBy CHLOE McGOWAN%u00a0Tickets are now on sale for Indianapolis%u2019 annual hip-hop musical festival CHREECE.CHREECE, the independent hip-hop festival that takes over Fountain Square each summer, has been celebrating the vibrant culture and diverse artistry of the music genre since 2015. The festival%u2019s reputation for showcasing local and national talent in a day spent honoring the legacy of hip-hop is returning Aug. 23.%u00a0%u201cIt has been a beautiful process watching the growth and evolution of Chreece,%u201d Oreo Jones, said in a statement. %u201cWhen we started the festival in 2015, I never would have imagined the impact it would have on the city of Indianapolis. As this year continues, we vow to honor the legacy and history of hip-hop culture in Indianapolis, and it%u2019s crucial to protect and nurture the artform.%u201dHeadlined by Smino, MAVI and Audrey Nuna, this year%u2019s festival boasts an %u201cimpressive roster%u201d of national acts, local artists and diverse venues that %u201cwill bring an electrifying energy to Chreece%u2019s stages,%u201d according to a press release.%u00a0More than 70 hip-hop artists, DJs and producers will take the stage across eight Fountain Square venues on Aug. 23, providing a unique music experience to festival-goers.Of the activated venues, HI-FI Annex, Square Cat Vinyl, Atomic Bowl, WIldfyre Tap and The Fountain Square Plaza are open to guests of all ages. However, HI-FI indoor is 18+ and White Rabbit is 21+. More public-activated spaces have yet to be announced, according to a press release.%u201cChreece Festival has been at the pinnacle of Black culture, creativity, ingenuity and artistry%u2014and is a way to highlight Indianapolis%u2019 growing creative community,%u201d Congressman Andre Carson said in a statement. %u201cIt has become a rite of passage for any artist wanting to express themselves in our great state. Oreo Jones and his team understand the impact this festival has had on our state, county and global community. We thank them! As a former artist, I%u2019m always honored to participate and show love to a remarkable Hoosier staple.%u201dTickets for CHREECE are on sale now. For more information about the festival, ticketing or to view the full artist lineup, visit chreeceaf.com.Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.Celebrate 10 years of hip-hop with CHREECE, tickets on sale now53rd Broad Ripple Art Fair: Indy Art Center%u2019s largest fundraiser returnsThe 53rd Annual OneAmerica Financial Broad Ripple Art Fair takes place May 17-18, with 175 local and national artists. (Photos/Indy Art Center) Indianapolis-based ceramicist Essence Jones is a first-time vendor at the Broad Ripple Arts Fair. (Photo/Essence Jones)