Thursday, June 14, 2012
Slideshow: INDIEana Handicraft and IMAF
Posted by Paul F. P. Pogue on Thu, Jun 14, 2012 at 1:50 PM
Slideshow
![INDIEana Handicraft Exchange/IAMF [Slideshow]](/imager/b/inlineslideshow/2457406/3cb7/iamf11megaman.jpg)
![INDIEana Handicraft Exchange/IAMF [Slideshow]](/imager/jude-odell/b/square/2457408/3cba/iamf5jude.jpg)
![INDIEana Handicraft Exchange/IAMF [Slideshow]](/imager/emma-overton/b/square/2457409/cdfb/iamf6emmaoverton.jpg)
![INDIEana Handicraft Exchange/IAMF [Slideshow]](/imager/kim-sun/b/square/2457410/ac6e/iamf7kimsun.jpg)
![INDIEana Handicraft Exchange/IAMF [Slideshow]](/imager/one-of-what-felt-like-about-a-dozen-crowded-rooms/b/square/2457411/96d7/iamf8crowd.jpg)
![INDIEana Handicraft Exchange/IAMF [Slideshow]](/imager/indieana-handicraft-exchangeiamf-slideshow/b/square/2457412/b147/iamf9lantern.jpg)
![INDIEana Handicraft Exchange/IAMF [Slideshow]](/imager/sally-harless/b/square/2457413/0179/iamf10upward.jpg)
![INDIEana Handicraft Exchange/IAMF [Slideshow]](/imager/cameron-oehler/b/square/2457414/c3d7/iamf11megaman.jpg)
![INDIEana Handicraft Exchange/IAMF [Slideshow]](/imager/five-year-mission/b/square/2457415/44b3/iamf12fiveyear.jpg)
Nothing quite shows just how many options are out there in the handcrafted world like putting a bunch of them in the same place, as happened over the weekend at the Harrison Center for the Arts when the Independent Music + Art Festival shared space with the INDIEana Handicraft Exchange.
The solicitations said to expect 100 vendors, but I'm convinced there were many more. The craft options go on and on and ON. If you're the sort of person who's into handcrafted stuff, this is a little bit of heaven. If your interest is passing at best, it's an extremely educational insight into what's going on. Every time I thought I had seen it all, it got a little deeper. The event spirals inside, outside, up, down, a labyrinthine serpent that feels a bit like traveling through a Dr. Seuss contraption, not the least of which reason is because it changes every ten feet. The event was HUGE, particularly for the relatively small space. Every time I thought I had seen it all I turned another corner into another room stuffed full to bursting with art and people. The whole thing looks big on the outside; it's even bigger on the inside.
Just for a start: Paper crafts, wood, handmade soaps, toys, superhero capes for the kids. Sadly, none in my size. Indoors, several resident artists worked throughout the show. It's a surreal feeling to wander in and through an artist's studio as they work, art in real time as they create something wall-ready right there in front of the audience. As the line between artist and audience fades, the line between artist and art becomes nearly nonexistent.
The outdoor music fest covers a wide range, everything from NUVO cover guys Five Year Mission to multiple NUVO cover guy Rusty Redenbacher. What can I say? We have tasted.
It's always interesting to get a look at the state of art as well; the current trend involves lots of repurposing, whether it's a literal repurposing of materials by painting records, or repurposing ideas with postmodern interpretations of classic movie posters. (In other news, Pulp Fiction is now considered a classic movie, and today's college freshmen were being born right around the time it came out. You're welcome.)
Related Locations
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Harrison Center for the Arts
- 1505 N. Delaware St., Indianapolis Downtown IN
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317-396-3886
- www.harrisoncenter.org
- Be the first to review this location!
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