St’Art Up 317: Circle City Industrial Complex
Written by Khaila King
Launched just last year, St’ArtUp 317 is a competitive program aiming to match vacant commercial spaces in Downtown Indianapolis with artists, brands, startups and established businesses to create pop-up stores. With a similar goal in mind and new ties between PATTERN and Develop Indy, a sector of the Indy Chamber, this year St’ArtUp 317 will feature 30 pop-ups at 10 locations in and surrounding Downtown in order to showcase the authenticity of Indy’s creative class and in hopes to secure long-term tenants for underutilized storefronts, enhancing the overall cultural identity of our city.
This series of stories highlights artists, entrepreneurs and businesses that were selected to participate in this year’s return of St’ArtUp 317.
Eat. Drink. Paint.—
Combining creative expression and America’s love of alcohol, Sip and Paint entertainment has grown by popular demand. With the extra element of food, Eat. Drink. Paint. aims to bring the emerging paint party concept to the Indianapolis community. Led by Chief Fun Officer, Edward Williams, Eat. Drink. Paint. hosts paint and sip events at restaurants, bars and mixed entertainment venues, providing a thrilling form of social entertainment and unifying the community. With just three years under its belt, Eat. Drink. Paint earned itself the title of one the fastest growing paint party concepts in the Sip and Paint Industry.
Tell us about yourself.
I’ve always had a love for art. As far back as I can remember, I always enjoyed doodling or sketching fun imagery on whatever paper (or cardboard) I could get my hands on. I loved superheroes and probably aspired to be one when I grew up. As I grew older, I became more interested in music and business but art was always one of my first creative passions. Since becoming an adult and realizing that “art” wouldn’t necessarily pay the bills, I ventured into sales, entrepreneurship and business ownership. And for the past 25 years, I’ve done pretty well starting, growing and managing various business ventures. (Call center, digital media company, sales consultancy and others) However, it was the “art” business I started three years ago that has been the most fulfilling, financially rewarding and purposeful.
Tell us a little bit about your business or art practice.
Eat. Drink. Paint. is a national entertainment company, based in Cincinnati, Ohio that serves retail, corporate and non-profit customers by providing fun, engaging and affordable social painting events. Founded in 2016, Eat Drink Paint brings people together around “fun art” while providing a platform for local artists to showcase their creative talents. At each event, we encourage individual artistic creativity and exploration but provide detailed instructions for those who want a more structured experience.
What do you hope to get out of this opportunity?
The St’Art Up 317 partnership will provide Eat. Drink. Paint. with a wonderful opportunity to expand into the Indianapolis marketplace and engage new customers with our fun social painting model.
Indiana Fashion Foundation —
In hopes to mobilize the fashion industry in the state of Indiana, The Indiana Fashion Foundation (IFF) dedicates itself to inspiring the creative class and opening the doors for development and stability. Hosting workshops and its inaugural Indiana Fashion Week (INDFW), IFF is concentrated on bringing unrecognized talent to the foreground and positively influencing economic and environmental sustainability in Indiana.
Tell us about yourself.
The Indiana Fashion Foundation (IFF) is an organization focusing specifically on positively impacting economic and environmental sustainability. IFF endeavors to INvoke industry leaders, INspire all, INvest in emerging talent, foster INnovation in the areas of thought and design, and to establish INdustry by creating opportunities for growth and stability in fashion statewide while being a bridge to connect globally.
Tell us a little bit about your business or art practice.
INDFW brings fashion industry professionals and those interested in the fashion space together. INDFW embodies the spirit of community, creativity and collaboration through workshops and events throughout the year. Our inaugural event is Indiana Fashion Week held June 18- 22, 2019.
What do you hope to get out of this opportunity?
We aim to expand awareness of the Indiana Fashion Foundation. We want to connect with the community and also link with opportunities like St’Art Up 317 to show that having a space (location) is valuable to businesses in Indiana.
Here Meditation —
Established by meditation facilitator Meg Hovious, Here Meditation brings transformative practices to the Indianapolis community in the form of engrossing pop-up experiences that strengthen awareness and intensify human connection. By partnering with coworking spaces, schools, corporations, advocacy groups and more, Here Meditation is able to create a collective conscious, proving itself as a stimulating form of self care and community development.
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Meg Hovious and I am the founder of Here Meditation. I have recently moved to back to Indiana from NYC where I lived for the past five and a half years. While there, I trained in Integral Hatha Yoga and yogic meditation, and now aim to bring these ancient devoted practices to contemporary culture in an accessible way. I am a meditation facilitator, a progress enthusiast and an advocate for change.
Tell us a little bit about your business or art practice.
Here Meditation is a modern pop up meditation studio that creates immersive experiences to elevate awareness and deepen human connection through the transformative power of mindfulness, sound and movement. These experiences are designed to help anyone and everyone access meditative states, foster self-inquiry, cultivate deep relaxation and inspire meaningful connection and change. We partner with hotels, coworking spaces, schools, corporations, advocacy groups and individuals to facilitate custom, holistic pop-up experiences, grounding you in the here and now.
What do you hope to get out of this opportunity?
In partnering with St’Artup 317, I am hoping to expand interest in modern, secular meditation in Indy and build a collective of people who would like to bring more mindfulness to their everyday lives.
