Big Car Collaborative artists organized a seven-neighborhood asset-based series of social practice art projects involving community-made art, neighborhood identities, an environmental art festival, and more, funded by a $50,000 grant from the Greater Indianapolis Neighborhoods Initiative. Check out images from the projects here.
Made For Each Other (2009-2010) from Big Car on Vimeo.
In this social-practice public-art initiative, Big Car engaged neighbors in the planning, creating and celebration community-building projects — bridging gaps between art, artists, art institutions and other large institutions and residents of Indianapolis as a way to creatively improve the quality of life for all. The artwork was inclusive, interactive, thought provoking and dynamic. NUVO’s David Hoppe had these great things to say in his Best of 2010 article about Big Car’s Made for Each Other program. He wrote:
“(In 2010) Made For Each Other instigated performances, shows, arts actions and other events at a variety of locations not always associated with the arts. In every case, the point was to show how art and artists could connect with people who tend to say that art is for somebody else, engaging these folks in the actual creation of works dealing with where they live. For once Indianapolis appears to be ahead of an arts-related curve. (MFEO’s) emphasis on making a variety of neighborhoods partners and participants in creating works of art shows the way to what could be the Next Big Thing in the arts here: A socially engaged approach that takes the emphasis off of support for artists in favor of putting artists to work in the revitalization of neighborhoods throughout the city.”
Read extended coverage of MFEO in NUVO here.
