State Fair Settlement?

"The state of Indiana is set to forgo costly and lengthy litigation and instead pay the maximum $5 million in damages allowed by law to victims of the Indiana State Fair concert stage collapse," reports IBJ.com.

Ooey, Gooey and Creepy Crawly

Chicago-based artist Paul Nudd is known for using “gross” and “subversive” subject matter (think ooey gooey and creepy crawly) and turning it into a work of art, notes John Clark of Provocate.org.

Playful, grotesque and beautiful all at once, the artist's work pushes the Chicago imagists into the 21st Century.

Nudd, who is part of the group show Multiple Propositions in the main galleries of the Herron School of Art at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis through 15 September, will lecture on his art and inspiration at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow (31 August) in the Basile Auditorium of Eskenazi Hall, 735 West New York Street, Indianapolis.

(Image by Paul Nudd)

17th Annual Studio Showcase

The 17th annual Studio Showcase is set for mid-October by a co-operative of more than 30 Central Indiana artisans whose work includes textiles, jewelry, ceramics, photography, painting, glass and wood.

The three-day sale of one-of-a-kind items will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. 13 October, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. 14 October and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 15 October at 5914 Stafford Way, Indianapolis.

(Photo of jewelry by Tatyana Fedorikhina)

Giuseppi Verdi Choir to Perform in Indy

Celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy with members and friends of the Italian Heritage Society of Indiana at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday (31 August).

The Giuseppi Verdi Choir performs "Concerto del 150°" in the Cook Theater at the Landmarks Center, 1210 Central Avenue, Indianapolis. Tickets are $15.

The choir, from Mantova, Italy, is making its first tour of the United States with stops in Indy and New York City.

Greek Festival

It's still tagged "Indy" although it now takes place in Carmel.

Yes, the 38th annual Indianapolis Greek Festival will be held from 4 to 10 p.m. September 9 and noon to 10 p.m. September 10 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 3500 West 106th Street, Carmel.

Greek cuisine, cooking demonstrations, a cultural bazaar, traditional Greek folk dancing, church tours and children's activities are all highlights of this annual Hellenic festival.

Featured food includes souvlaki, lamb, gyros, Greek fries, saganaki, spanakopita, calamari, dolmades, mese, greek salad, loukoumades, baklava, diples, koulourakia, melomakarana, kataifl and galaktoboureko.

"A World of Difference"

The fourth annual "A World of Difference: an International Parade & Taste the Difference" begins at 10 a.m. Saturday (27 August) in Indy's international marketplace, the Lafayette Square Area.

The event includes a parade, informational fair, restaurant taste event and performances. More than 40 various cultural organizations will be participating in the event.

Marian University Honors Michael A. Evans

The first new medical school in Indiana in over a century will be named for Michael A. Evans, Marian University announced today. In 2010, Dr. Evans made a gift and pledge of $48 million to Marian to kick off the creation of the school.

Evans (pictured) is a former Army Ranger who overcame lift-threatening injuries suffered in Vietnam to become a noted scientist. In 1990, he founded AIT Laboratories, where he remains president and CEO. Evans has a doctorate in toxicology from the Indiana University School of Medicine, a postdoctoral fellowship with the National Toxicology Center at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and numerous fellowships and grants from the National Institute of Health and the World Health Organization.

Marian University will name the new building on campus housing the College of Osteopathic Medicine and the School of Nursing in his honor. The Michael A. Evans Center for Health Sciences, set to open in the fall of 2013, is being designed by Indianapolis architects Schmidt and Associates and BSA LifeStructures.

"Super" for Whom?

"It is simply unconscionable to be spending tens of millions of dollars to put on a party for the nation's richest people while the common people are sinking by the day under the pressure of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression," notes Advance Indiana.

This Indianapolis Observer agrees. $1 million or more of Indy tax dollars to provide heated pavement and sidewalks for Georgia Street? Outdoor concerts? Sidewalk cafés? In February?

Did You Know Indy Has "Catalog Houses"?

"Some Assembly Required" is a day of lectures by experts and tour of mail-order and pattern book homes in Indy taking place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1 October in the Parish Center of Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church, 5333 East Washington Street, Indianapolis.

The lectures cover a variety of catalog and pattern book home manufacturers, including Sears Roebuck, Gustav Stickley, Lustron and the Architectural Guild of Indianapolis. Topics include Paul Diebold’s overview of catalog and pattern book houses, with clues to identification. Diebold is an architectural historian and author of Greater Irvington.

The tour goes inside three homes:

• Brian and Emily Mack, 59 North Hawthorne Lane -- a 1906 pattern book house from Gustav Stickley’s magazine The Craftsman

• Patrick Irby, 310 North Ridgeview Drive -- “The Osborn” model sold by Sears Roebuck

• William Gulde, 269 South Audubon Road -- a restored early 20th Century home featuring Craftsman details such as an inglenook and fieldstone porch.

It's sponsored by Indiana Landmarks and Sherwin-Williams; the cost of $45 per person includes lunch and the tour. To make a reservation, call 317:639-4534 or 800:450-4534, or email Suzanne Stanis, Indiana Landmarks’ Director of Heritage Education.

"The Easy Stories"

In most businesses there's the tendency to go for the low-hanging fruit instead of the hard stuff.

The Indianapolis Star is still covering the State Fair tragedy as front-page news instead of spending investigative resources on the stories that have more far-reaching consequence for many, many more central Indiana residents.

Advance Indiana, for example, spotlights this one: "At Monday night's council meeting, [Ryan] Vaughn [City-County Council President] announced that the council will no longer permit public comment on council appointees because he claimed people who voluntarily served on city boards and commissions were becoming difficult to find because of scrutiny they were receiving from some community activists."

The City-Council "will no longer permit public comment on council appointees"? Wait a minute! What?

Indy's Fav

Of course, we all know that Peyton Manning is the most popular male athlete, but it's nice that others say so, too.

The latest? The 15-28 August 20011 issue of Bloomberg Businessweek says, "The Indianapolis Colts QB is the most popular athlete in the U.S. His trick, other than wining games: Making fun of his jock/doofus persona, à la his commercials for Sony."

(Photo courtesy of PeytonManning.com)

State Fair Closed Today

After last night's tragedy, investigators are combing the area of the Indiana State Fairgrounds where a wind coming before a thunderstorm knocked over a stage setup.

Five people died and at least 40 more were injured around 9 p.m. yesterday.

The fair is closed today, but is expected to reopen tomorrow.

Hinkle Misstep Goes Viral

Yep. Whatever happened between the state legislator and the hustler...the story has now hit the national news.

Phil Hinkle, father of the "In God We Trust" license plate and staunch anti-gay proponent has been caught with his metaphorical pants down in an upscale Indy hotel room with an 18-year-old man in search of a "sugga daddy". Oh, my!

Check out this version on the Huffington Post: here.

UPDATE:
Interesting sidebar on why Hinkle was in the J.W. Marriott to begin with, courtesy of Gary R. Welsh: Hinkle at Wedding Reception.

UPDATE 2:
It seems that the "misstep" is being swept under the rug, reports Advance Indiana: "The word on the street is that IMPD is not investigating the incidence as a crime by request from higher ups; instead, party leaders are being given time to convince Hinkle to quietly resign his seat and just allow the incident to fade away."

India Day Celebration

Join the festivities from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday (14 August) celebrating India Independence Day.

There's a parade plus entertainment, all around Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis.

Sponsors are the India Association of Indianapolis, Indianapolis-Hyderabad Sister Cities Committee and the City of Indianapolis.

Brownsburg vs. Speedway?

"Is Brownsburg rivaling Speedway as the auto racing epicenter in central Indiana?" That's the question posed by Anthony Schoettle, sports reporter for the Indianapolis Business Journal.

Seems that the Hendricks County town has annexed Indianapolis Raceway Park (currently known as Lucas Oil Raceway), just over the border from Marion County at Clermont. "Brownsburg officials said they’ll work with the track to develop the surrounding land, possibly into other racing-related ventures," he reports.

Read more about it here.

It's Fair Time!

Germany is the featured country at this year's Indiana State Fair.

Drop by the International Pavilion (just west of the grandstand and across from the coliseum) and check out Indiana's ties with Deutschland -- and get a pretzel or a pastry from Café Heidelberg while you're at it!

Oh, yeah: there's lots more to do at the fair. But you already know that, right? It runs through 21 August.

Gen Con Indy Has Begun

Gen Con Indy, now in its 41st year, is the longest running, best attended, gaming convention in the world.

If you're a gamer, you gotta get downtown and get lost in a phantasm of art exhibits. Stare at jaw-dropping costumes, or better yet, wear one of your own. Meet the movers and the shakers in the gaming industry. Check out the newest games and get a sneak peek at the latest editions.

Centered on the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis, it runs through Sunday (7 August).

Bound: A Book Art Exhibit

The artist reception for Bound: a book arts exhibit takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday (5 August) in the Harrison Center, 1505 North Delaware, Indianapolis.

Admission is free.

This year's exhibit (the fourth annual) will feature work by Christian Arrecis, Sarah Brooks, Ryan Collier, Talia Halliday, Paola Hurtado, David Johnson, Sarojini Johnson, Tasha Lewis, Will Lutz, Emily Schorn, Doug Travis, Sharon Turrini, Emily Vance and Eric Walton as well as a sampling from the Herron Art Library's permanent collection.

Returning to present are Bill and Vicki Stewart of Vamp & Tramp Booksellers, LLC.

Also this year, attendees will be encouraged to bring books to donate for reuse or recycling.

The Harrison Center and the Herron Art Library of the University Library at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis are sponsoring the opening. The work hangs through 26 August.

Willkommen to Germany

Take a trip overseas without the jetlag or expense by making your way to the Indiana State Fair and its new “Willkommen to Germany” interactive exhibit.

Created in partnership with Indiana German organizations, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and the International Center of Indianapolis, this exhibit presents both traditional and contemporary Germany through a variety of fun displays and activities to demonstrate the close ties the country has with Indiana.

“Indiana is steeped in German heritage. Almost 40 percent of all Indiana residents have a German ancestry, and the German influence runs rife through all aspects of Hoosier life,” said Martin Baier, Vice President of the International Center. “A number of Indiana cities have formed long-term relationships with sister cities in Germany.”

Located in the International Pavilion, also known as the Grand Hall, the 8,000 square foot interactive experience is designed to appeal to a broad range of visitors, educating each one on the diverse and unique industries, cultural activities and authentic performances from Germany.

The Indiana State Fair (and the Willkommen to Germany pavilion) opens Friday (5 August) and runs through 21 August at the fairgrounds, 1202 East 38th Street, Indianapolis