I searched eagerly for a skyline as my GPS shouted directions at me. It said that I was about ten minutes out from the city. Growing up, visits to Chicago conditioned me to scan for skyscrapers to announce that our journey was nearly complete. Nearly 4 hours after leaving my family, friends, and familiar space, I arrived in Indianapolis. I didn’t know anything about the city outside of the arts scene. However, I would soon be thrust into Indy summer which was already well underway. My host family, the Pumphrey’s met me with open arms and welcomed me into their neighborhood with a tour. In the two weeks I got to spend with them, three kids and a dog, I felt received with open arms. 

I have done a lot of things since coming to the city, but by far the best thing about it is the instant sense of community. It may be because the Harrison Center is so community-oriented but the time it took me to feel welcomed and wanted was so short. Through the arts, the center can uplift and support its surroundings instead of working against them. My fellow interns are so creative and kind that it makes going to work that much better. Each person is working on different things, but there is also a lot of room for collaboration which I enjoy. It’s nice to be able to take initiative and start my own projects but then be able to get feedback and help with things. 

There are lots of projects that I am working on. The underlying large project that I will be a part of requires me to do a lot of research. I am assisting Nabil Ince, a musician that has been a part of the Harrison Center mission for years, with creating 5 songs about different sectors of black life in historically African American neighborhoods in Indianapolis. I will be assisting with some of the groundwork, talking to pillars of the community, asking questions, going out into the city, and uncovering the real connections between these different sections. I will also be hopefully assisting with some music-making! Songs that can uplift the community and provide positive and truthful messages are good for everyone. IMAF, Independent Music and Arts Festival is also happening this month so there is tons of prep that is going into that. I will be helping make volunteer shirts, set up, and more. This is the 21st year that the festival has been held! There is of course more but I’m out of words, for now, I’ll keep you all updated.

-Reese Foytik, Harrison Center