May First Friday Gallery Opening

On May 2nd from 6-9pm, join the Harrison Center and Indianapolis Motor Speedway for First Friday, featuring 9 new gallery openings, and our annual Porch Party Indy Kick-Off!

Also featured will be Open Studio Night, music at the rooftop bar, Suspended Animation Aerials, a race flag wreath-making class, food trucks, entertainment and music. Pick up your free porch party decor and yard signs while they last!

All month long, race fans are encouraged to show what “This is May” means by porching– hosting a fun racing-themed Porch Party that helps neighbors connect, build local communities, and celebrate the spirit of the Indianapolis 500. Show off your Hoosier pride and encourage your local neighborhood to embrace the energy of May! 

In the Harrison Gallery, Chasing Light by Justin Vining. In this exhibition, Justin Vining embraces a bold, swashbuckling painting style, marked by thick, vibrant strokes and confident, direct compositions. This show, featuring a blend of nature scenes and urban landscapes, reflects Vining's unyielding drive to create despite life's demands. Whether in the studio or navigating parenting, his work remains a testament to the necessity of artistic expression as a means of both discovery and balance.

In the Gallery Annex, Process & Play by JD Bills. This show invites viewers into the space between exploration and execution. This collection highlights a range of styles, materials, and approaches—some polished, some in progress—all reflecting the joy, risk, and curiosity at the heart of the creative process. 

Hecho en México by Kyle Ragsdale. This exhibition builds on Ragsdale’s November show, showcasing new work created during his third visit to Guanajuato and a masterclass with Ron Pokrasso. Using monotypes, solar plates, and intricate layering, Ragsdale blends his signature imagery of Mexican cowgirls and Victorian women with vibrant colors, creating textured compositions that reflect his evolving artistic vision.

In the Speck Gallery, Strength in Motion by Johnson Simon and ROSEY. This show explores the resilience found in physical and mental movement, particularly through the lens of disability. This collaboration uses acrylic, oil, and oil stick to express how creativity becomes a powerful outlet for self-expression. The dynamic use of color and form captures the complexity of inner struggles, inviting viewers to reflect on the diverse strength that emerges through the act of creation.

In the City Gallery, New Works by Amiah Mims. Through bold color, texture, and composition, Mims expressively captures beauty. The focus of each painting is the delight itself, depicted in a more realistic style than the abstract background, representing something solid amidst the chaos.

In the Hank & Dolly’s Gallery, Dreamscapes and Paradoxes by Kent Brinkley. This show delves into the fluidity of identity, perception, and the vast unknown. Using oil, mixed media, and sculpture, Brinkley blurs the lines between reality and dreams, inviting viewers to question their understanding of existence. The layered forms and paradoxical imagery evoke mystery and introspection, challenging the boundaries of what we see and imagine.

In the Sky Gallery, Astral Itinerary by Deonna Craig. This exhibition draws inspiration from the artist's global travels and personal transformation, capturing themes of movement, discovery, and ancestral connections. Through these works, the artist explores the intersection of cosmic exploration and self-discovery, symbolizing journeys across dimensions and time. Each piece invites viewers to reflect on their own paths of growth and connection to the greater universe. 

In the Lift Gallery, May Reverie by Kristi Marsh Watson. Watson seeks to capture the feeling of May through color, movement, and texture, which she achieves through her unique process of spraying and dripping paint onto her surfaces.

In the Underground Gallery, Who Am I to Answer the Call? A Collaborative Exhibition from the Religion, Spirituality, and the Arts Seminar, a program from the Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University Indianapolis. This exhibition explores the tension between responsibility and doubt, a response to Moses' encounter with the burning bush in Exodus 3.

All shows will open at 6:00 pm on Friday, May 2nd. 

Visitors can take in-person gallery tours Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. Online galleries will open on April 5th. You can make an appointment or view the online galleries at harrisoncenter.org/buy-art. 

Special Senior Hours are every Friday from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm. No appointment is needed.

With support from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indy Arts Council, City of Indianapolis, Indiana Arts Commission, Lilly Endowment, and Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation.

About the Harrison Center 

The Harrison Center is a community-based, nonprofit arts organization that seeks to be a catalyst for renewal in the city of Indianapolis. Founded in 2001, the organization's work is two-fold. The Harrison Center is for the Arts by hosting 40 artists' studios and 8 galleries. It provides programming to foster the creation of new art, build community among artists and emerging patrons, and provide a forum for public conversation. The Harrison Center is for the City by connecting people to culture, community, and place to strengthen Indianapolis's core neighborhoods. For more information on the Harrison Center, call 317.396.3886 or visit www.harrisoncenter.org. Connect with the Harrison Center on social media at Facebook/@HarrisonCenterArts, Instagram/@harrisoncenterarts, Youtube/@hca4thearts, or Twitter/@HarrisonCtrArts. 

Also check out other Arts events in Indianapolis, Exhibitions in Indianapolis.