Programs

Searching for Lincoln

Indiana History Center
450 W. Ohio St.
Indianapolis, IN 46202

Thursday, September 28, 2017
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Check-in begins at 6:30 p.m.

Free program

Born in Kentucky. Raised in Indiana. Studied in Illinois. All three states claim Lincoln as their own. But where is he really from? Stake your claim on the sixteenth president with our raucous debate, guided by historians with input from audience members.

Vino and Lingo

Indiana History Center
450 W. Ohio St.
Indianapolis, IN 46202

Tuesday, October 3, 2017
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Check in begins at 6:00 p.m.

$20, $15 for IHS Members

Must be 21+

Decode the Italian wine aisle with a fun-filled evening of wine tasting, Italian language and heritage. Sip and swirl your way through the regions of Italy with our wine tasting from Antinori Family Wines, then perfect your accent with a short Italian lesson. Light snacks will be available.

Supported by Ste Michelle Wine Estates and the Antinori Family.

Coming Out

Indiana History Center
450 W. Ohio St.
Indianapolis, IN 46202

Wednesday, October 11, 2017
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Free program

Celebrate National Coming Out Day with a live storytelling event, performed by members of Indiana Youth Group. We’ll share the informal and the personal, the hilarious, and the heartbreaking, all live in front of you.

Stories start at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. with light refreshments.
This program is free, but donations are appreciated. All proceeds will support IYG programming and IHS LGBT Collecting Initiative.

This is an all-ages event.

Polio: A Look Back at America's Most Successful Public Health Crusade

Eugene and Marilyn Glick
Indiana History Center
Frank and Katrina Basile Theater

Thursday, October 19, 2017
4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

FREE Program

Join Pulitzer Prize winning author and New York University professor David Oshinsky for an in-depth look at the largest public health experiment in American history. Oshinsky will focus on the events leading up to the 1954 Salk polio vaccine trials and the ways in which the polio crusade revolutionized philanthropy and medical research. Oshinsky’s book Polio: An American Story won the Pulitzer Prize for History, among other awards, and influenced Bill Gates to make polio eradication the top priority of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

A part of the “History Talks! Engage the Past, in the Present, about the Future” presented by IUPUI Department of History, with support from IUPUI Arts and Humanities Institute, IU School of Medicine, Spirit and Place, and JBS Society.

Whodunit? Murder Mystery

Eugene and Marilyn Glick
Indiana History Center

Friday, October 20, 2017
7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

$20, $15 IHS Members.

Was it the bootlegger with the bag of stole jewels? Or the chauffeur with the Revolver?

Gather your crew and hone your sleuthing skills for a life-size Clue-inspired experience at the History Center! Based on a real Roaring ‘20s murder in Indiana, you will interview suspects, follow the clues and solve who, where, and what. Oh, and you’ll have the chance to win fabulous prizes.

You do not need to preregister your team. This will be done at the event.

Costumes encouraged!

Ethnic Eats

India Palace Restaurant
4213 Lafayette Road
Indianapolis, IN

Thursday, October 26, 2017
6:00 p.m.

$25, $20 IHS Members

Vegetarian option available upon request

Terrified by Tikka? Nervous about Naan? Join us at India Palace Restaurant as we decode some of Indianapolis’ best Indian food and learn more about the culture that created this cuisine.

Presented in partnership with the International Marketplace Coalition.

What If? The Power of Imagination

Presented by JCC Indianapolis, Dance Kaleidoscope, Indiana Writers Center, Indiana Historical Society, and Jewish Family Services.

Arthur M. Glick JCC Laikin Auditorium
6701 Hoover Road, Indianapolis
Sunday, November 5, 2017
        2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

FREE program, registration is encouraged

An afternoon of dance, drama, writing, and creativity based on the huge question: “What IF?”

What power is greater than that of imagination? What If? The Power of Imagination will tap into that power by encouraging high school and college writers to exercise their imaginations through literary responses to “what if” scenarios inspired by the world we live in. Their creative responses will then be interpreted by Dance Kaleidoscope dancers as well as actors from the Indiana Historical Society. The power of imagination will energize attendees as we use various art forms to open the door to imagining the world as it could be.

Tickets for this program are sold through Spirit and Place (click "Reserve" to be re-directed)

K(no)w Voice, K(no)w Power

16 Park Community Center
546 East 17^th Street, Indianapolis
Monday, November 6, 2017
        6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

FREE program, registration is encouraged

Where do you stand? Reveal your stance by where you stand in the room, and join our kinetic conversation on the power of persuasion, empathy, and compassion.

Robert F. Kennedy’s speech in Indianapolis the night Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was murdered implores us to use the power of compassion to find understanding. This deeply participatory event illustrates the power of words and conversation to persuade and build empathy for others. Starting with the ideas of compassion and empathy that emerge from Kennedy’s 1968 speech, participants will be asked to physically stand their position around complicated questions and then potentially—and physically—shift their position as new perspectives are shared.

Tickets for this program are sold through Spirit and Place (click "Reserve" to be re-directed)

22nd Annual Public Conversation

Presented by Spirit & Place, Indiana Historical Society, IPS Crispus Attucks Museum, and SongSquad

Indiana History Center
450 W. Ohio Street, Indianapolis
Sunday, November 12, 2017
        4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

FREE program, registration is encouraged

Featuring Indiana historian James Madison, poet M.A. Abegunde, SongSquad, and actors with Indiana Historical Society’s Museum Theater program, historic documents, images, and music will be used to model “civic reflection” in an interactive conversation on the history of race. 

There’s a new twist on this annual signature event of the Spirit & Place Festival. You’ll still get to hear fresh insights from thoughtful thinkers and doers with unique perspectives. And the conversation will continue to showcase the power of the arts, humanities, and religion in shaping the world. But alongside all this, Spirit & Place and its partners have designed an event that will allow you to practice YOUR power in tackling intractable issues like race. 

By bringing the past alive through music, dramatic readings, interactive opportunities, and meaningful reflection, we’ll do more than model civic and civil dialogue. We will connect you to opportunities, inspire an open mind, and strengthen your conviction to engage in critical conversations.

Tickets for this program are sold through Spirit and Place (click "Reserve" to be re-directed)

Am I a Philanthropist?

Indiana History Center
450 W. Ohio St.
Indianapolis, IN 46202

Thursday, January 18, 2018
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Check-in begins at 6:30 p.m.
$10, $7 IHS Members, $5 student (no ID required)

A philanthropist is defined by Merriam-Webster as someone who actively makes an effort to promote human welfare. Does this mean giving money? Giving time? Both? Would you call yourself a philanthropist? Why?
Join us for an evening of debate and discussion as we delve into these questions with a different kind of conversation. Move around the room to indicate where you stand on this topic. Two philanthropy experts will help guide the discussion. Maybe you’ll change your mind about whether or not you are a philanthropist.

Presented in partnership with the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University.