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Indiana Arts Homecoming

About the Indiana Arts Homecoming Conference

The Indiana Arts Homecoming is a gathering of Indiana’s artists, arts providers, and creative communities who are doing work every day to create opportunities that are vibrant, engaging, and embedded in the lives of our citizens.

The Governor’s Arts Awards are presented every other year in conjunction with the conference. The awards recognize excellence in artistic achievement, philanthropy, arts education, and leadership in the arts.

2021 Conference

The focus of the 2021 conference was the intersection of creativity, learning, and community. 

We believe that everyone in the state of Indiana should have the opportunity to find the joy in creating, and the 2021 Homecoming conference supported those who facilitate that creating: the artists, arts organizations, community members, and arts teachers in our state that do the important job of communicating art skills and providing creative experiences for the very youngest to the very oldest and everyone in between. Think community arts learning, audience engagement, arts education, arts workshops, residencies, and educational performances.

The conference took place virtually from October 13-15.

What can I expect to learn at the Indiana Arts Homecoming?


It’s all about the “why” and “how” of:
  • Artists and creative professionals: incorporating teaching into your portfolio and business practice
  • Arts, youth, senior, and community organizations: engaging, connecting, and sharing your creativity with community (from informal to formal settings and everything between)
  • 0-3, K-12+ educators, arts educators, and artists: integrating arts into any classroom
  • Communities: embracing lifelong creative learning and creative aging to build vibrant places to live
  • Advocates: inspiring others about the importance of arts learning and the messaging around it

Everyone will leave the experience familiar with the world of arts learning, its lingo, how to enter the conversation, and be able to connect it with community health and quality of life.

Program Contact:

Paige Sharp, Deputy Director of Programs
psharp@iac.in.gov

The 2021 Indiana Arts Homecoming featured 62 speakers that presented 2 keynotes, 23 Breakout Sessions, 7 Creative Warm-Ups and Intermissions, and 9 Networking Meet-Ups.  Sessions covered topics such as creative aging, teaching artists, the portfolio career, community development, inclusive practices, online programming, and much more.

To learn more about the speakers and content, visit the conference website.

The Indiana Arts Homecoming would not be possible without the support and guidance of the Steering Committee. The 2021 Steering Committee is below-

Jingo de la Rosa, Illustrator and Teaching Artist (Marion County)- Co-Chair
Anna Ross, Audiences Unlimited (Allen County)- Co-Chair

Kelsey Peaper, Educator and IAC Commissioner (Marion County)
Alia Hawkins, Beachfront Dance (Lake County)
Aaron Robles, Founders Spark (Allen County)
Lacey Bohlen, Indiana Dept. of Education (Marion County)
Ploi Pagdalian, Arts for Learning (Marion County)
Kara Barnard, Musician and Instructor (Brown County)
Rachel Wilken, Columbus Symphony Orchestra (Bartholomew County)
Danicia Malone, Purdue Black Cultural Center (Tippecanoe County)
Cheryl Burress, Vevay Main Street (Switzerland County)
Merrick Korach, Community One, Inc. (Vanderburgh County)

The Indiana Arts Homecoming was started in 2017 and takes place each fall. In 2020, 550 people from 60 Indiana counties and 8 total states and territories attended the virtual conference. 55% percent of registrants had never attended an Indiana Arts Homecoming conference or Indiana Arts Commission workshop.

Click here to check out the virtual 2020 conference.

View Previous Conference Impact Reports: