PATTERN Magazine Issue 9 Spring 2016

ISSUE NO. 9_15 dollars

FASHIONING A COMMUNITY.

#next

+ FEATURING CHRIS FRANCIS, ELLE ROBERTS, AUSTIN HUNTINGTON, DJ PRINCE, MATTE FIELDS, MAX YODER, THE DROOPS AND MORE

Creating environments in which to flourish, love, and find comfort

DESIGN | SPACE PLANNING | GENERAL CONTRACTING | INSTALLATION SERVICES | CABINETRY | DECORATIVE FIXTURES FURNITURE | ACCESSORIES | FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS | WINDOW TREATMENTS | DECORATIVE PILLOWS | BEDDING

KITCHENS BY DESIGN • KBD HOME • CUSTOM DRAPERY | 1530 EAST 86TH STREET • INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46240 | MYKBDHOME.COM | 317.815.8880

EDITOR’S LETTER

JUST GIVE ‘EM A SHOT WHEN POLINA AND I SAT DOWN TO HASH OUT IDEAS FOR THIS NINETH issue, we found ourselves debating the idea of a “professional.” More specifically, we wondered at what point you earn the right to define yourself by what you do. We started taking a look at some of the fresh new faces on the scene; comparing these young guns—up and coming talent, in Indy, LA, and elsewhere—to their contemporaries who have had time to perfect their craft seemed almost, offensive.

WE KNEW WE WANTED TO FEATURE THOSE WHO MIGHT HAVE OTHERWISE been overlooked. Thus, what we’ve internally been calling our Youth Culture issue, came to be.

BUT WHEN ALL WAS DESIGNED, EDITED, AND ABOUT TO BE SHIPPED OFF TO THE PRINTER, YOUTH Culture seemed almost too limiting. After all, the incredible talent we’ve profiled within these pages has already been pigeonholed by their youth at one point or another. We didn’t want to do the same. And, we profiled other up and comers who aren’t necessarily “youth.” So after much deliberation, Youth Culture became #NEXT. MUCH OF THE REASON WE LOVE THIS CITY SO MUCH, IS THAT WE CAN DO A LOT WITH JUST ONE chance. Hoosiers can be pretty resourceful. Looking back at past issues, EJAAZ on the cover of our music issue is an excellent example of resiliency and moving forward. He wrapped a national tour late last year, and just finished a second one not too long ago. That is why I love working on this magazine.

THIS PAST YEAR HAS SEEN PATTERN REVAMP OUR MASS AVE. LOCATION TO GIVE MAKERS A STOREFRONT to sell their products and get a footing in the Midwestern landscape. The makers movement has gained some serious traction here in our Circle City; the more local makers we can host, the better. As we have for many years, Pattern continues to host meetups that draw a wide range of people from all walks of life, industries, and practices to share ideas and connect.

NO ONE EVER SAID THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE EASY—I HAVE CERTAINLY LEARNED THAT DURING MY time with Pattern. I think Polina is reminded just how challenging it has been every time I remind her that the Fall/ Winter edition is going to be Issue 10—Issue with a capital “I!” Five years of Pattern Magazine and we’re still trying to figure this thing out.

THAT BEING SAID, AFTER MY WINDING COLLEGE PATH TOOK ME OUT OF THE STATE, IT BROUGHT ME back. And watching as Indy and Pattern grow, I’m beyond grateful for the chance to be a part of it.

I FEEL A CLOSE ATTACHMENT TO THIS ISSUE IN LARGE PART BECAUSE I BELONG TO THE CROP OF young talent that this issue was designed to highlight. But, more personally, I’m excited about this issue because Polina gave me a chance—me, an aloof journalism student whose first words upon sitting down for my internship interview were “I don’t know the first thing about fashion.” I truly believe that I wouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t been able to convince Polina & Maria that I knew something about WordPress that day.

THAT’S WHY I LOVE PATTERN AND INDIANAPOLIS. YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH A LOT WITH JUST ONE SHOT. LET’S MAKE THE MOST OF IT.

ERIC REES_MANAGING EDITOR

PHOTO ©ANNA ZIMMERMAN

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VESTED “I’ve learned that if I’m willing to invest the passion and time, I’ll be part of the conversation that helps make our city a better place.”

MICHAEL KAUFMANN

CIVIC AND CULTURAL LEADER

THE FUTURE OF CENTRAL INDIANA WILL BE BUILT ON TODAY’S BIG IDEAS. WHAT’S YOURS? Share it today at BeIN2016.org.

FASHIONING A COMMUNITY.

PUBLIC RELATIONS Keri Kirschner

AD SALES

info@patternindy.com Account Director Polina Osherov

DISTRIBUTION

Distributed worldwide by Publishers Distribution Group Inc. pdgmags.com Printed by Fineline Printing, Indianapolis IN USA PATTERN Magazine ISSN 2326-6449 is published by PATTERN

EVENTS

Event Director Olivia Lehman events@patternindy.com Event Coordinators Abbi Johnson Laura Walters Chantelle Morrow Volunteer Coordinator Esther Boston Community Outreach Director Laura Walters

DIGITAL

Senior Web Developer Peter Densborn Social Media Intern Destiny Yarbrough Design Editor Aubrey Smith Video Intern Christiana Beasley

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SHOWROOM

871-873 Massachusetts Ave Indianapolis, IN 46204 Hours: By Appointment

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Maria Dickman Kenan Farrell Kyle Lacy Fred Lockstar Craig McCormick Polina Osherov Sherron Rogers Sara Savu Eric Strickland Barry Wormser Tamara Zahn

HOW TO REACH PATTERN

Events: For the latest on Pattern events, sign up for updates via meetup.com/pattern

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Visit patternindy.com/subscribe Back issues, permissions, reprints info@patternindy.com

EDITORIAL

Editor & Creative Director Polina Osherov Design Directors Kathy Davis Lindsay Hadley Managing Editor Eric Rees Senior Designers Amy McAdams-Gonzales Senior Copy Editor Mary G. Barr Editor-at-Large Maria Dickman Staff Photographer Esther Boston

WRITERS

Tenaya Bookout Jane Brannen Maggie Conner Dylan Hodges Seth Johnson Ashley Minyard Eric Rees Elle Roberts Burton Runyan Emily Taylor Laura Walters

PHOTOGRAPHERS William Baulkey Mickie Copeland Wil Foster Glory Sheeley Nick Souza Edrece Stansberry Austin Stovall Brian Powell Chris Whonsetler Anna Zimmerman

DESIGNERS

Doug Eaddy John Ilang-Ilang Lars Lawson Aubrey Smith Cody Thompson

PATTERN WORKSHOP & EDITORIAL OFFICES

PATTERN 871-873 Massachusetts Ave Indianapolis, IN 46204 By appointment only This issue is dedicated to the memory of Denver Hutt, one of Indy’s most notable young achievers. We miss you girl. And we fully embrace your mantra - IF NOT NOW, WHEN? Thank you for reminding us just how much of a difference ONE person can make. #TEAMDENVER

The desire to go beyond. It’s hard-wired into all of us. And each year, we celebrate the drive for human progress right here in Speedway, Indiana – home of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. This is the proving ground. Where heroes explore the limits of possibility.

2016 marks the 100th Running of the Indy 500. And while it’s important to look back, it’s even more important to look ahead. Because today, as always, it’s not about where we’ve been. It’s about where we’re going.

Fast. Forward.

100 RUNNING TH

#21 JOSEF NEWGARDEN

IMS.COM | 800-822-INDY

CONTENTS PATTERN ISSUE NO. 9 patternindy.com

WORDS

EDITOR’S LETTER, 4 CONTRIBUTORS, 10 ELLE ROBERTS, 26 MAX YODER, 30 MAXIE, 44 YOUNG GUNS, 59 ARIANA GLECKMAN JERON BRAXTON MATTHEW ANDERSON MALINA PADGETT MATHAIUS YOUNG KNAGS MEHAK ZOHRA TIM BALZ ASHLEY CHEW BLOTTBOYY VIC OVERDORF DEREK HULSEY VESTONIA DAVIS-RICHARDSON EVAN RICE ALEX HALL DEVYN MIKELL MARTHA & LYUDA CHLOE ANAGNOS KLIQ STUDIOS KARLA LOPEZ-OWENS KATY JAMISON RYAN PERKINS FARAH & DOONYAH ALUCOZAI DREW AVERY THE DROOPS, 90 HE’S GOT THE WORLD ON THE STRING, 106 TURNING THE TABLES, 110 INDXLA, 122 SOLE MAN, 124 LA LA LAND, 130 NATHAN HOY KIDWISEMAN MATTE FIELDS DEUCE THEVENOW OP-ED, 160

IMAGES

RUNWAY TO STREET, REPEAT, 14 INSTAGRAM, 35 UPPER CLASS, 49 JAGGED EDGE, 85 PHOTO FINISH, 96 SNAP HAPPY, 114 DARK MATTER, 136 IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, 142 C’EST LA VIE, 150

Cover design by Lindsay Hadley ON THIS PAGE Reversable Coat, Haven McCarter Cropped Pant, Haven McCarter Loafers, Aldo Photography by Glory Sheeley Art Direction by Asha Bryant Model: Darius (LMODELZ Model Management)

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VANDALISM Interpreted by Nick Walker

The Alexander. Hotel Reinterpreted.

Art inspired us to think about hotels differently.

The art hanging on our walls and our ceiling will inspire you to do the same.

Stay somewhere stimulating, in downtown’s new CityWay neighborhood. thealexander.com 333 South Delaware Street Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317) 624-8200

Nick Walker, Vandal Mood Board. 2013 third floor, CityWay CarPark

CONTRIBUTORS

JANE BRANNEN, WRITER

t: @janeloveswords i: @janeloveswords

ASHA BRYANT, STYLIST i: @ f_a_s_h_a

TENAYA BOOKOUT, WRITER t: @tenayabookout i: @tenayabookout

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MAGGIE CONNER, WRITER

t: @thehautehoosier i: @thehautehoosier w: imacoolchristian.wordpress.com

KATIE LEE, WRITER

JOHN ILANG-ILANG, DESIGNER t: @johnilangilang i: @johnilangilang

SETH JOHNSON, WRITER t: @sethvthem

MICKIE COPELAND, PHOTOGRAPHER i: @mickiecopelandphotography

i: @katieleeyo

DYLAN HODGES, WRITER t: @dyllhodg i: @dyllhodg

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CONTRIBUTORS

GLORY SHEELEY, PHOTOGRAPHER BURTON RUNYAN, WRITER t: @burtonrunyan i: @burtonrunyan w: burtonrunyan.com

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NICK SOUZA, PHOTOGRAPHER t: @nicksouza i: @nicksouza w: nicksouza.com

ASHLEY MINYARD, WRITER t: @ashleyminyard_ i: @ashleyminyard

i: @glorysheeley w: copperheadphotography.com

ELLE ROBERTS, WRITER t: @elleiswrite i: @elliswrite

ANNA ZIMMERMAN, PHOTOGRAPHER t: @annezimmerman i: @annezimmerman w: annaezimmerman.com

AUSTIN STOVALL, PHOTOGRAPHER t: @stovecooked w: stovecooked.co

EMILY TAYLOR, WRITER

LAURA WALTERS, WRITER i: @the_styleriot

t: @emrotayl nuvo.net

EDRECE STANSBERRY, PHOTOGRAPHER i: @e.azy

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RUNWAY STREET. TO

REPEAT. 14

PHOTOGRAPHY BY POLINA OSHEROV PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT ESTHER BOSTON STYLING BY KATIE MARPLE STYLING ASSISTANT LAURA WALTERS

JACKET, KNOT SISTERS DRESS, ECOTÉ BRA, SPARKLE & FADE SHOES, APARA

MAKEUP BY ANDREW ELLIOT HAIR BY DEVIN YORK AND RUDY THIEN MODELS: ELIZABETH MOORE (NEXT MODEL MANAGEMENT) DESIGN BY LINDSAY HADLEY

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SUNGLASSES, TORY BURCH JACKET, KNOT SISTERS DRESS, ECOTÉ BRA, SPARKLE & FADE SHOES, APARA

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TIARA, STYLIST’S OWN RING, ALEXANDER MCQUEEN BAG, ALICE + OLIVIA TOP, VARLEY JACKET, JERI MELONE PANTS, ONE X ONETEASPOON SHOES, LUST FOR LIFE DRESS, MARY MEYER, INTERNATIONAL PLAYGROUND JACKET, TRIPP NYC BELT,TOPSHOP BOOTS, ASOS

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VEST, ELIZABETH AND JAMES TOP, 8 FIFTEEN PANTS, ALICE + OLIVIA SHOES, ZARA WOMAN

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CLUTCH, RIVER ISLAND JACKET, ALICE + OLIVIA TOP, H&M; SKIRT, ONE X ONETEASPOON SHOES, AIRWAIR

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NECKLACE, STYLIST’S OWN JACKET, PAM & GELA SKIRT, O2 COLLECTION PANTS, JOIE SHOES, GOLDEN GOOSE

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NECKLACE, ALINA TOP, TRUNK LTD PANTS, ALEXANDER WANG SHOES, ADIDAS

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ELLE ROBERTS Musician sings from her heart to touch others.

WORDS BY SETH JOHNSON + PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNA ZIMMERMAN + DESIGN BY AUBREY SMITH LOCAL ART SUPPORTERS, YOUNG AND OLD, SIT IN A CROWDED ROOM IN FLETCHER PLACE Arts & Books, waiting intently as Elle Roberts makes her way to the front of the room. The congregation is gathered for Localmotion—a monthly open mic event dedicated to cultivating the creative genius of the Indy arts scene. And on this night, Roberts was one of the event’s highlighted acts. Humbly, the 27-year-old introduced herself. “At the end of the day, you will know me for these two covers,” she says, before jumping into radiating a cappella versions of “Sankofa” by Cassandra Wilson and “Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae. “I sing them everywhere just because they are my favorite songs and speak to where I’ve been and where I want to go.”

A few weeks later, as we discuss her numerous creative and community-bettering endeavors in the city, I quickly come to realize that this genuine, intentional expression is consistent with all that she does, whether singing, teaching, writing, or coordinating her series of women317 events featuring all female artists. Even after reaching such a highly regarded place in the Indianapolis community, Roberts is quick to admit that she wouldn’t be the woman she is now without all the things she’s learned and experienced up to this point.

Born in Maryland, Roberts moved to Merrillville with her family around 1993. It’s here she grew up, as her mom and dad worked jobs in the Chicagoland area. “I’ve been here long enough now to count myself as a Hoosier, I guess I could say,” she says. Music was a part of Roberts’ life from a young age, as her family was heavily ingrained in the AfricanAmerican Christian church. “My whole family on my mother’s side are either preachers or singers or both, so we’re a very musically-inclined family,” she says. “My whole life, I’ve been singing and playing the piano.”

It wasn’t until her teenage years that she started exploring artists like Alicia Keys

and Lauryn Hill. Around this time, she also became involved with a club at her high school called S.T.A.N.D. (Socially Together and Naturally Diverse), which would spark her passion for community betterment.

“Its an organization that pretty much embodies its name and gives students an opportunity to experience community service and really dig into what it means to build and be a part of a vibrant community of people who aren’t the same,” she recalls. “We did a lot of the average service projects, like soup kitchens, clothing drives, and food drives. But some of the cool stuff that we did as a part of the school community was work on diversity and inclusion projects.”

After a positive experience with the club (she’s going back to meet with current members of S.T.A.N.D. this spring), Roberts moved on to study at Purdue University, where she pursued a major in organizational leadership. During this time in West Lafayette, she began to find her voice as an artist; this musical maturation led her to join an Indiana-based experimental soul band called The Maroon Orangutans in late 2012. “That was kind of the thing that catapulted me out of the church and into, ‘Hey, I’m actually going to write music, sing it in front of people, and be okay with it,’” she says.

After about two years of singing in the three-piece, Roberts decided to focus on her own music, with no hard feelings toward her fellow Maroon Orangutans band mates. This decision led her to link up with fellow Indy native Carrington Clinton, who works under the producer name of Clint Breeze.

“I admired her passion and soulful voice,” Clinton says. “I needed a voice like that on my album. It worked out and ever since, we’ve not only had a musical relationship, but become friends, as well.”

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IN ADDITION TO CONTRIBUTING A TRACK TO CLINTON’S 2014 ALBUM LISTEN, ROBERTS HAS since been in talks with the producer, who has worked with several notable local rappers, about teaming up on a future project. This pairing ultimately excites Clinton, too, considering they both have such similar, community-minded approaches to making music.

“There will be nothing to stop her from reaching the hearts and minds of not just women, but all people who need to hear the importance of equality for women, especially black women,” he says. “We have similar, headstrong goals to make an impact on a community with positive influence, enriching people’s experiences full of culture and love.”

In particular, Clinton is speaking to the women-centered programs that Roberts and her friend Reese Maryam have been coordinating under the umbrella of the Shehive collective they founded. Dedicated to creating a safe space to deconstruct gender inequality, Shehive is responsible for a series of women317 events that have been happening around the Indianapolis area the past two years.

“Generally speaking, at poetry shows, music shows, there aren’t a whole lot of women,” Roberts says. “We knew so many women, and being women ourselves, who were connected to different artist communities in the city. So we were like, ‘It would be really, really cool if we could do a show, and it was just women.’”

So that’s just what they did, hosting their very first women317 event in March 2014 at Tin Comet Coffee (now Rabble Coffee). Music acts, poets, and visual artists were

included in the three-hour event, with a big crowd coming out in support. Initially, the event was intended to be a “one-and-done kind of deal,” but after its massive success, she and Maryam had no other choice but to continue orchestrating the all-female showcases. To date, they’ve hosted six women317 events, with more in the works for this year.

At the fifth event, Lisa Berlin Jackson of Fountain Square’s General Public Collective and all-female group Hen, gained her first introduction to Roberts. “If I may put my first impression of her in psychedelic terms, she was a fluid shape-shifter embodying roles of a teacher, preacher, artist, and guide whose pervasive ‘gentleness’ I quickly re-categorized in my mind as ‘conductivity,’” Berlin Jackson says.

Mat Davis, host of Localmotion, witnessed the impact of Roberts’ work with Shehive firsthand. “Her work as founder of Shehive and with women317 has changed the landscape of Indy’s art scene by making space for the voices of women and LGBT people who haven’t been heard or who are rarely acknowledged,” he says. “Her work is critical to having a balanced art scene and sense of community.”

And through her music, she is making a similar mark on the city. “I really think she sings from her heart,” Maryam says. “As an artist, Elle speaks on what’s important to her, and I think that’s important. She uses her art as a platform for the greater message of her beliefs.” ✂

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MAX YODER

Lesson.ly’s CEO looks to bring a personal touch to a traditionally impersonal industry.

WORDS BY ASHLEY MINYARD + PHOTOGRAPHY BY POLINA OSHEROV + DESIGN BY AUBREY SMITH THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MAX YODER IS THAT HE IS A YOUNG, SUCCESSful person—despite the fact that he would never actually describe himself as such. He’s humble, and bases his life around kindness. As co-founder and CEO of Lesson.ly, a startup tech company that created software to improve the world of company training, Yoder isn’t messing around.

Yoder believes that success is making an impact on people where you leave them better than you found them—helping people directly to improve quality of life. He works every day to improve the lives of not only his own employees, but also those who are working in other companies through Lesson.ly.

Lesson.ly’s mission is to help people do their best work. The company started rolling in July 2012, when founders and backers Kristian Andersen, Mike Fitzgerald, and Eric Tobias (founder of former tech company ExactTarget) enlisted the help of Max Yoder to be CEO of the startup. In December 2013, they picked up speed by hiring Conner Burt as head of client relations, turning Lesson.ly into a profitable endeavor.

Lesson.ly differs from other training programs, thanks to its affordability, user-friendly interface, and ability to stay with the employee for lesson recaps. The app feels less like a cumbersome big brother and more like a tool to make life easier, changing the face of training programs and the anxiety of starting a new job. Because of this feat, Lesson.ly was rewarded a 2015 Mira Award for best tech startup.

The workplace at Lesson.ly seems to match the youthful and casual mood of the app. But that doesn’t mean it’s all fun and games. Yoder loves to make his employees uncomfortable; he gives them autonomy and trusts them to overcome their struggles

through collaboration. He wants to see employees break through their setbacks to achieve great things. If work isn’t a challenge, then what’s the point? There is always room for improvement.

“Lesson.ly’s work culture formed organically through the people we hired,” says Yoder. “We don’t bring the environment; they are the environment.”

His employees, while young, operate with enthusiasm. They come with little previous employer baggage, and are willing to learn as they go. When seeking additions to the Lesson.ly workforce, he looks for people who are humble and most importantly, self-aware.

This self-awareness doesn’t mean reaching Nirvana or being above fault, but instead someone who knows both their strengths and flaws and seeks to work through those.

For advice, Yoder relies on the board, which consists of Lesson.ly founders Mike Fitzgerald, Kristian Andersen, and Eric Tobias. With a history of triumph in tech startups, they have a pulse on the business that helps Max determine what’s coming. They are the strategic minds behind Lesson.ly, and Yoder knows when it’s time to call on them for help.

You see, Yoder has failed before. Before Lesson.ly he created a startup called Quipol.

Yoder blames this defeat on attempting to work on his own to unveil a perfect masterpiece, only to run out of money and into several hiccups when he couldn’t fix his mistakes.

“I planned to pull the curtain open and have people say that’s amazing! That didn’t happen.” But the Lesson.ly founders saw promise in Max Yoder, and decided to give him a chance. They serve as great friends and mentors who aren’t afraid to provide critique.

“Before Lesson.ly Kristian Andersen gave me an internship even though I didn’t have the skills required for the job,” admits Yoder.

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“HE UNDERSTOOD THAT IT WAS ABOUT TEACHING ME. AT FIRST IT HURT, BUT I REALIZED I was able to be better when someone told me something from a place of compassion and understanding.”

Yoder believes this is the greatest gift you can give someone, true advice. People are starving for honest feedback, rather than politeness or professionalism. He believes that people deserve candor, and if it helps it can really feel encouraging. It’s most important to take the bits of honesty handed you and use them in a productive manner. Don’t fear the mistakes you make, but learn from them.

With Quipol, Yoder made plenty of blunders, but now he’s unafraid to ask questions and reveal a product that’s pared down and ready for improvements. When Lesson.ly was exposed to the public, it was far from perfect, but according to Yoder, “the pursuit of perfection is a surefire way to lose.”

Max Yoder is anything but pessimistic and proves that achievement is all about the attitude. This guy is the most optimistic human, nearly saint-like in his outlook on life. (That’s an overstatement, but his charisma truly makes you want to be better.) It just goes to show that positivity can foster great results. When you look on the bright side of life nothing but good can come from your actions.

“Contentment is not a destination, it is a decision,” Yoder urges. “I try to be grateful for what I have and give as much as I can.”

Yoder understands that everyone is “on a hard freaking road” and people should be approached with the sense that they are fundamentally good. This is how he wants his Lesson.ly team to approach the world. According to Yoder, the word clients most often use to describe his employees is “kind.” They bring some element of joy to every situation, and are the reason Yoder wakes up and goes to work every morning.

“Kindness is everything,” says Yoder. “It always starts with you. Be what you want other people to be and be it really well instead of waiting for someone else to do it.”

In his mind, Lesson.ly is already a win. If the app were to shut down tomorrow, he says he’d be shattered, but he would leave knowing he created something that mattered and met incredible people in the process. Like all of his other defeats, he’d pick himself up, and head to the next adventure.

“My secret to success is messing up all the time and keeping going. That’s my running theme,” he explains. “I’m tired of thinking I’ve got the playbook.”

Fear not, Lesson.ly doesn’t appear to be closing its doors anytime soon. Both the company and its valiant young CEO are destined for greatness, growing rapidly alongside the rest of the hardworking Indianapolis tech scene. Max Yoder likes the idea of staying here for good.

“People [in Indianapolis] have laid a foundation that we either build on or we don’t, and I have every expectation that we’re going to do it.” ✂

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Learn to code in Indy.

Life’s too short for the wrong career.

T H E I R O N YA R D.C O M / I N D Y

G I V E U S A C A L L : 3 17. 2 3 8. 3 9 5 5

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SOME OF THE CITY’S MOST PROLIFIC GRAMMERS. #igersusa #indygram #igersindy #igersindiana #indy_igers #liveauthentic #keepindyindie #designbylindsayhadley

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Skyler Wagoner 17 / Live Outdoors / Midwest Blood / Indianapolis, IN for now. wagonerskyler@gmail.com society6.com/skylerwagoner

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thegoodrichwife Kelsey Goodrich 24 / IN / married / artist / blogger / explorer / I take a lot of pictures of @morethanwatchmen. thegoodrichwife.typepad.com

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Jessica Carr Photographer / Feminist / Indianapolis / Trendy Fox trendyfoxphotography.pixieset.com

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fotosbyblake Blake A gallery of my everyday adventures / Twitter: @fotosbyblake fotosbyblake@gmail.com fotosbyblake.vsco.co

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MAXIE HIP HOP ARTIST TURNED CLOTHING DESIGNER NOW ADDS SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO HIS RESUME. WORDS BY JANE BRANNEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY ESTHER BOSTON DESIGN BY AUBREY SMITH

ntonio “Maxie” has been the pulse of Indy’s hip-hop scene for close to a decade; his musical exploits have made his moniker a cornerstone in the local scene. As a rap artist, he climbed the ladder to nascent fame off the strength of his relentless musical work ethic, and magnanimous personality. But his journey to even limited fan-fair, did not come without cost.

Growing up in various rough areas throughout Indianapolis, Maxie was overexposed to the evils of poverty. He acknowledges its influence on his childhood, and his community at large. After graduating from North Central High School in 2006, he briefly attended Indiana State University for a semester, before being forced to drop out due to bureaucratic entanglements with his financial aid package.

“The loans didn’t come through when expected, and I couldn’t afford tuition on my own. It was a pretty horrible experience. But it ended up a good one at the same time. I just didn’t realize it until later.”

Returning to Indianapolis, Maxie attempted to convert his hobby of rap into a profession. But the challenge was daunting in a sea of talent vying for the same spotlight. No matter how good he sounded, success was not going to come easy.

But he stayed humble, worked hard, and put everything he had into his career. He honed his craft in the studio, selling mixtape after mixtape from the trunk of his car; a practice made famous by a young Jay Z a decade prior. He learned the art of performance with small gigs at dive bars. He never gave up.

“Breaking out was a long grind, and took consistency, but after everything I was doing, eventually my name started to get out there a little bit.”

He arrived at a tipping point. The days of chasing after free dive bar gigs, gave way to organizing performances with big promoters, and actual payouts.

Mixtape sales were up, and helped provide the means to support himself. He started opening for big acts. He went on tour. He saw the country. His perspective widened, as did his exposure.

Now at the precipice of his career, Maxie has become a titan of influence on the Indy rap scene, particularly with the Millennial generation. He has the respect of his peers, and the support of his community. Still ever the optimist, he now seeks to utilize his sphere of influence as a way to bring awareness to social issues he sees affecting the people who have fueled his rise.

“I think a big thing is just giving back. I don’t see too many artists in their communities giving back. I don’t want people to just know me for music. I want them to know me as a good person.”

That was the mindset behind his new clothing line, Poverty Sucks, which he founded late last year. He developed the simple, yet honest brand concept himself, and did a test run to see how it would play among his fanbase. He was surprised when his first run sold out in days. He has since done several more small test runs while continuing to dial in his designers, printers, and manufacturers. He markets the brand exclusively through his powerful network, and always hands out newest releases to the homeless as a form of social advertising.

“They love it. You should see how excited they get. ‘Hell yeah poverty sucks!’ they say.”

Maxie has big plans for his brand in the coming months. He intends to dramatically expand his product offerings and expects to launch an ecommerce presence soon. Plans also include utilizing a large portion of sales to fund the many social programs he takes part in, like Cuts for Kids, among many others.

He is thankful to Indy for his success, and believes his mission is to help lift the entire Indy hip-hop scene and the community behind it to another level.

“A lot of people look down at the music scene in Indianapolis, but I actually love it. I’ve been privileged enough to travel across the country, and experience a lot of local scenes in different cities. I feel like on a local level, we have some of the best music the country has to offer.”

He has perspective on his side. ✂

SUN

KING BREWERY FRESH • LOCAL • BEER

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Central Indiana’s most-promising fashion design students showcase their favorite designs.

Photography by Glory Sheeley + Art Direction by Asha Bryant + Makeup by Madalyn Wenning and Barbra White + Hair by Ashley Fatt and Lauren Seymour + Models: Peyton Skirvin, Bianca Velora, Courtney Hughley, and Jessica Brandt [LModelz Management]+ Design by Aubrey Smith

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TIONNE HARRIS Age: 22 School: The Art Institute of Indianapolis Major: Fashion Design

What was the influence behind your line, the shapes, colors, and movement?

I was initially inspired by Tina Turner. I was influenced by her funky and fun personality as well as her fringe look she would wear on stage.

What initiated your interest in fashion design?

As an art student, fashion design happened to be a field I could do more than just design. It offered learning about textiles, product development, and the process of construction.

What plans do you have for your career path with fashion?

Upon finishing school, my future plans are to get a foot in the door in pattern making, digital drawing, and textiles to advance my skills to help me become a proficient technical designer and illustrator.

What advice would you give to young adult artists aiming to gain profit from their work?

It makes a difference to start working with the resources you have than those you want.

What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about the fashion industry since you started college?

No surprises yet. I went to school for the sole purpose to learn as much as I could, and I know there are still some areas I will discover in the future.

Who is your role model in the fashion industry?

My role models have been my teachers from the Art Institute. All are very avid learners in their interests.

Who is your dream client?

My dream client I would work for is JC Penney. They are a very big company, and their greatest challenge over the years has been keeping their customers interested and their styles up to trend with a wide range of demographics in mind. I like the idea of how many different age groups, interests, and styles for which they create. I would like to learn how a creative mind would exercise and come out with results working for JC Penney.

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CIERRA

MCNEAL Age: 22 School: Indiana University-Bloomington Major: Fashion Design

What was the influence behind your line, the shapes, colors, and movement?

For this collection I knew I wanted to switch gears with my color choice.

Before, I had used a lot of black so I challenged myself to use the opposite with beige, tan, and gray. The color palette reminded me of an A$AP Ferg song, “Cocaine Castle,” hence the name of the collection. I listened to that song a lot throughout the design process to help establish a cohesive mood.

What initiated your interest in fashion design?

I have always had an interest in fashion, thanks to my grandmother, but fashion design is something I just fell into. I knew how to sew and had done some costuming before graduating high school. Yet I started as an apparel merchandising major and found it to be boring, which is why I switched to fashion design.

What plans do you have for your career path with fashion?

I don’t really have a plan and sometimes you don’t need one--that’s the beauty of creativity. I will keep designing and hopefully get to do some creative projects with people who inspire me.

What advice would you give to young adult artists aiming to gain profit from their work?

Gaining profit for my designs is currently not my focus. My focus is to stay true to myself as a designer. I plan to keep creating things that are interesting, make a statement, and that I can be proud of. The money will come when it comes.

Who is your role model in the fashion industry?

Rick Owens and Shayne Oliver.

What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about the fashion industry since you started college?

I’ve learned that it isn’t always who you know; you can actually let your work speak for itself.

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Who is your dream client?

Music is so important to me in everyday life and when designing. I would love for any artist I listen to regularly to wear my clothing.

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H AV E N

CARTER Age: 20 School: Indiana State University Major: Fashion Merchandising

What was the influence behind your line, the shapes, colors, and movement?

My biggest influence is mid-century couture. I love the extreme attention to detail and the interesting silhouettes of the period. Men and women with great style are always a source of major inspiration. I often look at Helmut Newton photographs when I have a creative block. I tend to gravitate toward color combinations that are not common.

What initiated your interest in fashion design?

I was in the library, and I stumbled across a book about Christian Dior.

I was always designing clothes and shoes, but I did not know that fashion design was a profession. I began researching fashion history independently after that and just fell in love with it. There is so much information out there about the fashion industry, and I find it all so interesting.

What plans do you have in your career path with fashion?

At the moment I am working on transferring to a design school. The end goal is to own my own luxury brand and to show in Paris.

What advice would you give to young adult artists aiming to gain profit from their work?

Don’t do anything for free! People will take advantage of that, and your talent is worth more than zero dollars. For some reason, people never want to actually invest in an artist. It is so frustrating, but if you do quality work, make people pay for it.

Who is your role model in the fashion industry?

My role model is Andre Leon Talley. I love his devotion to high style and fashion and larger than life personality.

What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about the fashion industry since you started college?

There are so many jobs in the fashion industry of which you don’t even think. Even if you want to be in the industry but are not a designer or stylist, there are still jobs out there for you.

Who is your dream client?

There are many clients I would love to design for, but my top four are Anna Dello Russo, Iris Apfel, Carine Roitfield, and Nick Wooster.

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CHRISTOPHER

AT K I N S O N Age: 22 School: Ball State University Major: Apparel Design

What was the influence behind your line, the shapes, colors, and movement?

My aesthetic is infused in the use of black and white, two foundational colors I use in design.

What initiated your interest in fashion design?

Transformation was the first interest that led me into fashion. I enjoy the body in movement and spend time observing it. I believe this is the first instinct I have as a designer.

What plans do you have in your career path with fashion?

I am currently working on launching my brand. However, I have other plans to work at Nike and also in couture as a house designer.

What advice would you give to young adult artists aiming to gain profit from their work?

Do not be afraid to charge, your customers can afford it. Also, do not be afraid of the challenge — that is where the growth is.

What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about the fashion industry since you started college?

I have had the opportunity to see beyond the conceptual stage of design since starting college. Before, it used to be just about the show—the experience. Being in college has produced a closer, hands-on approach to the garments with an established emphasis on theatrics.

Who is your dream client?

I would love to work for clients one-on-one. I enjoy one-of-kind pieces that cannot be replicated. I want to design for women and men who want custom couture garments for special occasions, weddings, red carpets, and everyday wardrobe.

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YOUNG GUNS WHOEVER SAID ‘YOUTH IS WASTED ON THE YOUNG,’ CLEARLY NEVER MET SOME OF INDY’S MOST ACCOMPLISHED. THESE ARE THE ENTREPRENEURS, ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, AND PHILANTHROPISTS WHO ARE DOING A HELL OF A LOT MORE THAN WORRYING ABOUT WHEN THEY’LL OUTGROW THEIR PARENTS’ HEALTHCARE PLANS. CIRCLE CITY, MEET THE FUTURE.

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ARIANA GLECKMAN WORDS BY ASHLEY MINYARD + PHOTOGRAPH BY WILL FOSTER

SELF-PRESCRIBED “FASHION INNOVATOR” ARIANA GLECKMAN is taking Indianapolis by storm. She’s a girl who doesn’t like categories that may restrain her from exploring every avenue of the creative world. If there are obstacles limiting her path she’s going to barrel them over and keep on going. Gleckman is young, only 20, but is working to develop her personal brand through videography, photography, styling, modeling, fashion and creative direction. She’s on a journey to change that brand, exploring androgyny and her sense of self. “I’m in a weird stage

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of my adolescence trying to rebrand,” Gleckman explains. “I am in the process of really finding my niche and going after that.”Gleckman’s most recent project is called “Who Is She”, where she dresses up in wigs with a videographer and photographer to do thematic photo shoots.

It intends to encourage others to have fun with themselves, and be fearless when expressing the multitude of personalities they may possess. She also has her own magazine in the works, which incorporates this same celebratory theme, and is acting as creative director for Forward Magazine.

Gleckman’s mission is to break barriers and expectations through art and participation.

She believes that if you set your mind to it,

anything is possible, even if you don’t fit the fashion industry mold. Success to her is a construct that can only be achieved through hard work and self-actualization.

After she graduates from IUPUI in 2017 Gleckman hopes to chase her dreams to LA, where she intends to find creative collaborations with magazines and record labels. For now she’s spreading the love and inspiration through Indianapolis, and hustling to build her own Gleckman Empire.

Instagram: @urbanthriftwear ariindianapolis.squarespace.com/

AND...

My worst nightmare is... being broke!

I can’t live without my... contacts or glasses (I need to see).

The thing that makes me most happy is... probably working out or eating.

When no one’s watching I... make weird noises, usually meow’ing.

My hidden talent is... I honestly don’t thInk I have one (which is sad).

What people don’t understand about me is...

I don’t even understand myself.

Indianapolis needs... investors!

In five years, I’ll be... working for either a magazine company or a music company.

My favorite “words to live by” are...

Just Do It!

JERON BRAXTON WORDS BY MAGGIE CONNER + ART SUBMITTED BY ARTIST

WHEN IT COMES TO HIS ART, JERON BRAXTON does it all. The musician and animator writes his own lyrics, plays his own instruments, produces all his tracks, animates his own videos, and even creates video games to accompany his music.

His completed LP, Sjàpe, was released on SoundCloud last August, each individual track accompanied by an equally trippy video.

“With computer generated animation, there’s really no limit to what you can create and convey. I like that,” Braxton explains. “I love being able to bring to life exactly what I see in my mind.”

His video “Umm,” took six months to create and was officially released via Pizzaslime. Braxton considers it his magnum opus — the best piece of art he’s ever created in his life. Consumerist imagery flashes across the screen, never for longer than a nanosecond, mirroring the ADD quality of our culture today.

Was that a McDonald’s arch? An Andy Warholesque soup can? The video reads like an overstimulated Adderall trip, while hip hop electronica spazzes out in the background.

Watching “Umm” is a study in contrasts, unlike anything you’ve seen before, but also strangely familiar. Abstract, but catchy. Dissonant, but melodic.

Unsettling and strange, but something you want to play on repeat. It’s a visual exclamation point, but it doubles as a

subtle political statement.

“I wanted to convey how history repeats itself,” Braxton said of a so-fastyou-might miss-it scene in the video.

“Europeans displaced the Native Americans. Now you have descendants of those Native Americans who can’t even cross the border because people like Donald Trump — the real aliens — are telling them what they can and can’t do.”

Sjàpe is a mix of punk, pop, rap, electronic, and R&B, but Braxton is also working on more cohesively themed projects including an R&B EP and a jazz funk live band, Jeron Braxton & the Tomogotchis. Comprised of his musically inclined roommates, they already have gigs lined up this Spring in Fountain Square.

Braxton’s creative persona comes full circle with his eclectic sense of style, the final selling point for any burgeoning artist’s brand. “I don’t get too bent out of shape about what I’m going to wear,” he says. “My method is just buy dope clothes so when you wake up in the morning, you can’t go wrong.” Or his other foolproof plan, draw inspiration from all the Japanese cartoons he watches. “You’ll always look fashion forward if you just dress like an anime character. They’re on point with their shit.”

AND...

I can’t live without... my computer or some means to create art.

The thing that makes me most happy... people loving one another and getting along.

When no one’s watching... I’m probably meditating or creating something.

My hidden talent is... I can beat box.

What people don’t understand about me is... I feel like an alien in human skin.

Indianapolis needs to be more... sustainable.

It should be a zero waste city. Also, the cops should wear cameras and track the ethnicity and gender of everyone they stop. Also, the low income public schools should be given better teachers and facilities.

In five years... I’ll be touring the globe sharing my music and animations to the people of the world.

My favorite words to live by are... “you can do anything you set your mind to.”

Twitter/Instagram: @jeronbraxton thelotusimagination.com

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MATTHEW ANDERSON WORDS BY ERIC REES + PHOTOGRAPH BY ESTHER BOSTON THINK OF YOURSELF AT 26 YEARS OLD. Let’s say your first software start-up is flourishing, while finding ways to personalize advertisements that scale into real business. What’s your next move?

I applaud your efforts if your answer involved creating a separate agency to bookend your previous venture. You’re also probably MATTHEW ANDERSON. Hot off the heels of Adproval’s success, Anderson is now working on Mavenly, the strategy agency that complements Adproval’s data-driven advertising efforts.

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Anderson admits it seemed a little bit backwards. “We focused on the software and perfecting that before the consulting.

We had done [the agency consulting] all along, just underneath the Adproval name.”

Now, Mavenly can provide the consulting, strategy, and planning that officially precedes and follows Adproval’s campaigns. Anderson calls Mavenly the glue that holds everything together.

Four years is a long time in the startup ecosystem, especially here in the heart

of the Midwest. Displaying some of that trademark Hoosier humility, Anderson says he couldn’t have done it without his teams at Adproval and Mavenly. “I did the solopreneur thing on my own for about two years. I realized that it couldn’t just be me.”

Twitter/Instagram: @matthewroberta AND...

My worst nightmare is... global pizza shortage.

I can’t live without... my pants.

The thing that makes me most happy is... my pants.

When no one’s watching I... vacuum my sheets.

My hidden talent is... makin’ sad songs on the banjo.

What people don’t understand about me is... I’m not as stupid as I look, act, or speak. LOL. Indianapolis needs... density. A true “urban core.”

In five years, I’ll be... makin’ sad songs on the banjo and paintin’ pictures and molding the youth.

My favorite “words to live by” are...

“Take is easy, but take it.” —Woody Guthrie.

MALINA PADGETT WORDS BY ASHLEY MINYARD + PHOTOGRAPH BY NICK SOUZA

MALINA PADGETT NEVER INTENDED TO BE A tech entrepreneur. She dabbled in clothing construction starting in high school, eventually attended college where she majored in business at Arizona State, and made the inevitable transfer to Purdue University where she majored in Apparel Design and Technology. But after working in an intensive study abroad program at Central St. Martins in London and throwing herself into a senior collection at Purdue, she started to realize issues with her hands. The doctors told her it could be years before she could comfortably sew again.

Padgett decided to step back from apparel production and look at the world of fashion from a different angle. Women were consistently asking her to make them clothing that fit, showing her items

that they loved and asking for similar silhouettes. While she could certainly tackle these construction issues on her own and even create her own line, she decided she wanted to create a tool to help all women, not just those she encountered.

This is where Padgett’s journey with Fit and Flatter began.

“I realized that what was missing in these people’s personalized shopping experiences is the ability to shop by body type,” Padgett explains. “It’s frustrating for everyone to find clothing that is perfect for their body. I think Fit and Flatter will make women feel good in their clothing and help them tackle the day.”

Fit and Flatter is a social platform for shoppers to view and review clothing based on their body type. They can find women with similar silhouettes

and compare wardrobes in order to find inspiration and solutions to what flatters them best. Padgett has been working on the app and website since July, employing the help of developers and interns to roll out the project by April. Fit and Flatter aims to be simple and straightforward, just as shopping experiences should be.

Although this is Padgett’s first stab at tech, she shows true passion in her business with the intention of empowering everyday women.

“This is my dream job. I work for myself and I’m doing something I’m passionate about. I hope that body image for young girls will improve and I hope that Fit and Flatter allows women to feel confident in their bodies and embrace what’s different.

Clothing is your armor for the world.”

AND...

I can’t live without... my cup of coffee in the morning.

The thing that makes me most happy is... my dog and sidekick Bruiser.

When no one’s watching I... catch up on celebrity gossip.

My hidden talent is... golfing.

What people don’t understand about me is... I really like learning and thrive through constructive criticism.

In five years, I’ll be... pushing myself and the company forward, taking on new challenges, and learning from as many people and situations as possible.

My favorite “words to live by” are... work hard and be nice to people.

Twitter/Instagram: @malinapadgett

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MATHAIUS YOUNG WORDS BY ELLE ROBERTS + PHOTOGRAPHY BY EDRECE STANSBERRY

TO SOME, HE’S KNOWN AS CHRISTIAN TAYLOR. To more, he’s Mathaius Young, a 19-year-old rapper and producer. The last six months have been a constant grind for the teen. He quit his day job, signed to Nomad Music Group last summer and hasn’t looked back. He’s also a full time general studies major at Indiana Wesleyan.

Young is a product of Herron High and a musically-inclined family. His mother is a former rapper and his father is a producer.

He played basketball religiously until the day he found Fruity Loops online and the rest is history. At age 14, he made a declaration: “One day, I’ll sustain myself doing something I love.” He’s been working diligently to make good on that promise.

The rapper and producer is fairly reserved on social media. Unlike most musicians his age, Young only logs in to Facebook every few weeks. Thankfully, he has a publicist through the label pushing his music to larger platforms. His song “All I Know” was featured on HotNewHipHop. com and garnered several thousand plays within a week of release. The single was a precursor for his latest project, Pilot, which dropped on Valentine’s Day. Soon after, he performed at SXSW with his label mates.”I’m making music to help people believe in themselves,” he says. For a young person who has accomplished so much in so little time, he’s certainly an inspiration to his fans.

Twitter/Instagram: @mathaiusyoung soundcloud.com/mathaiusyoung

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AND...

My worst nightmare is... feeling like a failure.

My hidden talent is... contorting my tongue into a ‘W’.

The biggest challenge for my generation will be... not being consumed by social media.

What I want to accomplish by 30 is... have a family. My family isn’t super close, so I’d like the one I help make to be.

I can’t live without... my laptop.

The thing that makes me most happy is... food.

What people don’t understand about me is... that even though I might sound crazy, I know what I’m talking about.

Indianapolis needs more... love. And good clothing stores.

My favorite words to live by are... “get it out the mud.”

KNAGS

WORDS BY ELLE ROBERTS + PHOTOGRAPH BY POLINA OSHEROV THROUGHOUT MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL, KYLE NAGY was a member of the school band and orchestra. “I’ve been involved in music for as long as I can remember,” he says. He credits the music theory he learned growing up as the backbone of his artistic persona today: KNags, a budding producer and DJ in Indianapolis.

He met local rapper John Stamps of Ghost Gun Summer in 2006. “Linking up with Stamps inspired me to take music more seriously,” he says. The two have been a creative force for nearly ten years.

They released several projects together including Peaces, Naked Lunch, and Piggy Banx, and he produced songs appearing

on Stamps’ newest record, Green Eggs & Yam, due to drop this spring.

KNags has come a long way in a few short years, from producing rudimentary songs in high school to helping create hip hop music heard around the country. His hope is to keep contributing to the local music scene and inspiring others to create, building up and branching out of the Circle City. “We have a beautiful thing going on right now, and I’m really glad to be a part of it all,” he says.

His long-term goal is to continue growing as a musician, producer, and DJ. If his first 10 years of creating music are any indication, the next 10 and beyond will be exciting to witness.

AND...

In five years, I’ll be... still drinking too much Jameson.

My worst nightmare is... messing up on stage.

My first job was... at a movie theatre.

When no one’s watching I... practice.

My hidden talent is... playing bassoon.

The biggest challenge for my generation will be... the reliance on technology.

I can’t live without... my laptop.

The thing that makes me most happy is... making good music.

What people don’t understand about me is...

I want to be known for my own sound.

Indianapolis needs... to get the spotlight.

My favorite “words to live by” are... “Enough ain’t enough.”

Twitter/Instagram: @KNags knagsmusic.com

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MEHAK VOHRA WORDS BY ERIC REES + PHOTOGRAPH BY ESTHER BOSTON ENTHUSIASM AND ENERGY IS SOMETHING that MEHAK VOHRA has in spades. The fun-loving 19-year-old Purdue University student is studying computer science, but required class time and homework are just a small part of her daily juggling act. A regular YouTuber, Vohra has readily embraced the journey of entrepreneurship.

She explains that when she started college she decided to document her experiences through regular video blogs.

Now 100+ vlogs and one “lightbulb” moment later, what started as a fun hobby has turned into her becoming the CEO and founder of a digital marketing startup.

Vohra launched the new company— Jamocha Media—with a fellow student, Jay Hankins, in 2015, when both realized their intimate familiarity with the world of social media was a marketable skill that companies and other startups were hungry to harness and willing to pay for.

“Helping people reach their audience is at the heart of what we do at Jamocha,” says Vohra. The duo joined Anvil, a student-run co-working space that’s been responsible for launching more than a dozen startups since its inception in 2013, and Jamocha Media was off to a running start.

In between studying, running Jamocha Media and helping manage the Anvil, Vohra is a huge fan of hackathons traveling all over the country to connect with innovators, and feeding off the creative energy of the tech community. She says “it’s a rush” to be part of something where people are always trying new things, and pushing the boundaries of innovation.

While graduation is still more than a year away, Vohra can’t wait to take the world head on, and if her track record is anything to go by, the outgoing social media maven has a very bright future ahead of her indeed.

Twitter/Instagram: @watthemehak watthemehak.com AND...

My worst nightmare is… that I’m not taken seriously. I don’t want people to think that I’m trying to copy or be anyone else.

I can’t live without my… friends and family.

The support group behind me is amazing, and they push me forward and help make me a better person every single day.

The thing that makes the most happy is… when someone says my videos have influenced them.

When no one’s watching I…vlog! So people watch what I do all the time.

My hidden talent is… that I’m ambidextrous.

I can write pretty well with both of my hands. Although I prefer my left.

What people don’t understand about me is… that I do what I do now because I enjoy it.

People expect to get immediate results, but I do things just for the sake of getting myself closer to the results that I want.

Even though it might take a lot of time.

Indianapolis needs… a bigger community of teenage tech entrepreneurs. I want to meet some more students that are into building some awesome stuff.

In five years, I’ll be… hopefully, doing my own thing, and being my own boss.

My favorite “words to live by” are… “If you don’t start it, you’ll never know if it will actually work out or not.”

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TIM BALZ

WORDS BY DYLAN HODGES + PHOTOGRAPH BY AUSTIN STOVALL

ROSE-HULMAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY mechanical engineering student TIM BALZ, junior, began his charity Freedom Chairs after his sophomore year of high school.

The genesis of Freedom Chairs resulted from seeing a fellow student laboring in his manual wheelchair, and Balz began to wonder why his peer did not have an electric wheelchair. Balz ultimately traded his moped for a broken electric wheelchair and with his knowledge of robotics fixed and enhanced the wheelchair before giving it away to his schoolmate.

Freedom Chairs takes in donated, broken electric wheelchairs, fixes them, and gives them to people in need. Never turning anyone away, and not expecting

a dime in return, Freedom Chairs has given more than 130 children and adults electric wheelchairs. In an ongoing mission to provide people the freedom of mobility, Balz and his organization have recently begun working on an international level, partnering with other charities to give wheelchairs to children in Moldova, so they would be able to attend school.

Balz attributes the success of his charity to the dedication of his volunteers, and his girlfriend Sarah Copeland, who also happens to be the Vice President of Freedom Chairs. Where Balz shines with engineering know-how, Copeland is an equal match with administrative and marketing prowess - writing grants, coordinating emails, keeping up with the social media, and getting the charity

exposure through awards. Copeland was able to garner a big donation and video spot from 5-Hour Energy during their Amazing People promotion, which resulted in high demand for the services Freedom Chairs provides.

Balz sees Freedom Chairs continuing to grow and change people’s lives not just in Indiana, but around the world. The mission is to gain traction through word of mouth for right now, but the hope is that Freedom Chairs becomes the brand people think of when they cannot afford an electric chair on their own. Twitter: @freedomchairs freedomchairs.org

AND...

In five years, I’ll be... using engineering to make the world a better place.

My worst nightmare is... losing people I love.

When no one’s watching I... Google engineer things that interest me.

My hidden talent is... helping people find their true potential.

The biggest challenge for my generation will be... keeping the U.S. competitive and environmentally friendly as a global economy takes hold.

I can’t live without... my freedom to innovate.

The thing that makes me most happy is... helping someone realize their true potential.

What people don’t understand about me is... I love to joke and don’t take life too seriously.

My favorite “words to live by” are... “Make It Happen.”

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ASHLEY CHEW

WORDS BY MAGGIE CONNER + PHOTOGRAPH OF ART BY STEVEN BROKAW ASHLEY CHEW IS A BROAD RIPPLE BASED model and artist, but she’s more than just a pretty face making pretty things. Recently she became the unofficial face of the pro diversity movement in the modeling world when an image of her carrying a simple black bag she graffitied with her powerful self-coined slogan, “Black Models Matter,” went viral during New York Fashion Week.

Her photo splashed across the pages of Refinery 29, The Washington Post, and even a European edition of Elle magazine, Chew suddenly found herself the spokeswoman for models of color in the fashion industry.

She briefly sold t-shirts adorned with her Instafamous slogan, but she has higher hopes for the message than turning it into a vehicle for product sales.

Chew’s goal is to spotlight the real struggles models of color face on a day-today basis. For one, many designers don’t cast black models that wear natural hair, and since Chew sports a big, beautiful Afro, she has been passed over for looking too “ethnic.”

“Having natural hair coincides with being black, so when you hear a designer say ‘Afros aren’t on trend’ that’s synonymous with saying being black is not on trend,” Chew says.

In New York City she’s been applauded for her natural hair and has even been put in a specific runway look because of her Afro. But she still recognizes there’s much progress to be made. The lack of diversity on the runways is a reality for women of color.

“When you don’t see your hair or your friend’s skin tone or another friend’s body type represented, it’s disheartening, especially in New York City, which is supposed to be the melting pot of America,” Chew says. “You see so much diversity on the streets and when you don’t see it on the runways it’s very misleading.”

Chew hopes to move to New York City permanently in the spring to pursue her dreams as a model and artist. And judging by the great strides she’s already made— bringing social issues to light and selling out fashion shows centered on diversity— she’s sure to make waves. Her advice to other aspiring models of color?

“Be proud. If you aren’t loud and proud, you’re only cheating yourself.” ashleybchew.com AND...

I can’t live without... my paint brushes, eyebrow pencil, and typical cellphone answer.

The thing that makes me most happy is... my grandmother’s laugh and my best friend Ebony’s even uglier laugh.

When no one’s watching I... am still working away on 10,000 things. I am very hard on myself, so most of the time I’m trying to develop more, but enjoying every bit of now. People just see the end results.

My hidden talent is... I’m a fantastic cook!

I love watching The Food Network. I’ve saved around 500 recipes. I’m dying for Chrissy Teigen to release her cookbook.

Cooking for friends and family is a great way to comfort.

What people don’t understand about me is... I’ve learned that being understood is

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highly overrated. If you go around trying to be understood, it robs you of a part of your true ideas and thoughts, in a sense you are censoring those.

Indianapolis needs... more participation within the arts and fashion. I still come across individuals in the city that are like “I didn’t know we had magazines, agencies, fashion (in general).” That is not good enough.

My favorite “words to live by” are... “What Would Beyonce Do?”

BLOTTBOYY

WORDS BY ELLE ROBERTS + PHOTOGRAPH BY EDRECE STANSBERRY CHRIS EASTON’S LOVE AFFAIR BEGAN THE summer before his freshman year in high school. His aunt bought him the basic version of Fruity Loops. He taught himself how to create beats through experimentation and eventually saved enough money to purchase higher quality music software.

In 10th grade, he dabbled in the art of deejaying, but officially committed to the craft the next year. Blottboyy was born. His most loyal fans would call him a storyteller of sorts. Blottboyy’s mixes weave together drum rhythms, vocal loops and track samples in a fusion of techno, trap and deep house. The different textures are audible whether listening on iPhone headphones or a heavy duty sound system. He grew up listening to jazz and reggae, genres serving as primarily elements of house music and credits his mother and grandmother with introducing him to music early on.

Gone are the days of using software like FL Studio. These days, Blottboyy primarily uses Maschine and Ableton to create. He hit his stride on tour with local rapper Mark Battles, and took his craft to a higher level while traveling the country with another local rapper and visual artist EJAAZ on the Skaterade Tour this spring.”In Indiana, creative artists are gaining a collective voice,” Blottboy said. “I want to be a representative of local music production.” And, no matter where he goes and who he meets and works with, Hoosierland is home.

Twitter/Instagram: @blottboyy blottboyy.com

AND...

My worst nightmare is... not living up to my full potential. I want to take care of my mother, Tammy Collins. She sacrificed so much for me. Thank you, mom.

When no one’s watching I... watch old episodes of Disney Channel’s Even Stevens on YouTube.

My hidden talent is... I can oil paint my self-portrait, find miscellaneous facts on the Internet and randomly choose the best vinyl when I go crate digging.

The biggest challenge for my generation will be... post-secondary school. It’s tough for young people to find their talents.

What I want to accomplish by 30 is... to become an established DJ, and show people they can lose their minds and dance anywhere.

I cannot live without... my laptop.

The thing that makes me most happy is... friends and being introduced to things.

What people don’t understand about me is... that I have two main personalities.

Indianapolis needs more... art and exposure.

In five years, I’ll be... signed to an independent production label. I’ll be the founder of a music collective, releasing my own music, and that of other artists.

My favorite “words to live by”... always express your thoughts and ideas in any point in your life.

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VIC OVERDORF WORDS BY DYLAN HODGES + PHOTOGRAPH BY AUSTIN STOVALL

VIC OVERDORF IS A NON-BINARY STUDENT activist and co-president of Demia, a feminist and social justice organization at Butler University.They are a double major studying history and women, gender and sexuality. And as a history buff, they are able to appreciate how things are now in relation to the historical context.

At only 21, Overdorf already has a gleaming resume showcasing their involvement in civil society through their work with several organizations. They are on the Advisory Board for Indy Feminists and volunteer for the local labor union Unite Here 23 and Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky. Most of the projects they participate in are sex positive events where queer stories are exemplified and amplified. They recently acted in a play,

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“Pronoun,” about a trans guy’s transition and relationships with his friends and family – the first program of its kind at Butler to address these issues. This was to further increase transgender visibility at Butler and showcase art that is about transgender people, put on by transgender people.

Overdorf says most of the projects they participate in are sex positive events where queer stories are exemplified and amplified.

Overdorf has even finished acting in a play called “Pronoun,” which was about a trans guy’s transition and relationships with his friends and family – the first program of its kind at Butler to address these issues.

This was to further increase transgender visibility at Butler, and showcase art that is about transgender people, put on by transgender people.

Overdorf’s workload shows little sign of lessening. Along with the help of GLSTEN, the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, they are committed to creating more gender-inclusive restrooms on the private university campus. As if all of that was not enough, they are currently working on an independent project researching LGBTQ prisoners to examine the ways in which the state has regulated sexuality through imprisonment.working on an independent project in which Overdorf is doing research on LGBTQ prisoners through archives to show ways in which the state has regulated sexuality through imprisonment.

Twitter: @victoria934 Instagram: @freudian_slippers

AND...

In five years, I’ll be... hopefully building archives for transgender history, and/or other types of kick-ass social justice work.

My worst nightmare is... any of my cats dying.

My first job was... doing filing for a law firm.

When no one’s watching I... watch any and all Food Network shows.

My hidden talent is... I trained my grandparents’ cats to run on the treadmill.

The biggest challenge for my generation will be... figuring out what to do about capitalism and the increasingly militarized police state.

DEREK HULSEY WORDS BY MAGGIE CONNOR + ART SUBMITTED BY ARTIST

DEREK HULSEY, A MODERN DAY Renaissance man living in the heart of Broad Ripple, has acquired an extensive range of intellectual and cultural interests for a man in his twenties. The St. Louis native and Art Institute of Indianapolis graduate’s enthusiasm for the literary masters and folk music greats shine through in his graphic designs.

“The spirit of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Michel de Montaigne, Goethe, Shakespeare, all these cheerful, noble great souls—it’s infiltrated my life and has always been a good influence on me,” Hulsey said.

After a post-college stint as creative manager for Heartland Film, he caught the eye of Fountain Square-based

branding firm Pivot Marketing, where he now lends his penchant for Indy-centric thoughtfulness to all of his work as a graphic designer. Hulsey is currently fashioning a promising portfolio for himself, boasting local, top-billed brands and hyped-up events like TEDx Indianapolis, Rebuilding Together Indianapolis, and IMA’s Miller House.

The first phase for any of his projects: a heaping load of research. “Tons of pin boards happen in that first step when I’m working for a client. In that process, I’m filling my brain with whatever it is I’m working on and building, and creating this whole crazy coloring for what that style is going to be,” Hulsey said. Afterwards, his inspiration comes alive on the page via sketches and graphics.

On his days off, he’s slowly but surely working on “the great project” of his life, his album, a mixture of American folk singersong writing and jazz production style. Four years after its inception, he’s scrapped half of the songs he’s written, but is happy with eight tracks that he’s produced.

The album will be completed when he finalizes twelve, but he’s in no rush. “It could be two years or it could be ten,” the mustachioed graphic designer laughs.

Hulsey isn’t looking for fame or wealth from his music, but intellectual gain. “This album has helped me hone my poetry and learn so much about music itself. It’s an amazing learning experience as well as a life project.” pivotmarketing.com/people/derek-hulsey/

AND...

I can’t live without... coffee.

The thing that makes me most happy is... finishing a project that I’m proud of.

When no one’s watching I... sing ridiculous songs.

My hidden talent is... I build things out of wood. Piano stand, shelves, etc. for my own home.

What people don’t understand about me is...

I’m a complete lame-o.

Indianapolis needs... its people to be more involved with its politics (me included).

In five years, I’ll be... five years better at everything I’m doing now.

My favorite ‘words to live by’ are... “Doubt not, O poet, but persist. Say ‘It is in me, and shall out.’” —Emerson

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VESTONIA DAVIS-RICHARDSON WORDS BY ASHLEY MINYARD + PHOTOGRAPH BY NICK SOUZA DAVIS-RICHARDSON IS A DESIGNER WHO seeks to connect streetwear with glamour, resulting in a high fashion look at an accessible price point. Her designs evoke glamour and elegance through materials like lace, crystal appliques, and flowing fabrics like chiffon and georgette. DavisRichardson’s sewing started at the ripe age of 7, when she made clothing for her Barbie dolls. After taking a fashion design class in high school, her passion really took off, leading to a fashion design program at the Art Institute of Indianapolis where she graduated in 2014. Ever since then she has been designing clothing for women and children, drawing inspiration from her two daughters, Myluv (4) and Nivek (5).

“I want to bring the trend of mommy and me to life, less mixed matched and more street chic.” She is seeking to grow a line under the name Davis-Richardson Leora.

Currently she does mostly custom designs, but is releasing a womenswear collection titled Blush by Davis-Richardson Leora by the end of 2016. The line will incorporate both street and formalwear. She is also working on a childrenswear line called NiLuv, named after and inspired by her daughters. Davis-Richardson involves herself in competitions and local shows like Project IMA to showcase her designs.

She also dips her toes into the local fashion community by assisting other designers and attending Pattern meetups and events. For Davis-Richardson, designing is an outlet for her creativity and an expression of herself. She has hopes to launch her line this year along with forming a blog and an online presence. She is inspired by the local community, and hopes to stay in Indianapolis to one day open a boutique of her own where the prices are low but the fashion is high. pinterest.com/vestoniad

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AND...

My worst nightmare is... Not being able to reach my goals.

I can’t live without... my husband and kids.

The thing that makes me most happy is...

Not driving.

When no one’s watching I... dance.

My hidden talent is... comedy.

What people don’t understand about me is...

I love to laugh.

Indianapolis needs... more fashion events.

In five years, I’ll be... traveling.

My favorite “words to live by” are... be happy, positive and continue to love.

EVAN RICE

WORDS BY MAGGIE CONNER + PHOTOGRAPH OF ART BY ESTHER BOSTON

THOSE DRAWN TO THE SCHOOL OF KEITH Haring or Jean-Michel Basquiat will be fans of EVAN RICES’ eye-grabbing illustrations.

Graphically bold, cartoonish, and statement making, his artwork casts Renaissanceera mascots like St. Michael and St. Vincent as comically sinister block-headed horned creatures wielding pitchforks against pop art backgrounds. His artwork tends to put a modern spin on classically reverential themes.

“I love a mix of the old and new,” Rice says. “I take my contemporary influences and base them off old works. I like to put my own point of view on the old stories and twist them in a way that makes them more relevant for the here and now.”

When he isn’t attending class to pursue his illustration major at Herron School of Art and Design, he works as a gallery assistant at IUPUI and likes to study painters from the 1500s. His happy place is the Art Institute of Chicago. “I try to make it a habit to go there as much as I can,” Rice says. “They have a great Renaissance body of work.” He also cites modern art trailblazer Cleon Peterson as an inspiration, who is famous for his savage shadow figures.

Rice’s interest in arts started when he was a kid in Kansas City drawing superheroes from his favorite comic books. After graduating high school, he originally tried his luck with graphic design at Ivy Tech. But ultimately, his love for art

beckoned him back and he transferred to Herron to pursue his craft.

“There’s just something about the quality of a line and what it can offer,” he said. “It’s so simple, but it’s the bare bones of art that interests me the most.“ After he graduates from Herron in 2017, Rice intends to move to a city with a broader contemporary and graphic art scene. Until then, viewers can check out his pieces on Behance.net, at Indy Indie Artists Colony, Fountain Square Brewery, or Rocket 88.

Instagram: @evanrice behance.net/evanrice

AND...

The thing that makes me most happy is... the rewarding feeling of meeting someone who has a genuine interest in my work.

When no one’s watching I... draw the childish things like smiley faces and doodles.

My hidden talent is... sports.

What people don’t understand about me is... my creative drive.

Indianapolis needs... more contemporary galleries.

In five years, I’ll be... drawing and painting.

My favorite “words to live by” are...

“Always work on your own vision.”

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ALEX HALL

WORDS BY ELLE ROBERTS + PHOTOGRAPH BY EDRECE STANSBERRY I MET ALEX HALL WHEN SHE WAS TWENTY years old. At women317, a performance and visual art showcase of local female artists, she more than held her own among fellow emerging and established artists, and she’s grown as a woman, songwriter, and vocalist since. She’s able to make space for herself musically in multiple genres: folk, hip hop, jazz, and R&B. Whether she’s performing at Hoosier Dome or the Jazz Kitchen, she’s often the only woman or one of just a few on a show bill.

Hall emotes through her music with a depth far beyond her years. “I write songs to help people feel less alone,” she says. “I want to connect with my audience in the same way many of my favorite artists have done for me.”

The singer spends her business hours slinging pasta dishes at Noodles & Company downtown, and evenings either

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performing at venues in every corner of the city or working on her next project, Three Fingers. She released her first album Jazzy on Christmas Day 2014. And last summer, she opened with Kid Quill for Rihanna at White River State Park. She plans to continue building on her career milestones. Now 22, Hall is determined to perform and record as much as possible while maintaining complete creative control over her voice and music. Her talent and grit make her musical independence an attainable reality.

The quirky, young woman with a guitar and incredible vocal range conveys a simple, yet nuanced message: “It’s not so weird to be weird.”

Twitter/Instagram: @hallajandro hallajandro.bandcamp.com

AND...

In five years... I’ll be financially and emotionally stable by pursuing music full time.

My worst nightmare is... letting my mental illness overcome me in my future life, by not letting me live at my highest potential.

When no one’s watching... I lip sync and perform songs in the mirror. It’s a pretty fun way to feel confident. I’m probably just weird.

My hidden talent is... I’m pretty amazing at accurately describing random objects, smells, and sounds.

I can’t live without... my guitar, my makeup, and cheese.

The thing that makes me most happy is... witnessing myself grow and overcome.

Some steps are small and some are large but I’ve been learning to accept my past insecurities and struggles and use them to learn and create the best possible version of me.

What people don’t understand about me is... I’m always mistaken for being a bully (nonviolent haha) because of my sarcasm.

I guess sometimes I’m TOO good at clownin’.

Indianapolis needs... what every city needs.

More love. Both for ourselves and one another.

My favorite “words to live by” are... “Just keep swimming” from Finding Nemo.

DEVYN MIKELL WORDS BY ERIC REES + PHOTOGRAPH BY ESTHER BOSTON

“I’M REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT BUILDING people up. Giving them a home to do what they love and understanding what makes them or their product go further.” Twenty one year old DEVYN MIKELL knows exactly what gets him up and going in the morning.

The laser-focus and heartfelt interest in building people’s ideas into fruitful businesses is what led the Indiana State sophomore to launch The Realm, a startup branding agency. Before he’s even had his hands on his college diploma, Mikell was busy infusing his own entrepreneurial attitude into an effort to help other people realize their dreams. He discovered his own entrepreneurial aspirations in high school, designing custom-painted shoes and coming this close to starting his

own clothing line. “It went all the way up to placing the order,” Mikell says. “I decided against it for a few reasons and took the summer to think about it.” At the moment of no return, he realized that if his heart wasn’t fully in this clothing line, it might be better to pursue it later. As if launching a startup and attending class was not enough, Mikell is also in the midst of planning two tech entrepreneurship conferences as well as holding down a seat on the executive board of Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization. Does he ever slow down? “Well, this summer I’ll be going into the TechPoint Xternship,” Mikell says.

(TechPoint is an Indy-based non-profit aimed at promoting the growing local technical sector matches driven young college students with some of Indy’s best companies through the Xternship.)

“It seemed great from an entrepreneur’s standpoint, and I ended up being brought on by Angie’s List as an intern.”

Entrepreneurship never stops.

Twitter: @devynmikell about.me/devynmikell AND...

My worst nightmare is... walking in a dark room filled with snakes and spiders.

I can’t live without... taking some risks in life.

The thing that makes me most happy is... knowing I am loved by God. When no one’s watching I... sing like an R&B star and dance like a choreographer (though I’m definitely neither).

My hidden talent is... getting people excited to do what they love to do.

What people don’t understand about me... is I want to be successful so that I can give my insights and support to those who want to do what I’ve done and can’t find someone to help them.

Indianapolis needs... more LIFE! Indy needs a culture filled with creative and cool things. More artisan coffee shops, urban hangouts, and diverse events.

In five years, I’ll be... building cool things with even cooler people, making someone’s world better.

My favorite “words to live by” are...

“God gave you talents to benefit others, not yourself. And God gave other people talents that benefit you.”

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MARTHA & LYUDA WORDS BY ASHLEY MINYARD + PHOTOGRAPH BY NICK SOUZA MARTHA EELMAN AND LYUDA KUSEL ARE a dynamic duo. They’ve been attached at the hip since age 7 and roommates throughout college, so it’s only natural that they spearhead a fashion blog together. Martha + Lyuda is a personal style blog curated through their own closets and collaborations with fashionable businesses. Their style aesthetic gravitates toward feminine, bohemian styles. Eelman and Kusel manage to find the best of Indiana brands, from Leather, Feather & Stone to Beauty + Grace, and even have sponsorships with big names like Sorel and Kotex for a fun and diverse mix of content. They use these sponsorships to spotlight products and curate styled shoots for the blog, giving a taste of their personal take on brands.

They even provide interested followers with discount codes, shoppable links, and helpful DIYs, as every loving blogger should. “Together we have a lot of creative talent. We wanted a platform to share our style and inspire others,” explains Eelman.

The girls are both apparel merchandising students at Indiana University, set to graduate May 2016. Although their plans for the future are still in the works, they have high hopes for jobs in the fashion world. But one thing is for sure; they’ll continue their blogging together, even if they end up on opposite sides of the world.

Although the blog is currently directed toward college age students, they hope it will grow and develop as their personal styles mature. “After college I’m not sure where I will be, but I’m excited to learn, grow and practice what I love,” says Kusel.

“The ultimate dream would be to grow Martha + Lyuda into a full-time job.”

Twitter/Instagram: @marthaeelman, @lyudakusel marthaandlyuda.com AND...

MARTHA My worst nightmare is... Being trapped in a room with a centipede!

I can’t live without... my pointed toe black Chelsea boots.

The thing that makes me the most happy is...

Coming home to my pug, George.

When no one is watching I... Eat loads of candy, I always have a secret stash!

What people don’t understand about me is... I really do think pugs are the cutest creatures alive.

Indianapolis needs... More vegan restaurants.

In five years, I’ll be... Living in California (Fingers crossed!)

My favorite “words to live by” are...

Always keep an open mind.

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LYUDA My worst nightmare is... a zombie apocalypse.

I can’t live without... my iPhone.

The thing that makes me most happy is... my family.

When no one’s watching I... binge watch Mad Men. My hidden talent is... speaking with various accents.

What people don’t understand about me is...

I have RBF (resting bitch face). I’m actually really happy!

Indianapolis needs... creatives + collaboration.

In five years, I’ll be... a well-traveled person.

My favorite “words to live by” are... “Follow your intuition. Be smart, be brave, tell the truth, and don’t take any shit” – Kelly Cutrone

CHLOE ANAGNOS WORDS BY DYLAN HODGES + PHOTOGRAPH BY AUSTIN STOVALL

CHLOE ANAGNOS IS A RECENT BALL STATE University graduate, with a dual degree in journalism and telecommunication and an impressive list of accomplishments and awards including a stint as President of Student Government Association, and being named Miss Ball State University 2014.

She is still getting acclimated to her relatively new position as media director at Advocates for Self­-Government (ASG), an organization that aims to attract people to embrace libertarian principles and to empower libertarians to be highly successful at presenting the ideas of liberty to the world.

As media director, Anagnos oversees ASG’s social media channels and puts together the organization’s weekly

newsletter, the Liberator Online. She also assists in the overall marketing of the organization, its website development, content creation and management, and event planning. Not only that, but ASG has Anagnos traveling to college campuses all over the country. Last fall she visited several college campuses to present ASG’s ‘Operation Politically Homeless’ kits in an effort to start conversations about freedom. This past February she traveled to Washington, DC for the International Students for Liberty Conference. “My favorite thing about working for The Advocates is having the opportunity to reach out to young people who love liberty and empower them to become highly successful at taking the ideas of individual freedom and responsibility, free markets, and peace to the world.”

When she is off the clock, so to speak, Anagnos is an avid reader, but also finds time to be a volunteer with the Miss America Organization, a program she herself was encouraged to enter when she was 14, as well as the Arthritis Foundation, and the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership program.

Twitter/Instagram: @chloe_anagnos chloeanagnos.com AND...

In five years, I’ll be… hopefully enjoying life with a few new stamps in my passport.

My worst nightmare is… Starbucks running out of pumpkin spice.

My first job was… waitressing in my family’s restaurant.

When no one’s watching I… put extra sugar in my coffee.

My hidden talent is… speaking French.

The biggest challenge for my generation will be… financial responsibility.

I can’t live without… my laptop.

The thing that makes me most happy is… hot coffee.

What people don’t understand about me is...

I have to turn my electronics off after 9 p.m. or else I’ll never go to sleep!

Indianapolis needs… more food trucks across the city.

My favorite “words to live by” are… ”pain is just a French word for bread.”

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KLIQ STUDIO

WORDS BY ASHLEY MINYARD + PHOTOGRAPH BY NICK SOUZA LE WANG AND CARISSA LANCASTER ARE THE harmonious duo that makes up Kliq Studio.

They connect with PR companies, modeling agencies, and fellow creative minds to shoot model tests and fashion campaigns and editorials. While the majority of their time is spent on the road, Indianapolis is their home base. “I moved back to Indiana from New York with the goal of fostering talent in the Midwest,” explains Wang. “I wanted to prove to people on the East and West Coasts that there are a lot of really talented individuals here that can do things that they’re doing and do them even better.”

The pair also offers full service creative direction, with Wang on the technical and business side and Lancaster spearheading creative. They play off of each other’s strengths. “I met Le in college during an internship opportunity for Midwest Fashion Week,” says Lancaster. “He saw that I did photography and had me assist another photographer he was working with at the time. We have worked together ever since then.”

To make it in the highly competitive industry of fashion photography it’s all about having the right aesthetic, determination, and savvy to form business connections. “Don’t expect clients to always come to you,” explains Lancaster. They say the key is developing communication skills and networking like crazy, aggressively reaching out to those with whom you hope to work. Being based in the Midwest can be tricky when traveling to different locations, mostly due to the need to build up full local creative teams. However, Wang insists that with the right mindset anything is possible. “The most important thing is to think big,” says Wang. “Don’t get trapped in a small town mentality. Realize that whatever you’re doing, you have to appeal to a broader audience. It’s great to start local but keep in mind your end goal.”

Twitter/Instagram: @kliqstudio kliqstudio.com AND...

LE WANG My worst nightmare is... working at a job that I hate with no purpose, not striving or working toward my goals.

I can’t live without... my phone, it literally manages my life.

The thing that makes me most happy is... accomplishing something really difficult with a team.

When no one’s watching I... probably am playing way too many video games.

My hidden talent is... I am actually very good at cooking.

What people don’t understand about me is...

I can come across as very intense, but I’m actually pretty laid back.

Indianapolis needs... corporate and state institutions that are willing to invest in fashion and pull in resources from other parts of the country. Although we are starting to invest and develop a local market, unless we pull in expertise from East and West Coasts, I think it will be very hard for fledgling brands in Indianapolis to appeal to customers outside of the Midwest.

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In five years, I’ll be... directing a major fashion campaign for Givenchy.

My favorite “words to live by” are... “do or do not, there is no try.”

CARISSA LANCASTER My worst nightmare is... accidentally deleting all my photos on my memory card before backing it up on a drive.

I can’t live without... my phone.

The thing that makes me most happy is... seeing my work in print.

When no one’s watching I... shop online.

My hidden talent is... cooking. Although it rarely happens.

What people don’t understand about me is...

I think I come off as standoffish sometimes when I don’t mean to.

Indianapolis needs... more non-chain restaurants.

In five years, I’ll be... a rock star.

My favorite “words to live by” are... “You only live once.”

KARLA LOPEZ-OWENS WORDS BY DYLAN HODGES + PHOTOGRAPH BY ESTHER BOSTON

IN 1999, ESCAPING AN ABUSIVE HOME WITH her mother and sisters, KARLA LOPEZOWENS became one of the countless undocumented immigrants crossing the border into the United States from Mexico in search of a better life. But making a home in the Land of the Free was rife with its own challenges and receiving citizenship once Lopez-Owens’ mother remarried took almost seven years.

Lopez-Owens has only faint memories of her undocumented youth, but they must have left an indelible impression because not only is the 25-year-old a cofounder of Indiana Undocumented Youth Alliance (IUYA), but she is also working part-time, at Muñoz Legal, an immigration and criminal law firm, all while pursuing a law degree from Indiana University.

IUYA was born in 2011, after Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels signed Senate Bill 590, anti-immigration legislation in the

state of Indiana, and House Bill 1402, which denies in-state tuition to those students who are in the country with no lawful status. By forming IUYA, Lopez-Owens and co-founder Lupe Pimentel wanted to advocate on behalf of undocumented youth, working toward achieving more humane local, state, and federal policies, which directly affect undocumented families within the state of Indiana.

Lopez-Owens attributes the growth of her organization to community partners, like attorney Kevin Muñoz for guidance, and Kyle Long for assisting with events and fundraisers. Partnerships with other organizations like SheHive and women317 have also contributed to IUYA’s success.

In May IUYA is hosting its first art show, “UndocuChallenges,” where artists will submit work to portray their story, their neighbors’ stories, and advocate for the undocumented community. All proceeds will go towards IUYA’s scholarship fund.

AND...

In five years, I’ll be… 30 and finally financially stable enough to foster animals.

My worst nightmare is… living in one place my whole life.

My first job was…… as a waitress at Steak ‘n Shake with Briana Walker.

When no one’s watching I… sneak off and try to take naps… in the library, in the lounge room, under the table—anywhere I fit, really.

My hidden talent is… I speak Spanglish fluently. Almost to a fault. Almost.

The biggest challenge for my generation will be… critical thinking. Our inability to question what the media tells us or our constant inability to think for ourselves and taking everything for its face value.

I can’t live without… my planner.

The thing that makes me most happy is… spending time with my mom and cat.

What people don’t understand about me is… how much I truly love my cat, Mimi.

Indianapolis needs…to find better ways to support the minorities already living here.

My favorite “words to live by” are…a longish quote by Howard Zinn that starts with ”To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic...

LinkedIn: klopezowens

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KATY JAMISON WORDS BY MAGGIE CONNER + PHOTOGRAPH BY WIL FOSTER

FEMINISM IN INDIANAPOLIS IS A HOT topic, and KATY JAMISON couldn’t be happier about it. The visual designer for Sticksnleaves recently cofounded Indy Feminists, a t-shirt company that promotes social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men, i.e., feminism’s textbook definition.

Indy Feminists took off after Kristen Cooper, Jamison’s coworker at Sticksnleaves, asked her to design a t-shirt with a feminist message that she actually wanted to wear, because the only ones she could find were ill-fitting with awkward lettering. “She loved the result,” Jamison says. “So we took that design and ran with it, and we found that people were really responsive to it.”

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Jamison and Cooper designed three Indy Feminist t-shirt styles: a v-neck and a long sleeve t-shirt for the ladies, and a crew neck t-shirt for men. The duo sells them at indyfeminist.com, but also sells them on Etsy. Designs for tote bags and bumper stickers are also in the works.

The purpose of the shirts is to spread the feminist message locally and help people understand what feminism actually means.

“I think the biggest debate is about the definition,” Jamison says. “I think some people are confused and associate it with the first and second wave of feminism, which tends to be violent or militant. But essentially if you’re a feminist you believe women and men should be equal.”

Jamison is proud of the direction that Indianapolis is moving toward and is optimistic for the future of feminism. She

hopes that both women and men start to take ownership of the word “feminist” in a positive way. Especially men.

“Men need to support women in order for women to climb the ladder and succeed,” Jamison says. “It is so important to recognize women who are talented and try to bring them up to their potential. Our goal is to get people wearing the shirt so people can recognize there are feminists out there, both men and women. And if you’re wearing it boldly across your chest, there’s no missing that you’re a feminist.”

Twitter/Instagram: @katybell92 katybelldesign.com

AND... ”My worst nightmare is... the regression of progress at a societal level.

I can’t live without... my Indiana necklace from Silver in the City my grandma gave me for Christmas a couple of years ago.

The thing that makes me most happy is... wine and design.

When no one’s watching I... sing. A lot.

My hidden talent is... being an unofficial tour guide to Indianapolis.

Indianapolis needs... a stronger, more positive brand.

In five years, I’ll be... hopefully still in Indianapolis doing what I love, spreading the positive message that Indy Feminist stands for.

My favorite “words to live by” are... “Follow your arrow wherever it points.”

RYAN PERKINS

WORDS BY ELLE ROBERTS + PHOTOGRAPH BY EDRECE STANSBERRY HOW TO BEST DESCRIBE CHIVES’ MUSIC? “Imagine going to an energetic disco,” RYAN PERKINS says. “I see everything in patterns, so it’s easy to piece together songs.”

Perkins is the musical mastermind behind Chives, a band based in Indianapolis. Although members have shuffled over the last year, the current quad is what he calls the “dream team.”

On bass is roommate Dick James, also a

member of The Constants. Mitch “Mick” Geisinger, formerly of the Hot Screams, lends his talents on guitar. And Carl Jones on drums rounds the group out.

It seems impossible that Perkins, a 19-year old virtuoso, didn’t gravitate toward music until age 14. Now, he plays almost anything that makes noise.

The foundation of Chives’ music is his affinity for pop music structures. His brand of rock and roll has an air of familiarity, blending rhythms and instrumentation

from multiple genres. The band released 7” Drip/Mr. Fuel in early February and anticipates dropping a new record, Porcelain, before this summer.

To Perkins, it’s strange to be so young and making music people want to listen to. Good thing his mantra, “Do what feels right,” keeps him both grounded and moving forward. chivess.bandcamp.com

AND...

In five years, I’ll be... I have no idea.

My worst nightmare is... a pretty woman.

My first job was... mowing lawns.

When no one’s watching I... listen to Styx and sing along.

My hidden talent is... I don’t hide my talents.

The biggest challenge for my generation is... sobriety.

What I want to accomplish by 30 is... stay tuned!

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FARAH + DOONYAH ALUCOZAI WORDS BY KATIE LEE + PHOTOGRAPH BY BRIAN POWELL “THE MOST REWARDING FEELING IS seeing a student’s “lightbulb moment” and the look on his or her face after writing a code,” says FARAH ALUCOZAI, co-founder of CoderDojo Anvil in Lafayette, Indiana. Alucozai and her younger sister, DOONYAH, started the nonprofit as a chapter of CoderDojo, a volunteer-led and community-based international movement that provides free lessons in coding, app development, game design, and mentorship to students aged 7 to 17.

It all started when Doonyah, a junior high student, taught herself how to code and completed a brief coding course in Lafayette. After finding no other options for continued learning, she did not give up on her goal of mastering code. Instead, she partnered with Farah to create a sustainable and collaborative learning environment for all young students who are interested in different aspects of computer science.

“As practicing Muslims, helping the community is part of our religion,” says Farah. This sense of community and helpfulness is also shared by her students.

Genuine philanthropic creativeness is found in every participant’s project. The students are always thinking of innovative ways of using their new coding skills to benefit others. Many of them are also eager to become mentors in the future. “It is very rewarding to know that students will become mentors of their own, and there will be a ripple effect of impacting other communities,” says Farah.

While the sisters still enjoy reading, playing sports, and watching movies in their free time, CoderDojo Anvil is always on their minds. Doonyah and Farah are constantly thinking of new and exciting ways to help connect their young community to coding. In the future, the organization hopes to expand their coding curriculum to help even more students while still keeping their strong sense of community. Providing laptops to those who cannot afford their own, expanding the student’s role in the organization, and many more ideas, all free of charge, are in the works. As Farah puts it, “CoderDojo will always be there and will always be free.” coderdojoanvil.com AND...

FARAH When no one’s watching I….love to try on different accents!

What people don’t understand about me is...they see my headscarf and judge me with misconceptions that I’m oppressed, brainwashed, or a whole laundry list of other labels. I’m a proud, independent, muslim-American.

Indianapolis needs...for its companies (especially tech ones) to invest more in local talent across the state into organizations like ours, to produce the next generation of talent.

In five years, I’ll be…continuing to be involved in organizations that bring about positive and significant impact in the community and world.

My favorite “words to live by” are...

“Success is not the key to happiness.

Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” —Albert Schweitzer

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DOONYAH When no one’s watching I...take an extra helping of dessert.

What people don’t understand about me is...I’m not defined by my age. It is not my age that determines my altitude but my aptitude and attitude.

Indianapolis needs… more support for young entrepreneurs and organizations like CoderDojo Anvil.

In five years, I’ll be...making CoderDojo Anvil a fully-resourced and sustainable organization.

My favorite “words to live by” are...“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.” — Elon Musk

DREW AVERY WORDS BY MAGGIE CONNER + ART SUBMITTED BY ARTIST

DREW AVERY MIGHT BE A CHARLESTON, South Carolina transplant, but the selftaught artist considers Indianapolis his richest source of inspiration and his most referenced muse. And he has no tolerance for people who criticize his adopted hometown. “There’s nothing I hate more than people who bash the city they live in,” Avery says. “It’s a real pet peeve of mine. It’s like, really? You must be missing something here. And you can leave at any time. But you have to let your haters be your motivators.”And indeed they are, because Avery has tapped into every resource this fine city has to offer. While

working as a server at his side gig at Twenty Tap, every moment has potential for opportunity. “You never know who is sitting at your table if you just listen in for five seconds,” he explains. “Everyone you need to know is one sphere of influence away from you. That’s one of the many reasons why I love Indy – it has that cohesion in everything.” Avery credits the service industry for a whole bounty of skills he has acquired over the years, including his impressive networking abilities. His mile-a-minute energy and contagious enthusiasm is evident in his street artinspired geometric cityscapes. While he waits patiently for a studio (he’s on the waiting list at the Circle City Industrial Complex), he does not sit idly. Currently on his list of to dos is aggressively taking his D-Find Art brand to the next level. A clothing line featuring silk-screened prints of his architectural designs is in the works,

as is 31Heaven, an Indy-honoring brand that will showcase underutilized Indy landmarks. His hustle is admirable, and in his words, absolutely necessary. “Sure, these ideas are more commercial, but you have to make your art viable and come up with some kind of commoditized variable to it,” Avery says. “It’s just the way the world works. I don’t have any philosophical quandaries with capitalism like maybe most artists do.” Avery has shown his work at street fairs, concerts, art shows, and restaurants. A few of his pieces are on display indefinitely at Outliers Brewery, whose owners he considers friends and who discovered him through, that’s right, good old fashioned networking.

Instagram: @dfinative

AND...

I can’t live without... my micron 8 mm pen to outline all my artwork.

The thing that makes me most happy is... my boyfriend.

When no one’s watching I... incessantly play video games. It’s the bro in me.

My hidden talent is... athleticism. I was a swimmer in high school and went to state.

You can find me swimming laps at the City Way’s YMCA. What people don’t understand about me is...

I’m more of a loner than I lead people to believe. I’m a bit of a hermit.

Indianapolis needs... a solid public transit system with good headway times and runs 24/7 on weekends.

In five years, I’ll be... still in Indy, loving life and hopefully working as an art director and building up my brand simultaneously.

My favorite “words to live by” are... “Be fancy.”

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The professional art and design school of Indiana University in Indianapolis

herron.iupui.edu

LER HONSET E W S I R R CH PHY BY Y COPY CULTU A R G O T PHO SWALT TION B O C E Y L IR L D E ART

BY K AKEUP EANE BLEVINS M D N A NN S HAIR AND JA DYLAN HODGE IN M A J BY ING BEN WORDS FEATUR

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TARYN CASSELLA, 26, AND ANNA MARTINEZ, 25, COMPRISE THE CREATIVE DUO COPY CULTURE. THESE YOUNG artists have become more efficient and daring than ever as a team, truly becoming one with their art. The pair met at Herron School of Art and Design while pursuing their BFAs, and currently have a studio inside the massive Circle City Industrial Complex where art lovers can see some of their work during most First Friday events.

In June of last year, the pair secured a spot in ArtPrize Seven, traveling to Grand Rapids, Michigan to compete against some 1,500 other artists from around the globe. While they were unsuccessful at securing a chunk of the prize money, they remain determined to push artistic boundaries with their installations, short films and contemporary art projects like the wearable art pieces you see here.

HOW’D YOU BECOME COPY CULTURE? We both studied painting at Herron School of Art and Design. After graduating in May 2013, we focused on strengthening our individual bodies of work. Then in 2015, we had the opportunity to split an art studio, and jumped at the chance to collaborate. From there we were offered exhibition opportunities and started working collaboratively under the name “Copy Culture.”

WHAT PRINCIPLES DO YOU USE WHEN DESIGNING AND CREATING? A lot of the principles we rely on come from painting. We are both huge fans of Gestalt.

WHO AND/OR WHAT INFLUENCES YOUR DESIGN STYLE? TC-Airports, pornography, Marcel Duchamp, Isa Genzken AM–Surrealism, Ellsworth Kelly, Josef Albers TC and AM – Retail displays, Maison Martin Margiela HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR DESIGN AESTHETICS AND VALUES? Our design aesthetics and values as honest, fragile, complex, mundane, anti-climactic, minimalist, maximalist, materialist, and modernist.

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WHAT COLLABORATIVE CREATIVE DUO WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE COMPARED TO? Jay Z and Beyoncé. Just kidding! No, definitely Gilbert & George for their belief that everything they come across in life is potential subject matter for their art.

WHAT COMES FIRST FOR YOU, THE MATERIALS OR THE CONCEPT? Materials, for sure.

COULD YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF CREATING A PIECE, FROM CONCEPTION TO FINISH? THE CREATIVE PROCESS AS WELL AS MATERIAL SELECTION AND LABOR PROCESS, TOO? We start with the material selection as well as a strong color story. From there our process becomes almost a performative trial and error, relying heavily on impulsive aesthetic choices. The concept comes from the conversations we have prior and during the creation process, while we collage and assemble. Outside of our installations, we also have done a few short films. We pretty much apply the same production methods to those, with a little more room for experimentation. ✂

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FROM THE LEFT BLACK DOORSTOP SHOE: HOME DEPOT WOOD SAMPLES, BLACK METAL DOOR STOPS, GAP ACRYLIC SIGN DISPLAY, PLASTIC ZIP TIES GOLD DOORSTOP SHOE: HOME DEPOT WOOD SAMPLES, GOLD METAL DOOR STOPS, GAP ACRYLIC SIGN DISPLAY, SILVER HARDWARE,WHITE METAL PIECE 88

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FROM THE LEFT MIRROR NECKLACE: CANVAS, MIRROR TILES, COPPER CHOKER DROP EARRINGS: HOME DEPOT WOOD SAMPLES, ACRYLIC DISPLAY MIRROR, CHAINS FRAGMENT NECKLACE: PLASTIC TUBING, ACRYLIC PAINT, HOME DEPOT WOOD SAMPLES, SCULPY, NECKLACE CLASP 89

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THE DROOPS A young art collective creating in the image and shadow of Indy and Midwest.

WORDS BY EMILY TAYLOR, NUVO’S ARTS EDITOR + DESIGN BY KATHY DAVIS ALLY ALSUP STILL GETS SURPRISED WHEN HER COLLECTIVE IS RECOGNIZED WHILE OUT AT a bar or a coffee shop. Someone may walk by and casually address them all with “Hey, Droops.” Rewind five years ago to the six of them huddled around a table in Dorman Street Saloon, passing around notebooks and scraps of paper so that each member could add to the drawings: pictures of food and curved lines came to life with eyes and faces, making them all laugh or ask for the page back to tack on a fresh idea. They didn’t know it, but they were building their styles and what would eventually become their businesses, families, and home.

Now, thanks to a solo iMOCA show, their work on Oreo Jones’ “Let’s Do Lunch” video series, and several murals scattered around town (including one that caused a bit of a business uproar in Lafayette, Indiana), The Droops have become a household name.

The collective’s next big mural is called “Notes to Self,” grant funded by The Great Places Near Eastside Project and will incorporate submissions from surrounding neighborhoods. Look for its completion mid-June 2016.

The Droops is comprised of three sets of couples: Ally Alsup and Brock Forrer, Ashley Windbigler and Adam Wollenerg, and Emily Gable and Paul Pelsue. The six met during their time at Herron School of Art and Design. “[Brock Forrer and Paul Pelsue] are goofy,” Alsup says, laughing. She explained they were both into skateboarding and graffiti as kids. “They bring those elements into our art. They were about 14 or 15 when they met — little hood rats in Lapel, Indiana.

Running from the cops and trying not to get wet paint on their hands or anything like that,” Alsup says.

The Droops formed in 2013. And it began with a single shape. “We were really in love with the shape of teardrop, and it kept coming up in the artwork,” says Emily Gable.

They each found a pattern reoccurring in their individual work and, collectively, the teardrop resurged in nearly every piece. They thought about calling themselves the drops. But, this changed, Gable recalls, while sitting in Adam Wollenerg’s living room listening to old Outkast albums and drawing together.

“We were all doing kind of sad, themed drawings,” Gable says. “Adam drew this old cartoon character — Droopy the dog — and we were like, ‘oh man, Droopy!’”

It stuck: from The Drops, to Droopy, The Droops were born.

Today, the name holds more than just the shape. “A few of us are just slap happy all the time,” Gable laughs. “Some are droopy.”

The rather humdrum plane of existence that can come with choosing a creative profession in an area that is sorely underfunded is echoed in The Droops’ work. “I think that the overall Midwest, we are overlooked, art-wise,” Gable says. “We don’t have a lot of opportunities here, but we are making a lot out of the negative aspects.”

And although the Midwest can be overlooked, The Droops are painting a vivid chapter of it.

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“A few of us are just slap happy all the time. Some are Droopy.”

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“ With Indianapolis, everyone is helping everyone. It is this tightknit group that is really pulling together to create this art mecca in Indy and make it our own.�

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EMILY GABLE GOES ON TO EXPLAIN HOW THEY PUSH ONE ANOTHER TO DO MORE WITH their art, whether by writing a word like “weapons” or “food” at the top of a page and passing it around, adding their own interpretations.

“College is your time when you pick your major then you become an adult,” Alsup says. “It’s not all love and inspiration; there’s jealousy being involved with a group of six awesome artists. Even that pushes each individual to be better. Having us be individual artists helps inspire each of us individually and as a whole.”

The Droops are growing as a group, with upcoming projects like a mural in Kuma’s Corner and, hopefully, their own studio space. Ashley Windbigler and Adam Wollenerg are starting a small printing company based out of Fountain Square to produce things like album art for bands, as well as posters, t-shirts, and screen prints. Emily Gable hopes to move to painting murals full time. Adam Wollenerg is a tattoo artist whose

style brings a branded note to each of their collective gallery installations. Ashley Windbigler has a leatherwork Etsy store. Ally Alsup and Brock Forrer plan to start their own printing business, as well.

Though the distance — more than 600 miles — is difficult for Alsup and Forrer, the two make it back to Indiana for nearly every show, FaceTime to discuss concepts, and often, mail art back and forth. The Droops are a representation of Indianapolis art: a struggle, thriving through hard work, and a chosen family, and relentlessly building it into something they love, regardless of distance.

“There is just something about Indianapolis and the family around it,” Gable says. “It’s the art and music connections and ‘who’s going to help me with this?’

With Indianapolis, everyone is helping everyone. It is this tightknit group that is pulling together to create this art mecca in Indy and make it our own.” ✂ 95

When we decided to create an issue celebrating some of Indy’s brightest young achievers, we knew we wanted to include one of IndyCar’s own rising stars, Josef Newgarden. The photogenic race car driver who could easily be mistaken for a professional model-judge for yourself!-reigned in his usual jovial, fun-loving manner, and played to our camera like a real pro.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY POLINA OSHEROV ASSISTED BY ESTHER BOSTON STYLED BY KELLY KRUTHAUPT STYLE ASSISTANT CHRISTIAN ARRIETA MAKEUP & HAIR BY PHILIP SALMON MODEL: JOSEF NEWGARDEN DESIGN BY CODY THOMPSON SPECIAL THANK YOU TO BOB GOWEN AND DR. VIRGIL CHAN

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ATHLETIC TRENCH, ZARA KNIT TOP, MELVIN SMALLS KNIT SHORT, MELVIN SMALLS ATHLETIC BOOT, GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

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WWW. I NDYRUC KUS .

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SUPPORT LOCAL. APPRECIATE THE PAST. /indyurbanflea

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AUSTIN HUNTINGTON TALKS FACEBOOK, HOMEWORK AND LIFE AS INDIANA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S FIRST CHAIR.

STORY BY BURTON RUNYAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY ESTHER BOSTON DESIGN BY JOHN ILANG-ILANG

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College senior Austin Huntington locks the door of his apartment and heads to the end of the hall, tapping the button for the elevator. On the way down, he flips through his phone, checking Facebook… Twitter… email. He shoots a text to his girlfriend—just waking up for her first class of the day—as he starts his walk to work.

Just a few blocks over he pulls open the door of the Hilbert Circle Theatre. But he’s not punching the clock as an intern. Or an usher. Or a stage technician’s assistant.

He’s on his way into rehearsal.

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At just 21, Huntington serves as principal cellist of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO), making him one of the youngest section leaders in a major American orchestra. His appointment comes after an intense audition and interview process, but as far as first jobs go, one could definitely do worse.

Currently, he splits his time between Los Angeles and Indianapolis—spending a month on the Left Coast at the Colburn School Conservatory of Music, staying busy writing term papers, practicing his cello, and grabbing pizza with his classmates. Then, when back in the Midwest, Huntington is rehearsing, performing, and leading a section of an orchestra made up of members mostly twice his age.

It’s the kind of gig that, for a young professional at the top of their field, could easily turn confidence into arrogance. But talking to Huntington, it’s as if he never even had the chance to get cocky. He’s been too busy working toward perfecting his style.

“I’m never satisfied with my own playing. Coming in a little too short on a single stroke can rush an entire piece. It’s great that everyone at the ISO wants what’s best for the orchestra.” He says his age doesn’t create the tension one might expect when the cellists he leads are in disagreement. “I can take suggestions from my section because they are looking for the same things I am: the best sound… the best performance. There’s a lot of incredible musicians with a lot of experience.” The kind of experience, Huntington notes, that sheer talent just doesn’t replace. “It’s about listening to one another and bringing your own perspectives. We work well together.”

To call it harmonious seems a bit on the nose, but for such a young leader to show the maturity to manage musicians who have been playing professionally since before he was born, it’s fitting.

Of course, even after studying under some of the greatest cellists in the world (including Richard Hirschl of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Ronald Leonard, a 24-year veteran of the acclaimed Los Angeles Philharmonic), Huntington doesn’t take himself too seriously. “I don’t always love practicing,” he laughs.

“In high school, after winning several big competitions, my parents got me a smart phone. I had my worst week of practice. I would play for fifteen minutes, then check Facebook. I can’t thank my parents enough for pushing me to practice as much as they did—there were definitely times I needed extra motivation.”

Watching the 21-year-old perform is a surreal experience. Poised at the front of the stage, his bow dances across a beautiful Venetian cello—circa 1725— on loan to him through the Colburn Foundation. Once he graduates this spring, he’ll be playing an even older instrument, a Ruggieri body from 1690.

The juxtaposition is fascinating—the idea of such a young musician playing an instrument 300 years his senior makes for a lovely commentary on the timelessness of the art. And the small club of truly great cellists means each individual cello has a lineage more accurately documented

than most genealogies. Huntington remembers seeing a piece played on the cello of the late Leonard Rose, and thinking how his own teacher (a student of Rose’s) perfected his craft under that same instrument. “I realized, ‘That’s sort of like my grand-teacher’s cello.’”

/esT

b . d n u So

The young cellist has tossed around the idea of himself one day teaching, but for now is just getting used to his fulltime job. It’s not the easiest schedule—living back and forth between a dorm and apartment with a threehour time change in between, finalizing graduation plans, playing games of pick-up basketball with friends, and dating—all while in the first year of a career that requires the same dedication and careful attention to avoid injuries as a professional athlete.

THE

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But according to Huntington, it’s just another step toward his goal to “play as effortlessly as possible while producing the absolute truest emotions.” And as long as he manages to get out of the darkness of the practice hall and take a walk along the canal every once in a while, he’ll manage. Like many millennials, he appreciates the balance between work and life. Between practice and play.

pErFormance.

It would seem Huntington’s prodigious talent stems from the very thing that makes him stand out—his youth.

Spending endless hours practicing is certainly necessary to achieve effortlessness in each stroke. But to bring that rare quality of honest emotion to each piece, one must not forget to experience as much life as possible.

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WORDS BY BURTON RUNYAN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY EDRECE STANSBERRY & POLINA OSHEROV

DESIGN BY DOUG EADDY

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As soon as the 14-year-old steps out of the school doors, he stops being Ryan Robinson Jr. He picks up right where he left off—as DJ Prince.

Even with the five inches added by his trademark hairstyle, the middle school student stands shorter than most of the others in the DJ scene. Not many will notice that tonight, however. He’s solo spinning at a dance marathon for a local high school—the same school he’ll be attending next year.

After arriving at the venue, he unloads his main equipment— two professional grade turntables, a complex effects board, a speaker and stand, and a laptop—with help from his crew. Tonight, that means Mom and Little Brother. “I’ve always loved music,” he says. “My dad has a music collection with everything. Hall and Oates… Outkast… I knew Usher’s entire Confessions album when I was 3 years old. But it really started when my parents got an iPad when I was 11.” He motions to his 5-year-old brother, who sits on the side of the stage playing a game on the tablet. “I told my parents I wanted to be a DJ, and they downloaded a turntable app. If I got good grades, I earned time to play with it.”

becomes more intuitive. He’s lining up songs before the students can even request them. Tracks spin up and the group on the dance floor gets louder and louder. “My favorite part is the crowd’s reaction,” he says, with a huge grin. His braces glint in the purple stage lights.

It’s late in the night and by this point, the young DJ is lost in the music. He sings along to every song as he and his brother dance together in their matching high-top Jordans.

DJ Prince has the kind of passion and drive that turns expertise into eminence. He’s already been invited to open for his hero, DJ Jazzy Jeff. He made his acting debut in Fox’s Empire last year. He has a social media following bigger than a small town.

But through it all, he doesn’t let it go to his head. He doesn’t let himself slack in any aspect of his life.

Over the sound of the students in the gymnasium he explains his mantra, emblazoned across the back of his shirt: “#nolaggin.”

DJ Prince is interrupted by one of the evening’s event coordinators, asking if he needs anything. She brings waters over and explains when he’ll get his few breaks over the four-hour event.

As he plugs in and cues up his first song to check the volume, he explains, “I started posting mixes and song transitions to Instagram. I would tag the musicians in them, just hoping they would like what I made.” He says he started tagging his favorite DJs, too—the ones who inspire him. It didn’t take long for people to start taking notice. 32,000 people to be exact.

An hour later he’s well into his first session. He’s kicked it off with some prepared songs—old-school stuff—but the high school students he’s playing for (with a much more shallow musical breadth) soon start making requests. He doesn’t hesitate to accommodate as he throws together new and old.

As the night goes on, he starts to learn the crowd. He

“I started using #nolaggin on Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. It’s my slogan.” No laggin’, he says, is more than just his social media hashtag. “My parents and I came up with it. It means no lagging behind in anything you do. Not in school.

Not in homework. Not in life. I decided that’s what I stand for.

Working hard and never giving up. My whole life revolves around #nolaggin.”

So maybe he doesn’t stop being Ryan Robinson Jr. when he leaves school. And maybe he doesn’t stop being DJ Prince when he walks into his first class of the day. Maybe the two personas are always there. Just two sides to one talented young teenager.

When the song’s over, he simply flips the record.

“WORKING HARD AND NEVER GIVING UP. MY WHOLE LIFE REVOLVES AROUND #NOLAGGIN.” -DJPRINCE

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLYUM BAULKEY STYLED BY WILLYUM BAULKEY MAKEUP DANELLE

BY FRENCH HAIR BY ANTHONY PEREZ MODELS ANGELIQUE BLOODSAW, EMILY WILLIS & TRACE LINDQUIST (L MODELZ MODEL MANAGEMENT); BROOKE TAYLOR (FACTOR/WILHELMINA)

DESIGN BY LARS LAWSON

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INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S

a weekend celebration focusing on the connections between music and the environment

THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 8PM SPECIAL PERFORMANCE BY TIME FOR THREE Time for Three performs in a special cabaret-style performance in the Hilbert Circle Theatre Lobby. Space is limited!

FRIDAY APRIL 29, 8PM BEN FOLDS PERFORMS CONCERTO FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA The ISO performs John Luther Adams’ Become Ocean and Steven Mackey’s Urban Ocean followed by Ben Folds performing his Concerto for Piano and Orchestra.

SATURDAY APRIL 30, 4PM TIME FOR THREE AND KISHI BASHI The ISO performs Valgeir Sigurdsson’s Dreamland and Ellis Ludwig-Leone’s How to Fake Your Death, followed by performances by Time for Three and Kishi Bashi.

SATURDAY APRIL 30, 8PM SAN FERMIN The ISO and Time for Three perform Ranaan Meyer and Nick Kendall’s Elevation Paradise, followed by a special performance by San Fermin.

Jayce Ogren will conduct all performances.

Arrive early for presentations by our partners, music by DJs Slater Hogan and John Larner, and performances by various local artists.

Ann M. and Chris Stack

Festival passes, tickets and more info available at IndianapolisSymphony.org

©IOFOTO/SHUTTERSTOCK

INDXLA

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SOLE MAN

Conversations with the self-taught shoe artist making pedestals for rock ’n roll royalty.

WORDS BY MARIA DICKMAN + PHOTOGRAPHY BY ESTHER BOSTON + DESIGN BY AUBREY SMITH CHRIS FRANCIS LOOKS LIKE HE’D BE MORE AT HOME BACKSTAGE AT A MOTLEY CRUE CONCERT than in a Louis Vuitton flagship. But those kind of simplistic labels this Kokomo native has rejected his entire life. His shoe creations—hand-constructed and absolutely one-of-a-kind, part modern art object and part wearable fashion—don’t exactly fit into any conventional box, either. But it’s in shattering convention and relishing the inbetween that he, and his designs, thrive.

Maria Dickman: Give me the rundown. How’d you get to LA? Chris Francis: I’m from Kokomo, and I ended up going to art school at the Art Institute of Maryland. I was there about a year, and I started hopping freight trains and traveling all over the country. I ended up passing through Indiana a lot, and then I ended up in Los Angeles. And then I started making shoes about four years ago.

At the Art Institute, I was a painter. I was doing really large scale paintings and showing in galleries, but I’m really more three dimensional in the way I think. I gravitated to more sculptural pieces rather than sticking to just painting. The reason I started riding trains is that I wanted to see the country and invent my own curriculum.

MD: So, then, how did you get from trains and sculpture to shoes?

CF: Now that’s a complicated story. I was a carpenter for years, and so I developed skills in design and building. Also, on the side I would hang off of high-rise buildings. I would install super graphics on the side of high-rises. And I was afraid of heights the whole time, so I didn’t want to do it...but I needed that thrill, because it sort of reminded me of hopping trains. It was a way to be in society and settle down, but get that thrill.

I had been sent to Dallas to hang off of a 73-story building, and I was literally looking down at hawks; they were flying below me, and I was terrified. At night, there was a bad wind storm, and it was blowing me around, and I thought to myself, I need to do something else with my life.

When I got back to LA, I decided I wanted to be a clothing maker. I had always collected shoes, but I didn’t realize you could make them. So I went to the Fashion Institute here in LA. I couldn’t actually afford to enroll, but I bought the books and then I bought machines at Target for like, 40 bucks. And then I started making clothing. I was making a lot of the clothing on a park bench, and I got noticed by a stylist. She liked the jackets I was making, and I started making for rock and roll bands. The first band was Journey, and it was crazy because I hadn’t made many pieces of clothing, ever, and I was literally making these things on a park bench, but they ended up going on world tours and on record covers.

My designs were having these fun adventures, and I felt like maybe I was part of a stage show or something. I was at Louis Vuitton one night; there was a party there I’d been invited to, and they had flown in a shoemaker from France. He was making shoes right there in front of me. Just by hand, hand stitching men’s dress shoes. That was the first time I had ever really considered that maybe I could actually, really make these. Because I’d never really seen the human hand make shoes, I’d assumed they were made on machines.

The next day I started making shoes in the kitchen.

I made my first pair in a week, and I wore them out. A legendary groupie who dated everybody — all the guys from Zeppelin and everybody -- saw me and said, “What in the hell are you wearing? What is that?” And I told her, “They’re boots. I just made them.” And 125

she goes, “Well you better go practice and figure out how to make them better”—because they were really bad. But I just kept making lots and lots of shoes in my kitchen.

I was trying to get internships, and I couldn’t get them. Either they weren’t being offered or I was always turned down and told to join a band or do something more appropriate for the way I looked. But I didn’t want to do any of that, so I continued making shoes on my own. About a year later, I took the shoes into one of the guys who told me to join a band, and I asked for an internship again. He hired me on the spot.

MD: Wow. That’s pretty incredible. So, what’s your design process and how do you go about connecting these pieces?

CF: I haven’t been designing for super long; it’s only been since 2011. So I’m still really evolving and discovering myself as a designer and how I operate. Budget has had a huge effect. When I did my exhibition [at LA’s Craft & Folk Art Museum], the budget for the entire collection was $1,500. And they had to be museum-quality pieces. I had a problem in that, all of my work was owned, and the owners didn’t want to loan for the exhibition because they were using them on stage—which is a great thing. But it was bad for me because in one year, I had to make 50 pairs, and all of the designs had to be drastically different from the next, and I had this low, low budget. It was quite an undertaking. I had to get really creative with my materials and my process, so I found myself really using my imagination. It was fun, and it took me to a different level of my process, maybe more rapidly than — I wouldn’t have gone down some of the same design paths that I’ve gone down, as rapidly, without it.

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My designs exist in a bizarre world between art and fashion, which is interesting. I’ve always felt like—course, I’m not but—you can’t help but feel like you’re pioneering something in pushing that boundary a bit.

These shoes are not really just products. They are modes of expression, and we can redefine their abilities so they can do so many things that pertain to both worlds. They are fashion, they are art, and why can’t they meet somewhere in the middle?

MD: So, how did you figure out the mechanics? What materials do you like to work with?

CF: I step way outside of the box when it comes to that. I use a lot of materials that are traditionally used in architecture and building. I use leather, but if there’s color in my work, it’s almost all hand-painted. I like to treat shoes as three dimensional paintings and wearable sculptures. I like to have my hand in every process of its creation. I’ve used everything from glass and plastic to tar and wood. Metal. Textiles. Paper. Just about anything I can get my hands on that will work within the function I’m designing.

MD: Then what would you say the overall goal of your work is? It sounds like it’s changed from when you first started, to when you had the show and then the show evolved it further.

What’s the goal now?

CF: The goal always changes. I don’t like to stagnate. I’m always in a state of creative process where I’m bouncing around a lot of ideas, and with those ideas come a lot of new inventions, which might come out in the form of a shoe, or in something else I’m building.

The core vision is always to keep the shoes as pieces of art and explore the realms of how I can define that art for myself and how I can give others an experience and engage

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them with this object. I like to present this more as an opportunity for someone to use [his or her] imagination, rather than thinking of these as something priced for walking around.

MD: What about your next show collection?

CF: I’m working on a new collection that will be entirely different than the last. I think that’s fun. I’m always moving, always evolving. I always keep an open mind. I’ll be surprised myself, I think.

I’m part of a gallery show coming up, which is interesting because my work will actually be for sale. So I’m trying to figure how to format the work where the art has the intent to be sold, which has never been my style—which is ridiculous because everyone has to make a living! But I suppose I’m just not driven by the end goal of making art for the gain of money and finance. I like to keep it pure.

MD: You mentioned that you enjoyed elevating a shoe to this area that’s somewhere between fashion and art. Do you see the utility—I mean, clothes are necessary; they are utilitarian, but then fashion kind of elevates clothing (sometimes, when done well) to this artistic expression. Where does your appreciation for other types of fashion lie? Do you have any desire to explore that further?

CF: I have every intention of exploring that. I can’t see myself being entertained enough to do belts and wallets, because those are boring, but I intend to build a House that will include clothes, as well. I started as a clothing maker. My clothes were very architectural, and I had every intention of making clothing designed with my own sensibility.

As much as I’m in between the art and fashion worlds, I’m always in the Houses, studying the tailoring and everything. I’m fascinated by other designers. I love their work.

I’m open to every possibility and every opportunity. My only intention is to expand.

However, you can single-handedly have your own House, but it will wear you out. You have to collaborate and find other people you resonate with. Kinda like any good band—the music we love isn’t made by one person, it’s made by many and shared up on stage.

MD: So, do you have a favorite pair?

CF: Usually it’s the one I’m working on and about to fail. That’s usually my favorite, because I can never see the beauty in my own work. Once I finish it, I’m over it and it’s old news to me—I’m onto the next project. My favorite is the piece I’ve dreamed up in my head and haven’t yet made.

MD: Where does the inspiration come from?

CF: Entirely outside of shoes—that’s the funny thing. I love shoes, other people’s shoes.

I love their design. When I design, I lock myself in a hole and don’t want any influence, subliminal or otherwise. A lot of my influence come from situations in life or the things I read at night: architecture, industrial design, mechanical something, technology. The modern world really inspires me.

When I got started, my pieces referenced the vintage world, because that’s what I was learning from. It didn’t mean that my vision was to turn back the clock to a retro feel, but it came out of what I was looking at. Now I know how to make a show, so now I’m looking at the modern world, and also at the future. The future will change me more than the modern world, I think. I’m tempted to skip over the modern and go right for the future.

I try to skip steps as much as I can.

MD: What is it about the future—or the idea of the future—that draws you in?

CF: I don’t know, but when the year 2000 hit, I was bummed. We were supposed to have hoverboards and floating cars and all these cool things; I felt a bit had. And here we are in the year 2016, and we’re really still operating on gasoline and fossil fuels. So, the idea of the future entertains me because I feel like it’s something more within my control than the present.

MD: Right now, today, then, how would you describe your style?

CF: I don’t really have one! You know, I use a lot of hard lines, contrasting color blocks; a lot of the things I’m doing right now are quite rigid. It’s an interesting juxtaposition between the rounded lines in the human foot, clashed with the hard, angular angles in the shoe.

My style’s become more architectural, because I see the shoe as having function within different realms; it’s designed to be walked in, but also displayed.

But labels always bother me. Like when I was a kid, I was into punk rock, but I would never call myself a punk rocker, simply because I liked other things as well. I would never want to be just one thing. I want to be me.

MD: If you weren’t in fashion, what would you be doing? I can tell by talking to you, you love music. Would that be your path, or would it be something entirely unrelated?

CF: I’m not so much in fashion—I’m in something in the other realm. I would be a

collector. I would collect and deal textiles, which is a hobby outside of what I do. I would be doing something like that, and traveling the world. That’s my other dream, I suppose.

A lot of the shoes I’m making have references from other cultures—non-Western ideas, and I experiment a lot with non-Western techniques, because it allows our imaginations to travel to other countries while I’m just sitting here in a chair making shoes.

MD: Let’s go back to the start of your career. If you could give yourself advice, what would it be?

CF: Oh wow. That’s a good question. I need a moment. I like the types of questions that make me think…It would probably be advice that I haven’t followed.

MD: Isn’t that how it always is?

CF: Yeah, because I don’t want to…[pauses] OK. Don’t go overboard on machinery. That would have been good advice for me to listen to, because I ended up collecting too many machines. Now, they trip me up more than they help. They’ve lost all mechanical function because I was rescuing them from the junkyard. I couldn’t stand to see a vintage machine destroyed in the crusher. I was hoarding machines and, I realized, no one wants these things except me. So now I have this dilemma where 90 percent of what I do is by hand, but I have all these machines. Take smaller steps in growth and depend on your own two hands to provide all the growth you need.

I get emails from people, and maybe they think they can’t do this or it’s beyond them.

I always tell them, you can do anything you want. Don’t let finances stand in the way. You can do this with your own two hands—you don’t have to go to school, you don’t have to do these things that cost so much money. Maybe if you reformat your idea of success and not only think of success as owning a Ferrari or the mansion, success could be something different.

I love to see things happening in the garages, and people being creative, being artists and able to survive and be happy. And maybe shoes won’t appeal to them—not everyone can relate to a shoe, but everyone has a dream. Everyone can relate to a dream.

MD: I love that.

CF: And that’s important. That’s really what the success of it all was. It wasn’t the shoes—shoes are the byproduct of me searching out a dream and not taking no for an answer. I was persistent and determined. “No” is not in the vocabulary when it comes to a vision. If you can do that, then you have a pretty good chance of getting close to whatever your dream is.

MD: Is that what you’re most proud of—refusing to back down?

CF: Yeah, but above that, I would say my girlfriend. She’s put up with me and believed in me for all these years. All the success that’s come my way, I owe to that foundation. I’m a lot to put up with. It’s been amazing. I never would have had the courage to walk into like a Louis Vuitton and study the art, because it felt so removed from my social class. But now I know that’s ridiculous. She opened my eyes to a whole other world.

MD: What’s next for you, then?

CF: I’m working on a book and a couple other projects, aside from an upcoming gallery show and a museum exhibition next year. Mostly, I just try to take it a day at a time.

Really, they’re just shoes—I’m not saving lives.

It’s funny because I’m always battling to not take the shoes too seriously. Because they’re something you walk on, right? But they’re also my creative art. So if I don’t take the shoes seriously, A. they are so incredibly hard to make, they won’t be made, and B. it won’t have any design aesthetic. But, if you take it too seriously and get too wrapped up, you’ll lose that sense of humor.

They’re pedestals for people, in a way. Maybe the people are the pieces of art, and the shoes are just pedestals.

I drift off-subject. Sorry.

MD: Yeah, but I love that last thing you said, about the shoes being a pedestal for the art: the people. I’ve never thought about it that way before. It’s an interesting thought.

CF: It’s kinda the truth. The people I design shoes for are real works of art; they’re characters. They’re funny, and I could tell a million stories about the people I meet. They are artists. I don’t think I’ve ever made a shoe for someone who isn’t an artist. Why not present them like art? Make life a spectacle. ✂

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LA LA LAND

EVERY YEAR, HOPEFUL YOUTHS IN SEARCH OF FAME, FORTUNE, AND AN ABUNDANCE OF SUNSHINE, ANSWER THE CITY OF ANGELS’ SIREN’S CALL. FOR THOSE FROM THE HOOSIER STATE, THEIR ROOTS REMAIN A INTEGRAL PART OF THE JOURNEY.

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NATHAN HOY

WORDS BY TENAYA BOOKOUT + PHOTOGRAPHS BY WIL FOSTER

NATHAN HOY’S ENTIRE CAREER HAS BEEN A result of him living a double life. But rather than getting caught up in duality of it all, he’s prevailed in his ability to integrate diametrically opposed ways of thinking as a music-loving, creative marketing problem solver with a tech-infused approach to making an impact and cultivating change.

Hoy is currently serving as a brand and marketing consultant for many agencies, major labels, music corporations, brands, and artists where his background in music marketing and technology has proven effective in generating strategic insights and formulating innovative approaches to growth and transformation in the market place.

As the former vice president of the artist services division at Live Nation, vice president of music at ReverbNation, and vice president of international at Metropolis Studios (London, UK), Hoy’s helped artists and brands create, manage, and monetize their relationship with fans through customer relationship management (CRM),

marketing, merchandise, partnerships, creative services, and product development.

Hoy attended college in Indiana, both IU and IUPUI, while DJing on the side.

He then began his career in the medical industry, working for a start-up in Carmel, Indiana, focusing entirely on technology and innovation. He then left his career in medical behind and joined what is now, Live Nation.

“My background in technology provided me the skill set to nurture the growth of a budding creative firm that was acquired.

It was my ability to leverage technology to mine data within the core business that allowed me to stand out and create a path. Understanding data and having the means to capture it was a new undertaking in music. All of these events, lead to Live Nation moving me to Los Angeles.

It was there that I began to cultivate my own brand and anchor myself as a critical thinker. The ability to solve problems in an industry that was dealing with the plague of change from physical to digital was an amazing place to be.

“I remember sitting in the office with Jay Z and Jay Brown going over the digital roll out of the RocNation brand, when Jay Brown said something that gave me some

amazing insight: ‘If I only worked on things I absolutely loved, I wouldn’t be where I am today.’ It was at that moment I realised I needed to venture out beyond my comfort zone and apply what I had learned in corporate life to the changing landscape of the music industry.”

Shortly thereafter, Hoy found himself developing social products at ReverbNation and setting out on a mission to connect emerging artists with the right audiences.

Attending a concert one night, Hoy struck up a conversation with another attendee, ranting about the sad state of the music industry and bonding over vinyl collections—that person turned out to be Photek, an artist who Hoy had idolized during his days as a DJ. The serendipitous meeting opened the door to spending the next few years working with Photek on multiple records, brand strategies, and everything he had ever dreamed of doing directly with an artist. A few years after that, Hoy opened his own firm.

So what’s he up to now? “I have my roster of clients for management and artist services. They are based in LA, NY, and London. I’m excited to be part of the label team at House of Latroit and White House Music. We just launched a new single and have a stack of releases lined up.”

“It’s not too often one gets the opportunity to work with both sides of your brain—my creative side loves the spontaneity in fashion, music, and television while my logical side craves the predictability of data.”

AND...

In five years, I’ll be… under a pile of pugs!

My worst nightmare is… it’s a tie: bad hair day photos and sending a message to the wrong person. Both can haunt you forever!

My first job was… working for a herpetologist in Texas feeding snakes and turtles.

When no one’s watching I… smell my pug’s feet—sometimes they smell like Fritos.

My hidden talent is… rearranging furniture.

The thing I miss most about living in Indiana is… my family. I’m in Indianapolis at the moment, so I’m enjoying my every bit of that.

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KIDWISEMAN

WORDS BY TENAYA BOOKOUT + PHOTOGRAPH BY POLINA OSHEROV

KIDWISEMAN IS A LOS ANGELES-BASED street artist, but he’s not going to let all that aerosol get to his head—this graffiti guy uses street art to inspire under-appreciated youth.

Growing up in Indianapolis, KidWiseman was quickly labeled a troubled kid by his teachers and authority figures.

Traditional art didn’t appeal to him so he took to sketching and drawing on walls instead of canvas, and he’s been known to paint under a bridge or two in Broad Ripple.

While he might have had a little bit of a rebellious streak, at the root of it all, he was really just searching for a way to channel his high levels of creativity into something that felt true to him. It wasn’t until he discovered graffiti that he found his calling.

His art was his self-expression, but he wanted to use it to spread an even bigger

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message, “I’m not going to hide behind my art. It’s going to be in your face.”

“I came up with the idea behind KidWiseman because I wanted to create this character to give students something to look up to and provide artillery for the creatively inclined whose public school systems failed to support explorative and budding artistic talent and passion. So, I took what felt like America’s most despised art form and used that as a revolutionary weapon and platform to advocate for the creative youth—to those who might have been otherwise labeled delinquent failures.

“I work as a designer by day, but my passion, energy, and artistry all go toward fighting for creative youth’s right to express themselves.”

“I build street art projects using: murals, dynamic light installations, limited edition apparel, canvases, and video production to spread my message. To do my part to solve this catastrophe, I include underappreciated and talented creative youth in

the production of all aspects of my street art projects.”

KidWiseman and his supporters identify open walls all over Los Angeles—any surface style, shape, location, and size.

He then starts to envision what to do with the space. Once a wall space or project area is approved, KidWiseman invites local students to join him. “We give students the chance to participate in large-scale, multimedia street art, express themselves, and positively shape their community.”

AND...

In five years, I’ll be… a platform for major artists to collaborate with to inspire and embrace the youth.

My worst nightmare is… dying in a car crash.

My first job was… I was a waiter at a club called Riviera Club.

When no one’s watching I… draw.

My hidden talent is… gymnastics/acrobatics.

The biggest challenge for my generation will be… using technology for the greater good.

The thing I miss most about living in Indiana is… the quarries in Bloomington.

MATTE FIELDS

WORDS BY TENAYA BOOKOUT + PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICKIE COPELAND

MATTE FIELDS IS THE FOUNDER, OWNER, operator, and creative director of high-end streetwear clothing brand, DOPE, which in 2014 was recognized as one of the 10 fastest-growing private companies in Los Angeles.

Launched in Bloomington, Indiana while Fields was still in college, the DOPE brand took off in 2008 after hip hop artist Lupe Fiasco picked up one of its shirts from a store in Michigan and wore it in concert.

“It was a happy time. People were partying.

I didn’t want to leave, but I knew that store

wouldn’t be able to support my end goal of this aspirational brand—I was selling a lot online at that point. A friend told me that I needed to get out and go take this brand to LA or Miami or New York. It needed to be in a major market. I took that advice, packed my stuff up, and moved to LA.”

Since then, DOPE wearing celebs have included Jay Z, Wiz Khalifa, Kendrick Lamar, DJ Khaled, and many, many others.

DOPE opened its LA-based boutique in 2011, and hasn’t looked back since. With their brand in more than 130 retail locations worldwide, and expanding, this year Fields wants to focus his attention on a launching

a new brand - MNML LA.

This is the next step on the way to making the most of the reputation and the legacy he has build with DOPE. “Eventually, I want to do a really high-end brand and that’s where I’m going to kill it. Garments of the highest quality. I mean, if you’re going to do something you might as well do it the best you can.”

AND...

In five years, I’ll be… waking up early to go skateboarding in Venice, enjoying the park when no one is there for a bit, and then I’ll be headed off to work.

My worst nightmare is… sleep paralysis.

The mind wakes up and you’re alert, but your body is unable to move—you try to open your mouth and can’t make a sound.

My first job was… selling candy and baseball cards to my classmates—I was a side hustler.

When no one’s watching I… eat like an animal with my shirt off (still a health nut, though).

My hidden talent is… I can freestyle—not like the drunk white boy who tries to rap though, haha.

The biggest challenge for my generation will be… clean water, clean food, clean air.

The thing I miss most about living in Indiana is…the slower pace—it’s relaxing.

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DEUCE THEVENOW WORDS BY TENAYA BOOKOUT + PHOTOGRAPH BY MICKIE COPELAND

DEUCE THEVENOW KNOWS HOW TO PUT ON epic music festivals, but it’s his entrepreneurial approach to creating multitiered experiences that’s making all the noise across the country.

Thevenow first got started in the music business back when he wanted to put on a concert in memory of a friend who overdosed and passed away the day he would have graduated high school.

Thevenow’s goal was much bigger than just putting on a non-profit concert. With several of his other friends headed down the same destructive path, he created an opportunity to use music as a tool to raise awareness about substance abuse.

He was hooked from that point on and he hasn’t stopped throwing events, festivals, and experiences since.

Thevenow double majored in entrepreneurship and marketing while attending Indiana University Kelley School of Business. He was still a student, when he and Jack Shannon founded their first company, GLOWfest, during IU’s Little 500 weekend, and then began touring the country throwing music festivals on college campuses. The festivals brought

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in popular EDM acts such as Pretty Lights, Deadmau5, and Avicii, drawing in large crowds of music fans, but also a huge audience of students on the verge of graduation and hungry for advice on life post-school.

“During these tours we met and spoke to so many students with big aspirations but limited access to resources to go to that next level. We could completely relate to them and wanted to find a way to use music as a tool to empower these young visionaries. So we added entrepreneurship events during the day and kept the concerts in the evenings as a tool to help market and celebrate the movement we wanted to create.”

Thevenow and his business partner Shannon moved to LA and set out with their new blended venture—a festival aimed to further empower student entrepreneurs, surface trending startups, and end on a high note grand finale concert with one of the hottest acts in music. Solid idea, right?

Mark Cuban thought so, too, showing his support by backing the company from the outset.

“Our very first show as RECESS Music & Ideas Festival was in 2013 with Calvin

Harris at Georgetown. The whole concept has been very well received and we’ll be doing our fourth tour this spring on 18 campuses around the country.”

RECESS events are split up into four components: a speaker series, career fair, pitch session, and concert—all aimed to encourage students to share ideas, network, and celebrate together at the end of the day.

So, what’s next? “We’re working toward creating the March Madness of College Shark Tank competitions that I think is going to lead to a very busy spring.

Also, Red Bull Music came to us with an idea to put on a music technology event, so we’ll be doing the “Red Bull Hackathon— presented by RECESS”. Also, we’re setting out on a country tour with the next huge country star, Chase Rice.”

SXSW, watch out, millennial dreamers are doing big things, and there’s no end in sight for Thevenow and his team.

“If you’re happy with the way things are, RECESS is not for you. If you’ve got what it takes to go your own way, we’ve got what it takes to get you there.”

AND...

In five years, I’ll be… creating, building, and inspiring others to follow their dreams.

My worst nightmare is… being bored.

My first job was… (and still is) my job today.

I have really never had a full-time job working for someone else.

My last job will be… working for myself.

The thing that makes me cry is... seeing talent and opportunity go wasted.

When no one’s watching I…am probably working.

My hidden talent is… cooking.

The biggest challenge for my generation will be… overcoming environmental and political issues.

The thing I miss most about living in Indiana is… FALL! I miss camping outside in the fall.

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In Broad Daylight WORDS BY LAURA WALTERS PHOTOGRAPHY BY WIL FOSTER DESIGN BY AMY MCADAMS-GONZALES

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BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL ACTOR IS AN INTRICATE PROCESS. IT INVOLVES much more than just “saying lines” and studying famous playwrights. In fact, each layer demands a great deal of skill and patience. An attention to detail and the human condition. A certain amount of depth that is achieved by diving deep into the soul. It is not an easy career, nor is it to be taken lightly. Just ask Craig Doty, an Indy native pursuing acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles. With the title of high school Valedictorian under his belt, plus an inspiring and educational month in Berlin, Doty has always gone the extra mile, seeking out inspiration and creative outlets along the way. Below he shares his thoughts on what it means to be an actor, his take on the creative scene in Indianapolis and what truly inspires him.

Laura Walters: Have you always wanted to be an actor?

Craig Doty: To be quite honest, no. I wanted to be a thousand things before even thinking of being an actor. Yet, I realized that with acting I could be anyone and do anything. That’s what made me fall in love with it. I love to be able to craft a living, breathing human being.

LW: Where did you grow up?

CD: I was born in the city of Huntington, Indiana but moved around a lot during my childhood. We lived in Nauvoo, Illinois on the Mississippi, Danville, Illinois, and Elizabethtown, Kentucky, as well. That was all before sixth grade. We finally landed in Anderson, Indiana and lived there longer than any other city. Nevertheless, each city and state throughout my youth had their own impact on me as a person.

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LW: What was it like being a young creative growing up in a small town?

LW: After graduation, you traveled to Europe. What was the most inspiring thing you took away from your experience?

LW: What is it like to be a young actor in Hollywood? The good, the bad?

CD: It had its own challenges. Like most of the kids my age, I grew up playing sports. I was in soccer, baseball, track, cross country, etc. However, by the time I was in high school I started developing an interest in several art forms, while still being in sports. I realized that creativity wasn’t as prized as athletic ability. Yet, that didn’t stop me. If anything it encouraged me to go where people had similar interests.

CD: Europe was simply amazing. I went to Germany through an exchange program (GAPP) right after high school. While there, I was exposed to a whole new world, and I fell in love with it. I stayed with a host family and lived in a tiny village on the edge of Berlin. I learned that no matter what someone has been through, he or she should always find a way to keep going. That was the beauty of Berlin and Germany as a whole. They could’ve crumbled after the wars and following occupation; however, they strived to correct their wrongs and move on. That resilience is admirable and definitely had an impact on me.

CD: I love that there is an unbelievably large creative community. There are more artists living in Los Angeles (including actors, painters, dancers, singers, etc.) right now than any other city in the history of the world. In addition, there is always something to do.

LW: You were Valedictorian of your class. What drove you to accomplish this goal?

CD: I’ve always been one to go the extra mile with things, and I love to learn. I also realized that having high scores would open up more doors in my future.

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LW: What inspires you?

CD: This is a hard question. One thing that particularly inspires me is the knowledge that I can always improve, be better. Whether that applies to acting or just being a good person. There is always room for improvement.

LW: Where do you see yourself in five years?

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CD: I see myself pursuing my dream with acting and modeling. I’d also like to still be living in Los Angeles.

Hopefully, I will be able to travel and experience the rest of the world as well. In addition, I might be back in school studying political science, if the opportunity presents itself.

LW: What does it mean to be a Millennial?

CD: To be a Millennial is to live in a time of great change.

Millennials are exceedingly nostalgic, because the world changed before our eyes. As a whole, we are very liberal minded and within our lifetime the world will continue to change drastically.

LW: What is your take on the creative scene in Indy?

CD: It certainly doesn’t compare to the creative scene of LA, but I find creative people back home are extremely passionate, more so than some people here in Los Angeles pursuing a career. Maybe it’s because in Indy we have to try a bit harder to be seen and heard. But the scene definitely exists and it’s very vibrant, if you want to find it.

LW: Define passion.

CD: A burning desire to do something, and never giving up no matter how hard things get. It is a fire that refuses to be extinguished.

CD: That it’s easy. It isn’t. Not in the slightest. If you find acting to be easy, you’re either working on elementary material or not working hard enough.

Another misconception is that actors are just saying lines.

Behind each line is hidden subtext and each actor has their own objectives that they try to achieve. A skilled actor is also an excellent listener. They take in everything given to them by their fellow actors, from body language to the way in which a line is delivered. Nevertheless, no matter what someone might think about acting, for me, it’s an exhilarating experience, and I could not be happier with the path I’m on.

LW: There are a plethora of obvious differences between Los Angeles and Indianapolis. What is a not-so-obvious difference?

CD: I would say diversity. Indianapolis certainly has diversity among its residents; however, LA is on a whole different level. If one were to travel to Korea Town, a neighborhood in LA, it offers a rich sense of actually being in Korea.

Caucasians are a minority in Los Angeles, and I find this to be quite enjoyable. It enables one to have a better look into the lives of people from other cultures.

to advance my career and help shape the work of those with whom I collaborate. I think only then can a piece of art be fully realized and appreciated.

LW: Do you have a particular motto or driving force?

CD: Never a failure, always a lesson. I had to learn this the hard way. In high school I never failed at anything. Then, in my first semester at The Academy I was faced with a series of trials. Some I did not handle well. I wanted to give up at times, but I moved on and learned from my mistakes and grew from them.

LW: How has your personal style evolved over the years, and what has been the biggest influence in the evolution?

CD: My travels to Europe influenced my fashion more than anything. I love the style and the overall look of Europeans.

I find it to be exceedingly individualistic.

LW: What advice would you give to fellow aspiring actors?

CD: Do not have a backup plan. Pursue your dream like there is nothing else in the world for you. Only then will things come to fruition. ✂

LW: How do you see your role in the creative community?

CD: I see myself as an actor/model who works tirelessly

LW: What are the biggest misconceptions of what it means to be an actor?

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From pretty pastels to sparkling separates, bring spring to life like we do in the Hollywood Hills.

PHOTOGRAPY BY ESTHER BOSTON STYLE BY STEPHANIE GUTIERREZ MAKEUP BY KATHY MOBERLY HAIR BY PHILIP SALMON MODEL BRIANNA GARCIA (TWO MODEL MANAGEMENT) DESIGN BY AMY MCADAMS-GONZALES RETOUCH BY WENDY TOWLE 150

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“STEPHANIE” RHINESTONE TIARA, THE FEATHERED HEAD JACKET, WITH IPUN BODYSUIT, EMILY DACCARETT BRACELETS, STYLIST’S OWN SHORTS, VIENIQUE HEELS, CARMEN STEFFENS

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“PAPILLON” WHITE FEATHER BUTTERFLY CLIP, THE FEATHERED HEAD “PIA” BROWN FEATHER BUTTERFLY CLIP, THE FEATHERED HEAD BLOUSE, IIJIN JOGGER PANT, IIJIN RINGS, STYLIST’S OWN HEELS, CARMEN STEFFENS

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More than 27 million people visit Indy annually. As an influential resident, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also a top ambassador. Invite your friends and family to our city. Take them out to dinner and local craft beers at Shoefly Public House. Cross the street and see the Indy Pride Bag Ladies perform at Talbott Street. Post about it. Tweet about it. Share the love.

Turn your friends into visitors, because a thriving city benefits us all.

For what to see, do, and eat, go to VisitIndy.com | BLOG: DoingIndy.com | FOLLOW US: @VisitIndy