Indiana Artisan

08/14/2026

Prioceeds from Penrod admission sales benefit local arts programs. Indiana Artisan will use its 2026 grant to host workshops in business skills-building for artists. Penrod Arts Fair, Sept. 12 at Newfields. Penrod Arts

08/13/2026

Where there's art, you can be pretty sure there are Indiana Artisans. Gourd artisan TeriLu Adler and rug ho**er Tracy Burns are among the regular demonstrators at the State Fair. TeriLu makes functional art using hardshell gourds. Tracy incorporates a longtime traditional art to make contemporary wall hangings and other pieces. Find both of these amazing Hoosier makers in Pioneer Village.

08/11/2026

Be part of the fun when Friends of Indiana Artisan go behind the bench with jewelry designer Nancy Lee Designs in her Indianapolis studio. During the visit, the artisan renown for her exceptional craftsmanship, creativity, and attention to detail will demonstrate her creative process, give an insider’s look at her design philosophy and offer a tour of her studio and gallery. Guests also will enjoy Indiana Artisan refreshments.

📍 Nancy Lee Designs in the Factory Arts District (formerly known as the Circle City Industrial Complex), 1125 E Brookside Ave., Indianapolis
⏰ Oct. 3, 1-3 p.m.
🎟️ Tickets, $10, are limited and must be purchased in advance https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/indianaartisanorg/nancy-lee-studio-visit

Process-oriented rather than production-driven, Nancy revels in every aspect of her craft—from design to gemstone selection, chemistry, and physics, to problem-solving, finishing techniques, and the final polish that brings each piece to life. Inspiration can strike from extraordinary gemstones, seasonal themes, celestial symbols, or fully-formed concepts, but it is nature that consistently fuels her creativity. See you there!

08/05/2026

Friends of Indiana Artisan had an extraordinary afternoon in the South Bend studio of printmaker Alan Larkin. They were treated to demonstrations of his creative process to make lithographs and etchings, and they toured the historic homes he has rehabbed for his studio, gallery and an Airbnb. Indianapolis jewelry designer Nancy Lee Designs will host the next Friends event, Oct. 3 from 1-3 p.m. More information is coming soon. Nancy Lee Designs

07/28/2026

Indiana Artisan is proud to be among the recipients for this funding. We will use our grant in part to increase engagment between artists and art enthusiasts.

Today, the Indiana Arts Commission announced it has awarded $2,353,529 to 324 nonprofit and public entities to fund arts organizations and arts projects around the state through the Fiscal Year 2027 Arts Organization Support and Fiscal Year 2027 Spring Arts Project Support grant programs. Through these grant programs, 73 of Indiana’s 92 counties will receive funding.
View all Arts Organization Support and Arts Project Support grant recipients at in.gov/arts

07/20/2026

Printmaker Alan Larkin likes to experiment. He experimented with the idea of becoming a doctor, until 2 years in pre-med taught him that his true calling was drawing. For more than 50 years, the South Bend Indiana Artisan has experimented with -- and mastered -- printmaking, which has a long, proud tradition in Indiana.

“The etching medium captivates me with its vast possibilities, offering numerous techniques and outcomes to explore,” he says, noting that printmaking and etching like medicine, require a great deal of skill and patience. “Each step must be approached with care and attention. Every print is the result of a deliberate, methodical process, ensuring that the final piece reflects both the technique and the story behind its creation.”

The etching process involves drawing on copper plates, immersing them in acid and transferring images onto paper. The plate can produce copies of the original, which are issued as numbered editions. “Copper plates are covered with a dark, acid-resistant, waxy ground,” Alan said. Sharp tools make marks that expose the copper color. “Evaluating the drawing takes skill as lines which will eventually print as black on a white ground appear as light lines on a dark ground. And of course, they are right-reading rather than left-reading.”

Alan will demonstrate his creative process during a Friends of Indiana Artisan studio visit, 1-4 p.m. Aug. 1. Participation is limited and tickets, $10, are required. FMI: events.ticketleap.com/tickets/indianaartisanorg/visit-with-a-printmaker

07/18/2026

Congratulations to the amazing and talented singers in town for the Great American Songbook competition. You wow us. If you're looking for some music-inspired art, Indiana Artisan in the Carmel Arts & Design District would like the chance to wow you, too.

07/14/2026

On July 15, a panel of artists and art educators will review applications from Hoosiers around the state to determine what new art will earn the Indiana Artisan designation. It's a long process that closes our store in the Carmel Arts & Design District for the day. We'll reopen Thursday, announce decisions in late August.

07/10/2026

Keep up on Indiana Artisan news and events in our monthly newsletter. The July edition was emailed the evening of July 10 with details about Saturday's Top Spinner Contest, a studio visit with printmaker Alan Larkin, a calendar of art events throughout the state, and more.

If you did not receive it and are a Gmail user, check your Promotions folder. We learned recently that due to the way Gmail now sorts messages, many newsletters are sent to Promotions folders, not Inboxes. Moving one edition to the Inbox should "train" Gmail to send future Indiana Artisan newsletters there.

Everyone gets a turn in the 7th annual Top Spinner Contest at Indiana Artisan Gifts & Gallery. But will anyone beat last year's top spin of 1 minute, 16 seconds? Or the record set in 2023, 1 minute, 33 seconds?