Kewanna among ten Indiana Communities to launch Creative Convergence projects

The Indiana Arts Commission announced that ten Indiana communities have received training on how to accelerate their arts and culture development and been approved for grant funding through the Creative Convergence program.

Creative Convergence is a program of the Indiana Arts Commission, conducted in partnership with the Indiana Communities Institute at Ball State University’s Miller College of Business. The program was launched in 2023 and consists of a two-day training workshop and an Early Action Grant Program. Teams of community members representing local government, economic development entities, arts organizations, educational institutions, tourism groups, and other community-focused roles were in attendance.   

The two-day Creative Convergence workshop was held on November 4th and 5th, 2025, in Fishers, IN. The training focused on how to embed arts and creativity in community and economic planning and solutions, how to work collaboratively across sectors, and how to effectively engage with community.  

Following the training program, communities had the opportunity to apply for a Creative Convergence Early Action grant. This grant program is designed to allow communities to apply the learnings from the workshop to a project that benefits creatives and the community. Each community received $5,000 in grant funding to support their project.  Communities also had the opportunity to leverage additional local and public support through the CreatINg Places program from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority and Patronicity.    

The Delphi Arts Council, working with local arts leaders and Delphi Main Street, will transform an underused space between the historic Delphi Library and City Building into the Delphi Arts Garden. The project will create a vibrant outdoor cultural hub featuring a small performance stage, flexible seating, lighting, and interactive musical play equipment for children and families. 

The Marion Arts Commission will install a window mural by a local artist at the city’s central bus station, enhancing downtown placemaking and promoting free public transit. The station also serves as the backdrop for 18 summer concerts at Penrod Plaza. Funding will support the artist stipend, a promotional video, and production and installation of the mural, strengthening community pride and economic vitality. 

The complete list of participating communities, and their projects, are as follows:  

• Angola — Synergy: Enriching Everyday Life through Creativity & Collaboration 

• Delphi — Delphi Arts Garden 

• Gary — ARTIV: Active Arts 

• Greensburg — Decatur County Skate Park Revamp 

• Indianapolis — littlebikegallery and PEDESTAL Routes 

• Kewanna — The Heart of Kewanna 

• Marion — Penrod Plaza Gateway: Creative Placemaking at the Marion Bus Station 

• Muncie — Close Encounters Muncie 

• Terre Haute — Light Up Wabash 

• Vincennes — Fleur de Lis Coll