A year of Mirror Indy Culture Journals


When Mirror Indy launched last December, I set out to find people who wanted to share what a week in their cultural lives looks like.

A year later, we shared a total of 31 culture journals from people who eat, dance, organize, love, dream, read poems and novels and make art and music in Indianapolis.

We now know that Indy Fever players volunteer their time, how the guy behind the IndyGo social media accounts comes up with his ideas, which gym a local DJ visits to find her peace, and where a poet gets her mustache waxed.

For the journals, we commissioned original artworks by collage artist Christina Hollering and from Erica Parker and Rafael Caro of Chromatic Collective, as well as other guest artists.

January

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Left, “Haha” collage by Jennifer Delgadillo. Right, provided photo, Lou Harry.

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“Haha,” 2024. (Left) Jenifer Delgadillo for Mirror Indy, (Right) Provided photo/Lou Harry

In January, playwright Lou Harry, a self-described arts jury junkie, met a stranger in a parking lot to buy a board game.


February

“Indy Fever’s Culture Journal,” 2024. (Left) Christina Hollering for Mirror Indy, (Right) Provided photos/NBAE via Getty Images

In February, four Indy Fever players — Aliyah Boston, Erica Wheeler, Grace Berger and Lexie Hull — took us behind the scenes of NBA All-Star weekend.


March

“Bryan’s Culture Journal,” 2024. (Left) Erica Parker and Rafael Caro for Mirror Indy, (Right) Provided photo/Bryan G. Ball

Just in time for spring, theater actor Bryan G. Ball journaled as he found romance while rehearsing a stage play in March.


April

“Eclipse,” 2024. (Left) Ania Spyra for Mirror Indy, (Right) Provided photo/Jenny Walton

Jenny Walton, Pattern Magazine’s editor, saw the April solar eclipse and shared poems to make sense of the world.


May

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Kacee Krauter, a bike courier for ClusterTruck.

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Kacee Krauter, a bike courier for ClusterTruck. Credit: Photo provided by Kacee Krauter

In May, ClusterTruck bike courier Kacee Krauter took us along for a ride as he made his deliveries around Indy.


June

“Strawberry Festival,” 2024. (Left) Christina Hollering for Mirror Indy, (Right) Provided photo/Christ Church Cathedral’s Strawberry Festival

Shannon Joyce, a volunteer for Indy’s Strawberry Fest, showed us what baking 15,320 strawberry shortcakes looks like in the month of June.


July

“Oreo Jones’ Culture Journal,” 2024. (Left) Erica Parker for Mirror Indy, (Right) Provided photo/Oreo Jones

In July, musician Oreo Jones, the founder of the Chreece hip-hop festival, invited us to a hibachi party.


August

“Taylor’s Culture Journal,” 2024. (Left) Christina Hollering for Mirror Indy, (Right) Provided photo/Taylor Lewandowski

As we got ready to go back to school in August, Herron High School teacher Taylor Lewandowski, who owns Dream Palace Books, told us that he watches Japanese manga at the gym.


September

“Coye’s Culture Journal,” 2024. (Left) Christina Hollering for Mirror Indy, (Right) Provided photo/Jes Nijjer

In September, film nerd and barista Coye Lloyd gave us major fomo with all the great food she ate in a week. She also watched great movies.


October

“Amanda Kingsbury’s Culture Journal,” 2024. (Left) Erica Parker for Mirror Indy, (Right) Provided photo/Amanda Kingsbury

Our very own managing editor of innovation, Amanda Kingsbury, showed us how October is done. She took us to Irvington, Indy’s spookiest neighborhood, in a Culture Journal that was not for the faint of heart.


November

“Christian Cabrera’s Culture Journal,” 2024. (Left) Christina Hollering for Mirror Indy, (Right) Provided photo/Christian Cabrera

In November, Christian Cabrera, a housekeeper who is also probably the #1 customer at Greg’s Our Place, submitted the first-ever Spanish language Culture Journal. We translated it to English to share it with you.


December

Our December Culture Journal comes from Masha Kuznetsova, a Russian immigrant who works at the cozy Red Door Cafe on 237 N. East St.

Next year, we want to hear from you!

Mirror Indy Culture Journals are all about getting to know neighbors from all over Indy. That includes you! Take us behind the scenes of your everyday life by sharing what you’re eating, watching, doing and making.

Are you in? Send me an email to [email protected] introducing yourself, and I’ll walk you through how to write a culture journal.

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