Carmel: A City on The Schmooze

I think your assessment is absolutely spot on. When will city politicians ever learn that you can't fake authenticity?

Best. IndyScribe Article. Ever.

What they seem to be trying to do, in a really hackneyed way, is respond to Richard Florida's "The Rise of the Creative Class" http://www.creativeclass.org in which he observes that cities that cultivate a creative, artistic (somewhat bohemian) culture tend to thrive economically because they attract a workforce that is creative and productive. Unfortunately, many cities want to attract the workforce without actually dealing with the bohemian culture, which gives rise to these artificial "art" districts.

You can see where Indianapolis ranks compared to other cities. It's not terribly pretty.

http://www.creativeclass.org/rankings.shtml

Mind you, this is also the same Carmel that kicked its own citizens out of a rather large public fountain in Civic Square. People would walk the Monon, enjoy the parks and then congregate at the fountain. The city did not like children swimming in the fountian, which yes - is a concern for safety - not to mention the health risk associated with the human stew that could be created from so many bodies in an unsanitized pool of water.

But that's a perfect example of an organically defined social construct created in a town by the people who live there. The people defined the space as theirs and the activity as social ritual - which serves to strenghten the ties of the people. If Carmel took a look at why people were there, doing what they were doing, they could have spent money on a public park water feature - where it was safe to splash around. The community would be nutured and would grow.

Instead, signs were posted and the fountain is deserted. It makes me wonder if the move by the city to turn Old Town into a commerce/visitors district will only ruin what charm the area might have and further alienate anyone who has lived in the area for more than a few years (in a house that wasn't built in the last five).

But - oh well - who cares? I'm moving.

Has anyone seen the Village of West Clay located just west of Carmel? The Carmel Arts & Design District is sad, but West Clay is down right creepy. Five years ago West Clay was a corn field, now it is a cluster of expensive homes/condos made up to look like an idillic small town square (think of the downtown in 'Back to the Future'). I could easily be convinced that 'The Stepford Wives' was filmed in West Clay.

Take a look:

http://www.brenwick.com/wclaround.asp

Michael:
I agree with a lot of what you wrote...and I grew up on the northside of Indy but I live in Carmel now. However- I think Carmel is doing a good job with parks and the farmer's market (although it's gotten too way too big). I used to live in Louisville and the arts scene is funded more and therefore more happening and less expensive. I don't think of Indy as an artsy city because of the general conservativeness and emphasis on sports. I hope this changes. Don't give up on Carmel:) there are some fun things to do and some good restaurants!

Give up? Nah - there are a few houses off of main that I'd love to be able to afford ;D Plus everything is very convenient. But this was more a study on community vs corporate dynamics in an area that has a reputation as being a land of Hummers.

The bohemian tribes which ultimately drive true art and culture within a society are often an undesirable element for such a corporate move that the city of Carmel is making. I certainly could not see the Talbot Street culture of ten - fifteen years ago flocking to Range Line and Main now (or even tolerated by the city), just because a few signs have been put up.

Mind you, I'm coming from a background, where art is challenging, sometimes ugly, confrontational and against the grain. I can remember a high school field trip, where we visited a gallery on Mass Ave (circa 1988). It was privately owned by the artist. The heat had been shut off and the artists girlfriend sat bundled up in a winter coat by a space heater as she watched the store. But she was more than happy to take us to the back room to let us see additional works.

So instead of maping off a portion of the gird, sticking a label on it, and hoping that the veneer sticks, why not put that money into the programs that are already in place - to support the local and independant galleries and shops where they already exist?

I'm not really coming down on Carmel per se, but rather the idea that artificially creating a sense of culture is good for business, when the real deal is out there and in need of some attention.

I went to that same Mass Ave. gallery, although a couple years later (1992 maybe?). Still no heat or renovation, but excellent art, and quite different than the McChain art galleries that are coming into town now. I don't want to go the TGIFriday's of art galleries, I'd rather see (and buy) locally produced stuff.

I agree with you. I didn't want Carmel to be singled out because I don't think Indy is doing enough to fund the arts. (as compared with other cities) Yes and the Disney-like atmosphere of art is not art. Let's hope Carmel backs it up with some funding and authenticity (maybe:)

Here's hoping. I also fear for the future of the small businesses in the area.

I know...especially indie restaurants...I worry about them.

I just drove under the arch tonight for the first time. It appears that I should have slowed down for a closer look. Michael, your photos and captions are great. I have also been to the Village at West Clay which I have to agree with Brent, it is very creepy. It looks like a movie backlot. Poor Carmel has always had such an identity crisis being a suburb of Indy.

Love the blog. Keep up the good work, guys!

I laughed, I cried. The article was one of the funniest pieces I've read on the Internet in some time.

Does Carmel have a slogan. Downtown Indy's has to be one of the worst "Amazingly Always New". What does that mean anyway? Is the downtown area torn down every night and re-built before sunrise the next day?

Actually I'd rather have a downtown that's "Modestly Sometimes Old". Isn't that part of the attraction of going downtown? To see something historic, buildings that have withstood the test of time.

Also, what is Indy's "Wholesale District"? Are they planning to put in a Sam's Club or Costco down there. I've been downtown many times since the mall opened and yet I've never engaged in any "wholesaling" whilst in the "Wholesale District". How does one participate in said activity?

I wonder how much was paid to whatever marketing/PR firm that came up with "Amazingly Always New"?

Speaking of artificial "Mayberry" like settings -- check out what these housing developers are doing around Indianapolis; recreating downtown -- but in Zionsville and Fishers.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050710/BUSINESS/507100335

Here's a dumb idea -- instead of doing this, why not redevelop downtown Indy? Oh, yeah, because we don't want to fix IPS.

Have you ever been to Celebration, FL? It's the incorporated town outside of Orlando originally financed by the Disney Corp., but later cut loose to fester on its own. It's one of these "Mayberry" communities -- pretty on the outside but with a chewy fascist core. The covenants are very strict as to housing style and color and landscape. When I drove through, I didn't see any actual humans, although the model home had posed mannequins in the windoww -- creepy. Even more disturbing (and I know this sounds like a bad dream) there were one or two black minivans parked on every street. What were they doing there? Who were they watching? It was a suburban nightmare John Cheever-meets-Stephen-King ickfest.

All of the slamming of Carmel's Arts and Design District is troublesome to me. It is easy to sit back and be snide, but if anyone was to look into what the city has planned for the area as well as see what developement is currently underway, I believe most of the critics would be silenced. NO where in Indianapolis is there any area that has as much promise, coupled with people with incomes to support such plans, as Old Town Carmel. Mass Ave is a joke. Broadripple - while a better effort - is long on shortcomings. Carmels A&D districts has Addendum Gallery (prop the nicest store of its kind in the Indy area), A new Baxbeauxs Pizza, and numerous other LOCALLY OWNED stores and restaurants. As the area grows, and strict building codes are followed, more and more arts orientated business

Thanks for your insights into a city I have visited many times over the years. Initiatives like arts and design districts are often undertaken in response to one of two things: A genuine desire to respond to a general call to improve the aesthetics, the beauty missing in utilitarian buildings, streetscapes, etc...(a time-honored activity since the early Assyrian empire began widening streets, glorifying garden spaces and decorating buildings), or, a calculated (some might call it cynical)effort to give the appearance that shop owners and professionals can safely move into a city buffered by clean open spaces, attractive streets and ordinances that keep the less upscale shops clustered elsewhere... Perhaps our artist-and-academic-run nonprofit can help mitigate the problems always associated with planned arts and cultural corridors - some of which you alluded to in your article. I suggest you look at our operating foundation's About Page, paragraph two: Sustainable arts and design districts thrive only when artist-and-developer participants focus on achieving lasting change in their neighborhoods in terms that reflect the cherished values of the community. While greater Indianapolis government leaders and developers cannot simply buy their way into the pantheon of North American culture or effectively re-postion neighboring towns by claiming district status as an honorific, they can, and often will, cultivate mutually beneficial relationships with both serious and commercial artists and arts purveyors, drawn from all the 7 arts, in ways that avoid the artificiality you appear to abhor and the authenticity of expression you apparently crave. Perhaps the point is, if any one of us wish to comment on our great city's many cultural expressions, let us ask ourselves how we are pooling our time, talent and money together to offer complementary or alternative expressions that say who we are, state what we believe, trumpet what we celebrate... Please, let us all look carefully, soberly at what we all claim, and then stand ready to accept what criticisms may come should we fall short. And, note that the average N.A. arts district takes two years to plan, four-to-seven years to develop and and another five years to mature (that is, to weed out the expressions and operations that fail to resonate with the public and/or the arts community, and if done with the aid and assistance of artists and artisans, another generation to prove its worth as an instrument of lasting change. I have no personal knowledge as to how Carmel's leaders are proceeding; I will follow their work over the next decade to see if they can attract what you rightly call 'real' artists and can pull together the sustainable nine aspects of arts and design district development. I think the whole business of arts and design district development would be better served if everyone on all three sides of the issue would take the time to learn what is needed to enliven the work and living space of Carmel. Congratulations on getting some folks who care about Carmel talking and writing with each other. Now, please send out a clarion call to get all the parties working together... Thanks. drthomas19@hotmail.com

Wow - thanks for the information on the 7 Arts Foundation! I wish I had access to that website when I penned this article last year.

And yes, Walter, to answer your post (sorry for the delay) it *is* easy to sit back and be snide - which is why I do it ;D Ok - just kidding there.

Seriously though, I think part of my... questioning (if that's a good word for it) was from the idea that an area of town that is known more for its exclusiveness and less for its inclusiveness could suddenly have a definitive arts district when culture for the area currently amounts to some decorative glass or seeing a musical at the civic theater.

It's like saying Ybor City is still a dynamic and burgeoning multi-cultural neighborhood. It's not and hasn't been ever since they moved the people who gave the area its character out and started charging $10 to park in an alley.

So it still feels very fake to me.

Mass Ave may not be a true arts district, and probably hasn't been for a while. With the move of Herron across Michigan Ave, the old north side has lost a bit of that youthful artistic edge. And especially since the rents went up. And up. And up.

Broad Ripple? How is that "better"? I'm not seeing it. Small businesses do ok if they can make the rent and find parking for thier customers (I can't count the number of indie businesses I've seen come and go from the strip). Local music is almost dead in the neighborhood (R.I.P. The Patio) and where once artists, hippies and punks hung out you now find drunk frat boys and corporate liquor bikini girls.

So where is the *real* artstdistrict in Indy? Is it regulated to the Stutz building (but only when the music isn't too loud). Is it still alive and kicking in the back alleys of So Bro? Or could it be bubbling under the surface in Fountain Square, still waiting to really be tapped?

My vote is on the later personally.

A few years ago I would have been the first one to say that I'd never live in Carmel based on it's reputation: snobs who drive SUVs and live in huge new construction homes. But when my partner and I started looking for a house to buy in late 2002(searching all over the Indianapolis area), we found the perfect one....in Carmel.

People still give me a hard time when they hear I live in Carmel, but I quickly point out why and describe the side of Carmel that I see every day, which is different than the stereotype.

I live with my partner in a great neighborhood, each home has character, style, and an interesting history. Our house needed a lot of work when we bought it, which we did all by ourselves. Little did we know that when we worked on our house, it would wake up the neighborhood, get people out, talking, and working on their homes, and would lead to a new hobby for us.

We are currently working on our third home in the neighborhood. Oh, and the last home we renovated, we sold to another gay couple and they're accepted by the 80 year old neighbors just like we are.

We have met so many people because of our hobby. Friendly Carmel residents (no it is not an oxymoron) will drive up and introduce themselves and want to see what we're up to. Many times we'll see people at Bub's or on the Monon and they'll recognize us as the girls working on houses on Main St. We enjoy meeting people, but we're actually quiet people who happen to enjoy their hobby and are glad to be part of an area that is growing and changing, and hopefully giving Carmel a new reputation.

This is our contribution to the Carmel Arts and Design District...renovating mid-century modern homes, using vibrant colors and style, and hopefully showing people that Carmel has an interesting architectural history, and not just new construction.

I don't know if you guys can knock the Arts and Design district or Clay Terrace or the Village of West Clay or any of the icons that are in Carmel. Do you realize that every major city in the U.S. has it's own version of a "Carmel?" When will people stop bashing Carmel for the improvements it's making in suburban living in Indianapolis and realize that we should actually have more areas like Carmel in metro Indy. Take a look at Orange County, CA, suburban Washington, D.C. or the whole freakin state of Connecticut. They're one big Carmel. You should consider Carmel an improvement to the life in Indianapolis, making Indy a city that's more like a "big city" instead of typical "hick-berg" in the Midwest.

I don't think anyone's against "improving" anything -- but this weird artificial arts district doesn't do much to help create a more vibrant art scene, which was sor of the point of story. Take a look at the pictures of businesses. Do any of those scream "art" to you?

The point is that rather than just putting in an archway, nurturing the arts by helping fund and promote independent artists is a key factor in creating a more culturally diverse city.

Ultimately, any arts and design district will need to be supported by the public...not just by enjoying wandering through the shops, but by purchasing art. Wondering if apartment boy in Carmel has two nickles to rub together to make a purchase or just likes to slam the efforts of Carmel before the project has even gotten off the ground.

Traditionally, arts districts in major metropolitan areas were not so much created but rather evolved. Older buildings with loft space were available at very economical prices and attracted many artists. A few of those artists turned out to be quite promising and that fueled an infusion of talent to the district. The Soho district in New York is a prime example. Interestingly enough, after years of legendary success, the rents in the Soho district today exclude most marginal artists. Cheap rent does not make for good art, and the public knows it. If this district is going to succeed, it will succeed on the basis of the work presented and on that basis alone. Indianapolis area residents, I believe will support the arts district if the arts district is presenting quality work.

At tne end of the day, the district is going to require those with not only the means but the inclination to support the district. Presently folks who meet both criteria are spending money on art in places like New York and Chicago. What the district does not need is another bunch of no talent artists laboring in endeavors of empty expression looking for support from a community that demands something better. That's how Mass Ave came about, and to a lesser extent, Broadripple. Any reasonable individual when considering opening a fine art gallery is going to consider the demographics of the location. In that regard, the city of Carmel in surrounding locals exceeds even the most ambitious expectations.

This is coming to you from an existing gallery owner who is seriously considering relocating to the arts and design district in Carmel. It is our intention to make the investment in the type of gallery that would compare favoraby with the finer galleries of Chicago, New York, San Francisco, etc. We will step up to the plate. Will you?

You guys need to find something better to do with your time!

I just checked out your article for the first time because I was surfing around for a job in the arts in Carmel. I was hoping that since The Arts and Design District was now here there would be more potential in the arts venue as a career. So far I have had no luck. But I still have hopes that some day this area will grow into a diverse art community show-casing every thing from Kincaid to Kandinsky type art. Oh and by the way if any future art gallery owners are looking for a fantastic employee who has a degree in fine arts and lives right on Main Street please contact me at this e-mail address. Thanks, Kelly Oswalt