Miller Beach Arts & Creative District lands Indiana Arts Commission funding

The Miller Beach Arts & Creative District landed a state grant to promote arts and creativity in the Steel City.

The arts group hosts exhibits, film screenings, lectures and other cultural programs at the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts at 540 S. Lake St. in Gary's lakefront Miller Beach neighborhood. It also stages the popular Miller Beach Farmer's Market.

The Indiana Arts Commission awarded $6,337 to the Miller Beach Arts & Creative District, which has been recently adding more programming like an art-dispensing vending machine under new leadership.

“We are truly honored to be the recipient of organization support from the Indiana Arts Commission. Through this funding the Miller Beach Arts & Creative District will provide quality art exhibitions, community art classes, live musical entertainment, film events and wellness programming through yoga and Pilates at our gallery space the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts, and work with community partners in the area," said MBACD Board President Kathy Long. "This funding is of great importance as we navigate our way out of the pause in our programming and revenue-producing activities caused by the pandemic. We are also grateful to State of Indiana Representatives Ragen Hatcher and Frank Mrvan for their support and encouragement of our efforts to provide arts opportunities to our community and the revitalization of the Lake Street corridor."

The state agency supported the Miller Beach Arts & Creative District through its Arts Organization Support grant program.

“Art and creativity strengthen the fabric of Indiana’s communities. They promote connection and cohesion, foster the entrepreneurial spirit communities need to thrive, and create the kinds of communities where people want to live,” said Miah Michaelsen, Executive Director of the Indiana Arts Commission.

The funding was supplied by the Indiana General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.