The first-ever extension of the Cultural Trail in Indianapolis is now open and comes with another first for the urban trail: a planned sonic art experience.
The expansion, which was unveiled at a ribbon cutting Thursday morning, extends about a mile along Indiana Avenue and 10th Street between the Madam Walker Legacy Center and Riley Hospital Drive. The new section of path will make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to navigate the busy intersection of 10th Street and Indiana Avenue. The trail also connects to the White River Wapahani Trail and the Fall Creek Greenway.
And there’s music in store for those traveling along Indiana Avenue. The portion of the trail past the Madam Walker Center and the Indianapolis Urban League will feature music related to the area’s rich cultural history daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The addition came out of conversations between the Cultural Trail, neighbors and community members in the wake of the 2020 killing of George Floyd when artists painted a Black Lives Matter mural on Indiana Avenue, said Kären Haley, executive director of the Nun -profit organization Cultural Trail.
“We heard from people who had their memories of Indiana Avenue and all the music clubs that were there, the live music that was there, comments about how Indiana Avenue and musicians who played on Indiana Avenue clearly inspired musicians and music far, far away from Indiana Avenue itself – really all over the world,” Haley told IndyStar.
“We really wanted to take that to heart.”
That idea manifested itself in a series of speakers that play music at what Haley describes as a respectful volume rather than a rock concert. To get the project off the ground, the Cultural Trail reached out to Kyle Long and Herman “Butch” Slaughter, who are producing and narrating the WFYI audio documentary “Echoes of Indiana Avenue.”
First on the playlist is music from ensembles affiliated with LAMP Records. The Indianapolis-based soul and funk label had its heyday in the late 1960s and early 1970s, launching groups like the Vanguards, Pearls and Ebony Rhythm Band.
The rotating music playlists are curated by a newly assembled sounding board and change every four to six weeks, Haley said. People passing by can find out more information about the artists currently performing at indyculturaltrail.org.
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“This I think really gives the person who’s out and about a sensory experience, but they can still walk,” Haley said. “You don’t have to stop and look. You can stop and listen if you want, but it will simply be one and the same with your experience on the Cultural Route.”
There is also more art on the way. Earlier this year, the Cultural Route conducted a survey to determine what type of public art people would like to see on the extensions. Haley said the nonprofit Cultural Trail is currently in the planning process for future art.
The next extension of the trail, expected to open in the fall, will be along South Street, Haley said. The two new trail extensions will cost $30 million, including money for trail maintenance and public art. Investors include the Lilly Endowment, Elevance Health Foundation, Lilly Foundation and the city of Indianapolis, according to a news release from the nonprofit Cultural Trail.
The $21.2 million White River extension, which is still in the design phase, is expected to open around the same time as the Henry Street bridge.
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Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.
This article originally appeared on the Indianapolis Star: Cultural Trail’s Indiana Avenue extension is open and playing music
