An Indianapolis cultural icon: Madame C.J. Walker Theatre

If the city of Indianapolis were ever to hold a community-wide arts and culture festival, one of the facilities that should serve as an anchor venue is the Madame C.J. Walker Theatre, an institution on Indiana Avenue, one of the city's six designated cultural districts.

The theater, located about a mile northwest of Monument Circle, which is considered the heart of downtown, opened in 1927 and quickly became known as "the Jewel of the Avenue," which for a long time was where the African American community turned to develop business and cultivate its musical talent. It's where jazz greats Freddie Hubbard, Wes Montgomery, Jimmy Cole and Noble Sissle planted their roots. It was named for Walker, commonly regarded as the first African American millionaire. She made her fortune with a successful line of beauty and hair products for African American women.

The Avenue -- and theater -- suffered from blight when its businesses and residents moved outward in the 1960s, '70s and early '80s. Many of the buildings were leveled. By 1988, the theater -- one of the few that survived the wrecking ball even though it had been abandoned and closed during those hard times -- was restored and reopened, putting emphasis on the performing arts. The city has only recently dedicated efforts to regenerate the area, giving hope that it can come alive like its days in the early years of the 20th century. A museum has opened in the building, and African American children take advantage of various programs throughout the year, including summer daytime performing arts classes.

I visited the theater -- easily the corner stone of the Indiana Avenue cultural district -- early last month. The theater's staff welcomed my request to do a photo shoot, and the pictures you see here are from that visit. A full gallery of images from the shoot can be found at my site at SmugMug.

Above: You can see my reflection, while taking this photo, in the door windows in this shot of the ticket booth outside the theater's main entrance.

Above: A look southeast toward the downtown Indianapolis skyscrapers.

Above and next two below: Decorative trimming on the theater's facade.

Above and below: The theater's board room.

Above: Children attend arts classes in the 4,800-square-foot banquet hall and ballroom during summer months. Before all classes, parents of the students sign consent forms that allow the children to be photographed.  

Above: Doors to the banquet hall and ballroom.

Above: The kitchen that serves the banquet hall.

Above and next eight below: Scenes from the theater, beginning with the lobby (above and first three below), followed by shots from the balcony and balcony seating a detail shot of artwork on the stage, one of the restrooms and a floor level shot.

Above: The lobby to the main entrance.

 Above: The first of several images from the Walker Museum. 

Above: Across the street from the theater is this landscaping for Sigma Theta Tau International, the honor society for nursing.

Cancer Survivors Park to get new home

Talk about catching up!

Wednesday's edition of The Indianapolis Star carried a story about plans to move a Cancer Survivors Park several miles away from its current site on a triangle-shaped median where 10th Street, Indiana Avenue and University Boulevard converge near the expansive Wishard-IU-Riley Children's hospital complex.

Indy Parks officials say there are several reasons for the move to a site along Fall Creek Parkway between Delaware Street and Central Avenue, just east of the Julia Carson Government Center.

For one, the marriage of the park's concept -- to salute cancer survivors -- with the nearby medical facilities where cancer patients receive treatment was undermined by the fact that for years the park, ironically, has been used largely as a place where smokers hang out. Also, the park's focal point, a banner (bearing the park's name) supported by four tri-layer I-beams, is deteriorating and would cost more to repair than to simply move the park's remaining components -- plaques and statues -- to another site.

Still another reason for the move is access, something I can attest to, having visited the park three years ago on one of my many visits to Riley Hospital for Children, where my granddaughter spent more than a month after birth battling various medical issues (quick update: She made it through and is getting ready to celebrate her third birthday).

Being in the center of that intersection of three very busy streets, including two major thoroughfares, the park is accessible only by foot or bicycle, because no street parking is allowed. When I visited, I had been parked in one of the hospital garages, so I made a side visit to the park when I stepped out of the hospital to grab lunch a few blocks away.

The new site is in the Mapleton-Fall Creek Neighborhood, whose leaders feel the park will be used. They envision it being the start and end point of rallies and fundraising events, such as a 5K run/walk, on behalf of cancer awareness and cure.

When I visited in late August 2009, I don't remember seeing a lot of disrepair, although there was some rusting along the moulding at the top of the banner, which you can see in the picture leading off this post. There also were some minor weeds sprinkled within the cracks of the brick foundation. When I drove by it not too long ago, sadly, I noticed a lot of large weeds on the grounds. It's possible those have been removed by now, but it did tell me that something about the park was not quite right.

I never posted pictures of my visit to the park after I took them three years ago. So in light of this week's news about plans to move the park to a new site, I post them here today.