Every good rally has a chant, right? There’s the infamous “Hell no, we won’t go!” Or how about, “Say it aint’ so, Joe.”
Although the Indy Culture Matters Rally in downtown Indianapolis Monday didn’t have a memorable chant, it had music, influential speakers and a crowd of about 2,000 with a whole lot of heart. I only wish IMA Director Max Anderson would’ve emailed us his post-rally thoughts earlier to use as a pre-rally chant – “Culture counts and we need to be counted!”
How this Movement got off the Ground
Here are the basics: A movement started with conversations among leaders of cultural organizations throughout Central Indiana. Not long after, the movement started popping up on the Web via Twitter, Facebook, eblasts and on the newly created Web site indyculturematters.org. A logo was designed and t-shirts were ordered (IMA members got one free). The rally on Monument Circle was an opportunity for Central Indiana’s cultural institutions, and anyone who believes that Indy culture matters, to make some noise! We demonstrated that Indy Culture matters in our lives, our economy and to the future of Indianapolis.
Speakers at the rally included:
- Superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools Dr. Eugene White
- Community member Pam Davidson
- CEO of Central Indiana Corporate Partnership Mark Miles
- President and CEO of WellPoint, Inc. Angela Braly
- CEO of Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association Don Welsh
- Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard
- Arts Patron Frank Basile
