For twenty years, Pauline Moffat has had the privilege of watching Indianapolis reinvent itself through the arts.
“When I first arrived in Indianapolis in 2005, people talked about downtown very differently than they do today. Mass Ave was emerging, but still fragile; a corridor of beautiful historic buildings, hopeful business owners, artists, empty storefronts, and enormous possibility, stated Moffat. “There was a growing belief that the arts could do more than entertain. The arts could transform an entire neighborhood.”
One of the most important moments in that transformation came from a community conversation initiated by Brian Payne at CICF that asked a deceptively simple question: What could make downtown Indianapolis vibrant, walkable, creative, and alive?
That same spirit landed in Indianapolis through Mayor Bart Peterson’s Cultural Tourism Initiative and the “Theatre City Indianapolis 2012” discussions, which helped imagine a downtown driven not only by sports and conventions, but by culture, experimentation, and creativity.
“IndyFringe became one of the sparks,” she mentions. “The idea was inspired by the original Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the legendary movement born in Scotland in 1947 when independent artists performed outside the official festival because they simply believed their voices deserved to be heard.”
What followed over the next two decades was not accidental. It was the result of artists, entrepreneurs, neighborhood advocates, donors, city leaders, volunteers, and audiences all deciding that the arts mattered enough to fight for.
“Mass Ave itself has undergone one of the most remarkable urban revitalizations in the Midwest. In the 1970s and early 1980s, much of the avenue was boarded up and neglected. Today, it is one of Indianapolis’ defining cultural destinations: home to theatres, galleries, restaurants, music venues, festivals, apartments, public art, and creative businesses.”
Anchor institutions mattered enormously in that rebirth. The Athenaeum, Old National Centre, Theatre on The Square, Phoenix Theatre, IndyFringe, galleries, small music clubs, coffee shops, and later organizations like The District Theatre all helped create the ecosystem that turned Mass Ave into a true arts and entertainment corridor.
“What made Mass Ave special was never simply commerce. It was the collision of ideas,” Moffat states.
“People could wander from experimental theatre to jazz, from visual art to drag performance, from spoken word to dance, all within a few blocks. The avenue became a place where creativity felt visible and accessible and where artists and audiences shared the same sidewalks and coffee shops.”
“When we reopened The District Theatre in 2018 following the transformation from Theatre on the Square, we believed deeply in that original vision. The goal was not simply to preserve a theatre building. It was to continue building a home for eclectic, accessible, and diverse performance in the center of the city.”
Then came COVID.
“Like every arts organization in America, we faced a moment of uncertainty. But one of the great lessons of the arts community is that creativity often thrives under pressure. We built an outdoor stage in the alley behind the theatre, and audiences returned to “theatre under the stars” because they needed connection, laughter, music, and shared experience. Those evenings reminded us that theatre is not a luxury. It is part of how communities heal.”
Today, The District Theatre welcomes more than 13,000 people annually through its doors. The programming ranges from Indianapolis Ballet to off-Broadway plays, new musicals, and productions from emerging local companies. The Indianapolis Black Theatre Company now calls The District home, and the Black Light Training & Development program is helping build a pipeline for new artists and theatre professionals.
Now Mass Ave stands at another important crossroads.
“The newly launched “Mass Ave NEXT Vision Plan” is designed to gather community input and help shape the future of the district for the next generation. Nearly 7,000 residents now live within the Mass Ave community, and businesses, organizations, artists, and neighbors are being asked an important question once again: What kind of cultural corridor do we want this to become?”
That conversation matters enormously.
Because the next twenty years cannot simply be about development. They must be about balance.
As downtown Indianapolis continues to grow, the challenge will be protecting the very artistic energy that made Mass Ave successful in the first place. Artists and small arts organizations were among the pioneers who helped transform underused historic buildings into destinations. If we lose affordable creative spaces, independent venues, and opportunities for emerging artists, we risk losing the soul of the district itself.
“The future must include intentional investment in culture, public gathering spaces, outdoor activation, affordable rehearsal and performance venues, artist development, and creative risk-taking. The arts are not a side note to economic development. In many ways, they are the reason people choose cities at all.”
People are drawn to places that feel alive and connected.
That is why philanthropy and civic leadership matter more than ever. The continued investment of individuals, foundations, businesses, and cultural advocates will determine whether Mass Ave remains merely successful or whether it continues to be genuinely creative.
“What gives me hope is this: every generation seems to rediscover the same truth. Young artists still arrive downtown looking for community, audiences still crave shared experiences, and people still gather around stories, music, and performance. Twenty years later, I still believe the original vision was right. The arts did help transform downtown Indianapolis. And if we keep the lights on, keep the doors open, and continue making room for new voices, they still can.”
Photo Credit: Ben Rose
