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Teresa Reynolds didn't set out to be a singer. She set out to be an actor. She grew up in Indianapolis, fell in love with performing in junior high, trained through a theatre intensive at Broad Ripple High School, and earned an acting degree from Ball State. Singing was always there. Inspired by her father’s love of music, she had been writing music with her brother, producer T.J. Reynolds, since they were kids. However, she compartmentalized that early love of music. Theatre was the career plan, and New York was the logical destination. While living and acting in New York, she was contacted by a friend of a friend who was looking for a female rapper. "I don't really consider myself a rapper," Teresa told the man who had called, David Ippolito. "I consider myself more of a singer." That was fine with him. Ippolito had spent two decades busking (performing in public spaces to earn money) in Central Park with a permit from the Parks Department, singing most Saturdays to crowds in the hundreds, sometimes over a thousand. He invited her to join him. "That's where I really considered I was getting my chops," she said. As Ippolito told her and other performers who joined him on the hill, "It's just us, you know. If anybody told you that you don't sing very well, just sing louder." She sang with him nearly every week for years. And somewhere in all that repetition, something shifted. "In the beginning, there was a lot more of like … singing how I think the song should sound. This run would be cool right here, I'm going to get big here and small here,” she recalled thinking. “But that over-analysis just kind of faded away." What replaced it became the foundation of everything she does now: "I need to figure out what this song means to me, and I'm singing the story of the song. I'm not thinking about how I sound. We're having a moment together, about a love song, about something we've both lived. Music has the ability to transport you more than almost anything else … like music and smell. You hear a song and it takes you right back to your mom's kitchen." That belief — that a song is a moment of connection before it's anything else — is the throughline of Teresa' career, from Central Park to Gloria Gaynor's stage to the band she leads today, Teresa Reynolds and the Slicktones. From the hill to the world stage The Gaynor gig came the same way the Ippolito one did. A friend of a friend, and an email from a manager describing what they needed. Teresa wrote back immediately: "I love disco,” although it wasn't yet back in fashion. Before that chance encounter, Teresa had been quietly wondering if her long-held dream of international travel — sparked by a single trip to Kenya at the age of 21 — simply wasn't in the cards for her. Then an email arrived, an audition followed, and she got the job. Her first show was at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey, alongside the Village People. From there: Argentina, and eventually stages around the world. There was one rehearsal with the musical director beforehand, and that was it. "It was like, okay girl, welcome to the big leagues. Pack your bag, come prepared." After the first show, nerves got the better of her, until the musical director came back with a message from Gaynor herself: "You nailed it." The takeaway wasn't just the memory. It was a standard. "It's important to me to always make sure that I'm being as professional as I can be, being as prepared as I can be,” Teresa says. “I wish I could just sit around and write music and play music all the time, but I also have to be a businesswoman." Back in Indy By 2018, after more than 14 years in New York, Teresa and her husband started watching Indianapolis from a distance. She was tracking the city's growing arts scene on social media, while he noticed that the restaurant industry — his specialty — also was expanding. "We looked at each other and said, I think we can both do what we want in Indianapolis." She'd left after college assuming a career in the arts here wasn't realistic. Now it looked different. Teresa already had two solo albums to her name, Aflame and State of Mind, made in New York with T.J. and producer Chad Moser. What she didn't have back home yet was a band. She knew who she wanted, though — Poncho Hedrick and Mina Keohane, both musicians she'd met years earlier through her brother and had long admired. Hedrick gave her her first opportunity back in Indy, inviting her to sing with his band Blackberry Jam at the Jazz Kitchen. Through him she met drummer Matthew Dupree and guitarist Joshua Ginder. The band came together almost by necessity. In 2021, coming out of the pandemic, Teresa landed a solo slot at Art and Soul — a stripped-down, filmed, socially-distanced version of the annual event that year. She had songs. She needed people to play them. She called Hedrick, Dupree, and Keohane. Then she booked her first headlining show at the Jazz Kitchen and realized: "Okay, well, I need a guitar." Ginder joined. "That was it. I was like, you guys can't leave. I'm never letting you go," she recalled with a laugh. The name came later, while she was rocking her daughter to sleep in a quiet room. It just arrived. "From there it was off to the races." Developing her own sound Ask Teresa where the band's genre-blurring sound comes from and she points straight to her childhood living room. Her father's jazz records filled their home, including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Eric Saunders, alongside music greats like Carole King, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, and Sarah Vaughan. Meanwhile MTV and Indianapolis's now-defunct 96.3 were feeding her a steady diet of '90s R&B at what she calls its peak. "It has my heart,” she said. “It takes a lot sometimes not to just put on the old-school stuff." T.J. grew up in the same house with a few different influences — more rock, different textures — so when brother and sister write together now, she says, "we're pulling together all the music that's touched us over our lifetimes." Writing "Violet,” a signature single Some songs get built. The single "Violet" just arrived. Teresa was living in New York, out at a Knicks game with a friend, when her brother sent over a new track he'd produced. She got home near midnight, went straight to her home studio, and started laying down what she calls "caterwauling" — vocal runs, ad-libs, nothing with words yet. She looked at the clock. Late. She told herself she'd write just one verse before bed. If my life were to end right now, could I feel good to take my bow … "I was like, ‘What am I writing about?’ What's this about, my decomposition?" Then came the chorus: No, not without you. Something clicked, but she didn't yet know what. She kept going until five or six in the morning, finished the song, and sent it to her brother, who wrote back stunned that she'd been up all night. It wasn't until she was partway through writing that she understood that she was writing to a child she didn't have yet. She wrote "Violet" in 2012. Her daughter, Violet, was born in 2019. "I really feel like that song is about manifestation. I believe in manifestation. I think it's so powerful." It remains one of her favorite songs to perform. Every time, Teresa says, it still lands with the same weight it had the night she wrote it. Making room for everyone Teresa calls herself an organizer and activist, though she's quick to be honest about where that sits in her life right now. "I wish I was more on the front lines right now. It's hard … working and mothering." What she can offer, she says, is a mindset that focuses on connecting people, and believing there's enough room for everyone to succeed. "No one can compete with me, because I'm rooting for you too. There's so much space for everyone,” she says. “I'm following my path, and my path is different than anybody else's." That belief has taken concrete form before. Several years ago, she won an Indy Arts Council public neighborhood grant and partnered with her friend and entrepreneur Amanda Belcher to put on Culture Fest — a free, day-long festival celebrating the Black community in Indianapolis, with bands, poets, jazz musicians, MCs, artists, and vendors. More than a dozen local artists got paid work out of it. "It was such a proud moment." She's candid, too, about the gap she sees locally. While organizations like the Indiana Arts Commission are dedicated to supporting artists, "Indianapolis is unfortunately behind other major cities in their investment in the arts. We need to see our state and local government putting more money behind it." Coming home to Fort Ben For Teresa, playing Arts for Lawrence's Fort Ben Cultural Campus isn't just another date on the calendar. It's a homecoming with people she admires. "There's so many great artists I love that come through Fort Ben. It's really a fun thing to be on a list among folks like Bashiri Asad, Stephanie Allen-Stevenson, and Blackberry Jam." What she loves most is what a free show makes possible. "People can just pull up and have a good time. We can vibe together. It's Friday. We can celebrate that we're here, hear some good music, and have a communal time." She believes in what that kind of gathering can do, quietly, for people who need it. "You never know how much somebody might need just to sit down and listen to some music for free. It could change somebody's entire day, which could change somebody's trajectory. You never know the way that coming together can touch people." Teresa Reynolds and the Slicktones perform Friday, July 10 at 6:30 p.m. at Arts for Lawrence's Fort Ben Cultural Campus, 8950 Otis Ave. Alongside Teresa, the band features Mina Keohane on keys, Poncho Hedrick on bass, Matthew Dupree on drums, and Joshua Ginder on guitar. The concert is part of the Fridays at the Fort series, sponsored by Arts for Lawrence.

Brandon Meeks is bringing jazz home — one Sunday at a time. Brandon Meeks will tell you he's not a household name, although many jazz aficionados would likely disagree with that. "I've had a pretty successful career as a jazz artist," he says, "but I'm not like a celebrity jazz musician or anything." Household name or not, Meeks is something rarer — a full-time working artist who has spent more than 20 years building something real — performing and collaborating in Indianapolis and neighboring regions where great music gets made and mostly goes unnoticed. And this summer, he's bringing all of it to Arts for Lawrence on the Fort Ben Cultural Campus. Jazz Concert Series Starting in June, Meeks will curate and perform in the 3rd Sunday Jazz Concerts, a free monthly series hosted by Arts for Lawrence. Bring a lawn chair. Bring your kids. Bring your friends and neighbors. The first concert is on June 21, followed by performances on July 19 and August 16. "I want families and people who maybe can't get into a jazz club to be able to experience something cool," Meeks says. "No cover charge, no drink minimum, no babysitter required. Just a Sunday afternoon and something worth showing up for." The series runs three Sundays through the summer. The first concert will feature Meeks in a trio format alongside pianist William Menefield and drummer Cassius Goens. The remaining two shows will expand into a quintet, with original compositions and new work premiering throughout. A stew of different vibes Meeks has long been fascinated by what happens when musicians from different cities share a stage. It's not just geography. It's sound, he says. "Indianapolis has a laid-back, self-assured approach," he explains. "Chicago has this urgency, this rich history of avant-garde jazz. Cincinnati has its own thing. Louisville has something else entirely." Combine them, he says, and you get something that none of those scenes could produce alone. "It's like pulling flavors and seasoning from different sources. The combination is what makes it unique." His own sound reflects a similar kind of mixing. Raised in Gary, Indiana, Meeks grew up surrounded by gospel music, hip hop, and soul — a mother who had him in church four days a week, a DJ brother spinning hip hop, an older brother who introduced him to the deep roots of Black music. All of it lives in how he plays jazz today, even when the form is acoustic and straight-ahead. That upbringing also shaped his vision for what a jazz concert can feel like. "The kind of family gatherings we would have when I was a kid … we'd be out at the park, and there would be music in the air, and people just coming together," he says. "Really enjoying each other, as well as enjoying the music. And really just celebrating our culture as Black Americans." That's the atmosphere he's after at Fort Ben — what he describes as "the combination of an outdoor cookout and a scaled-down, more relaxed jazz festival vibe." The stories that don't get told In 2025, Meeks created Unsung Giants — a nationally touring performance project built around conversations with under-recognized jazz artists. The idea was to find the musicians who filled in the gaps of the national jazz narrative, capture their stories, and turn them into new music. "Indianapolis is known for Freddie Hubbard and Wes Montgomery," he says. "But I feel like that's just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many stories and so much history that don't get told on a national level but that I feel are equally important." He was also clear about what he didn't want the project to be. "The spirit of jazz was always moving forward. I didn't want this to be a nostalgia exercise. I wanted it to be something that fuels and pushes the music into the future by keeping it rooted in its history." The project also reflects something personal. Meeks spent nearly a decade as a graphic designer before making the leap to full-time musician — a decision born less from confidence than from necessity. He'd been laid off from ad agencies multiple times, each time because a firm was too dependent on a single client. Eventually the logic became unavoidable: if stability isn't what the nine-to-five is actually giving you, maybe it's worth betting on yourself. "I had built up a strong network, strong relationships, a well-rounded career," he says. "I just hadn't made the leap yet." He made it. And because he did, he talks to other artists now — honestly, without the usual cheerleading — about the hard work and networking it actually takes. Carrying Indiana Avenue forward The 3rd Sunday Jazz Concerts are rooted in something older than Meeks himself. Indiana Avenue — once the cultural and musical heart of Black Indianapolis — shaped the musicians who shaped him. Mentors like Clifford Ratliff and Melvin Rhyne came from that world and passed parts of it on to younger musicians. "That history has to live in people," Meeks says, "because it doesn't physically live in the geographical location anymore." He's thinking about the next generation too. You never know, he points out, who's standing in that crowd on a Sunday afternoon — which kid will grow up to be a patron of the arts, an artist themselves, or someone who starts building their own cultural experiences. "You never know who may become your next patron of the arts because they were exposed to these experiences as a young child," he says. "Or who the next crop of artists will be. Or who will see what I'm doing and start creating other cultural experiences. "This was inspired by things I saw in my younger years," he adds. "I'm just trying to push that inspiration forward." 3rd Sunday Jazz Concerts Curated and performed by Brandon Meeks Fort Ben Cultural Campus | Free and open to the public. Bring a lawn chair. Food trucks on site. Visit Arts for Lawrence for dates and details.

Eleven artists. One resilient vision. An open invitation to create. There's a plant called the thistle that blooms under extraordinary conditions. It grows where it isn't expected to. It thrives in environments that weren't designed for it. And yet … it flowers. That's the spirit behind THSSL: A Juneteenth Jubilee Art Exhibition of Creative Resiliency, and it's the lens through which Arts for Lawrence artist-in-residence Andre Parnell sees the Black artists who create and exhibit here in Indiana. Artist Andre Parnell will lead an exhibition and self-portrait experience during THSSL, an art exhibition during Juneteenth celebrations at Arts for Lawrence. "They're making an impact in an environment that wasn't really set up for us," says Parnell, who also is a community activist, mentor, muralist, youth arts educator, and designer. "I compare them to the thistle in their resiliency." The Event On Saturday, June 13, from 4–8 p.m., Arts for Lawrence invites the community inside the campus at 8920 Otis Ave. to experience THSSL — an intimate art exhibition featuring eleven artists whose work reflects the depth, beauty, and endurance of the Black creative tradition. The exhibition runs alongside the Juneteenth Jubilee Celebration at the Fort Ben Cultural Campus, offering a quieter counterpoint to the outdoor festivities. Think of it as a place to step out of the heat, slow down, and spend real time with exceptional art. In addition to Parnell, featured artists include Rhonda Greene, Gary Gee, Ess McKee, Johnson Simon, Amber Jointer, Senequa Curbelo, Onye Obama-Ndika, Sharon Bonner, Cierra Johnson, and LaNiah Reed. THSSL is co-presented by Arts for Lawrence, Artists At Work, and Lawrence Speaks. Come In. Create Something. This isn't just a viewing experience — it's an invitation to participate. Parnell will be upstairs in the studio throughout the event, leading an ongoing community self-portrait class as a part of his Lawrence Speaks project, a larger community portrait developed during his time with the Artists At Work program. No art experience required. The idea is simple: you show up, and he helps you figure out who you are on paper. "I often do these exercises without mirrors," he says. "I ask questions that get to the I am of a person — to help them visualize who they are." Sometimes that looks like a face. Sometimes it's a gradient of color. Sometimes it's something abstract that just says, this is me — and that, Parnell says, is completely valid. Arts for Lawrence volunteers will circulate during the outdoor celebration, inviting people to come upstairs and take part. Groups will rotate through the studio in sessions throughout the afternoon and evening. It's free, it's open, and it might surprise you. More Than an Exhibition For Parnell, this event is about connection — between artists, between communities, and between the arts ecosystem in Lawrence and the wider public who may not yet know it exists. His hope is that someone who walks through the door on June 13 sees a path, not just into the gallery, but into the creative life of this community. "I enjoy connecting the greater art community to the ecosystem of Lawrence," he says. "The art space here." Join Us THSSL: A Juneteenth Jubilee Art Exhibition of Creative Resiliency Date: Saturday, June 13 | 4–8 p.m. Location: Fort Ben Cultural Campus | 8920 Otis Ave. | Lawrence, Indiana Co-presented by Arts for Lawrence, Artists At Work, and Lawrence Speaks

AFL Rental & Private Events A Historic Space for A Lasting Memory Arts for Lawrence has multiple facilities available to leave an impression on your audience! We have spaces for meetings, creative classes, rehearsals, company parties, weddings, and so much more. Combining classic military style, artistic curation, and modern technology, you can be sure your event will be a success! Tell us about your event and email AFL for a quote: info@artsforlawrence.org Available Spaces Theater at the Fort Board Room: 25 capacity (Meetings, Small Classes) Small Stage/Rehearsal Space: 40 to 60 capacity (Medium Meetings, Small Public Speaking, Performance Rehearsal) Main Stage & Theater: 211 seating, including 8 ADA seats, 50 on-stage (Medium Performances, Weddings, Conferences) Visual Arts Center Main Gallery: 20 to 30 capacity (Small Gallery Exhibit, Small Meeting) 2nd Floor Classroom: 10 to 15 capacity (Small Class, Small Meeting) Fort Ben Cultural Campus & Amphitheater Outdoor Space: 1000+ capacity (Outdoor Concerts, Festivals, Cultural Events, Company Party) Email AFL for a quote: info@artsforlawrence.org Amenities Dressing Rooms (2) 4 Vanities in each room Running water and restroom in each Clothing racks Kitchenette/Laundry Microwave Coffee maker Washer/Dryer Combo Small Refrigerator Light & Sound Booth (Managed by AFL Staff or Certified Contractor) Up-to-date technology to enhance any event Email AFL for a quote: info@artsforlawrence.org

Arts for Lawrence Artists Residency We are excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for an Artist-in-Residence at the AFL Visual Arts Center ! This is a unique opportunity for dedicated artists to immerse themselves in their craft while inspiring the Lawrence community from our beautiful studio overlooking the Fort Ben Cultural Campus. Deadline to Apply is November 16, 2024 The Visual Arts Residency offers a creative haven for painters, sculptors, photographers, mixed media artists, etc. Residents will have access to studio space and gallery opportunities to develop new works and display their creations. The program encourages artists to engage with the community through exhibitions, teaching workshops, and collaborative projects. This residency is perfect for visual artists looking to grow professionally while making a meaningful impact on the local arts scene. Residency Details: 12-month Residency beginning December 1, 2024. 24/7 Studio Access: Choose between a 350 sq. ft. private second-floor studio with a locking door, equipped with ADA access. Teaching Opportunities: The artist will be required to teach at least one class per month and will have the first opportunity to teach additional youth and adult classes for pay, receiving 70% of the tuition fees. Exhibition Opportunities: During the residency, the artist will curate at least one solo gallery show to showcase their art, as well as one gallery show combined with other artists. Additional opportunities to exhibit in the gallery may be available, and artists receive 85% of any artwork sales. Exclusive Representation: Gain visibility on the AFL website and prominent signage within the Visual Arts Center. Expectations for Artist-in-Residence: •Maintain studio and classroom cleanliness •Contribute at least one artwork for the annual fundraiser •Assist with gallery open hours and/or open studio times (up to 12 hours weekly) •Participate in Visual Arts Committee meetings, opening receptions, and special events Benefits Include: •Ability to offer private lessons (scheduled through AFL, artist will receive 70% of lesson fees) •Studio space and amenities •AFL provides class and lesson supplies or passes on additional costs to students Ready to take the next step? Let's Go

Become a Sponsor Click Here For Images Benefits & Opportunities VIEW SPONSORSHIP GUIDE Fridays at the Fort Theater at the Fort Season Juneteenth Jubilee Summer Art Camp Visual Arts & Education Community Impact Sponsor For any further inquiries, contact info@artsforlawrence.org . AFL Sponsors Brad Cohron, Cohron Homes "Cohron Homes has committed to sponsoring Arts for Lawrence from day one and couldn't be more proud. Thank you, AFL, for your leadership in the arts sector for Lawrence! We will continue to support AFL and hope others will join us in keeping the arts strong and viable for the community to enjoy for decades to come." Dr. Shawn Smith, MSDLT "Arts for Lawrence is committed to providing arts and cultural programming that benefit the entire Lawrence Township community. Their emphasis on inclusion and access for all makes them a strong cultural asset we are proud to collaborate with and support." Chip Wood, PNC Client and Community Relations Director for Central and Southern Indiana "The Fort Ben Cultural Campus is truly an eastside gem, What a fantastic venue for this year's Fridays at the Fort music series. PNC was proud to support this celebration of musical diversity, which not only elevated exposure for a great lineup of local artists but helped Arts for Lawrence bring unique programming to our community."