Meet the Maker: Andre Parnell
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Photos: Courtesy of Harrison Center/Indy Arts Council
Meet Andre Parnell, an Indianapolis artist and activist using his talent to preserve neighborhood stories.
The inspo: Parnell grew up in a creative household and graduated from Columbus College of Art and Design in 1992.
- His mother was a writer, his father worked in advertising and his brother passed the time by drawing and painting.
- After two decades in signage and wayfinding design, he turned toward personal art and community storytelling.
- His work spans illustration, painting, murals, graphic design and mixed media.
Zoom in: Through Artists At Work and Arts for Lawrence, Parnell leads initiatives documenting the Far Eastside through oral histories, design workshops and residents' stories.
- The project aims to preserve neighborhood history, identity and resilience.
- He's also the new Artist-in-Residence at the Harrison Center's Polklore Micro-Museum, where he'll help grow the collection, create art with neighbors and expand youth storytelling programs.
What he's saying: "With my project … I had very lofty goals and visions. I want to be impactful," he said in a recent Artists At Work interview. "I had to figure out, what is my community? And have some trust-building and find out where I could plug in to learn how to ask the questions that are more impactful."
What he's making now: On Sunday, Parnell is making a stop at Arts for Lawrence's Theater at the Fort for an artist talk from 6-8pm.
- The event will celebrate a new booklet about his community work and feature fresh artwork.
- RSVP for free.