INDIANAPOLIS — With more than 1,000 classes to choose from, it’s difficult for Mark Williams to pick a favorite.

“There are so many options that I personally still have not yet tried,” Williams said.

Williams is the president and CEO of the Indianapolis Art Center, an organization that’s been helping Hoosiers think more creatively for 90 years. But even Williams is finding new ways to grow his creativity.

“I recently went into the woods studio and made a charcuterie board for my wife,” Williams said. “I’m pretty proud I still have all my fingers.”

Creating pride and a sense of ownership is what the Indy Art Center is all about.

“Every time that comes out at home, it’s a story,” Williams said. “It’s a memory and it cost me far less than going to Crate and Barrel or Target. I think people appreciate those little things that add human value to life.”

And it’s nearly impossible to put a value on the impact the Indy Art Center has in central Indiana.

“What we’re really doing is not just arts education,” Williams said. “It is not just creative place making and quality of life, we are squarely in the business of economic development.”

Williams says that while most people don’t think of art as a means of economic development, it’s the skills behind the craft that truly unlock an individual’s potential.

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“The things that the arts export, curiosity, creativity and imagination, those are the core problem solving skills that every hiring manager is looking for,” Williams said. “Those cannot be taught. They’ve got to be nurtured and nurtured through the arts.”

It’s a mission the Indy Art Center is working to spread throughout the community with youth, senior and veteran outreach programs.

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“Making sure there’s accessibility to the arts is critical to the health of the community and to the health of workforce development,” Williams said. “It’s a critically important role that we play in engaging youth and steering them towards pathways of critical and creative thinking. We’re getting them off social media [and] we’re engaging and stimulating the brain, mind, and the imagination.”

It’s engagement in the arts that’s reaching more than 200,000 people every year, according to Williams.

“We’re playing a small role in inspiring people to think more creatively,” Williams said.

Click here for a complete list of classes available at the Indianapolis Art Center.

INDIANAPOLIS — A deadly shooting on the near south side of Indianapolis marks a deadly milestone.

Less than halfway through the year, the city has now reached 100 total homicides.

Answering a knock at the back door of a home in the 2200 block of south Meridian around 7 o’clock Thursday morning, witnesses claim a man inside the home told someone outside to go away.

That request was quickly met with gunfire.

The shooter fled while the 30-year-old victim died on scene. That death bought the total number of homicides in 2024 in Indianapolis to 100 and counting.

“A hundred homicides is a hundred too many. Any loss of life we take seriously. That’s a hundred families that are missing loved ones and dealing with the aftermath,” said IMPD Sgt. Anthony Patterson.

While they sympathize with every victim, IMPD insists total violent crime is down by double digits compared to last year.

IMPD reports aggravated assaults are down 34 percent year to year. Robbery cases are down 19%. Criminal homicides are down 17%. Total violent crime has fallen by 28% compared to 2023.

“We have noticed a steady decrease in our numbers. Violent crimes, homicides and non-fatal shootings are all down, but there’s a lot of work to be done,” said Patterson.

The numbers show,100 homicides on this same date is lower than the last four years, although the figure is still significantly higher compared the years prior to the pandemic.

By comparison there were 113 homicides on the same date in 2023,107 in 2022, 119 in 2021,106 in 2020, 72 in 2019 and 76 in 2018.

“We’ve got to continue to do better. We have a ton of work to do across the board,” said reverend David Greene with the concerned clergy.

Greene said homicides can’t be prevented by IMPD alone because issues like poverty, housing instability and easy access to illegal firearms, which drives a lot of violence.

“We still need innovative programs we need to support and ultimately we have to address the core issues. If we don’t do that, things won’t change,” said Greene.

IMPD points out more than 20 of this year’s homicides have been deemed non-criminal. Those include officer involved shootings, cases of self-defense and other killings that can be justified under the law.

Anyone with information about the Meridian shooting should call IMPD Detective Christopher Edwards at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317.327.3475 or e-mail the detective at Christopher.Edwards@indy.gov. 

Alternatively, they can call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317.262.8477 or (TIPS) to remain anonymous.

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Colts will kick off training camp at Westfield’s Grand Park on July 25.

Rookies and veterans will report for camp a day earlier on July 24.

This marks the sixth time the team has held camp at Grand Park. The team will hold 12 practices open to fans, with the first one at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 25.

Seven of the 12 practices are free, while “Primetime Practice” days will cost $5 for fans 18 and over. Those practices are July 27, July 28, Aug. 4, Aug. 14 and Aug. 15. The last two dates are joint practices against the Arizona Cardinals ahead of their Aug. 17 preseason game.

In the past, fans obtained a free ticket for practices. However, the team said a “nominal $5 charge” was added for some practices this year to “allow event organizers to better plan for the number of attendees and give fans a better overall experience with respect to activities, seating, concessions, safety and security.”

The practices with additional cost fall on some of the most historically attended practices, including the first weekend of camp. Training camp is still free for attendees 17 and under; they’ll need to download a free ticket.

The Colts said ticket fees would benefit the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis’ new flag football program, which launches this summer and will serve 200 kids.

Grand Park will charge a parking fee per vehicle; fans can get a parking pass for $5 in advance or pay $10 onsite. Advance parking passes are available here.

If weather becomes an issue, practice will move indoors, which has limited seating. Ticket and parking fees will be refunded for fans who aren’t able to attend if that’s the case, the team said.

Here’s a look at theme days for this year’s training camp:

• Camp Kickoff, presented by Koorsen Fire & Security – Thurs., July 25
• NFL’s Back Together Weekend – Sat., July 27 & Sun., July 28
• Family Day – Fri., Aug. 2
• Give Back Sunday, presented by Meijer – Sun., Aug. 4
• Back-To-School Day, presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors – Mon., Aug. 5
• Salute to Service Day, presented by Vet Tix – Wed., Aug. 7
• Kicking The Stigma Day – Fri., Aug. 9
• Fan Appreciation Day, presented by CenterPoint Energy – Wed., Aug. 14
• “Thirsty Thursday,” presented by Bud Light – Thurs., Aug. 15

Fans will also find Colts City this year, which will be open each day of open practice through Aug. 15. Activities include:

• Colts Play 60 Field, featuring football drills, 40-yard dash & punt returns,
• Colts In Motion, the team’s interactive traveling experience
• Colts inflatables
• Colts Pro Shop
• Appearances by team mascot “Blue” and Colts Cheerleaders
• Interactive partner displays and exhibits

If practice moves indoors, Colts City will close. Learn more about training camp at the Colts website.