Eiteljorg Events

Join Us & Experience Amazing Stories

The Eiteljorg hosts a variety of events over the course of the year that you won’t want to miss. Most of our events are included with the price of admission, so you can come enjoy the excitement of a special occasion as well as the beauty of our unique museum.

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Artist in Residence: Elise Paschen (Osage Nation)

March 29 - April 1

Artist in Residence: The Eiteljorg's artist in residence program brings Native and Western artists from across North America to the museum and to classrooms, libraries and senior centers in the local community. Visiting artists provide a mix of small onsite and virtual online offerings. Artist: Elise Paschen (Osage Nation) Dates of Residence: March 29- April 1, 2023 Medium: Poetry Elise's Bio: Elise Paschen, an enrolled member of the Osage Nation, is the author of, most recently, The Nightlife (Red Hen Press, 2017), Bestiary, Infidelities (winner…

Members-Only Coffee & Conversation with Elise Paschen (Osage Nation)

April 1 @ 9:00 am - April 4 @ 10:00 am

Enjoy a morning of coffee and conversations with artist in residence Elise Paschen (Osage Nation). To register, contact Jennifer Hiatt at jhiatt@eiteljorg.com or call 317.275.1360.   About Elise: Elise Paschen, an enrolled member of the Osage Nation, is the author of, most recently, The Nightlife (Red Hen Press, 2017), Bestiary, Infidelities (winner of the Nicholas Roerich Poetry Prize), and Houses: Coasts. As an undergraduate at Harvard, she received the Garrison Medal for poetry. She holds M.Phil. and D.Phil. degrees from Oxford University. Paschen received the Rupert…

Wildstyle Paschall Photography Talk

April 13 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Join Wildstyle in a talk about social justice photography and what it means to be both an observer and participant in social justice movements. Wildstyle Paschall is a producer, photographer, and curator for All317HipHop, a roving illustrator for The Learning Tree, and a Central Indiana Community Foundation Ambassador. Wildstyle's photography has helped support and shed light on pressing issues in the Indianapolis community, including the developments planned for the Riverside area and the killing of Dreasjon Reed by IMPD in…

Slow Art Day

April 15 @ 12:00 am - 3:00 pm

Founded in 2010, Slow Art Day is a global event with a simple mission: help people discover for themselves the joy of looking at and loving art. On April 15, meander through the museum’s galleries and stop at one or more Slow Art stations. At each station, guests are encouraged to take 10 minutes to look at art, then join in a facilitated discussion with a Eiteljorg guide. No previous slow looking experience required! Programs begin on the hour and…

Film Photography Workshop and Photo Walk with Roberts Camera

April 15 @ 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

Browse our Changing Views: The Photography of Dorothea Lange exhibition then join us, in partnership with Roberts Camera, for a film photography workshop. Take a look back with us through the lens of history’s most acclaimed photojournalists as we discuss their mediums, techniques, and “the power of the snapshot” at its most finite level…on film. Come join us for a workshop on film photography, led by experts from Roberts Camera, and then go on a photo walk and shoot your own…

Volunteer Recognition Night

April 19 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

This event is for Eiteljorg Museum volunteers, but a plus-one is welcome at the cost of $20. If you're interested in volunteering with the Eiteljorg, click here or send an email to volunteers@eiteljorg.com. The Eiteljorg Museum is inviting all volunteers to our Volunteer Recognition Night on April 19 at 5pm to celebrate and honor all of their hard work. This event is open to volunteers and staff only. We want to thank you for your continued support and commitment. We…

St. Mary’s Japanese Episcopal Mission Lecture with Dr. Chrissy Lau

April 20 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Join Dr. Chrissy Lau for an important discussion about Reverend John Misao Yamazaki and his congregation from St. Mary's Japanese Episcopal Mission in Los Angeles as they dealt with anti-Japanese discrimination and forced relocation to interment camps in the 1940s. Dr. Chrissy Lau is the Assistant Professor of History and Social, Behavioral and Global Studies at California State University- Monterey Bay. Her work centers on exploring the development of women's politics (specifically Japanese American women) and activism in the public…

Girl Scouts Brownie Potter Badge Workshop and Tour

April 23 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)

One event on April 23, 2023 at 2:00 pm

One event on June 4, 2023 at 2:00 pm

One event on December 3, 2023 at 2:00 pm

Learn more about different Native American pottery styles on a guided tour of the museum galleries, and then use your imagination to create your own air-dry clay pinch pot! The workshop includes a take-home pinch pot and will count toward the Potter Badge. This is best suited for Brownies. A minimum of 1 adult per 10 Girl Scouts is required, and adult chaperone tickets are $1 apiece. There is a 15 Girl Scout registrant minimum. If the minimum is not…

Life in Japanese Internment Camps: A Talk with Jean Umemura

April 29 @ 10:30 am - 11:30 am

Listen to Carmel resident Jean Umemura discuss her experiences living in several different Japanese internment camps during WWII. Jean Umemura, a retired school teacher of 29 years from Allisonville Elementary School in Washington Township in Indianapolis, was just 14 when she was sent to an internment camp for Japanese Americans in Puyallup, Washington. One of 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent sent to these camps, Jean will discuss her experiences after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the aftermath of the…

Bonhams “Collecting Trends and Topics in Western and Native American Art” Lecture

May 4 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Are you a new or seasoned collector of American Western and Native American Art and objects? Are you interested in learning about current trends in these popular collecting areas? Join Native American and Western Art specialists from Bonhams Auction House for a personal collecting-focused talk discussing these markets including considerations about condition and medium and perspectives on connoisseurship and cultural sensitivity. The conversation will include ideas on developing collectors’ eyes and offer collecting tips. This event is free with admission…

Bonhams Valuation Day

May 4 @ 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Find out what your Western heirlooms are really worth! Bonhams Auction House specialists will provide on the spot appraisals of various items including Western and American paintings, drawings and sculptures, and Native American objects, fine art and jewelry. Each time slot is 15 minutes long and includes the valuation of one item and one adult admission. An add-on item ticket must be purchased for each additional item you'd like to have valuated (up to two additional items), and each additional…

Girl Scouts Junior Jeweler Badge Workshop and Tour

May 7 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)

One event on May 7, 2023 at 2:00 pm

One event on August 27, 2023 at 2:00 pm

Learn about several different Native American jewelry styles and techniques, and then make your own chain-loop bracelet and necklaces. The workshop includes a take-home bracelet and necklaces and will count toward the Jeweler Badge. This is best suited for Juniors. A minimum of 1 adult per 10 Girl Scouts is required, and adult chaperone tickets are $1 apiece. There is a 15 Girl Scout registrant minimum. If the minimum is not met, attendees will be notified and refunded. Badges must…

Western Book Club – Learning to See: A Novel of Dorothea Lange, the Woman Who Revealed the Real America

May 10 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Location: Virtual/Zoom Cost: Free The Eiteljorg Museum’s Western Book Club, like the museum itself, is committed to including works that represent many different cultural values, attitudes, and points of view. Members come together bimonthly to discuss books that represent the diversity of the American West and Indigenous peoples of North America. Meetings take place via Zoom, and are open to all. Join us for a discussion of Learning to See: A Novel of Dorothea Lange, the Woman Who Revealed the…

The Celebration of John Vanausdall

May 13 @ 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Roger and Mindy Eiteljorg, Board Chair Pat Anker, the board of directors and advisors, and staff of the Eiteljorg Museum invite you to attend the celebration gala and fundraiser in honor of John Vanausdall. IN APPRECIATION OF 27 YEARS OF SERVICE Dedicated, personable, inspiring to others, John Vanausdall achieves goals, champions cultural diversity and earns the trust, friendship and support of donors, board members and staff. Retiring as Eiteljorg Museum President and CEO on June 30 after 27 years of…

Behind the Scenes Tour: Changing Views

July 7 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Join Jessica Nelson, Ph.D., museum director of religion and culture initiatives, for a behind the scenes tour of the Changing Views exhibition. This program is included with general museum admission. Learn more about Changing Views: The Photography of Dorothea Lange at Eiteljorg.org/ChangingViews

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Yearly Events

June

Indian Market & Festival

Since 1993, the Eiteljorg Indian Market and Festival has been one of the preeminent summer cultural events in downtown Indianapolis. Artists from more than 50 Native American or First Nations groups present art across multiple disciplines to be awarded, purchased, and enjoyed.

Sept – Oct

Quest For The West

Quest is one of the top Western art shows in the country. Opening weekend registrants will be the first to see and bid on paintings and sculptures by some of the most prominent artists in a “luck of the draw” sale and a miniature art sale.

Oct – Nov

Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead)

Every October, visitors can enjoy free admission to the Eiteljorg Museum during a day of celebration with performances, art-making, Mercado vendors, community groups, and a community-curated art and altar display.

Nov – Jan

Jingle Rails: The Great Western Adventure

Every winter, visitors explore the Eiteljorg’s popular annual holiday model train display, featuring reproductions of the landmarks of the American West and the skyline of downtown Indianapolis.

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Museum Info

Monday – Saturday:
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday:
Noon – 5 p.m.

500 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Apr 01
Apr 13

Wildstyle Paschall Photography Talk

April 13 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
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