Southern Indiana Folk School

10/10/2026

In our Introduction to Gourd Craft class participants will make a gourd dipper in addition to the work they do on the gourd bowl.
 Link to the class will be in the first comment below.

10/07/2026

Wow is this a cool thing happening in Southern Indiana……

Through the historic READI 2.0 grant program, a new wave of arts and community projects is amping up the Hoosier State.

READI 2.0 is the second wave of the Regional Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI), Indiana’s historic $1.25 billion investment in its 15 identified regions through the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, in partnership with the Indiana Arts Commission.

With $250 million from the Lilly Endowment, READI 2.0 aims to strengthen quality of place efforts across the state. Over 25% of those dollars support arts and culture grants, recognizing the creative sector’s role in driving economic growth.

“A $65 million investment is a game changer for this sector, because we have a long history of being underinvested in, in the Midwest and nationally,” says Miah Michaelsen, Executive Director of the Indiana Arts Commission.

In southeast Indiana, the town of Dillsboro hopes to attract their next generation of artists. With its READI 2.0 grant, the Dillsboro Arts Friendship Gallery is launching paid, year-long artist residencies in brand-new studio spaces, starting this November.

“We want the town to adopt the artists,” says Thom Maltbie, co-founder of the gallery in the town of 1,360. “We want them to see that creative people can be a part of the community and contribute to whatever needs the community has.”

Creatives have long argued that the arts add tangible value: jobs, active communities, population retention, quality of life. This makes READI 2.0 more than a grant: It’s an act of validation and support from investors, economic developers, and the state.

10/05/2026

A class that is coming up at the Southern Indiana Folk School: a Christmas treat, Springerle cookies. These cookies are made weeks before they are served. So we’ll be making them in early November. Look for the event on Facebook later this week.

10/04/2026

I don’t know what it is about broom making, but it seems like the folks who make them are rather boisterous! Everyone had a good time and the results were fabulous! Thank you so much Jill Mahoney for bringing your skill and joyful approach at making these useful and handsome hand brooms.

09/29/2026

Join us Saturday, October 3rd, as Florence Barnett walks as through the process of handmade paper making! She will walk participants through the process of creating their own papers using recycled paper, pressed flowers, natural fibers, and other embelishments!

You can register here: https://lagrangeartmuseum.org/product/handmade-paper-making/ -description