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A ceremony this Spring at the Indianapolis International Airport kicked off the second annual exhibit at the airport of art works by diverse artists and creatives with disabilities in Indiana. The exhibit, done through a partnership with the Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (INARF), honors National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, which is in March.
July is Disability Pride Month, commemorating the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law in July of 1990. Many destinations have worked to become more inclusive and accessible to people with disabilities in recent years through various means, such as becoming an Autism Certified City or ensuring their convention centers are welcoming and easily navigable for everyone. Indianapolis is one destination that has made a point of signaling inclusion the moment visitors touch down at the airport. This spring, the Indianapolis Airport Authority joined forces with the Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (INARF) for a second year to celebrate diverse artists and creatives with disabilities in Indiana through a month-long exhibit at the Indianapolis International Airport.
The annual event, held in March to honor National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, was created when the Indianapolis Airport Authority spoke with the association about opportunities to potentially partner with some of INARF’s 70-plus member organizations — established 50 years ago, INARF provides membership to both provider organizations and suppliers in the disabilities services industry who support more than 50,000 Indiana citizens annually. Because of the airport’s robust arts and culture program, which has been in place since 2008, an art exhibition seemed like the perfect fit, according to Bill Stinson, senior director of public affairs for the Indianapolis Airport Authority.
The artworks, including those pictured below, were on display at the Indianapolis International Airport throughout March.
“We have rotating exhibits, both pre- and post-security, that showcase local artists,” Stinson told Convene via email. “In 2021, we actually converted an excess concession space to change over to a gallery whose exhibits by local artists change approximately twice a year. We also create exhibit space in our pre-security [area], a public gathering space known as Civic Plaza.”
Civic Plaza is where INARF’s month-long exhibition has been housed for two years running. The exhibit grew significantly in its second year — when it first launched in 2023, 22 pieces were displayed. In 2024, after an overwhelmingly positive response to the display, that number grew to 72 art pieces, with the City of Indianapolis partnering on the project, five more INARF member organizations joining, and 83 total artists with disabilities participating.
“The Indianapolis Airport Authority has long strived for inclusion, and we are proud to work with INARF and its members to showcase quality artwork that not only reflects positively on artists who might be challenged by disabilities, but also provides a broader experience for our nearly 10 million passengers who pass through this terminal on an annual basis.” Stinson said. “As you might imagine, this is quite a joyful program.”
Casey Gale is managing editor of Convene.