Julia Gibbs, executive director of the Miller Beach Arts and Creative District, said she’s “really excited” for what a state reimbursement grant will do for her Gary organization.
“It’s a huge help in assisting our organization to move forward with our next steps,” Gibbs said.
The Miller Beach Arts and Creative District was one of 49 projects that were awarded READI 2.0 Arts and Culture grants, according to a Monday news release. The Gary organization was awarded $172,756 from the Regional Acceleration and Development initiative, or READI, according to the program’s website.
The 15 awards are expected to generate $369.6 million for Indiana’s arts and culture economy, according to Gov. Mike Braun’s Monday news release. About 320 project proposals were submitted.
“As a state, we’re powering our communities forward by investing in the vision and strategies of Indiana’s regions,” Braun said in the news release. “Indiana’s arts and culture sector already contributes $10.1 billion annually to the state’s economy. These investments in our creative assets and workforce will transform Hoosier neighborhoods and communities while boosting tourism and commerce, creating new jobs and career pathways, fueling Indiana’s economy for years to come.”
READI is a $1.25 billion program that invests in “community-led projects that improve the quality of life, quality of place and quality of opportunity,” according to Braun’s release. The READI 2.0 Arts and Culture Initiative is supported by Lilly Endowment Inc. and allocates about $65 million to Indiana’s creative economy.
“READI continues to bring Indiana communities together like never before, collaborating and creating paths toward regional growth and prosperity,” Secretary of Commerce Chuck Goodrich said in the news release. “These arts and culture projects will transform Indiana’s creative economy, creating new community assets. Destinations and programming to support the industry statewide while increasing the vibrancy of Hoosier regions.”
According to READI, the Miller Beach project costs will be about $255,191. Gibbs said the grant is a reimbursement, so the organization will be reimbursed after project completion.
“It’s a really controlled and careful process to get this work done,” Gibbs said. “It’s very different from getting a grant where they just give you the funding and report back on it at the end of the year.”
READI reimbursements will help with upgrades to the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts and the Annex, which is across the street from the Gardner Center.
Improvements at the Gardner Center will include replacing its glass storefront and doors with “modern, insulated glass,” Gibbs said, which she added will help with room temperatures and rising utility costs. They’ll also replace the center’s doors to make them more ADA-compliant, which Gibbs said will make it easier “for people to come in and out.”
At the Annex, the organization plans to put in a chairlift and renovate the restroom to make it more accessible, Gibbs added.
READI will also help with costs for Lake Effekt ArtsFest in June 2027, which will showcase the production of more than 20 murals by Latinx artist cooperative Crazy Indiana Style Artists, according to the grant program.
“That’s probably the thing that people will see the most,” Gibbs said. “That will allow us to have a full two-day festival next year where we invite muralists to paint along the Lake Street alleys and on the commercial buildings … to give us new murals, have a whole celebration around the artwork and really invite people to explore and get to know Miller Beach and the Lake Street corridor.”
The READI application process was open for about two months, Gibbs said, and they put together a proposal based on the most pertinent needs. According to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation website, the READI 2.0 grants were announced Feb. 18, and applications were accepted through April 15.
The opportunity is “quite amazing” for the Miller Beach Arts and Creative District, she said, and it’s important for arts organizations to have that support.
“One of the most difficult things about running an arts-based nonprofit like this one is that the overhead of running two buildings can be quite high,” Gibbs added. “It’s very unusual to have a foundation recognize the underlying needs of an organization like this one. Keeping our building running, keeping our facilities in good condition and creating public-facing projects, all of those things were part of their overall intentions for the money.”
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Gary Redevelopment Executive Director Christopher Harris did not immediately respond to a Post-Tribune request for comment.
Other Gary projects have received READI grants in the past, including the incoming Tolleston Opportunity Hub, renovation of a passenger terminal at the Gary/Chicago International Airport and the Ivanhoe South Community Development Initiative.