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All in This Together for Social Justice
A message of social justice, unity, diversity and inclusion for all people told through the viewpoints of four Zionsville students – that is what is at the heart of the traffic control box at the northwest corner of Main and Sycamore Streets.
The project, “All in This Together for Social Justice,” is the brainchild of an 8th grade Zionsville Middle School student Phoebe. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter murals, Phoebe organized an art contest as part of a Girl Scout silver award. Phoebe raised all the funds to accomplish this project.
Phoebe worked in collaboration with the Zionsville Cultural District, the Mayor’s office, Palette Art Studio and Robert Goodman Jewelers. Art entries were submitted and three winners were selected by a panel of judges. Judges included Phoebe, Senator J.D. Ford, Zionsville artist Cynthia Young, Zionsville business owner Lolly Mahaney, Zionsville photographer Tom Casalini and Zionsville Diversity Coalition member Monisha Mitchell. A winner was selected from each Zionsville school: elementary, middle and high school.
The traffic control box features the words “All in This Together,” transgender symbols, the BLM fist with different types of people figuratively standing up for social justice and lifting up those who are different and other imagery that brings awareness to social justice and unity. As the Town of Zionsville continues to be engaged in honest community dialogue around social justice, diversity and inclusion, this art project is indicative of the students’ perseverance and their generation’s willingness to become politically engaged at a young age.
Thanks to these young students, the topic of social justice is being discussed, opposed, considered, supported and impacted here in Zionsville.
“I think there are a lot of really strong, young leaders in this community, and it’s exciting the way that they want to make a difference,” said Mayor Emily Styron. “This is our message that social justice matters and that these are part of our values as a town. We’re committed to the meaning of the message.”
Artist Statement: Phoebe, Zionsville Middle School
The “All in this Together” themed social justice box was inspired by other street art around Indianapolis and around the country. I feel that art is a beautiful way for students to express their vision of social justice for all. My panel reflects the theme through representing everyone. I included symbols of physical disabilities, LGBTQ+ and Black Lives Matter, alongside images of peace and love in the world. I believe that only if we are all in this together, we will make it through.
The art on this traffic control box created a safe space for our town’s youth to share messages of social justice and unity and for self-expression. As a community, we are opening our eyes to the topics of diversity and inclusion and letting our students’ voices for positive change to be heard. In doing so, we will become a destination for people of all walks of life.
“This artwork serves as a beautiful and resilient representation of social justice in our community. Let the voice of these young change-makers ring positively in our Zionsville community,” said Mayor Emily Styron.
If the artwork has moved you, the Town of Zionsville encourages you to keep the momentum going and ask for ways to continue to have a dialogue around social justice. Projects like this help define our town’s quality of life and speaks to the important, though at times difficult, conversations of our town is engaged in.
The project, “All in This Together for Social Justice,” is the brainchild of an 8th grade Zionsville Middle School student Phoebe. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter murals, Phoebe organized an art contest as part of a Girl Scout silver award. Phoebe raised all the funds to accomplish this project.
Phoebe worked in collaboration with the Zionsville Cultural District, the Mayor’s office, Palette Art Studio and Robert Goodman Jewelers. Art entries were submitted and three winners were selected by a panel of judges. Judges included Phoebe, Senator J.D. Ford, Zionsville artist Cynthia Young, Zionsville business owner Lolly Mahaney, Zionsville photographer Tom Casalini and Zionsville Diversity Coalition member Monisha Mitchell. A winner was selected from each Zionsville school: elementary, middle and high school.
The traffic control box features the words “All in This Together,” transgender symbols, the BLM fist with different types of people figuratively standing up for social justice and lifting up those who are different and other imagery that brings awareness to social justice and unity. As the Town of Zionsville continues to be engaged in honest community dialogue around social justice, diversity and inclusion, this art project is indicative of the students’ perseverance and their generation’s willingness to become politically engaged at a young age.
Thanks to these young students, the topic of social justice is being discussed, opposed, considered, supported and impacted here in Zionsville.
“I think there are a lot of really strong, young leaders in this community, and it’s exciting the way that they want to make a difference,” said Mayor Emily Styron. “This is our message that social justice matters and that these are part of our values as a town. We’re committed to the meaning of the message.”
Artist Statement: Phoebe, Zionsville Middle School
The “All in this Together” themed social justice box was inspired by other street art around Indianapolis and around the country. I feel that art is a beautiful way for students to express their vision of social justice for all. My panel reflects the theme through representing everyone. I included symbols of physical disabilities, LGBTQ+ and Black Lives Matter, alongside images of peace and love in the world. I believe that only if we are all in this together, we will make it through.
The art on this traffic control box created a safe space for our town’s youth to share messages of social justice and unity and for self-expression. As a community, we are opening our eyes to the topics of diversity and inclusion and letting our students’ voices for positive change to be heard. In doing so, we will become a destination for people of all walks of life.
“This artwork serves as a beautiful and resilient representation of social justice in our community. Let the voice of these young change-makers ring positively in our Zionsville community,” said Mayor Emily Styron.
If the artwork has moved you, the Town of Zionsville encourages you to keep the momentum going and ask for ways to continue to have a dialogue around social justice. Projects like this help define our town’s quality of life and speaks to the important, though at times difficult, conversations of our town is engaged in.
Artist Statement: Grace, Zionsville Community High School
My artwork reveals that despite our many differences, at the end of the day we are all human and have loving hearts within us to spread love and lift one another up. We should come together and take a stance and promote the diverse nature of our world. My intention was that the fist be transparent because I didn’t want it to be labeled by a color but instead a raised fist that symbolizes unity and solidarity. My hope is that my artwork will inspire others in Zionsville to lift those that are different than us up high so that they can feel the strong support and know that WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
Artist Statement: Audrey, Zionsville West Middle School
My art is supposed to represent unity and equality among everyone, no matter race, religion, sex or body type. I tried to represent many different groups of people because I wanted the minorities of Zionsville to have a piece of art they could look at and know they are beautiful and loved. The woman in the middle is supposed to represent all of Earth.
My art is supposed to represent unity and equality among everyone, no matter race, religion, sex or body type. I tried to represent many different groups of people because I wanted the minorities of Zionsville to have a piece of art they could look at and know they are beautiful and loved. The woman in the middle is supposed to represent all of Earth.
Artist Statement: Nina, Eagle Elementary
My artwork shows all kinds of people protesting together for peace and justice.
Social justice means to me that things are fair for everyone no matter who you are, where you live or come from, how much money you have, or what you look like.
"Poetry and Popcorn" at Sullivan Munce Cultural Center
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The ZCD (Zionsville Cultural District) joined with Brick Street Poetry to bring a program entitled "Poetry and Popcorn" to the Village on Saturday, September 26, 2020. Young poets who had entered the Sidewalk Poetry Contest this year were invited to read their poems aloud outdoors at the Sullivan Munce Cultural Center on Hawthorne Street. All Covid protections were taken. Popcorn was available, but only in individual Skinny Popcorn packages upon leaving the event.
Each of the five participants was scheduled for a particular time so that their family would know when to be there. Chairs were placed at a safe distance, and all were wiped down between readings. The poets did a masterful job of reading their original works, and Mother Nature provided a perfect backdrop with early-autumn sunshine. First-place winner of the Sidewalk Poetry Contest, Charlotte Bricker, and second-place winner, Talia Diffendal, were thrilled to see that the actual stamps of their poems had arrived and were displayed on easels at the Cultural Center. The poems will be stamped into Zionsville sidewalks by the local street department at a later date. Participating in the fun in addition to Charlotte and Talia were Nina Tucker, Kennedy Creasy, and Mateo Nunes. |
Second Annual Dahlia Exhibition Announced
The Zionsville Cultural District announces its second annual Dahlia Exhibition, to be held from 9AM to Noon on Saturday, September 19th, at PALETTE: Community Art Center, 295 S. Main St., Zionsville. All gardeners are invited to bring along their prized Dahlia blooms to be displayed with dozens of others. Thanks to a grant from the Zionsville Village Garden Club and the generosity of Dahlia expert, Alan Strader, over 100 tubers and plants were distributed for free to those wishing to give Dahlia growing a try.
The exhibition is part of the organization’s Dahlia City Initiative which aims to bring to light the town’s former history as “Dahlia City”, when two nurseries in the village produced Dahlia tubers mailed to gardeners around the country. Dahlias were in fashion during the 1920’s to 1940’s, with many local residents filling their yards with these showy blooms. The Zionsville Cultural District aims to encourage gardeners to grow dahlias as a way to beautify neighborhoods and highlight a significant segment of the town’s history.
All are welcome to participate. Educational information will be available on growing and overwintering Dahlias. Everyone is urged to bring a bud vase or bottle in which to display their blooms, and to wear masks.
For more information, please contact Mark Zelonis at (317) 258-2071.
The exhibition is part of the organization’s Dahlia City Initiative which aims to bring to light the town’s former history as “Dahlia City”, when two nurseries in the village produced Dahlia tubers mailed to gardeners around the country. Dahlias were in fashion during the 1920’s to 1940’s, with many local residents filling their yards with these showy blooms. The Zionsville Cultural District aims to encourage gardeners to grow dahlias as a way to beautify neighborhoods and highlight a significant segment of the town’s history.
All are welcome to participate. Educational information will be available on growing and overwintering Dahlias. Everyone is urged to bring a bud vase or bottle in which to display their blooms, and to wear masks.
For more information, please contact Mark Zelonis at (317) 258-2071.
Sidewalk Poetry Contest Winners
July 8, 2020
Congratulations to the winners of the 2020 Sidewalk Poetry Contest, Charlotte Bricker and Talia Diffendal! We are working with the Town of Zionsville to determine the location where they'll be stamped. Please stay tuned.
The sun is rising.
Colors fill the sky.
They soar and they dance.Stars slip away.
Sunlight piercing the dark.
All is very quiet.
Charlotte Bricker, age 10
Colors fill the sky.
They soar and they dance.Stars slip away.
Sunlight piercing the dark.
All is very quiet.
Charlotte Bricker, age 10
The aged home on the corner,
oh, the changes it has weathered. A gentle pull and a tug,
on the heartstrings tethered.
Cherished over generations,
Fond memories gathered.
Talia Diffendal, age 10
oh, the changes it has weathered. A gentle pull and a tug,
on the heartstrings tethered.
Cherished over generations,
Fond memories gathered.
Talia Diffendal, age 10
Sidewalk Poetry Contest Update
June 2, 2020
Thank you to everyone who entered the Sidewalk Poetry Contest!
Despite the tenuous time we are living in, we received more than 30 submissions which would not have been possible without the support of our community. The next step is for the poems to be judged by a panel this month. Winners will be notified immediately at the conclusion of judging. Next, stamps will be ordered and the Zionsville Cultural District will coordinate with the town of Zionsville for sidewalk availability.
Dahlia Giveaway
May 21, 2020
The Zionsville Cultural District is pleased to announce its second annual Dahlia tuber giveaway. Thanks to the generosity of the Village Garden Club, dahlias will be made available as long as supplies last, starting at 9AM on Saturday, June 6th. Distribution will take place at Blooms by Dragonfly, 176 S. Main Street, your local Zionsville florist available for your everyday floral needs, weddings and events. Information on growing techniques will be made available as well.
Begun in 2019, this initiative was created to bring attention to the town’s horticultural history when it was known as “Dahlia City”. Two commercial nurseries were located in the Village, selling dahlias and other flowers to customers around the country. One of the varieties created here was called, “Zion’s Pride”, which won its breeder, Fred Gresh, a Gold Medal at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.
The Zionsville Cultural District aims to encourage gardeners to grow dahlias as a way to beautify neighborhoods and highlight a significant segment of the town’s history. Recipients of the free tubers will be asked to bring their prized blooms back in late summer, at a location yet to be determined, to share their form and beauty.
Begun in 2019, this initiative was created to bring attention to the town’s horticultural history when it was known as “Dahlia City”. Two commercial nurseries were located in the Village, selling dahlias and other flowers to customers around the country. One of the varieties created here was called, “Zion’s Pride”, which won its breeder, Fred Gresh, a Gold Medal at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.
The Zionsville Cultural District aims to encourage gardeners to grow dahlias as a way to beautify neighborhoods and highlight a significant segment of the town’s history. Recipients of the free tubers will be asked to bring their prized blooms back in late summer, at a location yet to be determined, to share their form and beauty.
Fox59 Your Town Friday: Getting to the root of Zionsville’s flowery past
Friday February 28, 2020
ZIONSVILLE, Ind. – If you’ve driven through Zionsville lately, you may have noticed something very plain has turned into something quite fancy.
The Zionsville Cultural District had a vision for a traffic utility box based on life here a century ago.
“Back in the late 1920s through maybe the early 1940s, there was a big national craze for growing dahlias,” said Mark Zelonis, a member of the Zionsville Cultural District.
Zionsville was known as “Dahlia City” and two local nurseries did very well. They were called Tudor Gardens and Parkway Gardens and they were adjacent to each other in the Zionsville village. In 1933, both competed at the Chicago World’s Fair.
“Mr. Fred Gresh with Parkway Gardens won the top prize, a gold medal for a dahlia that he produced and bred himself that he termed Zion's Pride,” said Mark.
Mark happens to be a retired horticulturist. In fact, he was the director of horticulture at the Indianapolis Museum of Art before retirement. He searched dahlia groups high and low worldwide for a Zion’s Pride.
“And they all think it's gone to the dahlia heavens somewhere, but we know what it looked like because we found an article about Mr. Gresh in the Indy Star way back in 1933. It has a depiction of the flower, describing it as being lemon yellow.”
The Zionsville Cultural District had a vision for a traffic utility box based on life here a century ago.
“Back in the late 1920s through maybe the early 1940s, there was a big national craze for growing dahlias,” said Mark Zelonis, a member of the Zionsville Cultural District.
Zionsville was known as “Dahlia City” and two local nurseries did very well. They were called Tudor Gardens and Parkway Gardens and they were adjacent to each other in the Zionsville village. In 1933, both competed at the Chicago World’s Fair.
“Mr. Fred Gresh with Parkway Gardens won the top prize, a gold medal for a dahlia that he produced and bred himself that he termed Zion's Pride,” said Mark.
Mark happens to be a retired horticulturist. In fact, he was the director of horticulture at the Indianapolis Museum of Art before retirement. He searched dahlia groups high and low worldwide for a Zion’s Pride.
“And they all think it's gone to the dahlia heavens somewhere, but we know what it looked like because we found an article about Mr. Gresh in the Indy Star way back in 1933. It has a depiction of the flower, describing it as being lemon yellow.”
Zionsville artist Cynthia Young won a competition to decorate the traffic box at 106th and Zionsville Road. She was given the theme and the Indy Star clues, and she started sketching.
“They told me they wanted it to be dahlia related, and so I thought of a botanical look,” said Cynthia. “In my normal artwork I use a lot of ink and so my original drawing was in ink. It gave it a Japanese botanical quality, and then it was figuring out the colors that I wanted to use.”
She thought blue worked nicely with the lemon yellow.
Check out her transformation.
“They told me they wanted it to be dahlia related, and so I thought of a botanical look,” said Cynthia. “In my normal artwork I use a lot of ink and so my original drawing was in ink. It gave it a Japanese botanical quality, and then it was figuring out the colors that I wanted to use.”
She thought blue worked nicely with the lemon yellow.
Check out her transformation.
Mark and the Zionsville Cultural District have more traffic boxes in the works.
There are plans for more murals around town.
And they also want you to make sure you look down to enjoy the work of local poets!
There are plans for more murals around town.
And they also want you to make sure you look down to enjoy the work of local poets!
“We have a stamp made where they actually stamp that poem right into the sidewalk, so it's there permanently,” said Mark.
The next poetry competition starts soon and a new round of poets will get to christen their work. There are about a dozen etched into sidewalks around the village right now.
The next poetry competition starts soon and a new round of poets will get to christen their work. There are about a dozen etched into sidewalks around the village right now.
You might also see some artistic crosswalks in the future.
“Zionsville only has I think 3 stoplights here in town, but there are a lot of places where people need to cross the street where there is no stoplight,” said Mark. “So we're hoping to get an artist to design some very decorative crosswalks that people would be safer on, but also bring more attention to the talents that are here in town.”
In the meantime, Mark will continue his quest to make Zionsville a dahlia destination again, and with any luck, find the legendary Zion’s Pride.
For more on Cynthia’s artwork, click the following link:
http://cynthiayoungart.com/
Cynthia also did the Walking Man statue near one of the town’s walking trails. She put maps of the trails on him, along with plants and flowers native to Indiana. The state bird, a cardinal, is on his shoulder.
To see the interview with Mark, visit: fox59.com/morning-news/your-town-friday-getting-to-the-root-of-zionsvilles-flowery-past/
“Zionsville only has I think 3 stoplights here in town, but there are a lot of places where people need to cross the street where there is no stoplight,” said Mark. “So we're hoping to get an artist to design some very decorative crosswalks that people would be safer on, but also bring more attention to the talents that are here in town.”
In the meantime, Mark will continue his quest to make Zionsville a dahlia destination again, and with any luck, find the legendary Zion’s Pride.
For more on Cynthia’s artwork, click the following link:
http://cynthiayoungart.com/
Cynthia also did the Walking Man statue near one of the town’s walking trails. She put maps of the trails on him, along with plants and flowers native to Indiana. The state bird, a cardinal, is on his shoulder.
To see the interview with Mark, visit: fox59.com/morning-news/your-town-friday-getting-to-the-root-of-zionsvilles-flowery-past/
Help us continue our mission by donating
The Mission of the Zionsville Cultural District is "to enrich the lives of residents and visitors by promoting and celebrating our arts, history and culture".
We're raising money for Zionsville Cultural District and your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate $5 or $500. Every little bit helps. Thank you for your support. Your contributions help fund our various public art projects in our community such as the ZCD concert series and sidewalk poetry contest, and more to come.
To donate, click the link below:
We're raising money for Zionsville Cultural District and your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate $5 or $500. Every little bit helps. Thank you for your support. Your contributions help fund our various public art projects in our community such as the ZCD concert series and sidewalk poetry contest, and more to come.
To donate, click the link below:
Progress on the traffic signal control box at 106th St & Zionsville Rd.
October 14, 2019
Local artist Cynthia Young continues work on the traffic signal control box at 106th & Zionsville Rd.
Be sure to follow ZCD on Facebook for updates!
Local artist Cynthia Young continues work on the traffic signal control box at 106th & Zionsville Rd.
Be sure to follow ZCD on Facebook for updates!
Look up! The Town of Zionsville and the Zionsville Cultural District are proud to announce that a new public art mural will be coming to downtown Zionsville this spring.
The 266-square foot mural will be displayed on the back of the building located at 98 Main Street. The back of this building faces First Street and is a prominent location within the downtown village district. The mural will be a portrait of President Abraham Lincoln in striking colors, tying into the building’s close proximity to Lincoln Park. 
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