Cultural Trail's Indiana Avenue extension is now open — and it will play music

The first-ever expansion of Indianapolis' Cultural Trail is now open, and it's accompanied by another first for the urban pathway: a planned sonic art experience.

The extension, which was unveiled Thursday morning at a ribbon-cutting, stretches for about one mile along Indiana Avenue and 10th Street between the Madam Walker Legacy Center and Riley Hospital Drive. With the new section of trail comes an easier way for pedestrians and cyclists to navigate the busy intersection of 10th Street and Indiana Avenue. The trail also connects to the White River Wapahani Trail and the Fall Creek Greenway.

And music is in store for those traveling along Indiana Avenue. On the portion of trail by the Madam Walker Center and Indianapolis Urban League, music tied to the area's rich cultural history will play from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

The addition was born out of conversations between the Cultural Trail, neighbors and community members in the aftermath of George Floyd's 2020 murder as artists painted a Black Lives Matter mural on Indiana Avenue, said K?ren Haley, executive director of the Cultural Trail nonprofit.

"We heard from people who had their memories of Indiana Avenue and all of the music clubs that were there, the live music that was there, comments about how Indiana Avenue and musicians that played on Indiana Avenue obviously inspired musicians and music far, far away from Indiana Avenue itself — really across the world," Haley told IndyStar.

"We really wanted to take that to heart."

That idea manifested into a series of speakers that play music at what Haley describes as a respectful, rather than rock-concert, volume. To get the project up and running, the Cultural Trail reached out to Kyle Long and Herman "Butch" Slaughter, who produce and narrate the WFYI audio documentary "Echoes of Indiana Avenue."

First up on the playlist will be music by ensembles affiliated with LAMP Records. The Indianapolis-based soul and funk label had its heyday in the late 1960s and early 1970s, launching groups that included the Vanguards, Pearls and Ebony Rhythm Band.

The rotating playlists of music will be curated by a newly formed sounding board and change every four to six weeks, Haley said. People walking by will be able to look up more information about the artists currently playing at indyculturaltrail.org.

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"This, I think, really lets the person who's on the trail have this really sensory experience, but they can keep walking," Haley said. "You don't have to stop and look. You can stop and listen if you want to, but it will just be one and the same with your experience on the Cultural Trail."

More art is on the way, too. Earlier this year, the Cultural Trail conducted a survey to determine what type of public art people would like to see on the extensions. Haley said the nonprofit Cultural Trail organization is currently in the planning process for future art.

The next trail extension, expected to open in the fall, will be along South Street, Haley said. The two new trail extensions cost $30 million, which includes funds for the trail's maintenance and public art. Investors include the Lilly Endowment, Elevance Health Foundation, Lilly Foundation and the city of Indianapolis, according to a release from the Cultural Trail nonprofit organization.

The $21.2 million one-mile White River extension, which is still in the design phase, is expected to open around the same time as the Henry Street bridge.

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Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or [email protected]. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Cultural Trail's Indiana Avenue extension is open and playing music