We were extremely happy to celebrate the launch of our very first Food Issue with so many great people! The bar lines were long, the food ran out before the night ended, and there were happy smiles all the way around!
Below is an epic gallery of pics from the party by Brandon Wright (Who put on his photography hat for the night!), and also a copy of the remarks made by our fearless leader, Polina Osherov.
If you joined us, THANK YOU for coming, and making this community what it is! A huge shoutout to our subscribers – thank you for believing in this somewhat unlikely project! You are a big reason why we do this!
Quick recap video created by Natasha Glenn.
Hey, hey, party people! Good evening and welcome to the PATTERN magazine Volume 23 launch party! I am thrilled to be here with all of you tonight to celebrate the release of another incredible issue of our beloved publication. And this one is all about something near and dear to all our hearts – Food!!!!
Our city is home to some of the most amazing restaurants, chefs, and service industry workers around, and this issue is dedicated to showcasing and celebrating their hard work and dedication. But we know that food is not just about sustenance – it’s also about community, and connection. It brings people together, breaks down barriers, and allows us to experience new flavors and cultures from all around the world. I hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we loved putting it together!
And would you look at this incredible cover??! Shoutout to photographer Christopher Whonsetler, and all-things-food-related extraordinaire Ashley Brooks for creating this gorgeous image!
Before I go on, I want to give a big shoutout to the amazing team behind PATTERN & PATTERN magazine. I mean, seriously, without the hard work, dedication, and passion of our Director of Operations, Jenny Walton, our Event Director, Cece Andrews, our Design Director, Lindsay Hadley, as well as our Creative Fellows, Leah, Cory, Katie, Leo, and Bria, this issue of the magazine and this party wouldn’t have happened.
I also want to take a moment to thank our wonderful event sponsors and partners: Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Red Bull, VisionLoft, Bad Boys of AV, DJ Lockstar, and the students of IU Jacobs School of Music. Of course, we couldn’t keep doing this without the support of our community, including our amazing spring interns, fab volunteers, and everyone else who contributed to making this issue and event happen. I also owe a big debt of gratitude to our Board of Directors and our Board Chair, Barry Wormser, for their unwavering support and guidance as we navigate being one of the most unique 501c3 nonprofits you’ll ever encounter.
Now, some of you may already know this, but for me PATTERN started as a side hustle in 2010 and turned into a full-blown obsession in 2012. If you’d told me that my love of photography and solving big problems would end up looking like this, I never would have believed you. All things considered, it’s absolutely incredible how far we’ve come and how much we’ve grown over the years.
But PATTERN is so much more than just a magazine. We’re an organization dedicated to strengthening the creative economy in Central Indiana. What the heck does that mean and why do we care? We believe that creativity, culture, and art are not just nice-to-haves in a city, they are essential for building a mentally healthy community and a stronger, more resilient city. When we invest in the creative economy, we’re not just investing in the arts – we’re investing in the wellbeing of all our citizens.
Imagine for a moment, a city where art and culture are just as celebrated and supported as our tech or sports industries. A city where creativity is recognized and funded as a powerful tool not only for economic growth and development, but for solving some of our greatest social challenges.
In this city, you would see vibrantly dense neighborhoods filled with locally-owned shops, galleries, and performance spaces. You would see beautifully designed buildings and public spaces filled with people at all hours of day or or night, and there would be art, music and fashion spilling out onto the streets no matter where you turned, creating a sense of beauty and wonder throughout the city.
Keep in mind that the benefits of a thriving creative economy go far beyond aesthetics. In this city, you would see a community that is mentally healthier, more connected, and more resilient. You would see people from different backgrounds, industries and walks of life coming together to collaborate, and innovate. You would see artists and creatives working side-by-side with politicians, scientists and software engineers using their talents to address social and environmental challenges, and to promote equity and inclusivity.
In this city, you would see a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem that supports creative startups and small businesses in a diverse set of industries, from fashion and design to film and music, attracting talent from all over the world to live and work here, and making sure that the talent born and raised here never wants to leave.
This is the vision of Indianapolis that we strive towards at PATTERN. We deeply believe that by supporting and investing in the creative economy, we can create a brighter, more beautiful and more prosperous future for all.
And guess what? By attending tonight’s event, you’re supporting this vision! The ticket sales, magazine sales, bar sales and silent auction donations all contribute to this cause. So, go grab another drink, subscribe to the magazine, if you’re not already a subscriber, and if you feel moved to donate cold, hard cash to support our work, come see me! Regardless, let’s celebrate the heck out of this magazine and each other, and all the creative potential we collectively represent.
Let’s raise a glass to Volume 23 and all the amazing things to come. Cheers, party people!
