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IND unveils new digital art legacy exhibit as Banned Books Week event kicks off
INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 28, 2020) – The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library and the Indianapolis International Airport (IND) will each pay tribute to the life, literature and influence of iconic Hoosier Kurt Vonnegut beginning this week with two public initiatives.
On Sunday, the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library launched the Banned Books virtual and live event, which celebrates Vonnegut’s advocacy for free expression and recognizes literary works that resonate with people personally and culturally around the globe. The week-long event features Indianapolis resident and poet Manon Voice who will serve as the Activist in Residence and live behind a wall of banned books at the museum. The event also includes a diverse range of speakers on topics of protest, suffrage, free speech, cancel culture, and controversial literature. The week’s event will also include a virtual reading from David Hoppe’s new original play Kurt Vonnegut: WordPlay, featuring local actors and in partnership with the Phoenix Theatre.
Across town, the Indianapolis Airport Authority, in partnership with the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library, will exhibit The Legacy of Kurt Vonnegut as part of the Indy airport’s Celebrating Indiana Artists digital initiative. The digital art exhibit will include the story of Vonnegut’s life and influence, from his upbringing in Indianapolis to his time as a prisoner of war during World War II to his journey to becoming one of the greatest and most beloved writers of the 20th Century.
“Kurt Vonnegut loved Indianapolis, and Indy loved Kurt,” said IAA Executive Director Mario Rodriguez. “Having his legacy on display here is like having a posthumous ambassador to welcome the traveling public and demonstrate the great talent and gifts of our broad and diverse Hoosier family.”
Vonnegut is noted for his love and respect for his fellow Hoosiers, which is best summed up in his famous quote: “I don’t know what it is about Hoosiers, but wherever you go there is always a Hoosier doing something very important there.”
The Vonnegut exhibit will be on display at the Indy airport in Concourse B for travelers departing and arriving into Indianapolis daily. The exhibit is part of the Indy airport’s larger terminal optimization initiative that showcases the culture, tastes and talents of the Indianapolis community.
“Vonnegut said what people liked about him was Indianapolis,” said Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library Founder and CEO Julia Whitehead. “Kurt loved flying into Indy. Leave it to the best airport in the country known for its safety and comfort to also be a champion of free speech and common decency. What a beautiful way to kick off Banned Books Week.”
For more information on the Banned Books Week event activities and the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library, visit kvlmstaging.wpengine.com/.
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About the Indianapolis Airport Authority
The Indianapolis Airport Authority owns and operates Indiana’s largest airport system in the Indianapolis metropolitan area. In addition to the Indianapolis International Airport (IND), its facilities include the Downtown Heliport, Eagle Creek Airpark, Hendricks County Airport-Gordon Graham Field, Indianapolis Regional Airport and Metropolitan Airport. IND generates a $5.4 billion total annual economic impact for Central Indiana – without relying on state or local taxes to fund operations. More than 10,000 people work at the airport each day, and 22,600 area jobs have a connection to the airport. IND served more than 9.5 million business and leisure travelers last year. IND is consistently ranked, year after year, as the best airport in North America and the nation, based on ease of use, passenger amenities, customer service, local retail offerings and public art. The airport is home of the world’s second largest FedEx operation and the nation’s eighth-largest cargo facility. IND is committed to becoming the airport system of choice for both passenger and cargo service. For more information, visit IND’s Facebook page at Indianapolis International Airport and Twitter page at @INDairport.
