Gregory Hill, chief executive officer of The Indianapolis Public Library gave opening remarks to attendees celebrating the publication of the Indiana Arts magazine on Wednesday Nov. 19. (Photo/Doug Jaggers of TheStatehouseFile.com)
By Chloe White TheStatehouseFile.com November 24, 2025
Nearly two decades after it ceased publication, Arts Indiana Magazine is retelling the stories of Hoosier artists and their work.
Through a special project by the Indianapolis Public Library and the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation, more than 200 archival copies of the magazine have been digitized.
On Wednesday, Nov. 19, a reception was held at the Indianapolis Public Library to celebrate the various contributors, and the achievement of the publication, which can now be viewed in the library’s digital collection.
After a decade with the Indiana Arts Commission, executive director Miah Michaelsen emphasized that digitizing the organization’s magazine is essential to preserving Arts Indiana, a publication she sees as a window into the state’s cultural history.
“It really captures an important and very, very vibrant time in our history,” said Michaelsen. “This gives great context about some really important artists and art projects and pieces of artwork that have been created in the state since this magazine was established.”
Notably, Arts Indiana did not only publish their magazine from 1979 until 2001, they also mailed a series of postcards from 1986 to 1989 which featured art work from various Hoosiers.
According to an excerpt from the digital collection the “Postcard Art Series was an annual juried art contest, with the top 12 pieces being reprinted as postcards available for sale, serving as both a way to recognize outstanding artists and serve as a fundraiser for the magazine.”
Indianapolis Public Library held a reception on Nov. 19 to celebrate the completion of the project to digitize Indiana Arts Magazine. (Photo/Anna Jaggers of TheStatehouseFile.com)
Natasha Hollenbach, digital projects manager at the Indianapolis Public Library, spent roughly a year and a half on the project in collaboration with a small team, which involved scanning, organizing, and digitizing over 200 previously archived editions of the Arts Indiana Magazine.
Hollenbach noted that the trickiest part of the whole process was finding intact copies of each edition to be scanned. Many of the magazines were sourced from the the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and Indiana State Museum. In addition to her background in archiving, she added that the cultural aspect of her position is something she especially enjoys.
“One of my favorite things to do is to work with people in the community, and talk to them,” said Hollenbach. “Seeing how excited everybody is here, … that’s the point.”
Preservationists and contributors weren’t the only people in attendance on Wednesday. Rep. Carey Hamilton, D-Indianapolis, was familiar with the magazine when it was published in the 1990s.
“I was so intrigued earlier this evening to learn about how there was an intention to go out around the state and find artists and meet them and write about them,” Hamilton said of the work of the magazine. “I think the more we can do that and capture the history and culture across our state, it’s good for our state and our communities.”
While the physical copies of Arts Indiana are still able to be accessed, the magazine’s lengthy coverage of Indiana’s artistic history is now available for viewing at any time.
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