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Danielle Look is a music correspondent for NUVO Newsweekly and IndyMojo.com, a marketing student at The Kelley School of Business, and a general supporter of the local art and music scene in Indianapolis.  Below she previews the Broad Ripple Art Fair 2011.

No sooner than The Stutz Artist Open House has come and gone, another cultural district in Indianapolis is getting ready for their crème de la crème of art shows and community gathering. Next weekend, the 41st annual Broad Ripple Art Fair will take place on the grounds of the Indianapolis Art Center and its ArtsPark.
What’s so great about it?

More than 225 artists and cultural booths show up to be a part of the event. As with The Stutz, there’s something for everyone: 2-D mixed media, 3-D miscellaneous, ceramics, digital media, fiber, furniture, glass, photography, painting, jewelry, printmaking, sculpture, watercolor, wearable art, woodworking, and even a henna artist! It’s a great opportunity to find new favorite local artists, as well as support and patronize your established preferences.
In addition to thousands of items to look at and purchase, The Broad Ripple Art Fair strives to appease its patrons’ other senses of sound, smell, and taste to make your day out an experience, rather than just another art event. I’m partial to music, but I do recall eating one of the best veggie wraps of my life at The Broad Ripple Art Fair once before.

My picks for music:
• Saturday, May 21st
o MEEP! – a drum and bass guitar duo (2:30-4 p.m. at the Artist Green Stage)
o Midwest Hype – an eclectic jamband tinged with elements of reggae, hip hop, ska, and jazz (2:30–3:30 p.m. at the X-Files Stage)
• Sunday, May 22nd
o Born Again Floozies – new roots music with bass, tap dance, turntables and stomp orchestral percussion (1–2:30 p.m. at the Riverfront Stage)
o Emily Ann Thompson – Celtic fiddle (12:30–2 p.m. at the Artist Green Stage)
o Ladymoon – progressive jam rock (3:30-4:30 p.m. at the X-Files Stage)

New this year:
Friday night preview party: For a cool $75 ($50 for Indianapolis Art Center members) you’ll get first look and VIP shopping access to the 65+ artists open for this special sneak peek. This novel idea is perfect for those with crowd anxiety, as the Saturday and Sunday sessions can be a bit overwhelming with the 22,000+ attendees that visit every year over the course of the weekend. Drinks and appetizers will be served as VIP guests mingle with the artists and fellow art-lovers from 6-8 p.m.

IndyMojo.com, Indianapolis’ social network that’s been reviving the local electronic music scene over the past year, is proud to bring a taste of EDM to the 2011 Broad Ripple Art Fair. Expect DJ’s from the G9 Collective roster to be spinning beats all day while representatives from IndyMojo.com show and tell you about free movie screenings, concerts, charities, and sporting events they are involved with across the city.

The Broad Ripple art fair involves a lot of walking. I would recommend a pair of Mephisto walking shoes to keep your feet feeling fresh through the whole day.