Dear Editor of The Reflector,
This letter serves as a response to the recent article “Wheeler gives UIndy foothold in the square” by Ally Holmes in Volume 92, Issue 9.
I very much appreciate and applaud the work done by Business Manager Ally Holmes to compose an article that describes the great things happening in Fountain Square. However, I’d like to point out a few important details missing from the article.
I have been the UIndy Outreach Coordinator at the Wheeler Arts Community for almost three years. Through the hard work and dedication of the Community Programs Center (whose mention is woefully absent from the article), we’ve accomplished some great feats.
These past three years, we’ve raised First Friday attendance, started free transportation to our events, initiated neighborhood education programs and brought many UIndy departmental activities to our building. I am happy to write that this is not an exhaustive list.
The point of highlighting the above is to show that Wheeler is much more than First Friday events and UIndy classes. We’ve done our best to foster a creative space in Fountain Square—one that both enables burgeoning artists and supports professionals. For brevity’s sake I won’t go into detail of all the hard work that UIndy’s Conference and Scheduling Office does for us. Suffice to say, we would not be as professionally organized and our schedule would not be as full as it is without their assistance, creativity and sweat.
It is encouraging to see our students take interest in Wheeler; that’s really our main purpose. I would be remiss, however, if I did not speak up to recognize that it’s the synergy of the Community Programs Center, the Conference and Scheduling Office and many other generous UIndy Departments that has carried Wheeler forward. Ms. Holmes recognized this in the article, but I will repeat: the incredible importance of having professors use and guide our space, like Dr. Maher, cannot be overstated.
The virtue of Wheeler, from my own perspective, is experienced best through the Cartesian warmth our internal supporters provide. Through our students, through our faculty and through our community partners, we develop self-affirmation of our pursuits—some of which unfortunately were missing from The Reflector article.
Best,
Matthew Williams
University of Indianapolis
Wheeler Arts Community Outreach Coordinator
