Spotlight on Spirit & Place

Food is essential to our lives—not just as nourishment, but also as a source of pleasure. It shapes our culture, our work and our body, and it can lead to bonding, sharing and fighting.

Celebrate all of these ideas and more Nov. 5-14 with Spirit & Place Festival and its nearly 40 programs that offer plenty of Food For Thought. If you are still craving more, the Council’s Food For Thought programming continues through most of 2011.

Festival highlights 

Signature Series: Mindful Eating, Play with Your Food and Vienna Vegetable Orchestra

Don’t miss the opening weekend of the festival! Three fabulous events are sure to spike your interest and keep you coming back for more.

Click here for more information.

Mindful Eating
Krista Tippett, host of American Public Media’s “Being” (formerly “Speaking of Faith”), interviews Dan Barber and discusses questions such as “Do we eat to live or live to eat?” “What is the connection between faith and food?” and “Does our eating reflect our values?” It is a sure way to feed your appetite on ethics and food.

When: Friday, Nov. 5, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Congregation Beth-El Zedeck. 600 West 70th Street, Indianapolis
Ticket prices: $10/person – General admission $75/person – Patron (Patrons receive a reserved seat, program mention, and tasting reception, along with the opportunity to mingle with Dan & Krista.)
Click here for more information. 

Play with Your Food
A great afternoon of family fun with art, musical theater and cooking! Terry Boulder, local artist and author of Bent Objects, will entice children ages 8 and up by creating food art. Younger children can enjoy an interactive veggie western musical group – Uncle Eye and Miss Melody. Concluding the afternoon will be Chef Frontera, as he shares wholesome and fun recipes and fun activities for the entire family.

When: Saturday, Nov. 6 from 1- 4 p.m.
Where: Central Library, Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library, 40 E. St. Clair. St.
Free

Vienna Vegetable Orchestra
This worldwide orchestra creates instruments and music using – you guessed it – fresh vegetables! They perform in front of a live audience using instruments like a pepper trumpet and a leek violin. Founded in 1998, the 12 member Vegetable orchestra explores and surpasses musical boundaries. Not recommended for children age 8 and under. Bonus: Participate in a cookbook swap by bringing in a gently used cookbook and taking a different one home.

When: Saturday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.
Where: The Toby, Indianapolis Museum of Art, 4000 N. Michigan Rd.
Ticket Prices: $18/General Public, $15/IMA members
Learn more at www.imamuseum.org
Don’t miss an exclusive pre-festival event
SAVORY: Flavorful Songs with Steven Stolen

Enjoy some tasty tunes that go along with the Food for Thought theme. Steven Stolen and special guests will perform songs such as Hank Williams’ “Hey, Good Lookin’” and Leonard Bernstein’s “La Bonne Cuisine.” Tunes will range from country to pop to Disney films and Broadway. And don’t miss a special highlight of Steven as Julia Child, giving wisdom and recipes to the audience as only she could.

When: Thursday, Nov. 4 from 7 – 8:30 p.m.�
Where: The White Rabbit Cabaret
Tickets are $75 per person. Proceeds benefit Spirit & Place.
For more information call 317.278.3623 or email festival@iupui.edu.

Or the Signature Public Conversation
The 15^th Annual Public Conversation features Will Allen and Frances Moore Lappé. Allen is a former professional basketball player and the founder and CEO of the nonprofit, Growing Power. Lappé is the author of 18 books, including Diet for a Small Planet, and Getting a Grip: Clarity, Creativity. And Courage for the World We Really Want. She has also received 17 honorary degrees and was named the James Beard Foundation’s Humanitarian of the year on 2008. These two influential people will discuss ways to ensure that the way we grow and distribute food meets our needs, how we guarantee equal access to nourishing foods, and other social questions.

When: Saturday, Nov. 13, from 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where: Emmerich Manual High School, Auditorium, 2405 Madison Ave. 

Other Can’t Miss Events:

Michael Pollan
Michael Pollan travels to Indy on Friday, Nov. 12, to talk about places where nature and culture intersect: on our plates, on our farms and gardens, and in the built environment. He has been named to the 2010 TIME 100, the magazine’s list of the world’s most influential people. He is the author of New York Times best sellers Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual and The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. He has also received an Academy Award nomination for his documentary, Food, Inc. ($15/$25 tickets. Buy them here.)

Perpetual Pitch-In Project
Friends can gather from Nov. 12-14 to create 48 consecutive hours of community meals! This project can be called a potluck, a carry-in, or a covered dish supper. Whatever you call it, it is a terrific way to share food and conversation with community members.

For more details, or to register, visit www.spiritandplace.org. Sign up today!

Tap Project, UNICEF
Did you know that for only $1, you can provide clean drinking water for a child for 40 days? If you pay $1 for your glass of water when you dine in participating restaurants during the Spirit & Place Festival, you will help support UNICEF’s efforts to bring clean and accessible water to millions of children around the world. Participating restaurants include:
Café Patachou
Petite Chou
Napolese
St. Elmo
R Bistro

For a full list of restaurants or more information, visit www.indianarestaurants.org or www.spiritandplace.org.