Last Saturday was the annual Penrod Arts Fair, held on the grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art.  According to the event’s website,

The Penrod Arts Fair has been held annually on the first Saturday after Labor Day since 1967. The Penrod Arts Fair attracts over 30,000 people to the grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art to listen to music, watch performing artists and purchase thousands of dollars of art. All proceeds from this one day extravaganza provide grants that are allocated to Indianapolis area arts organizations.

And what is the Penrod Society?

The Penrod Society was formed in 1967 by a group of 12 young men so as to create a vehicle to support the cultural and educational activities of Indianapolis area artists, students, and arts organizations. The Penrod name is taken from Indianapolis native Booth Tarkington’s character, Penrod Schoefield [sic].

The Penrod Society was also responsible and instrumental in creating the Economic Club of Indianapolis and the Prelude Awards. The Penrod Society annually allocates funds to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis to underwrite the Prelude grant scholarships to young Indianapolis artists.

Here’s a list of the organizations which received grants from the Penrod Society last year:

• Arts Council of Indianapolis
• Carmel Symphony Orchestra
• Crown Hill Heritage Foundation
• Dance Kaleidoscope, Inc.
• Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art
• Freetown Village, Inc.
• Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre
• Harrison Center for the Arts
• Herron School of Art and Design
• Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
• Indianapolis Children’s Choir
• Indianapolis Museum of Art
• Indianapolis School of Ballet
• Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
• New World Youth Orchestras, Inc.
• Summer Stock Stage, Inc.
• Storytelling Arts of Indiana
• Sugar Creek Art Center
• The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
• The Fine Arts Society of Indianapolis
• The Phoenix Theatre, Inc.
• The Russian Ballet Academy of Indiana
• VSA Arts of Indiana
• Young Audiences of Indiana, Inc.

Wow!