adventures + columns - kimiko martinez

20 INSIGHT WORKLIFE STYLE ADVENTURE FOOD & DRINK Thursday, August 31, 2006 INtake

I ’ve never been high. And I’ve never been toouter space. (Duh.) But after leaving StillwaterFloat in Carmel, I feel like I’ve done both.For an entire hour I’ve been forced to relax.

I say forced because I, like so many of my fellowfrenzied friends in this “work hard, play hard” anxi-ety-ridden generation, am one of those people whosimply can’t sit still. And yet, for more than 60 min-utes, I haven’t had a choice.

A D V E N T U R E : R . E . S . T .

GETTINGTANKED

Michelle Pemberton / INtake

R.E.S.T. assured: Ki-miko Martinez climbsinto an Oasis tank totry out R.E.S.T. (Re-stricted Environ-mental StimulationTherapy).

INtake’s Kimiko Martinez learns that hersenses sometimes enjoy a little depravation.By Kimiko [email protected] LIKE A GO-KART.

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INtake Thursday, August 31, 2006 WORKLIFE STYLE ADVENTURE FOOD & DRINK INSIGHT 21

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StrippedSituated in a fairly typical

strip mall just north of 126thand Rangeline Road in Carmel,Stillwater Float doesn’t looklike much from the outside.Walking in feels a bit like en-tering a spa or doctor’s office,where a stone waterfall pro-vides ambient noise and cre-ates a relaxing effect.

The center, which openedAug. 1, houses two float tanks,where customers can R.E.S.T.(Restricted EnvironmentalStimulation Therapy).

Apparently floating was allthe rage in the ’70s and ’80s.Also known as “sensory depri-vation,” professional athleteswere known to reap benefitsfrom these salt water-filledtanks. Entire sports teamswould use the tanks for relaxa-tion and focus training.

Always looking for some-thing new, and in desperateneed of some relaxation, I de-cided to give it a try. So aftergoing over the basics with co-owner Tom Gould (see box)and showering in the EastRoom (a small, private roomwith a shower and float tank) Istepped in and closed the door.

Look ma, no hands!Basically, a flotation tank is a

small, super saline pool. Thewater’s only about 10 inchesdeep and heated to about 93.5degrees. The Epsom salt worksdouble duty in providing thera-peutic effects and making thebody float like a cork.

Because the temperature isalmost the exact temperatureas your skin, floaters eventuallylose the sensation of hot/cold.By about 20 minutes in, I washaving trouble distinguishingwhere the water ended andwhere the air began. And sincethe tank is almostcompletely dark, youfeel as if you’re justfloating out in themiddle of space.

There are no stars,of course, exceptthose weird splotchesthat your eyes pro-duce when you rubthem. More than onceI had to purposelyblink my eyes just tosee if they were stillopen or not. I foundmyself moving myfingers and toes aswell, just to feel the sensationof the water moving.

Gould said one hour of float-ing is equal to about four hoursof deep sleep.

Floating in and of itself is re-laxing. Images of lying on araft, surrounded by friends(and usually beer), and beingrocked by the waves of a river

popped into my mind. I re-membered all those times I’dwarmed myself in the sun as achild, laying in my neighbor’s

pool. So to be floating— with no sun, nobeer, no friends, nosound, no waves —was a completely for-eign experience.

For a good 30 min-utes or so I was antsy,wondering how muchtime had alreadypassed, trying to thinkof things to thinkabout, scolding myselffor thinking about thethings that popped intomy head, trying to

breathe deeply and simply re-lax. A drop of condensationfrom the roof of the tank couldjar me and throw me tempora-rily off track from truly relax-ing.

But eventually my bodywon. Just as Gould said itwould, a parasympathetic re-sponse kicked in and it seemed

to just shut down. I floatedsomewhere between sleep andthis dark, deep space that I’dentered. Once I hit that sweetspot, all sense of time andspace completely disappeared.I was snapped back to realitywhen Gould knocked on thedoor a little over an hour afterI’d stepped into my personalstasis chamber.

Head in the cloudsAn hour later I was still feel-

ing lightheaded. Not drunk, butkind of that giddy, nothing mat-ters mood where your headfeels like it’s barely even at-tached to your body. Your scalpfeels tingly and your head is soclear that you wonder if there’seven a brain inside of it.

The effects could last up toseveral days, Gould said. Nocomplaints in my book.

It takes some people two orthree sessions to really reapthe benefits, he said. If the ben-efits get even better (Did Imention the back pain relief?),I can’t wait to go back.

Floatation device: This Oasis tank is filled with 200 pounds of waterinto which 800 pounds of Epsom salt has been dissolved.

About floating! Flotation tanks hold about 200 pounds of water with about 800pounds of dissolved Epsom salt. Users float like a cork.! Muscle tension, blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen consump-tion drop dramatically.! Stress-related chemicals are removed from the bloodstream andreplaced by beneficial endorphins.! The brain’s electrical activity drops to a level known as the thetastate. The mind remains awake and alert, yet nearly asleep.

Stillwater FloatWhere: 622 S. Rangeline Road, Suite E. Carmel, (317) 663-4359,www.StillwaterFloat.net.Cost: Grand opening special: $40 for a one-hour float, or bring afriend for two one-hour floats for $25 each. (Book by Sept. 1.)

Tom Gouldco-ownsStillwaterFloat in Car-mel.

MOVIE TIMES • DINING DIRECTORY • NIGHTLIFE GUIDE

Buckle up for the best amusement parks the Midwesthas to offer. Find out which were our favorites. PAGE 26

HOLDTIGHT!

FREE

THIS WEEKIN INDY:

6.15.06www.intakeweekly.com

JAZZY AFFAIRBEGINS FRI • PG. 66

ALLMAN BROTHERSON THE LAWN

TUE • PG. 71

TELL ME HOWTO GET TO THE

CHILDREN’S MUSEUMBEGINS SAT • PG. 62

26 INDEPTH Thursday, June 15, 2006 INtake

G ot wood? How about steel? With the summer season in

full swing, nearby amusementparks are bracing for an on-

slaught of thrill-seekers and family vaca-tioners. Not sure where to go? With more than

a dozen choices within a day’s drive, wedecided to help you choose. We spentmore than 25 hours on the road, morethan $500 out of our pocketbooks andlost about five pounds from walking thehundreds of acres at the five parks —both big and small — that we visited: Ce-dar Point, Holiday World, Indiana Beach,Paramount’s Kings Island and Six FlagsKentucky Kingdom. Want to know how to save money? We

asked. Which rollercoaster has the big-gest drop? We found out. And now that it’s all said and done,

we’re handing out awards.

Easilyamused

Kimiko tours the Midwest’sfastest and tallest coasters at five amusement parks.By Kimiko [email protected]

Tom Klubens / For INtake

Air attack: Riders on maXair at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, are swung 140 feetup into the air as the ride spins rapidly in a clockwise motion.


Puppy love: The Holiday World mascot Holi-dog hands out free hugs to kid visitors.

Submitted photo

Stormy: Visitors to Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom ride Tor-nado!, which drops rafts down a tunnel into a catch pool.


Flip ya for real: Riders getflipped upside down on Face/Off atParamount’s Kings Island.


Indiana Beach306 Indiana Beach Drive, Monticello, Ind.; (219) 583-4141, www.indianabeach.com.

T ake a trip back in time at this lakesidepark that looks like it could have beenlifted straight out of the 1950s. Classiccarnival rides, a couple of coasters and

a distinct seaside feel are here.Newest attractions: Splash Battle, an interactive water ride,and Splash Bash, a water play area, open this summer.Shows/special attractions: Water Thrill Show at 1:30 p.m.,3:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. daily through Aug. 20.Upcoming events: Fireworks June 17 and July 4; anniversaryparty beginning June 18 with 25-cent rides.Themes/mascot: “There’s more than corn in Indiana.” IB Crowand Cornball Jones serve as park mascots.Most interesting menu items: Pronto Pups, walking tacos,Skyroom Chef’s three-course gourmet dinner.Three most popular rides: Shafer Queen, Cornball ExpressRoller Coaster, Den of Lost Thieves.


Old school: A vintage signalong the Indiana Beachboardwalk advertises swim-wear for sale.

All wet: Reporter KimikoMartinez gets a little wet asshe hits the end of Rocky’sRapids log flume ride.

Holiday World452 E. Christmas Blvd., Santa Claus, Ind.; (877) 463-2645, www.holidayworld.com.

Newest attraction: The Voyage, a 1.2-mile-long wooden coasterwith a record 24.2 seconds of airtime, opened May 6.Shows/special attractions: Santa’s Storytime, Holidog’s DanceParty, History of Diving, Lift Your Voice, Superstar Karaoke, Ameri-can Country and Pop Revolution.Themes/mascot: Holiday-themed areas include Thanksgiving,Fourth of July, Halloween and Christmas; Holidog is the mascot.“Santa Claus isn’t a mascot,” Werne said, “but he’s here everyday.”Most interesting menu items: Cheesecake on a stick, $2.99; Fri-to pie, $2.89; fried Oreos, four for $2.79.Three most popular rides: The Voyage, Raging Rapids, The Ra-ven in Holiday World; Zinga, Bahari wave pool and ZOOMbabwe inSplashin’ Safari.

E veryone is talking about the new woodencoaster The Voyage, and for good reason.Plus, who else gives you free soft drinksand includes the water park in admission?


Take a trip: The Voyage is the new-est addition to Holiday World. Toread more about the ride and itsdesigners, see page 27.

Dropping in:At Holiday World,guests plungedown one of thedrops on the Ra-ven roller coaster.

Want a Santa? Inside Santa’s Story-time Theater at Holiday World.

After visiting the parks, wecompiled this list of awards for rides, parks and staff:

RIDESBrigitte Nielson / Flava Flav award:Wicked Twister (Cedar Point) for beingthe most twisted coaster. The track lookslike a pair of antelope horns with two 215-foot towers that each twist 450 degrees.

Cheech and Chong award:Top Thrill Dragster (Cedar Point) forhighest coaster — 420 feet.

Depends award:The Beast (Paramount’s Kings Island).If you’re in need of a good b.m., this ridewill shake the sh*t out of you.

FedEx award:Mantis (Cedar Point) and Chang (SixFlags Kentucky Kingdom). All thoseloops and turns on these stand-up coastersaren’t so bad, but beware of the ending.You’ll wish you wore a cup.

Longest wood award:The Beast (Paramount’s Kings Island)at 7,400 feet (of track, of course).

Michael Jordan award:The Voyage (Holiday World) for mostairtime on a coaster — 24.2 seconds; andSkyhawk (Cedar Point) for best air on athrill ride.

SNL’s The Lady’s Man awardfor smoothness:Raptor (Cedar Point). A suspended steelcoaster that goes down smooth like a glassof fine cognac.

Snoop Dogg and the Doggpound award for best Gs:Son of Beast (Paramount’s Kings Is-land). A 214-foot drop, speeds over 78mph, 7,032 feet of twists, turns and tun-nels, and the only wooden coaster with aloop. There’s some serious g-force action.

Best short wood:The Hoosier Hurricane (Indiana Beach).A classic out-and-back wood coaster that’ssurprisingly fun.

Sam Hornish, Jr. award forfastest ride:Top Thrill Dragster (Cedar Point). Zeroto 120 mph in less than 4 seconds.

Jenna Jamison award:Magnum XL-200 (Cedar Point) for bestup and down action. All those hills equallots of airtime.

Most underrated award:Thunder Run (Kentucky Kingdom). Peo-ple who haven’t been don’t know whatthey’re missing. A great wooden ride.

Park awards

Cedar Point

Like a bird: The Skyhawk’s two84-foot long arms swing to a hori-zontal position, bringing ridersabout 125 feet above the ground.


Put a cork in it: The Corkscrew roller coaster at Cedar Point careens toward one of its severalloops just a few feet over the heads of park pedestrians.

1 Cedar Point Road, Sandusky, Ohio;(419) 627-2350, www.cedarpoint.com.

Newest attraction: Skyhawk, the world’s tallest swingride, thrusts its riders 125 feet into the air at more than 60mph. Two giant 84-foot arms, each carrying 20 riders, swingin opposite directions. Opened in May 2006.Shows/special attractions: Extreme Splash high-diveshow, Camp Snoopy Theatre and Rock the House. Hot Sum-mer Lights and Divine Divas are new this year. Hot SummerLights features FireWater, a special effect that shoots torch-like flames into the air. These flames are choreographed tomusic. Cedar Point is the first and only amusement park inthe world to use this technology.Upcoming events: Fireworks on July 4, the JohnsonvilleBig Taste Grill (the world’s largest traveling grill), Fourth ofJuly weekend and the 34th Annual North American Sail andPower Boat Show, Sept. 13-17.Themes/mascot: Peanuts characters.Most interesting menu items: New “Chicken Bites ofFire” (buffalo-style chicken bites), calypso chicken wraps, is-land steak burgers, Cuban panini, fresh Lake Erie perchsandwiches, 25-cent cotton candy sticks and new sirloinsteak burgers.Three most popular rides: Millennium Force (voted BestSteel Roller Coaster in the World), Raptor and Top ThrillDragster.

T hey call Cedar Point the Roller Coastfor a reason. It’s a thrill seeker’sparadise with some of the biggestand baddest roller coasters around.

Set on Lake Erie, the scenery is beautiful. Andthe temperatures are much more moderatethan at some of the other parks, which allowsCedar Point planners the freedom to continu-ally build taller, faster and noisier attractions.

Going down to Cowtown: Ababy calf licks another calf on theear in the Cedar Point petting zoo.

Buy a thrill: Cedar Point’s Top Thrill Dragster rollercoaster takes riders up to the apex and then racesdown the track at a top speed of 120 mph.

Streaking: The MeanStreak wooden rollercoaster (below) takesriders through a sharpturn at Cedar Point.

INtake Thursday, June 15, 2006 INDEPTH 29

Paramount’s Kings Island6300 Kings Island Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio; (513) 573-5700, www.pki.com.

Newest attraction: Nickelodeon Universe, which includes a total of18 rides and attractions that bring to life Nickelodeon’s most popularcharacters; opened April 14.Shows/special attractions: School of Rock Live in Concert, StarSearch Live.Upcoming events: Nickelodeon Celebration Parade, through July 9;Star-Spangled Celebration, July 1-4; Spirit Song, July 6-8; NCA/NDACheer and Dance Championships, Sept. 2-3.Themes/mascot: Nickelodeon, Scooby Doo.Most interesting menu items:Skyline chili, Graeter’s icecream, Montgomery Inn andLaRosa’s pizza.Three most popularrides: Racer, KingsIsland Miami Val-ley Railroad,Beast.

T he Beast has been lurking in the woods atKing’s Island for years. And its spawn, Son ofBeast, is just as menacing. Plus, a brand-spanking-new Nickelodeon Universe is like

kiddie heaven, with rides featuring the network’smost popular characters, like SpongeBob SquarePantsand Dora the Explorer.


Facing Face/Off:The winding KingsIsland roller coasterFace/Off shows nomercy as it turns itsguests upside down.

Child’s play: Children ride theLazytown Sportocopters while

others ride the Nickoroundin Nickelodeon Universe.

Newest attractions: Tornado at theHurricane Bay water park and The Fun-tastic World of Hanna-Barbera at theThrill Park Theater motion simulator.Shows/special attractions: LooneyTunes: We Got the Beat!, BroadwayRhythm, Pure Country and LooneyTunes parade with Justice League ofAmerica characters.Upcoming events: GospelFest featur-ing Kirk Franklin on June 17, and Kids-Fest featuring magicians, stilt walkers,music, clowns, face painting and artsand crafts July 1-7.Themes/mascot: Looney Tunes char-acters and Justice League of America,including Batman, Robin, Green Lan-tern, Flash and Wonder Woman.Most interesting menu items: Tur-key pesto panini and Southwesternchicken wrap.Three most popular rides: Chang,Hellevator, Hurricane Bay Water Park.

J ust a couple hours away,Kentucky Kingdom hasall the fun of a biggerpark, but on a smallerscale. It has just enough

variety in its coasters tomake thrill-seekers happyand enough kiddie rides, pa-rades and shows to entertainthe younger set.

937 Phillips Lane,Louisville, Ky.; (502)366-2231, www.sixflags.com.

Six FlagsKentuckyKingdom

Submitted photo

Hands up: Riders have no fear as theThunder Run drags them downhill.

PARKSCigarettebreak award:Six Flags Kentucky Kingdomfor being the best quick fix. It’snot the biggest and not the best,but it does the trick.

Vegas hooker award:Holiday World is hands-downthe best bang for the buck. Ofcourse, it’s about as far fromVegas as you can get — spittingand cursing are prohibited, thegrounds are clean and it’s cheap.

The Flintstones award:Indiana Beach is by far thebest blast from the past. It sitson the lake and looks like a sea-side park you’d see in themovies.

Homecomingcommittee award:Paramount’s Kings Island forbest use of a theme. What betterpairings for go-cart racing thanDays of Thunder, and a back-ward/forward-facing twisted sus-pended coaster than Face/Off?

STAFFMr. Belvedere award:Holiday World. This is the typeof butler-like staff that takes yourbelongings for you and storesthem on the opposite side of thetrack. They even say, “Excuseme” when they’re checking yourseatbelts and lap bars.

The View award:If you watch this show, youknow how much incessant chat-ter there can be. The ride opera-tors at Cedar Point may havetaken their cue from the cast.They are peppy, and the atten-tion seems genuine for the firsthour, but then it gets annoying.

Bring It On award:Talk about team spirit. The staffat Six Flags Kentucky King-dom were still smiling, politeand friendly, despite the gloomyweather and lack of visitors.Mascots were out walkingaround between downpours andthe parades went on as planned.

United Colors ofBenetton award:Cedar Point. Most of the parkswe attended were pretty white-washed. But at Cedar Point, boththe visitors and the staff re-flected a more diverse culturalspectrum.

Parkawards


Cedar Point

Holiday World

IndianaBeach

KentuckyKingdom

KingsIsland

Cost

Size

Number ofattractions

Number ofroller coasters

Number ofconcessions

Annual number of visitors

Distance fromIndianapolis

Attractions not included in price

In a word

Pick a park$39.95 adults,$64.95 two-daypass, $24.95after 5 p.m.$9 parking.

$36.95 adults,$55.95 two-daypass. Free park-ing.

$2.50 gate ad-mission, $20unlimited ridesfor time blocks.Free parking.

$39.99 for oneday, $69.99 fora season pass.

$49.99 adultsingle-day admission.

364 acres 17 acres 64.5 acres 364 acres120 acres

68 60 rides andwater rides

37 rides anda water park

33 More than 100things to do

16 4 5 8 13

More than 50 17 restaurants More than 20 25 88

More than3 million

Expecting totop 1 million

Approximately700,000

Not available More than3 million

About 300miles

About 150miles

About 90 miles About 115miles

About 125miles

Challenge Parkattractionssuch as XtremeBungee, minigolf, RipCord,Skyflyer, arcadegames and go-karts. Each hasits own fee.

None. Guestsalso receivefree soft drinks,free sunscreenand free useof inner tubesat Splashin’Safari.

Cost of admis-sion does notinclude attrac-tions or rides.Guests can buyride passes orindividualtickets. Waterpark is $16.

SkyCoaster,Thrill Karts,Rock Wall, Tur-bo Bungy andBrunch withBugs are extra.

Pay-as-you-playattractions in-clude SlingShot ($25),Days of Thun-der go-carts($3-$6) andXtreme Skyflyer($15).

Thrills Value Quaint Worthwhile Variety

INtake Thursday, June 15, 2006 INDEPTH 31

How to avoid crowds! Pick a day: Middle of the week tends to be the least busy, since lots ofvisitors make amusement parks part of a three-day weekend. Saturdays tendto be the busiest day for theme parks. Also, Holiday World isn’t busy on Sun-days, according to spokeswoman Paula Werne.! Rainy days and holidays: These can go both ways. Some people thinkthe parks are going to busy during holidays so avoid it, but many parks saythis actually makes it a good day to visit since so many people don’t come.The same thing goes for rainy days. Of course, the reverse can be true. Peo-ple think no one will be there, so they can end up being busier than usual.! Start later: Crowds tend to die down the later you stay. Families withtired kids will leave well before the park closes, and some parks even offerreduced admission for visiting after a certain time of day. Lines should beshorter around and after dinnertime.

How to save some cashParks offer so many different discounts these days that you shouldn’t have topay full price. Children and seniors usually already qualify for discounted ad-mission. Parks sometimes offer discounts for local residents, as well.! Don’t be afraid to ask: “Most amusement parks will tell you what of-fers exist and where you can obtain them by simply calling them,” accordingto UltimateRollercoaster.com.! Go online: Many parks offer discounts if you buy your tickets online.Some offer steeper discounts for ordering tickets several days in advance.! Keep your eyes open: Also look for coupons on cans, at your local gro-cery store, motor club, hotels, local restaurants and businesses and even yourplace of business. Many parks host special days for different corporations orgroups. Also, consider a season pass. They usually pay for themselves aftertwo or three visits.! Stay longer: Many parks also offer steep discounts on buying a ticket fora second visit either the next day or for a later date if you buy it the sameday you visit.! Go clubbing: Joining a roller coaster club has some benefits. Club activ-ities can get you exclusive ride time, group discounts and even discountedadmission to parks.

8 INTERACT FREE SPEECH WEEK-IN-REVIEW PERSPECTIVES INDY FACES P.O.V. Thursday, January 4, 2007 INtake

What it is: Fabulous Betsey Johnson earrings.What’s the buzz? So,I’m not really a la-bel whore, but onehas to admit thatobjects with aname on themare more glamor-

ous than those without. Throughoutthis holiday season, I was wowed bythe various designer labels I saw onstore racks in this town. The strip-mall boutique Frankey’s, for example,has an Alexander McQueen coat in itsstore. McQueen from a strip mall? For there tofinally be a market for these kinds of goods in Indy lets me know that my quaint hometown is far more cosmo-politan (and a lot bigger) than I grew up believing. The best part about these earrings? Besides being adorable,they were a Christmas present from my BFF Richard, which means I didn’t have to pay for them.Cost: Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is they were free for me.Where can I get them? He got these at Nordstrom, where there were many other accessories from Betsey.

Elegant ear ornaments

I was not so much a fan of the movie “Se7en,”but I am very much a fan of the seven deadlysins.

And Brad Pitt, of course. Actually, I think Brad Pitt is causing me to com-

mit one of the seven deadly sins right now. (Take aguess which.)

But that’s beside the point. I actually own a book called

“The 7 Lively Sins: How to EnjoyYour Life, Dammit,” which — sur-prise, surprise — puts a positivespin on sins like sloth, envy andgluttony.

I’ve been a fan of author KarenSalmansohn’s over-the-top funny,visually entertaining self-help-without-the-psychobabble stylesince a friend turned me on to“How To Be Happy, Dammit” acouple years ago. I now also own“Enough, Dammit: A Cynic’s Guide

to Finally Getting What You Want out of Life,” “Howto Make Your Man Behave in 21 Days or Less Usingthe Secrets of Professional Dog Trainers” and “EvenGod Is Single, So Stop Giving Me A Hard Time.”They’re all as entertaining as the titles imply andsurprisingly insightful as well.

These colorful, picture-packed books are the typeyou’d find near the checkout line at Borders or rec-ommended as graduation gifts. And rightly so. Sal-mansohn understands that ours is a generation ofconfused, well-intentioned people who are f’ed up inthe head and have the attention span of a gnat.Hence all the pictures. Oooooh look! Somethingshiny!

Ahem. Back to the seven sins. To review (if youdidn’t read Jim Walker’s cover story last week,shame on you), they are: Lust (hellllo, Brad Pitt),wrath (I’m a Scorpio, don’t get on my bad side),envy (I wish I had a nice car like that), greed (mine,all mine!), sloth (can you pass me the remote?), glut-tony (burrrrrrrrp) and pride (“take another picture. . . wait, one more, let me pose, try again”).

Really, it all equals one heaping helping of guilt.And as a good old Lutheran girl (Lutheranism equalsCatholic-lite), I think I know a thing or two aboutguilt. Heck, it’s taken me how many years to get overmy need to please, perfect and impress?

Sure, I agree with the “all things in moderation”mantra. But I also think that indulging in these “sins”occasionally is no need for a week of purging, fastingor Hail Marys. No, I lean more toward the Buddhistmindset in that intent is perhaps more importantthan an action itself. In other words, a good deed isnot always a good deed if the intent was not good.Similarly, these “sins” aren’t always sinful if theyweren’t intended to be. (I know, I know. It’s a philo-sophical mess, but I don’t have enough time to ex-plain. You get the point.)

For example, enjoying an over-the-top meal at thePope’s table with a lazy Susan full of pasta, fish,chicken, etc. — wine flowing, cocktails tipping,laughter aplenty — is not necessarily gluttony. It’sfood for your soul. It’s not a sin; it’s a blessing.

And this year, my resolution isn’t to “sin” less, butmore. Especially if Brad Pitt comes to town.

The seven sins:Deadly or divine?Take your pick

N I G H T M O V E S

KimikoMartinezINtake columnist

I ndianapolis is working hard to be-come a city as vital in the arts as it isin sports. While the dollars goingtoward cultural initiatives pale in

comparison with what’s being spent onsports facilities, every little bit counts.

Soon, we’ll be the only city in Americawith a Cultural Trail that takes lanes awayfrom drivers so people can walk or ride tovarious Downtown arts destinations.

While I can envision many bikers androllerbladers taking advantage of the newpaths, I wonder how many will stop ingalleries and buy something.

A lack of a local consumer base for artis the real problem Indianapolis faces inmaking its cultural businesses — and itscultural initiatives — successful here.

We have no shortage of talented visualartists. And, with the Herron School ofArt launching an MFA program, we’ll soonhave graduate art students furtherstrengthening the art scene.

While people continue to produce lotsof great stuff, a very small percentage ofconsumers in our metropolitan area buywork by local artists.

I wonder what each person in a bighouse has hanging on the walls? Fakeframed art from Target? Giant wallpapermurals that make it look like you’re out inthe woods?

While so many people around here —especially in the suburbs — seem to havemoney to burn, few have interest in in-vesting in local artists. When I use theword “invest,” I’m not talking about some-thing like playing the stock market. Whileart has a value that might increase some

day, the real investment is in the artist andthe arts community.

When somebody buys a painting by alocal artist at a gallery, the first thing heor she does is help keep that gallery open.The customer also helps make it possiblefor the artist to keep working. This finan-cial support is usually shared, via the art-ist, with local art supply stores and studiobuildings where the artist works.

It’s a good feeling to know your moneyis helping all these important entities sur-vive in our city. Plus, there’s somethingmore personal about owning work by anartist you’ve met and encouraged. “ThePainter of Light” Thomas Kinkade doesn’tcare when you buy one of his prints of“Mountain Paradise” at the mall.

More people need to experience the joyof buying local art. In order to make ithappen, people need to understand that ifthey value the arts at all, they need tospend some money — even a couplehundred bucks a year — to help it thrive.

The city needs to team up with arts or-ganizations to launch an all-out marketingcampaign educating consumers about thevalue of supporting artists and galleries.

We know TV commercials and othercrafty marketing techniques convince peo-ple every day to buy the most worthlesscrap. Heck, I almost ordered myself a Be-dazzler the other day.

It’s time to get creative and reach outto everyday people around Central Indi-ana and encourage them to become artconsumers.E-mail Jim at [email protected].

O F F I C E S P A C E

A little hype for local artMakegettingarty with ita NewYear’sresolution

Jim WalkerINtake columnist

S T A F F P I C K : M A R Y G A R R I S O N

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