If you’re exhausted by campaign commercials, fundraising emails, and endless arguments on social media, there’s at least one place in Central Indiana this fall where the only thing on display is creativity: the Penrod Art Fair.
Celebrating its 60th year, Penrod is an all‑volunteer organization that has grown into what chairman Tom Askey calls “the largest single‑day art fair” in the country. Held at Newfields on September 12, the fair draws more than 20,000 people and features over 350 artists across 20 different mediums—from jewelry and ceramics to oil paintings and everything in between.
“We’re an all‑volunteer organization that puts on our main event, the Penrod Art Fair, but we’re bigger than that,” Askey said during a recent interview. “All the proceeds we raise from all of our events, we pull together into a pot of money, and we actually grant out the money at the end of the year through our granting process.”
That’s the part of Penrod most fair‑goers never see. Behind the tents and food trucks is a mission: raise money and awareness for arts and arts education across Central Indiana. Based on its 2025 results, Penrod granted over $315,000 to more than 90 organizations spanning 40 zip codes. Recipients range from Riley’s children’s art therapy program to Tinley Accelerated Schools and other groups filling the gap as arts funding gets squeezed.
“The idea is that there is so much funding that’s getting cut across all these different areas,” Askey explained. “Where can we plug in and offer our small amount of support to these organizations that can maybe have an impact in the community?”
If the mission is serious, the fair itself is anything but stuffy. Penrod is a juried art fair, which means artists must apply and be scored by local experts on creativity and quality before they’re invited in. More than 600 artists apply each year; not all make the cut. The jury also focuses on keeping the art genuinely original—no mass‑produced prints bought elsewhere and resold in a booth, and an eye out for AI‑generated images.
“Askey says the fair is “really trying to make sure that it’s all original art that is showing up to the art fair,” a growing challenge in an age when an AI prompt can crank out a picture in seconds. Volunteers and jurors work to spot those attempts and keep Penrod focused on human creativity.
For those who want a slightly different vibe, there’s “Evening with Penrod” on September 11, a 21‑and‑over preview party with a more intimate crowd—fewer than 2,000 people—plus food, drinks, music, and access to select “green and blue” art areas. It’s both a celebration and another way to raise money for the grants Penrod distributes.
Despite its growth and impact, Penrod has remained entirely volunteer‑run for six decades. “A volunteer‑only organization existing for 60 years… that’s actually kind of incredible to think about,” Askey noted. No salaries, no paid staff—just people who care about art, culture, and their community.
In a season when Indiana voters will be hearing plenty from candidates, parties, and pundits, Penrod offers a different kind of public square: one filled with paintings instead of polling, sculpture instead of spin, and kids discovering that there’s more to life than the next big argument online.
Tickets for both the fair and the preview event are available at Penrod.org.
