When Karen Toering heard that a biopic of Michael Jackson was in the works, a lightbulb went off in her head. Could the film be shown in Gary, the city where Jackson’s story began? “It’s easier to carry optimism than it is to carry doubt and anxiety,” Toering said. After months of organizing and outreach, […]
Arts
Posted inArts, Community, Events, History
Gary Residents Are Invited to Share Michael Jackson Memories Ahead of Premiere
When chatter started about a potential Michael Jackson biographical picture being produced, the gears in the Gary International Black Film Festival’s team’s mind started to turn. “How could we celebrate our native son?” was the question they all asked as rumors turned into teasers and trailers for the film that began to drop into the […]
Posted inArts, Education, Youth
Gary Youth Art Exhibit Celebrates Black History Month Creativity
Families filled the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts on Friday night for a show put together by young people that featured artwork from teens and young adults across Gary and Northwest Indiana during Black History Month. Called Colors of Culture, the exhibition was created to give Black youth a place to show their […]
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Gary Civic Symphony Orchestra Enters a New Era Under a New Conductor
Silence swept the room as Lamar Grear, the Gary Civic Symphony Orchestra’s new conductor, walked onto the stage with his baton under his arm. His footsteps echoed as he took the podium, turned from the audience and opened his score, scanning the musicians before him. The house lights dimmed inside the Main Stage Theatre at […]
Posted inArts, Culture
Gary Film Festival Celebrates 15 Years of Storytelling and Pride
When Karen Toering first proposed hosting a film festival in Gary, she didn’t know who would be involved or how it would come together, but she knew she wanted to see one in her hometown. With no movie theater in the city, Toering wanted to create a space for residents to experience films and filmmakers […]
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2025 Gary International Black Film Festival Guide: House Party, Panels, and Food
The Gary International Black Film Festival returns for its 15th year Oct. 9-12 at Indiana University Northwest, bringing more than 40 films, panel discussions, and cultural events to the city. Continuing its tradition of bringing filmmakers to Gary, the festival will feature films from local, regional, and international filmmakers that tell stories across the diaspora. […]
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Roosevelt Graduate Highlights Gary Through a New TV Series
When filmmaker TJ Chester graduated from Roosevelt High School, she knew she wanted to change how people looked at Gary. And for her, that was through a camera and a movie-maker clapperboard. “We have so many different creatives here in Gary, and none of us are being recognized for what we’re trying to do in […]
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Gary Honors Deniece ‘Songbird’ Williams With Mural on Broadway
Dozens gathered Thursday at the corner of 25th Avenue and Broadway as the city of Gary dedicated a new mural honoring hometown legend Deniece “Songbird” Williams, a four-time Grammy Award-winning singer and proud daughter of Gary. As DJs played her classics, from “Black Butterfly” to “It’s Gonna Take a Miracle,” local politicians took the stage […]
Posted inArts, Community, History
Gary Youth Bring History to Life Through Art in ‘Greatness of Gary’ Project
The smell of pancakes filled J’s Breakfast Club as people crowded in, hoping to grab a bite to eat and catch the commotion unfolding in the back of the restaurant. A crowd of people huddled together around tables, artworks, and snacks on Sunday as Gary native and world-renowed artist PeQue prepared to unveil the monthslong […]
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Gary’s Jackson 5 Mural: It’s Bigger. It’s Better. And It’s Back.
In 2013, when the first Jackson 5 mural was unveiled in downtown Gary, it became one of the most beloved pieces of public art in the city. But over time, it gradually deteriorated and the building was torn down in 2018. Now, over a decade later, the mural has been reborn on Lake Street. Commissioned […]