A Gallery of Compassion
Aspire Indiana Health’s Compassion Gallery — a first-of-its-kind year-end event on Dec. 16 at Newfields – will be an evening of reflection and celebration of Aspire’s community support programs surrounded by artful entertainment and the magic of the winter season.
“Compassion Gallery will be an amazing opportunity for people and partners to gather together in support of the work Aspire does every day,” says Aspire President and CEO Antony Sheehan. “We are delighted to extend this invitation to the community, with a sense of humility and gratitude for their past and future support.”
"It will give us the chance to reflect on 2024 and also look ahead to 2025 with anticipation and excitement for what the future holds for Aspire. We strive to bring a sense of compassion to everything we do, and use that energy to build innovative interlocking support systems in our approach to healthcare.”
The event will include private tours of Newfield’s most popular spaces, THE LUME featuring works of Salvador Dalí and Winterlights, a dazzling display of seasonal lights that sparks visitors’ souls.
“We wanted to offer community partners, donors and local and state officials the opportunity to come in and learn about all of Aspire Indiana Health in one spot while also getting to enjoy the special venue that is Newfields,” says Aspire Director of Philanthropy Kasey Davis.
“The Compassion Gallery will be an annual celebratory space with our Aspire partners and continue to build our relationships with them,” says Rudy Lyon, Aspire events and promotions coordinator. “The whole event has really evolved as we partnered with Newfields and gained access to all the amazing artistic experiences it provides.”
Davis is hopeful guests will be inspired to attend Compassion Gallery 2024 with the opportunity for people to learn about Aspire in a very unique and entertaining setting.
“Compassion is a major theme for Aspire; it is the common thread among the programs we offer,” Davis says. “When we knew we were going to host this event at Newfields, which is an incredible gallery in itself, combining the atmosphere of Newfields with Aspire’s focus on compassion, it seemed natural to call the event ‘Compassion Gallery.’”
Connecting to Community
“The evening is intended to be a very fluid experience, one that you enjoy at your own pace,” Davis says.
Attendees will start by walking into a space showing projected photo and video pieces highlighting several of Aspire’s programs through testimonials and mission-focused stories. Then, they will move into another area with Aspire staff engaging with guests and sharing information about Aspire’s services and programs. Those programs include Progress House, Kids Talk, InSHAPE, Team HOPE, Mental Health, Primary Care and Social Drivers of Health.
“It will allow personal, interactive engagement with our program leadership so current or potential donors and supporters can hear those stories from them directly,” Davis says.
Next, attendees have the choice to head into THE LUME featuring “Dalí Alive,” showcasing four large, vibrant watercolor paintings by Salvador Dalí from the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s permanent collection. THE LUME Indianapolis is an immersive digital experience showcasing original artworks by world-famous artists with art projections over the walls and floors as well as interactive spaces.
“We want to make sure this is an inclusive event, so for those individuals who may be overwhelmed visually with the immersiveness of THE LUME space, they can choose not to walk through that portion of the exhibit. Of course, food will be plentiful throughout the evening, and then, at scheduled times, guests will wrap up their night by taking the tour of Winterlights.”
Winterlights includes nearly three million lights that will dazzle and delight, larger-than-life ornaments and gorgeous displays of wintertime wonder.
“Guests to the Compassion Gallery event will experience a blend of artful and informational scenery with the intention of evoking emotion,” Lyon says. “The hope is attendees will feel their heartstrings being tugged to some degree — whether by Salvador Dalí’s body of work, the Winterlights outdoor experience or our Aspire Compassion Program Showcases… or all three!”
Building Relationships with Partners
“Certainly, we want attendees to come and enjoy themselves, but we also hope to connect to people who are moved by the Aspire mission and want to support us in our service to Hoosiers,” Davis says.
“Each community we serve is different,” she continues. “Anderson is very different from Indianapolis, and Lebanon is different from Zionsville. We want this event to show how we are uniquely providing support to all our communities and showing compassion to our patients, partners and people — all under the one roof that is Aspire.”
Aspire is looking to be more intentional about direct fundraising, connecting with donors and engaging the community in a whole new way — one that combines a sense of both passion and humility.
“We want to develop those one-to-one relationships with people and companies who are mission-minded in the same way as Aspire and look through the lens of long-term relationship building and intentionality with those partnerships,” Davis says.
There are various services and programs Aspire provides that aren’t covered by state or federal funding sources, so philanthropy plays a crucial role in what Aspire does and offers.
“When we think about the future of Aspire — the growing and expanding of our services — we’re going to have needs that aren’t funded through standard sources. And that’s where philanthropy comes in,” Davis says. “We don’t want to just think about our needs tomorrow or next month; we want to think about what Aspire’s needs are going to be in a year or two and beyond, and the relationships we are building now are going to help fund those needs.”
Compassion Gallery 2024 is intended to engage Aspire’s current programming partners, continuing to build trust and stronger relationships with those already working alongside Aspire Indiana Health. Another audience is potential supporters.
“That’s the sweet spot — people who may not know a lot about us, but they know Aspire aligns with either their personal or company mission and what we do,” Davis says. “We want to continue to get to know them and see how we can deepen that relationship and grow that connection for the future.”
Other supporters may not necessarily turn into big donors, but will be big advocates for Aspire — sharing patient stories and program information in the rooms that matter.
“Those people are also very important because the more people hear about Aspire’s mission and the work we’re doing, the better it is for everyone involved,” Davis says. “We need to tell Aspire’s stories of compassion, all the meaningful work being done and the people who are being served and helped through that work.”
Lyon says Compassion Gallery 2024 is important specifically for Aspire to build momentum and energy moving into 2025 while looking back on what’s been accomplished in 2024.
“A lot of exciting things have happened in the last year under Antony’s new leadership,” he says. “Being able to express our unified ‘One Aspire’ messaging in a creative space like Newfields while celebrating all our Compassion Programs under one roof feels like a fitting way to end the year — encouraging and exciting others to partner with Aspire in new ways.”
“We want guests to leave with a sense of knowing what we do at Aspire is critical work in and around our communities and give attendees the opportunity and resources to engage with that work in whatever way speaks to them,” Davis says. “We want them to be inspired by what we do and how they can be involved.”
Aspire’s Compassion Gallery ‘24
Join us for Aspire’s walk-through experience reflecting on and celebrating a year of compassion — all while enjoying the Winterlights and THE LUME at Newfields!
Monday, December 16 at 6:30 p.m.
Newfields, located at 4000 North Michigan Road, Indianapolis
Event Schedule:
- 6:30 p.m. - THE LUME open for guests
- 7:30-8 p.m. - Address from Aspire President and CEO Antony Sheehan in THE LUME Gallery 1
- 8 p.m. - 1st ticketed Winterlights session
- 8:30 p.m. - 2nd ticketed Winterlights session
Complimentary appetizers, desserts and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided throughout the evening. A cash bar is also available for additional purchase.
Purchase tickets here: https://fundraise.givesmart.com/e/BJ8oVA?vid=18icvz
