“IT’S ABOUT BOTH
GENERATING A SENSE
Nickel
If you’ve ever driven through the Fishers or
AILITHIR MCGILL SHARES
for
Noblesville area, you are no stranger to the name
Nickel Plate. There’s the Nickel Plate District, Nickel
HOW NICKEL PLATE ARTS Plate Amphitheater, Nickel Plate Arts; it all goes
Your
BUILDS COMMUNITY back to the Historic Nickel Plate Railroad. Though
the similar names may be confusing at first, they
Thoughts
all share a similar goal: to work together to build
and engage a thriving arts community in the area.
WORDS BY ALEXA CARR
Executive Director of Nickel Plate Arts, Ailithir
PHOTOGRAPHY BY POLINA OSHEROV McGill, shares Nickel Plate Arts’ role in community
building and the state of the creative economy.  accounting, and marketing—the elements that help
Nickel Plate Arts is a 501(c)(3) arts and culture
nonprofit that believes “by creating connections,
art has the power to shape—even define—
communities.” They have been dedicated to that
mission for a decade now, celebrating their tenth
anniversary this past April. Programming for Nickel
Plate Arts happens in the form of galleries, classes,
and annual events.
“I want to encourage people to come to Hamilton County and explore  As stated in their mission, community drives
everything that Nickel Plate Arts does. McGill
the really amazing arts assets that we have here. There's always some confirmed this sentiment, describing the community
she hopes to help foster in Hamilton County.  entrepreneurial incubator for artists hosted by
creative, fun event going on that you can get involved with. Then, “It’s about both generating a sense of
belonging and celebrating the things that make
you’ll start meeting new neighbors and friends and finding reasons to people want to belong here,” McGill says.   supportive of it and has had a strong partnership
McGill spoke about the incredible value that
come back to Noblesville and Fishers.”
the arts bring to communities. She feels it is easily
overlooked because of the intangible and difficult-
to-quantify benefits arts have on society and the
— AILITHIR MCGILL economy. She gave the example of how tourists may
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NICKEL PLATE ARTS not specifically book a hotel to see a Nickel Plate
exhibit, but they certainly may decide to stay an
extra day because of it. This contributes to Hamilton
County and Indiana’s broader creative economy.  Nickel Plate will still be involved and is excited to
There is this intrinsic correlation between
artists and small business owners; many artists
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OF BELONGING AND
CELEBRATING THE
THINGS THAT MAKE
PEOPLE WANT TO
BELONG HERE”
are small business owners themselves to sell their
work. McGill talked about how many of those who
are not artists often forget that there is more to
being an artist than just creating art. Through time,
Nickel Plate Arts has found that the more they can
support art and business, the stronger creative
economy they can build.
This is the basis of the Business of Arts
courses that Nickel Plate Arts hosts. These
courses focus on elements like tax regulations,
lead artists to financial success. These are not
restricted to Noblesville and Fishers community
members; artists across the state can benefit
as well through courses available online and
in-person.
Though Nickel Plate Arts hosts courses like
this, they knew that they’d be interested in getting
involved in the Indiana creative economy in a
larger way. The On Ramp program ended up being
the answer to this desire and helped to further
address needs in their community. On Ramp is an
the Indiana Arts Commission. Since the beginning
of the On Ramp program, Nickel Plate has been
with IAC.  to have fairy-themed products and engagements.
In 2022, Nickel Plate Arts had the opportunity
to host the entirety of the On Ramp Program. McGill
says that hosting the On Ramp program was an
excellent way to introduce artists from across the
state to all that the Nickel Plate campus has to
offer. Though the On Ramp Program will be held at
different locations each year, McGill shared that
network with graduates year after year. She also
hopes that Nickel Plate Arts can serve as a landing
pad for some of the graduates: a place to take
classes, show work at galleries, or connect with
other artists.
 To serve as a hub for artists of all levels,
Nickel Plate Arts knows that they must offer a
variety of programs and opportunities. One of
these opportunities is The Judge Stone House
Gallery, where artists of any experience level can
submit their pieces to be showcased. They also
have other member-only galleries where artists
can exhibit and sell entire collections. Nickel Plate
Arts’ support for artists goes beyond the physical
space. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,
the organization continued to support artists in a
safe way by creating digital art galleries. This new
initiative continues to be successful and allows art
to reach a broader audience and customer base. 
 Ultimately incorporating working artists into
activities that the community wants to participate
in led to what is now one of McGill’s favorite
events, “Welcome to Fairyville.” What started as
a tongue-in-cheek idea to celebrate Earth Day,
quickly turned into a beloved community event and
robust partnership between artists, businesses,
and consumers. There are art competitions, public
performances, and businesses are encouraged
This past year, twenty-four local businesses
participated in the event. 
 McGill looks forward to seeing how Nickel Plate
Arts can continue to build and grow events like
these and how they will affect the creative economy.
She hopes that in the next five years, Nickel Plate
Arts will acquire more space to be able to support
more artists and expand their programming. ✂
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