A Green Education

Many thanks to Green Piece Indy for this tip: The Indiana Sustainable Living Fair takes place this Saturday at the Marion County Fairgrounds. Meets eco-friendly vendors, sit it on sustainability seminars and round-table discussions, and watch a variety of demonstrations -- all with the goal of reducing your carbon footprint.

(How big is your carbon footprint? Try this calculator developed by the Nature Conservancy.)

Demonstration topics include oil-seed pressing, sheep shearing, worm composting, cooking with solar ovens, preserving food (canning and freezing), identifying plants and weeds, building your own chicken coop, and making art from found objects.

In addition, here's the seminar schedule:

9:30 -- Why Biodiversity Matters
10:40 -- The ABCs of Producing Your Own Food
10:40 -- The Benefits of Raw Milk
1:30 -- Sustainability from the Ground Up
2:30 -- Who Should Control Our Food System?
2:30 -- Nourishing Our Children
3:30 -- Choices in Natural Healing
3:30 -- Unity Community Gardens
4:30 -- Cancer, Nutrition and Healing

Admission is $10/person at the gate; children younger than 12 are free (cash only).

Art Center Gift Shop Closes for Remodeling

The Indianapolis Art Center's gift shop is set to close June 26 for remodeling, so now's a great time to snap up sale-priced treasures and support both local artists and a superb adult-education venue. You'll find funky jewelry, colored-glass vases, thought-provoking paintings and much, much more.

Once the shop is closed, don't despair: You can still support local artists on Etsy, probably the best online source for handmade goods. To search for Indy artists, click the "buy" tab, then choose "shop local." At the moment, you'll find everything from personalized bookplates to hand-stitched throw pillows.

Update: Wine and Canvas

A few weeks ago, I reviewed Wine and Canvas, a great program that offers fun, relaxing painting classes in restaurants across the city. At that first class, about eight people showed up at Muldoon's, and we had a lovely time.

When I went again this week, this time to the Chateau Thomas Winery tasting room in Fishers, there were about 30 participants, and another W&T event that evening, at the Mass Ave Wine Shop, had sold out completely. Obviously the program has struck a chord, and I look forward to seeing how W&T handles its success. (Did you know they also do private events for bridal showers, baby showers, etc.?)

Pictured is the painting we did that evening. It was supposed to be painted in earth tones, but I rebelled. (Look, I'm becoming more artistic already! Now if only the "O" weren't so crooked.) I'm going again next week to a class at El Torito Grill; the painting is a Picasso-esque Cubist landscape. Wish me luck!

Get Your Groupon

Have you signed up for Groupon? If not, do it now! You'll get a daily e-mail with a fantastic local bargain, such as restaurant coupons, massage deals, and entertainment specials.

About once a week, Groupon offers discounts on local classes. A few weeks ago, for example, they offered a discounted class at Kiss Z Cook ($35 instead of the normal $75), and another day they offered a discount on painting classes with Wine and Canvas. Today, the deal is 50 percent off flying lessons with Freedom Helicopters.

There is, of course, a catch: You have to commit to the deal right away, usually within 24 or 48 hours, and pay up front. In theory, the coupon doesn't activate until a certain number of people sign up (thus the name of the service), but I've never known that to be a problem.

And, if you decide to take those helicopter lessons, let me know! I'd love to hear how it goes.

Introduction to Meditation

This month, the Dromtonpa Buddhist Center is partnering with Indy Parks & Recreation to offer "Introduction to Meditation," a six-week course with teacher Kathy Ryan. The class runs on Wednesdays, 7-8:30 p.m., from June 16 to July 21, at the Broad Ripple Parks and Family Center. To register, call (317) 327-7161 or send an e-mail.

IMA Offers Artists' Forum

The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park opens June 20, and the IMA has scheduled a bazillion grand-opening events to celebrate the 100-acre project. Among them is the 100 Acres Artists' Forum, featuring the eight artists who created outdoor art installations for the park.

At 11 a.m., Saturday, June 19, the artists will discuss their work with the museum's CEO, curators of contemporary art, and other IMA staff involved in the park's development. The forum is free, but tickets are required.

City Market Cooking Classes

If you work downtown, you can get an education fix during your lunch hour: City Market is offering demonstration-style cooking classes each Wednesday from noon to 1:30 p.m., now through the end of October. The classes are free and no reservation is required, and each class is repeated every week of the month -- so, if that conference call runs longer than expected, no worries!

Here's the schedule of this year's topics:

• June -- Food allergies: gluten-free grains and baking
• July -- Heart disease: high-soluble fiber, low-sodium and low-fat options
• August -- Vegan and vegetarian cuisine
  
• September -- Diabetes: cooking with whole grains and legumes, healthy snacks and omega-3s
• October -- Cancer: cooking with colors (natural plant pigments), organic and soy options, using herbs and spices