>> THE SWEET SAXOPHONE SOUNDS FROM MUSICIAN ROB DIXON•ARTISTIC DIRECTOR FOR THE INDIANAPOLIS JAZZ FOUNDATION.
>> AND A KEY FIGURE IN THE INDY MUSICIANS RELIEF FUND - WHICH IS PART OF THE PENROD ARTS FAIR•ONE OF THE LARGEST EVENTS OF ITS
KIND IN THE COUNTRY. KNOCKED OUT LAST YEAR BY THE PANDEMIC, THE PENROD ARTS FAIR IS BACK•MARKING ITS 54TH YEAR.
MORE THAN 300 ARTISTS WILL SHOWCASE THEIR WORK ALONG WITH DOZENS OF ENTERTAINERS AT NEWFIELDS IN INDIANAPOLIS.
>> FOR MORE•WE ARE JOINED BY PENROD SOCIETY PRESIDENT TIME HALEY AND INDIANAPOLIS JAZZ FOUNDATION DIRECTOR ROB DIXON.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING US. >> LET'S TALK ABOUT PENROD. IT IS SUCH A TRADITION HERE IN INDIANAPOLIS. GIVE US A
THUMBNAIL DESCRIPTION. I KNOW IT WAS A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT NOT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE FAIR LAST YEAR. TELL US ALL ABOUT PENROD.
>> PENROD HAS BECOME A CELEBRATION. WE'VE HAD THE FAIR. AS YOU MENTIONED, THIS IS THE 54TH FAIR. THE VERY FIRST
WAS IN 1969. IT WAS JUST A BENEFIT FOR WHAT IT NOW THE MUSEUM BUILDING AT THE NEWFIELD WE'VE HAD THE MUSEUM EVERY YEAR
SINCE. EVERY YEAR IT'S BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE ALL WE'VE DONE IN INDIANS. >> IT DOES. THIS BENEFITS THE
ARTS COMMUNITY IN INDIANAPOLIS AND SOUTHERN INDIANA. >> YES. WE HAVE MUSIC, AND AREAS FOR THE ARTS TO FOCUS ON
NON-PROFITS AND PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY. FOOD VENN VENDORS. LOCAL BREWERS,
EVERYTHING. ALL SORTS OF ART. >> THE INDIANAPOLIS FOUNDATION IS A GREAT PARTNER OF PENROD. TALK ABOUT THAT RELATIONSHIP AND
WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT. >> WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE PENROD SOCIETY FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS. WE CURATE THE MUSIC.
ORIGINALLY WE JUST CURATED THE JAZZ STAGE. THEY HAD A JAZZ STAGE AND BLUE STAGE AND MAIN STAGE. THEY HAD ROCK AND ROLL.
ABOUT THE THIRD YEAR IN, TIM REACHED OUT AND SAID, HEY, WOULD YOU WANT TO DO ALL OF THE STAGES AND CURATE ALL OF THE MUSIC FOR
US? THEY DID THAT. THEY HAD ANOTHER EVENT. WOULD YOU LIKE TO CUREUATE THE MUSIC FOR US ON THE MAGIC IN THE MAKING OF IT?
ABSOLUTELY. WE'VE DONE SO MANY PARTNERSHIPS WE'RE GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL. >> LAST YEAR WAS A SPECIAL
RELATIONSHIP. NO EVENT. YOU ARE ABLE TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE INDIANA MUSICIANS RELIEF FUND. TALK ABOUT THAT EFFORT $100,000
PLUS GOING TO SOME FOLKS WHO REALLY NEEDED IT. >> OKAY. GO AHEAD. DO YOU WANT TO START?
>> YEAH. SURE. >> ROB AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT JUST IN MUSIC IN GENERAL AS GUARANTEE -- WARRANTEE HIT. --
QUARANTINE HIT. WE HAD TO FIND A WAY TO BENEFIT MUSICIANS THAT HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS. THIS WAS RENT MONEY AND SURVIVOR MONEY.
NOT JUST TO KEEP THE ARTS ALIVE, BUT TO KEEP THE ARTISTS AVAILABLE FOR WHEN THINGS OPENED UP AGAIN.
>> YUP. MOREOVER WHAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT PENROD SOCIETY AND TIM AND MY RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM IS HOW QUICKLY THAT WE WERE
ABLE TO MOVE ON, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZING A RELIEF FUND. THINGS LIKE THAT MAYBE TAKE A MONTH OR SIX WEEKS. WE DID IT
IN AN AMOUNT OF DAYS. WE STARTED TALKING. I HAVE TO GET A COUPLE OF PEOPLE ON BOARD TO APPROVE IT. WE DID THAT. OKAY
WE CAN HAVE MONEY. WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO RAISING MONEY. WE RAISED $50,000 VERY QUICKLY. ULTIMATELY WE RAISED OVER
$100,000. >> ALL RIGHT. IT IS A GREAT ANNUAL EVENT COMING UP SEPTEMBER 11TH. TIM AND ROB JOINING US.
THANK YOU BOTH. GOOD LUCK WITH THE EVENT. IT IS GOING TO BE