“After taking a pause last year due to COVID, I am very happy to have had a chance to have this event,” said AIA Indiana Executive Director Jason Shelly, Hon. AIA. “Past Presidents and Fellows are key to AIA Indy. Joined by valued sponsors, this event is one members and sponsors alike look forward to.”
The morning’s program featured reports from Brandon Farley, AIA, American Structurepoint, President AIA Indianapolis in 2021; Patrick Kestner, AIA, Still Architecture, President Elect in 2021; and Indiana Landmarks President Marsh Davis.
Highlighting the 2021 activities of AIA Indianapolis, Farley said, “When I started this year off, I told everyone I was honored to hold the same position as so many talented architects that came before me, and I hoped I could live up to the role. Whether I did is really up to all of you, but I can say that, despite COVID, I’m proud of the year we put together.”
Farley said, “This year’s theme was ‘Arise!’ It was about getting up out of COVID, coming out from behind the drawing board to engage with the public about the power of design, and raising our collective design standards. It was important to me that all our activities and programs were engaging, actionable, and relevant, and I think we did a great job achieving that goal.”
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“You are Here” will be the AIA Indianapolis theme for 2022 as outlined by remarks given by incoming AIA Indianapolis President Patrick Kestner. A return to in person events including monthly section meetings and committee meetings along with special events, will benefit both members and sponsors alike.
Kestner shared the following thoughts on the year ahead and his experiences as a member of the AIA, “I’ve been back in Indiana now for over 16 years and when I came back to town, Deb Kunce, FAIA, founding principal of CORE Planning Strategies, now part of J.S. Held told me I needed to get involved in AIA. I don’t recall being overly enthusiastic about it at the time, but she can be very persuasive. I’m sure glad she was because at this point, I couldn’t imagine my career without the engagement I’ve had and the relationships that I have now.”
Kestner said, “I want to thank to Brandon Farley and Lora Teagarden for the past two years. We’ve all been through a lot of uncertainty and their tenure here on the board looked different than what any of us could expect when stepping into a role like this. We’re fortunate to have had them lead us through it all. Thanks also to Jason Shelley and Kim Shelley for keeping us on the correct path through all of this and their work before the pandemic and moving forward into the future. Their job here at AIA isn’t an easy one and they both navigate it with great tact and consideration for our membership.”
Kestner added, “When Rob Proctor asked if I had interest in serving on this board, I remember my first thoughts were ‘What could I offer?’, ‘What value could I bring to the organization?’ And then ultimately, ‘What value does it bring to me professionally and personally?’ Over the past three or so years, I’ve gone back to these questions and keep these in mind when we’ve been discussing our chapter programs, our membership involvement, and our sponsor engagement and value we can provide to them. As we all know our, profession is complex but ultimately, I still feel everything comes back to relationships and how we treat each other. Over the past few years, as an organization, we’ve worked on equity and diversity in our profession, and we’ll continue to build upon these.”
Explaining his vision for AIA Indianapolis in 2022, Kestner said, “Standing at the door while leaving my hotel room this year at our Regional Conference down in Louisville, I developed our theme for this coming year. It’s rather drawn out and in-depth, so everyone pay attention. Being only three words…if you blink you may miss it…our 2022 theme is ‘You are Here’. On the surface, a building evacuation floor plan might not be the best guiding inspiration I understand, but it got me thinking about three simple questions: How did we get here, where are we, and where are we going?
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“After a few trying years, it’s an opportunity to look back on our past, celebrate where we are today, and ultimately focus on the what’s next for us and architecture as a whole. Our topics will include the importance of good design, technology, and sustainable practices while keeping a strong emphasis on continuing to provide value to our members and sponsors alike. Over the next handful of weeks and months we’ll be crafting our slate of programs for the year and look forward to sharing these once finalized.”
The breakfast was held in the Cook Theater at the Indiana Landmarks Center. As a guest speaker, Davis touched on the positive partnership of AIA Indiana and Indiana Landmarks and the efforts underway by both organizations to revive the state historic preservation tax credit in the Indiana General Assembly.
Those in attendance also viewed the premiere of the short film created to pay tribute to Lynn Molzan, FAIA. Molzan was involved in the designs of some of Indianapolis’ most well- known buildings, such as Clowes Hall, Minton-Capehart Federal Building, and the Conservatory at White River Gardens. He was the 1972 AIA Indianapolis President, a regular at monthly meetings for 40 plus years, and was elevated to AIA Fellow in 1980. Molzan was bestowed the Gold Medal Award by AIA Indiana in 2017. He left his mark on the architecture of Indianapolis and will not soon be forgotten by those who knew him.
