White sands
on the river.
Named for the Lenape word for the White River — Wapahani, “white sands,” for the limestone bedrock the water runs over.
Wapahani.
The Lenape — the Delaware — were among the first peoples to call this riverbank home. They named the White River Wapahani: “white sands,” after the pale limestone visible through the water.
The name lived on in the Wapahani Trail just outside our door. We took it as a quiet acknowledgement of the land’s history — and because it still captures how the river feels here: bright, alive, in the middle of the city.
1103 South Kentucky.
Opened in 2025 on the southwest edge of downtown Indianapolis, entrance facing the White River Parkway. Inside: private artist studios, shared space, tall windows.
Studios run 250–650 sq.ft. Most have sinks. All are part of a quiet community of working artists — painters, ceramicists, fiber artists, photographers, beauty artists, and more.
Stockyards District.
We sit in the Stockyards District — a stretch of the southwest side along Drover Street and the river that’s becoming one of the city’s most creative corridors.
Neighbors: Back 9 Golf & Entertainment, the Biltwell Event Center, the Edison School for the Arts, Hotel Tango Distillery. Ten minutes from Fountain Square. Free parking.
I have an image in my mind of what it can be, but every day it changes.Stephen J. Alexander, AIA — Founder, Prince Alexander Architecture
A long view
from the river.
Wapahani is a project of Prince Alexander Architecture, the Indianapolis firm founded in 1984 by Stephen J. Alexander, AIA. Stephen has spent years stitching together the south and west sides of downtown — Back 9 Golf, the Stockyards plan, the Old Southside redevelopment. The art center is part of that work: a corner of the city dedicated to making things.