August is Member Appreciation Month—and we’re celebrating you and your contributions all month long! You make exceptional experiences with art and nature possible at Newfields every day. Our 22,000 Member households are the heart of the institution. Membership dues help support Newfields’ day-to-day operating expenses, such as the landscaping and maintenance needed to keep The Garden beautiful as well as the careful conservation of the IMA’s collection. We asked: What do our Members love about Newfields?

After countless visits, Newfields Member Milana Grozdanich continues to find peace and inspiration in the IMA Galleries and The Garden. “On a regular day, I love that I can step onto campus and just be there. I can spend the time reflecting, thinking through something specific, getting inspired, or diving into the IMA exhibitions. And when the weather is as beautiful as it has been, I really enjoy walking around The Garden and The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park. I don’t have to be anything other than present.”

Milana has been a Member since 2018, and her decision to join was initially driven by logic. “Admission was free to Members, so I did the math and figured that the Membership would pay for itself if I visited a few times and took advantage of the Member price on special events that year.”

And there’s no seven-year itch in sight. Over time, Newfields has become Milana’s favorite place in Indy. “I've always loved art museums. Even as a kid, I loved being able to go see my favorite art over and over and notice different things… Now I see my Newfields Membership as an investment in art, nature, and history for our community and Indianapolis.” This year, Milana began serving as Newfields’ Board of Governors Vice Chairwoman.

The Future is Now: SneakerFest welcomed thousands of students and community members to Newfields in December, 2024.

She furthered her investment in our community this past winter during Newfields’ SneakerFest. Milana helped distribute brand-new pairs of sneakers to over 2,000 local young people. “We partnered with New Shoe Day to hand out sneakers and complimentary Newfields 2 + Kids Memberships to IPS elementary and middle schoolers and local youth groups. By the time they got to us in THE LUME, they had already walked around the other floors of the IMA, so it was fun to talk with them about what they saw around the museum and to see how excited they were to get their new shoes.”

Tara Donovan (American, b. 1969), Untitled (Mylar), 2010, Mylar, hot glue, H: 13 ft. Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Commissioned by the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Frank Curtis Springer & Irving Moxley Springer Purchase Fund, Anonymous IV Art Fund, Deaccessioned Contemporary Art Fund, 2010.218A-D © Tara Donovan, Courtesy The Pace Gallery.

Milana is particularly fond of contemporary art, describing Tara Donovan’s mylar sculpture, Untitled, as her favorite piece in the collection and even saving it as the background on her phone for a time. Similarly, one of Milana’s favorite Newfields memories was seeing Yayoi Kusama's All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins when it was on view in 2019–2020. “The experience of stepping into that immersive space was absolutely awesome. I enjoyed it myself, and I loved seeing how it drew more people into Newfields.”

Milana celebrates Kusama and all things pumpkins in one of the most popular selfie spots on campus at the time.

Another contemporary Newfields work near and dear to Milana is Roy Lichtenstein’s Five Brushstrokes. She explains, “When I was 17, I participated in a Spanish language immersion program. We spent two months in Spain living with a family and taking classes. During our last few days in the country, we took a trip to the Reina Sofia, the contemporary art museum in Madrid, where there is a Lichtenstein Brushstroke that is very similar to his Five Brushstrokes on Newfields' front lawn.

“Every time I see those massive sculptures, I'm reminded of how lucky I am to have had that experience at such a young age. And how small and connected our world is—not just by the internet, but by the physical objects and memories we carry and share.”

At Newfields, that human connection spans across time. Visitors can step into the past at the historic Lilly House. “As a Lilly employee, the house where J.K. Lilly Jr. and his family lived reminds me that I am a steward of the family's legacy and success. Through nearly 150 years of discovery and innovation, Lilly continues to advance science and reach more patients with medicines they need. It's inspiring to be standing in the place where the original leaders of this company once lived.”

Historic Lilly House at Newfields

When asked what she has learned by visiting Newfields, Milana excitedly replied, “How to make a linocut print! It's not easy, but the workshop was so fun! I learn something every time I read the art descriptions on the walls and each time I do a tour, even of galleries and gardens I've seen many times.”

Interested in learning more about all that Newfields Membership has to offer? See our Membership Benefits guide.