In the spring of 2025, Maxwell Fertik, who teaches comprehensive design at Indiana University, gathered a group of 13 undergraduates in a classroom and told them their assignment: design a series of miniature golf holes based on Kurt Vonnegut’s 1963 novel Cat’s Cradle. He broke them up into four groups: a concept team, to come up with the approach; a graphics team, who designed a zine and map of where the holes would be set up on Kirkwood Ave in downtown Bloomington; a fabrication team, who sourced materials, and a design team, who drew the holes themselves in CAD. Over the course of eight weeks, they designed and built VonneGolf, a series of five holes that would go up at Granfalloon, the festival of arts and ideas, that June.
Fertik then made a pitch to Nice Work producer and co-host Alex Chambers: What if we interviewed professors and other experts about the ideas behind the holes while playing through? Of course, Alex knew there was no better way to have a deep philosophical discussion than over mini golf. With Fertik’s support, Alex interviewed IU history professor Andy Bruno, Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library curator Chris LaFave, Executive Director of Arts and Humanities at IU Jon Kay, physics professor and Executive Dean of the IU College of Arts and Sciences Rick Van Kooten, and SUNY Fredonia English professor Christina Jarvis.
The comprehensive design students who designed and built VonneGolf were: Gabriela Pacheco, Zoe Nourie, Carly Erler, Josie Kreitenstein, Mason Chin, Sam Moore, Gabriel Sollars, Skyler Atkins, Skhyler Budd, Gage Pratt, Mia Birkenbeul, Raquel Perez and Derek Gilcher.
VonneGolf has since been acquired by the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library in Indianapolis.
Activating city spaces
Pool/Side an installation at the Cleo Rogers Memorial Library Plaza
for Exhibit Columbus 2025, Yes And. Created by Akima Bracken and Ella Edelsteinof Johnson Ventures.
Kayte Young talks with Richard McCoy. He’s the executive director of Landmark Columbus Foundation–the organization responsible for the temporary collection of interactive installations in downtown Columbus known as Exhibit Columbus. The theme this year is Yes And.
Richard talks about the vision of project, about placemaking and efforts to make a small midwestern city the kind of place that attracts talent and innovation.
The Exhibit Columbus website has maps, an activity guide, and short videos for each piece in the exhibit. Yes And is on view through November 30, 2025.
Wyatt LeGrand Paints Small Town Life
Artist Wyatt LeGrand uses subtle, painterly skill and clean graphic influences to breathe fresh air into depictions of small town life.
Bloomfield artist and art educator Wyatt LeGrand paints tight, impressionistic takes on small towns and domestic scenes of everyday life. He has created an impressive body of work, some from his travels across the United States, and many depicting scenes of communities, places, and people across Indiana. Nice Work’s Tyler Lake spoke with LeGrand about how he transforms the ordinary into works that are greater than the sum of their parts.
Dubai Chocolate…or Don’t Buy Chocolate?
“Crazy Choco” brand Dubai chocolate
We were a little late to the party – apparently Dubai chocolate peaked in 2023 – but Kayte just discovered it, and Tyler and Alex had yet to try it. We talk taste, paste, crunch, and then the whole situation becomes more complicated.
Credits
This episode was produced and edited by Alex Chambers. We get production help from Danny William, Holly Wilkerson, Karl Templeton, Eddie Stewart, Leo Paes, Jillian Blackburn and Jonah Ballard.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Alan Davis. Additional music from Universal Production Music. The executive producer is Eric Bolstridge.
