If you like your art big and bold, then you will love the massive steel structure on the Musical…read moreArts Center lawn: Peau Rouge. The "Red Skin" structure was built by renowned artist Alexander Calder in France in 1970 before being installed in 1971 at its current location. The piece is 40' in height (40 x 32 x 33). The vibrant red-orange color is known as "Calder Red" and when the original paint (which included lead) began to fade, an extensive search took place to carefully remove the paint (and deal with the lead safely) and restore the original color paint. Normally, Calder pieces are dismantled and sent to the original casting location to strip and repaint. But this piece was welded and can not be dismantled, so it had to be done on site. There were a number of challenges in restoring the 5500 sq feet of surface area with the special paint, but it was worth it as the sculpture is still vibrant ten years after the restoration. It is worth noting that this fixed standing structure, or stabile, was the last stabile that Calder completed before his death. Review #1268

On my most recent trip to Bloomington, I headed out to the west side to find a large wind driven…read moresculpture behind the Bed Bath and Beyond store. Partially hidden by large evergreen trees on the west side of the green space is a sculpture that is nearly 70 feet in height made of coated steel that on sunny days, reflects deep colors off its surface. The piece is officially listed as "Untitled 2001" by artist Stephen Powell (2001) but is also referred to as "Fngers". The piece has two end pillars that support a crossbar. The cross bar has five tapered tubes that use their thicker and heavier bases to counter balance the long and narrow portion that reach skyward. As wind catches the long surfaces, the tubes pivot towards horizontal depending upon the wind velocity. On my visit, the wind was light, so the tubes were generally pointing skyward with litle movement. However, I have seen photos of the tubes frozen in winter parallel to the ground! At the time of my visit, there were no benches in the vicinity for visitors to sit and watch the movement though I can imagine that it may be peacefl to watch the tubes sway. I believe I've read the tubes make noise on windy days as well, but were silent on my trip. If you are in the area and the wind is cooperating, take a moment to swing by to check it out. There is plenty of parking to pull up and view the piece in motion. Review #1370

Painted on the wall of the Rabbit Hole Distillery that overlooks the parking lot is a brightly…read morecolored mural depicting six scenes from Alice in Wonderland (or if one wants to be technically correct, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland). The six scenes are: the hookah smoking caterpillar; Alice holding her cat, with the Cheshire Cat in the background; the Queen of Hearts' frog servants; the Queen of Hearts; the Mad Hatter; and the White Rabbit. It's a beautiful mural and love the bright colors. It is probably my favourite mural in Louisville. [Yelp collections: Louisville/Indianapolis 2023; Louisville, KY 2023; Public Art]

Alice in wonderland public art mural located on the side of the rabbit hole distillery in the Nulu…read moreneighborhood of Lousiville Kentucky. Nulu is stocked full of awesome and beautiful public art works. Thai Alice and wonderland rendering has added to that. So detailed, specific and well done. Everytime I walk by it I notice a detail that I haven't before. Overall a beautiful and wonderfully done piece of public art. I can see it becoming a favorite of many inside the city.

The irony of allowing humanity to fall so deep into greed that the unhoused population sit on this…read morebench without anywhere to call home. Says lots without saying a word.

This is a very powerful and intriguing piece that is located off to the side of the Roberts Park…read moreUnited Methodist Church. This sculpture is the work of Timothy Schmalz, a Canadian sculptor and devout Catholic, who was commissioned by Roberts Park United Methodist Church to create this bronze sculpture in 2015. It also goes by the name Jesus the Homeless. As nice as it is, this piece is not one of a kind. There are a bunch of them placed all around the world, well over 100. The original was made in 2013 and is located at Regis College, University of Toronto. Other locations that you will find the sculpture include Australia, Singapore, Israel, South Korea, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Columbia and the Dominican Republic to name just a few. This sculpture is very realistic and detailed. Which brings me to a funny story. In October 2020, police in Ohio were dispatched to a report of a homeless man sleeping on a park bench. Ironically, this call was made within 20 minutes of the Homeless Jesus sculpture being installed. Yep, some called the police on the statue. I will admit, I had to do a double take to make sure it was not real when I saw it. And you are certain to be fooled if you are driving by. It should be noted the the sculpture in Vatican City has received the blessing of the Pope. The bench is about 7 feet wide and depicts a covered figure, assumed to be Jesus, laying on it. The only real identification being the crucifixion wounds on the figures feet. For the low price of 99.99 you too can have your own mini-homeless Jesus made by the artist himself. The sculpture is just off of the Roberts Park United Methodist Church parking lot and runs along Alabama Street. There is tons of metered street parking available in front of and adjacent to the sculpture. There is also a commercial parking lot directly behind it that you can pull into, get out and take a closer look too. I guess you could also do a safe and strategic slow rolling drive by and get a a half decent look, but I do not recommend that. You will not get the full effect of the sculpture. As with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other sculptures, murals and attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. Brickhead3 and Viewfinders would be a great start.

TikTok really has opened my eyes to hidden treasures everywhere. I'm sure that I'm not the only one…read morethat feels this way. When you doom scroll, you come across many different places that are true hidden gems. Door To Nowhere, or Heigold House, is definitely an oddity and salute to the past. Some housekeeping, you know, things to know about this place. BE CAREFUL. This sits on a roundabout island with steady traffic. Be mindful to the traffic flow and businesses nearby (I parked at a nearby business off the road and walked over here). Be kind to the natural beauty that surrounds this. And most of all, be respectful. As I said, this sits on a roundabout with flowerbeds surrounding it. Whether you are facing front, as in looking at the front of the façade, or looking from the rear, please stay on the sidewalks provided. Take in the informational plaques as well. Built by Christian H Heigold, a successful stonecutter. Majority of the house was completed in 1853. Heigold was a master at stonecutting and completed the home with busts of Presidents George Washington and James Buchanan. Heigold was also a staunch opponent of the 'Know Nothing Party,' and anti-immigration political party and I would like to think that he built his house with all the busts was a big middle finger to those that were anti-immigration. This façade sat in what was known as the The Point neighborhood, which was favored by those that moved to the city from the New Orleans area. Once Louisville diverted the Beargrass Creek away from downtown, this place started to flood annually. Shifting people away from the neighborhood and then the Great Flood of 1937 happened. Slowly the city started buying houses and demolishing them. Ultimately using the land as a dump site. Then this façade was listed on the National Registry of Historical Places. Remained in that area which became Thruston Park. That is until a developer bought the land adjacent to this and build condos. They moved this massive beast, 70,000-pounds, across River Road to where it sits today.

Such amazing history, a must see spot ! Right off a main road but there is parking nearby !read more

Very cool public art mural located on the side of a eatery off Baxter ave that pays tribute to the…read morelate great Muhammad Ali must famous catch phrase. Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. The mural consist of a pair of boxing gloves with its angel halo (I assume created shortly after ali passing) and the left wing being a butterfly wing and the right wing being a bee wing. Very cool and unique. While the mural never mentions Ali name or the phrase or is obvious what the message is by the creative use of symbolism. Overall a great piece and while it's not very large and kinda hard to spot on the side of a building it may be one of my new favorite pieces because of the creativity.

There's an excellent mural located outside agave restaurant. It's called float like a butterfly…read moresting like a bee. It's relatively new and local legend Muhammad I Lee is represented here once again. With his famous float like a butterfly sting like a bee saying. So this is a beautiful colorful Mural representing him

The initial art installation of the Bloomington Community Arts Commission was created in 1980 and…read morerelocated to its current spot on the north end of Miller-Showers Park in 2002. The piece "Red, Blond, Black, and Olive" is meant to represent the four major races of the world, each of which make up part of Bloomington's population. The art consists of two 11 ton pieces of limestone that generally face each other. From the north, the faces of an Asian woman and an African woman are seen. From the south, those same blocks depict the faces of a Native American man and a Nordic man. The artist has added some thoughts about the piece on the east side of the sculpture. The sculpture was created by local artist Jean-Paul Darriau. Darriau also has another famous work on the IU Campus in the Dunn Woods area near Kirkwood Hall called "The Space Between: Adam and Eve". Review #2197

Red, Blonde, Black, and Olive is a fascinating piece of public art in Bloomington. The limestone…read moresculpture is unique, with detailed faces representing different cultures and backgrounds. It's a powerful reminder of connection, diversity, and the importance of understanding one another. I enjoyed stopping by this piece because it's not just something to look at, it has a message behind it. The design makes you slow down and think about the meaning of the artwork and the community it represents. Located in Miller-Showers Park, it's a great quick stop for anyone exploring Bloomington's public art scene. A beautiful and thought-provoking landmark that shows Bloomington's appreciation for creativity and inclusion.

Local artist, Michael McAuley, created this bronze statue of local music legend, Hoagy Carmichael…read more Hoagy sits at his bronze piano just outside the IU Auditorium on the IU campus. The patio is surrounded by a lush serene garden. There is no parking close to the statue and you have to walk to see the statue. It took me some time to find, as it is tucked in near a wall just outside the doors of the Auditorium. I recommend visiting when classes are not in session. IU has a lot of interesting and beautiful art scattered around the campus.

Beautiful tribute to one of America's best composers. It captures his image well and it's so…read morerefreshing to see this be a fixture at IU, given his legacy and time there. I love that the pose is of him at work with "Stardust" at his fingertips, as he penned that just a few blocks away. It's easy for me to conjure up the image of what his style of work may have been like and I can totally hear the song in my head as I go by. I'm so happy that this tribute to him exists.

I'm a sucker for bright shiny objects. That said, I really like this sculpture completed in 2006…read moreby local art professor Bernard Hegedorn. He was inspired to create something after the tragedy of 9/11 in the hope that the worst of the century was behind us and a new beginning would offer promise. The large sculpture has two curved bronze columns that represent the twin towers in New York post impact. The stainless steel circle in the middle represents the rising and setting sun. The bright surface of the circle reflects the world around and seems to fill the open space as you move around the sculpture (it is located in a roundabout at the entrance to the Red Skelton Museum.) I also appreciate that the artist added a plaque with his insight into his motivation for creating the piece. Too many artist leave no clues to what they were thinking. It seems like leaving a plaque is a great way for the viewers to understand the artist and maybe gain an insight into art in general. Review #2966