Fountain Square artists Mab Graves and Larry Endicott transformed an old tavern building into an…read moreawe-inspiring home and gallery, now dubbed as Fountain Square's new 'Lo Brow' gallery. Hosting fabulous exhibits featuring works by Mab herself and Indianapolis artist Justin Cooper, Monster has drawn quite the crowd on a number of 'First Friday' events, my favorites so far being Mab's Pretending to Be Human exhibit over Halloween 2013. The exterior boasts a neon MONSTER sign and a grand door to entice all passersby. Details abound the interior as well, with swoon worthly rest rooms full of character - feauting the likes of Johhny Cash, complete with black toilet paper. Beverages and sweet treats are always on hand to welcome guests and cater to children (both literally and at heart) in attendance. Make a point to stop by and take in the fabulousness that is one of the best examples of the flourishing Fountain Square art scene. Pick up some exclusive original art or perhaps a button, card or print, but you're guaranteed to leave with a smile!

Monster Gallery is the brainchild of the talented husband-wife duo, Mab Graves and Larry Endicott…read more While the majority of First Friday galleries are clustered right downtown, this beautiful brick building on the corner of English and State requires you to go off the beaten path a little. But, it is well-worth the trip. Despite the fact that fire destroyed the entire interior of the building, the exterior shell was all intact. Mab and Larry (with the help of some local friends) have restored this once decrepit tavern into a unique art showing space on the first floor and whimsical living quarters above. The gallery space is small to begin with, but it gets even tighter when the many fans of the artists come out to view their works. You can tell a place (and an artist) is popular by the line extending out of the front door and along the side walk. We didn't wait too long to get in though, so no worries there. The line from the door flows around the room clockwise and takes you past a couple walls of art and ends with a small counter for purchasing prints, gifts, trinkets, and of course any of the pieces you see on the walls. My only qualm with this layout is that the bar area is tucked in the way back and breaks up the flow of the gallery walls. You may have to squeeze past the throngs of art lovers to get to it. Monster Gallery serves beer and wine to the adult guests and there is often candy and treats for any little, aspiring artists who visit. Mab and Larry are both perfect hosts and will gladly have a chat with you about art, love, life, and the likes. There's a very large FREE parking lot just behind the building and there's always an open space.

Our Indy Wine group had an event at one of the art studios in the Stutz Artspace Gallery and it was…read morea very nice experience. I had never been to the Stutz building downtown, so this was a first for me, and was very impressed with the architecture of the building, and the shops on the first floor. The artspace gallery on the third floor is very interesting with quite a few art studios and displays of their work in front of the art studios. There is quite a selection of wonderful artwork, and every first Friday of each month, the art studios have a showcase to the public of all of their artwork and the artwork is for sale. We went to one of the art studios for Anna Akifer. She was kind enough to host our event for Indy Wine, and was very gracious to show us her artwork and explain how she got interested in water colors and drawings. She demonstrated one of her watercolor artwork to us, and explained her thought process when painting stroke by stroke. We all browsed Anna's studio and the artwork that was for sale. I did purchase one of her prints which was a watercolor painting of flowers that was beautiful. Stutz Artspace Gallery is a beautiful venue with exquisite displays of artwork, and I'm glad we have some culture in downtown Indy that we can appreciate on a regular basis. I cannot wait to come back the first Friday of the month for the art gallery showcase. It will be worth seeing.

The Stutz recently had an update and it's fantastic! Tonight was one of the first of the winter…read moremarket events they will be hosting this month. The building will be offering new food options, which I'm so excited about since I work 5 min away from here, including Cafe Patachou, Amelia's and more. The art booths and staff were so welcoming and friendly tonight. I found some great buys from a number of local artists. The decor was beautiful, the vintage cars on display were fun to admire and the vibe was cozy fun. I always love visiting this space and can't wait to come back again!

I stopped in at this gallery last week while they were exhibiting works by a talented artist, a…read morewoman welder in her seventies! The place also displays pieces from the owners' collection and local artists, all in a friendly comfortable space. It's definitely worth a visit.

Recently I did a little Friday night art tour in Broad Ripple. I had heard about this place but…read morehadn't stopped yet -- I'm glad I finally did. First, the building. There's no mistaking you're in BR because the building is a cute former house complete with wood floors and quirky little rooms. Second, there's wall art, small sculptures, and jewelry for sale for all different price points. This would be a great place to find a gift for a friend. Third, I was the only customer there on a Friday night. If you don't like crowds (and who does during a pandemic) this is a great choice. Plus the staff was so friendly that they deserve some more business!

What an inspiration! They encourage so many local artists. My daughter and I did the tour which was…read moreFREE. It was interesting to see actual artists workshops like their "brain". Each month they rotate the various art in there MULTIPLE galleys. It also included a karaoke elevator and bouldering rock climbing wall on the roof. Loved it!

I used to attend First Friday events in Indianapolis, but I've never attend the events at the…read moreHarrison center until now. Oh boy was it an experience! 10/10! There were so many different artist on display and the energy was on point. I attended the event with my 1 year old and she even had a good time. It was kind of crowded in the hallways, so we opted to let her walk around with us instead of bringing the stroller. There are elevators that go to each floor but we found it fun to go up the stairs. Its seemed like every corner was packed with some form of art display. In the gymnasium there was chili buffet along with a live music. I wasn't expecting that, but a pleasant surprise. They were honoring a fallen artist and it was good to see the community come together. The artists were engaging and the staff was super helpful. I def will be coming back again!

I've got a couple friends who regularly have exhibits in shows at The Garfield Park Arts Center,…read morehowever, since I live in Lawrence I simply don't get down this way as often. I really should. The Garfield Park Arts Center, like the park itself, falls under Indy Parks. Originally built in 1922 as the "Community House," it was designed to look like a picnic shelter with enclosed walls, high ceilings, and fireplaces at each end. In 1930, a large swimming pool was located in the area that is now the parking lot. At that time, it was primarily used as a locker room and rec center area. In 1990, the pool was removed and replaced by the Aquatic Center that is now located at the Burrello Family Center. In 2006, the "Community House" was remodeled with a $2.7 million grant. It became the Garfield Park Arts Center. The 8,000 square foot facility now houses a multi-use performing arts space, exhibition hall, visual and production arts classrooms, a recording studio, a literary arts library, and a rehearsal room. The GPAC is big enough that it typically has multiple exhibits going. For example, right now there's a modern quilting show, a solo show by Jay Hamm, and a show by Christy Harp. GPAC hosts a variety of workshops and classes including current activities like voice and piano lessons, ceramics, and quite a few visual arts options including those specifically for children. The classes are way affordable - for example, there's a $10 rock painting class for kids. As someone who has a pet rock, I'm all for rock painting. GPAC also hosts summer camps and special events. The calendar is on their website. I'm particularly enchanted by a classic movie night. They've also assisted with some of the public art in Garfield Park. The art center tends to be open limited hours - for example, 1-5pm during the week. It does participate in First Fridays. I'm a big fan of Garfield Park and I'm a big fan of having access to the arts. I find this facility to be quite accessible and even more after their 2006 renovation. It's not perfect (no building of this age is), however, it's quite good. Prices are affordable and the center itself has a nice combination of nostalgia with contemporary comforts. Especially for those with kids who may enjoy the classes, GPAC is a definite winner.

This is a great little arts center that always seems to have something going on. I went for a paint…read morepour class and found the price of $25 to be very reasonable. The class was small to, so you will receive one on one attention if needed. The gallery was also a nice experience before the class.

High Frequency Arts was once located in downtown Fishers' Nickel Plate District, but it's since…read moremoved to the new Hub & Spoke building near 106th and I-69. Hub & Spoke is a mixed-use development with a design center, retail showrooms, coworking space and makerspace. High Frequency Arts specifically is an artisan gift shop featuring dozens of local makers. This would be a great place to buy unique holiday gifts - ornaments, coasters, prints, mugs, etc. but I'm not sure how much foot traffic it gets being inside a larger building.

New art gallery and event space in the heart of Fishers. High Frequency Arts provides access to…read morecontemporary artwork to individuals and businesses. The gallery also serves as a space for exhibitions and pop-up events. During a visit to the Grand Opening exhibition, I was impressed by the variety of displayed artwork. There were 13 or so artists that were represented, and the work was curated in a way that they all fall in their own categories and genres. It was a feast for the eyes to be able to see a little bit of everything. The gallery itself is located in a modern space with an industrial feel. There are walls on wheels that provide flexibility on how the space is used. Some events (workshops, dance lessons) are already scheduled to take place at the gallery.

I took my boyfriend here for his birthday and it was completely amazing! Exceeded my expectations…read more The art is extraordinary and one of a kind. The gallery has such powerful pieces. We took our time throughout to really soak it all in. Jane is incredibly sweet. If you're looking for art in the city, this is the place to go! Phenomenal. Can't wait to go back!

Oh what a Find!!!!! huge space of FAB Art, i heard about it during barbershop talk & went to check…read moreit out!! don't miss their 9/14 opening ............literally hidden between Jimmy Johns & Qdobas on the 2nd floor

This is such a beautiful museum, I always learn something new each time I visit…read more The staff are always open to questions and are always excited to talk about their favorite pieces. The community events they offer are such a treasure, and the rotating exhibits make every visit feel like the first time. I feel so lucky to live close by to have access to this amazing place. Don't forget to check out the staff's exhibit on the first level, everyone who works there is insanely talented!

Newfields is pretty neat. There's a nice little nature trail outside where you can take a brief…read morewalk and there's a small beer garden along the trail. The space is really nice. The staff is very friendly. Admission is $25. Some of the art I dug and some I didn't, but there was a dark room with a video board ceiling that showed a video of the moon and stars on the ceiling that is captivating. I could have sat there for 15 minutes and just gazed at the ceiling. It was beautiful and peaceful.