This mural is the work of local artist Tosca Carranza, who painted the piece in 2019. It is a…read moresimple piece. As the name implies, the mural depicts 7 flowers, 5 yellowish orange marigolds and 2 purple flowers. There is a large bee in the center of it. What the mural lacks in complexity, it makes up for in back story. I love a mural with context or a great story. This one has both. The mural is part of the Many Flowers Murals series that aim to memorialize traumatic events in the Near Eastside. This mural in particular is meant to memorialize the Valdez and Covarrubias families, who had 7 families that were victims to a brutal massacre in 2006. Each flower represents one of the victims. Marigolds are a symbol in Mexican culture that represent the fragility of life. They are believed to guide spirts back to visit the living. and are used as a guide for the spirits to find their way back to visit the living. The mural is on the side of Kline Properties Inc and overlooks their private parking lot. You can pull into the parking lot to get a better look of the mural or you could park in the alley behind the building or in the neighborhood next to it. I just pulled into the parking lot, got out and took a closer look. As with most murals I have visited, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops or making it part of a larger itinerary, to maximize your time and trip. There are tons of attractions in the downtown area to see.

One of the new murals (2019) on the east side is by local artist Tosca Carranza, who has done a…read moreseries of murals (including traffic signal boxes) for her community. She is a painter and art educator. Although the giant sized flowers and bees appear bright and cheerful, the imagery is in honor of seven family members (the Valdez and Cavarrubias families) who were slain in a massacre in 2006. Each flower is for a person lost to gun violence. The flowers are significant in Mexican culture and Carranza wanted to provide a space of healing as well as remembrance. Review #2911

The mural was part of the Lilly Oncology on Canvas and Hope Murals Project. These projects provide…read morean opportunity, for individuals affected by cancer, to share their stories through art and narrative. The mural was dedicated in 2014 and painted by an unnamed cancer survivor. It is an abstract piece that depicts abstract human figures that appear to be "frolicking" against a colorful background. It is a simple piece, but with a message. There is a plaque that is right next to it, but the writing has since vanished and is now just a piece of metal next to the mural. It was as if it was written in invisible ink. I am rating this mural as a whole. If i based it on just the mural it would be a 3, but the story and inspiration and relief that it provides, bumps it up to a solid 4. There is parking available right in front of the mural to park, get out and take a closer look. It is easy to find. Just look for all the "NO PARKING" markings. But don't worry. You will more than likely not be there long anyway. As with most murals I have visited, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops or making it part of a larger itinerary, to maximize your time and trip. There are tons of attractions downtown to see.

Fun mural! Saw it while in town for a conference on my way to grab a bite down the street!read more

This mural is located directly across from Lincoln Park. It is the work of local artist and owner…read moreof Hue Murals & Studios, Koda Witsken, who completed the work in 2019. It is touted as Zionsville's first-ever downtown mural. It was commissioned by the Town of Zionsville in conjunction with the Zionsville Cultural District. All of the paint and painting supplies were donated by Sherwin-Williams. This mural was chosen to honor Lincoln Park, which it overlooks and its significance to the community while providing an obvious visual impact for all to enjoy." It is in Witsken signature "color vomit" style and covers 266-square feet. It is Witsken's hope that the mural reminds people to come together while honoring Zionsville's history. The park across the street from the piece is rumored to be where President Lincoln actually stopped on his train route when he was giving addresses on his way to his inauguration in 1861. The mural depicts a portrait of President's Lincoln's face in a colorful/pop style with "Zionsville" across the bottom. It is all against a white background. This is a very eye catching mural and I like it a lot. It is visually appealing, artistically awesome and in excellent shape. Visiting this mural should be on the top of any public art hunter's list. Parking to get a closer look at this mural is relatively easy. There is free street parking within a reasonable walking distance from the mural. As with most murals 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 attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. You could start with Lincoln Park which is right across the street or the nearby Lion Park.

One of the first installations of public art by the town of Zionsville is this very cool mural of…read moreAbraham Lincoln's face. It was designed and painted by local artist Koda Witsken who has a studio in Indy. She was selected to add her mural in May 2019 to the back of a building that stands at the intersection of Oak and 1st. The choice to create this abstract of color to present Lincoln has a connection to the location. The small park across the street was the former site of the local depot. That is the spot where Lincoln stopped in 1861 to speak to the folks of Zionsville while on his way from Illinois to Washington for his inauguration. The park has also been named after Lincoln. I really like the brightly colored shapes that are not blended yet fit together nicely like a jigsaw puzzle. The different colors provide the contours of his face while the negative space is left white. But even though there are unfinished/uncolorized portions of the painting, it is easy to identify the image. The portrait has a large cursive writing of Zionsville beneath the image. The color of the shirt also has A Lincoln painted as if it was his signature. Great selection to get the local art scene of Zionsville moving! Review #2643

Along the pathway between Pennsylvania and Delaware Streets on the south side of downtown Indy,…read moreMerrill Street is home to a collection of Murals that are part of the Lilly Oncology on Canvas (LOOC) program. LOOC is a program that encourages people affected by cancer, those of loved ones, or in this case, someone who treats them, to help manage their feelings by expression through art. Lilly has commissioned artists to recreate those paintings as murals throughout downtown. Dancing in the Rain was done in 2012 based upon the work provided by a Californian Health Care Professional who saw cancer as being that sudden storm that surprises you and catches you when you aren't prepared. The mural shows a woman drenched from rain, but once she regains her belief and hope, she is able to dance again. Review #1504

My buddy Tank G. seems to know a lot about this Keepers of Culture mural, so you should go read his…read morereview if you want to know tangible information about it. Me? I don't know much about this piece of public art that's on a wall of a building near The Stutz. But I do know that it's impressive, and big, and the wording on the mural is designed in a way that makes it look a little blurry, but it's not. It's got people's faces on it, and those overlap in colors and also look blurry. It's a really cool effect. One of the things that I love about Indianapolis is that there are lots of murals and public art everywhere in the downtown area. This is one of them and really adds to the artistic nature of the neighborhood.

This mural is the work of Ashley Robinson, AKA (artistically known as) Ashley Nora. Very…read moresurprisingly, Nora has never taking a formal or professional art class. The 90 foot long mural took Nora 6 weeks to complete. She completed it in September of 2021. It is located on northeast wall of the Stutz Building. There is metered street parking available across the street from and in the immediate vicinity of the mural. I love the 3D look of the mural, which is believed to be Indy's first of it kind. I wonder if it is really 3D and will pop out at you if you have a pair of the glasses. Either way, it is still amazing. It depicts some of Indianapolis's trailblazing and up-and-coming comedians, actors, musicians and entrepreneurs. Faces that you will see on the mural include: actress Vivica A. Fox, comedian Mike Epps, the late journalist Amos Brown; hip-hop artist Maxie, poet Mariah Ivey; jazz musician Rob Dixon, theater-owner Deborah Asante and entrepreneur LaDeana Brown. I also like, the added touch of incorporating the building's doors in the mural. It is creative and funny. The door on the left says, "Knock, Knock" and the door on the right says "who's There". Very nice additon and adds some humor to a already excellanet mural. I really like this mural a lot. It is one of my favorites. Nora recently quit her corporate job to do art full time. I cannot wait to see here future work. Now for my disclaimer. As with most murals I have visited, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 3 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other wonderful murals in the area to maximize your time and trip.

Having spent more than 40 years in the metro area, I am continuously amazed at how the downtown…read morearea has transformed from the well earned "Naptown" label into a destination. And for as much as sports, construction, and the canal have done for the area, I believe that public art has to be considered as another great success. Think about it: Colorless limestone building with no imaginative decoration filled the area (with just a few exceptions). But in 1973, the City took a chance and created an "Urban Wall" Project that set things rolling. Back in '73, the original mural selected for the project was a Shelbyville artist named Roland Hobart who oversaw the installation of a two-wall mural. The colors were vibrant! The impact was amazing! Indianapolis with a multi-story mural? And an abstract at that? Really? It got people around here to think about art beyond what was in the IMA. It got people to remember that there were older pieces of art around town that should be maintained. But sadly, when murals are painted on private property, it is difficult to control the maintenance of the piece. Heavy water damage on the south facing wall led to a decision to whitewash the entire half of the mural. It was assumed that the empty lot would eventually be built on and so, go ahead and paint over it. Sad. And what is left of the east facing wall is faded and has damage to it as well. It is just a shadow of itself today of what it once was. The good news is that there is movement towards restoring the mural to its vibrant origins. Now that the near east side of downtown is finally getting some development with the Cummins Building and others, maybe someone will generously contribute to the project to restore this landmark piece. For more information about the history of the wall, check out the Arts Council of Indianapolis website for an excellent write-up. (see website on the business page of this review.) Review #1323

This mural is an abstract piece that seems to have its best years way behind it. It is located…read moreacross from the City/County building and is painted on a parking garage that overlooks a commercial parking lot. It was painted by Roland Hobart, with assistance from Naegele Outdoor Advertising, in 1973 as part of the Indianapolis Urban Walls Project and was founded by American Fletcher National Bank. It was the first installment of the project. I would call it old, but we are close to the same age, so I will just call it a mural with seniority. The mural was also originally on two walls. The white wall perpendicular to where the mural is now was part of the mural in 1973, but severe deterioration forced it to be repainted and all they could come up with was white. The mural has been receiving increasing calls for restoration and people are starting the raise funds. The walls being located on private businesses with different landlords presents a little bit of an obstacle because they have to have them agree to have their walls painted. It is a simple piece that consists of geometric shapes, Consisting of mostly red, yellow, and orange circles, pie shaped wedges and triangles. I believe the mural has not been painted or maintenanced since it was originally painted. It is severely faded, peeling and chipped, but I guess considering that it is almost 50 years old it almost has some historical significance. It is old school. I think the mural has more value as a historical piece than the actual art work. Anyway, there is a lot of metered street parking available near the mural, so you can park, get out and take a closer look. There are also a few garages within a reasonable walking distance too. You could also get a decent look from the windshield of your car doing a strategic slow-rolling drive by. As with most murals 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 wonderful downtown attractions.

This mural is visually pleasing. It overlooks a rough looking empty grass lot. Sadly, it is…read morepartially obstructed by a wood awning used for a small farmers market. I pulled into the grass lot and parked. I was a cold day and the ground was frozen. I would not recommend pulling in there if the ground is wet though, you will probably get stuck. The mural depicts 3 large orange and yellow sunflowers in a diagonal line, in a green field with a bright blue sky in the background. The mural was painted by artist John Moore in 2013 and was a collaboration between Fall Creek Gardens and MFCDC. In developing the mural, many designs were presented and the final one was selected after polling community members, volunteers, gardeners, neighbors and friends. The project was funded by the Urban Patch, a community garden that the mural overlooks. The mural is huge, over 18 Feet tall and a whopping 64 feet long. it is a simple design, but draws your attention. The colors really pop. It is peeling a bit, but is in relatively great shape considering that it is almost 10 years home. The detail of the mural is good, but the shading is awesome. As with most murals that I have reviewed, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other wonderful murals in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

This mural painted by John Moore in 2013 celebrates a community garden at 30th and Central. Three…read morelarge sunflowers glow in oranges and yellows with a blue sky background and green leaves supporting them. A simple design is effective in communicating that something is growing here! Review #1787

Carmel has built a remarkable Veteran's Memorial in the center of town. It's called the Carmel Clay…read moreVeteran's Memorial Freedom Circle. I happened upon the monument while visiting the Farmer's Market. There is a lovely brick pathway with benches leading up to the Memorial. I felt the memorial was simple, yet grand. A bronze pair of soldiers gaze at an eagle topped flag pole that they hold. Profound quotes on the base of the statue by Amelia Earhart, Abe Lincoln and Ronald Reagan resonate with consistent messages of freedom. Flags of all armed forces and a POW flag encircle the statue. A quote by Woodrow Wilson .. Behind the monument is a large reflecting pool. The grounds are immaculate. Worth a visit when in the area. There's a lot to see in the area.

This park is amazing and was dedicated in 2006. It is dedicated to "All who served in war, and…read moreprotected in peace." This is a very respectful and fitting tribute to the heroes that have served our fine country. It is located across from the Palladium and the spot they set up the seasonal ice skating rink (Carmel Christkindlmarkt). I covers all the services except the newly created Space Force. The memorial has a huge field that is split down the middle by a long paved walking path that leads to the main feature of the memorial a huge sculpture with the flags of all of the services and POW/MIA flag. The sculpture is the work of renowned artist Bill Wolfe and depicts a male and female solider, one of which is kneeling, as the are both looking out towards the horizon while grasping an American flag on a pole. You will find bronze plaques along the cement base that the statue is on with quotes from American Presidents such as Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson. It is a very powerful piece. What makes this area more picturesque and awesome is that it has a large reflection pool and fountain in the background The memorial is well maintained and has benches along the outer walkways to sit and relax. It is a very peaceful and serene place and I enjoyed my visit there. There is free street parking available on the street right out front of the memorial. It may be difficult to find a close spot, so be prepared to wait or park a little further away. I am all for anything that recognizes or supports our troops and veterans. This is no exception. Great job Carmel. Well done.