This was a nice piece and then people started tagging it. The wall could also use a little cleaning…read moretoo. We just cant have anything nice. It was commissioned by the Arts Council of Indianapolis as part of the 46 for XLVI mural program. The mural was painted in 2011 on a retaining wall by the world famous fab crew. The murals art work is on point and depicts an orca and another fish on a boat casting lines and trying to catch worms in the water. It is a play on fishing.....wormin', fishin'... you get it? Even though it is fading a lot, I like how the water and sky come together. It use to really pop for sure. The water looks so realistic. I am felling the humor of the mural and love the concept. There is free street parking right in front on the mural, so accessing it is very easy. As with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other murals and public art in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

Is it art? Is it graffiti? If it is painted on a retaining wall by an interstate, but looks like…read morea painting, is it something in between? Or both? Such is often the case with the work of the Fantastic Aerosol Brothers (FAB Crew) of Indianapolis. Partners Dan Thompson (Sacred317) and Ben Long (6Cents) have been painting most of their lifetimes, frequently together as a partnership or part of a larger "writers" crew. Back in 2011, they participated in the Arts Council of Indianapolis' sponsored SuperBowl mural program "46 for XLVI". The council wanted to bring murals to all parts of the city, so who better than artists familiar with some of the less frequented areas like the Pleasant Run Parkway where it crosses Olive St (one block east of Shelby Street). In this whimsical mural, several fish take on human qualities as they stand in fishing boats with fishing poles trying to catch worms using leaves on hooks. Basically, it's a shift along the fishing process once removed. If you are interested in their style, FAB Crew (both together and individually) has murals throughout Fountain Square and Broad Ripple. Review #1447

This is a mice somewhat abstract mural that was commissioned by the Livery restaurant. It overlooks…read moretheir parking lot which was a bit problematic for me because the cars parked there partially blocked my view of the mural. The mural is the work of Justin Olson, the owner of Olson Paint Studios and was completed in 2016. It is huge, spanning 84 feet. The mural is in excellent shape and depicts a silhouette of cowgirl (some say its a cowboy, but it looks like a cowgirl to me) on a horse in the woods and holding a lantern. You see silhouettes other animals in the woods like a fox, a deer and a rabbit. The cool part of the cowgirl silhouette is that it is reversed and the silhouette is not filled in. It is just a bare brick outline. Further down the mural you will see a large whale that is upside down and splashing in blue waves. You will see the silhouettes of some yellow fish on that end as well. This part has another cool addition, that I initially missed. You will find a a fisherman looking down at the whale and holding a pole that has a lantern at the end of it. The really cool part is that the lantern hangs out from the wall and is 3D. I really like it. It is almost as if there are two completely separate murals just sharing the wall, the common blue background and the yellow fish silhouettes that you will find on both sides. It is interesting to note that the wall that the mural was painted was so delicate, that sandblasting the old paint was not an option and Olson had to hand paint every single brick to make it appear to be original brick colors. Talk about time consuming. I wish I could have had an unobstructed view of the mural. The parking lot that it overlooks is small and always has cars in it, even when the restaurant is not open. I was able to pull into an alley on the opposite side of the restaurant so that I could park and get out to get a closer look. As with most murals that I have visited and 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 and attractions, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

Love this mural along the Cultural Trail as it cuts through the alley. The mural is on the side of…read moreThe Livery restaurant on College, just south of Mass Ave. The exposed brick with the horse and rider is my favorite aspect. I bicycle through here regularly and enjoy the mural.

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

I happened upon this piece of public art when I was at the Hi-Fi Annex for a Broken Social Scene…read moreconcert. You need to enter the Annex from the back of the Murphy Arts building, and that's where Fountain Square Larry is located, up on a brick wall. I wouldn't say that this is a mural, because it's a painted wooden piece that's set up in the wall. But if you're walking quickly past it, it kind of looks like a mural. It's not, though! Nevertheless, it's pretty neat. According to a quick internet search, Fountain Square Larry was Larry Mires, a local who owned a record store and who passed away in 2019. According to a website, he was also hard of hearing, which is ironic. Anyway, I love that Indianapolis honored a resident of this great city by giving him a little space upon a wall.

This mural is not painted on the wall directly. It is on a wood backing that has been mounted to…read morethe wall. It has a kind of Marlboro Man feel to it. The mural is a long time Fountain Square resident Larry Mire, who passed away after a battle with cancer in 2019. He spent his entire life in Fountain Square and owned a record store in the area. He was beloved by many. Well, son many that they erected a mural in his honor. The mural depicts Larry with his signature large gold belt buckle, with jeans and cowboy boots. The Murphy Arts Center commissioned artist Dan Cents to paint the 2-story mural and it was unveiled as part of the 2019 Art Squared festival. So now Larry is forever a part of the area that he so loved. Anyway it is a nice piece and somewhat of a memorial. Definitely worth a look.  There is street parking available right in front of the mural or you could probably not even have to leave your vehicle and do a slow rolling drive-by. As with most murals that I have reviewed, though, this is probably not a very long stop, even you may reflect a bit more on this one. I was there less than 5 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other wonderful murals in the area, two are right next to it, to maximize your time and trip.

This mural was painted by Eve Biddle and Josh Frankel as part of the Arts Council of Indianapolis's…read morepopular 46 for XLVI mural initiative. It is a colorful piece that is starting to chip off and deteriorate. It depicts a bicycle hub that has a bright yellowish orange sun rising from the center of the hub. The sun is made of arrows. The background is of the same arrows, but blue in color. The artist intended the mural to be a metaphor for the local community and Freewheelin' Community Bikes, a non-profit that provides bikes and bike education to local students and whose building side the mural is painted on. I must admit that at first look, I did not see the bike tire hub. I was focused on the sun and missed it. It is a very nice piece that is meant to be a symbol of promise and hope. It overlooks a parking lot, so parking and getting out to take a closer look should not be an issue and relatively simple. As with most murals that I have reviewed, this is not a 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 such as the Peace, Unity, Power mural that is right across the street, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

On the side of Free Wheelin' Bikes, "Sunrise" is painted using bike elements in the image of a…read moresunrise. The mural is designed to show hope for the students who can learn to bike there, as well as the community. The mural was painted by Eve Biddle and Josh Frankel in 2011 as part of the SuperBowl mural program 46 for XLVI. Review #1496

I am on the fence with this mural. It was painted by Christian Quintin as part of Arts Council of…read moreIndianapolis' mural program "46 for XLVI" in 2011. The mural is intended to look like a painting on a wall and a lot less like a full mural. I am not sure what the painting means or why it is titled "The Lovers of Indianapolis". The mural depict a windy road with colorful trees scattered around the green hillside on both sides. The top of the mural has a dark sky with clouds and a crescent moon. The mural is starting to severely fade. The original colors are gone. It has a kind of blue tint to it now. Anyway, There is parking available right in front of the mural (it is in a parking lot). There is also free street parking available as well. As with most murals that I have reviewed, though, this is probably not a very long stop, even you may reflect a bit more on this one. 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, one is right next to it, to maximize your time and trip.

One of the Arts Council of Indianapolis' mural program "46 for XLVI" in 2011 landed as a welcome to…read moreFountain Square. The mural is presented as a painting with a border frame painted to separate it from the rest of the wall. The surreal landscape shows a highway rising in the hills with multiple trees and pillowed clouds. The mural was painted by French painter Christian Quintin who now lives in California. I'm not sure what the tie in is for Indianapolis, but I like the painting anyway! Review #1465

Old Northside Gateway, your tulips alone are worth a review. Shout out to our awesome neighbors who…read morevolunteered to plant these tulips in 2019. I've seen so many people stop in the last week to take a picture with these beautiful blooms. The Old Northside Gateway was a neighborhood project to add public art at the entry point to Old Northside on Central Avenue (coming from Mass Ave and the Chatham Arch neighborhood to the south). The entry point includes a marker, seasonal flowers and two large limestone columns topped with sculptures. The backdrop of the Indiana Landmarks building makes it all the more beautiful and dramatic.

On the south boundary of the Old Northside, a pair of carved sculptures form a gateway at 12th and…read moreCentral. The columns were created in 2004 by local sculptor Dale Enochs. The tops of each column has a bronze carving that represents half of a gateway. The limestone columns have carved detail of people and patterns. There are also bronze names near the top of the column of families that lived in the area. Review #1808

This is another Carl Leck mural that has consumed an old underpass. He painted it with the…read moreassistance of Eli Lilly employees as part of their Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Lilly Day of Service in 2016. This is a very colorful mural that is on both sides of the underpass and is also on the center support posts as well. The mural depicts some stuffed animals breaking through a colorful lego wall. You will see a stuffed frog, horse, raccoon, dog and frog. There is a couple of places that you can pull off to park and get out and get a better look at the mural. Just be careful if you do get out and look as it is on a very active underpass with a lot of blind spots. One of the first things that you will notice about the mural is it colors. They will draw you in. The mural is very well detailed and gives off a 3D look with the stuffed animals coming out of the wall. The intent of the mural is to make you smile and give you a happy feeling. This is is not a very long stop, especially considering its location, and you probably could accomplish what you want to in the comfort of your vehicle. With that being said, it is best to plan out stops at many of the other wonderful murals in the area to best maximize your time.

One of my favorite murals around Indy is one prepared/designed by Carl Leck for the Lilly Day of…read moreService Project back in 2016. What once was a dingy railroad underpass on south Meridian was transformed into a colorful collection of over sized stuffed animals breaking through a wall of building blocks. There are six main figures: a horse, monkey, bunny, blue frog, puppy, and a racoon. Each seems to be emerging from a black space into a colorful play area. Leck, one of Indy's most prolific and talented mural artists, first had to design the project and then transfer the plans to the walls on both sides of the road. He then had to select a coding system so that he could indicate to the volunteers where to paint each color. Primarily, the volunteers had to fill in the rectangles of the building blocks. Later, Leck touched up all the edges and then superimposed the characters and the black space to make the wall of blocks come to life by adding shading to create 3D effects. The only negative about the mural is that it is hard to take it in while driving at speed. There aren't many places around where a viewer can park and walk to the site. The support columns between the lanes were also painted, but somewhat block the view. If you are close to Raymond and Meridian, head a few blocks to check out this piece. You may get a smile for free! Review #1187