A real-life Chihuly in Columbus, Indiana?! Heck yes! This famous glass artist with work seen in…read moreSeattle's Chihuly museum, Indy's Children Museum, and many other well-known spots across the globe, it's an honor to have such a large piece in a town's visitor's center. Columbus, Indiana may be small, but they're known for their world-class architecture and public sculptures. This chandelier is no exception to that. Make sure you stop in the visitor's center and look at this gorgeous glass, hanging from the ceiling in the stairwell. Enjoy!

Some artists have such distinctive styles that you can recognize their main style anywhere. Such…read moreis the case with the work of Dale Chihuly. His glass sculpture "Yellow Neon Chandelier" is a familiar style for anyone who has visited the Children's Museum in Indianapolis. Inside the Visitors Center in Columbus, the west stairwell holds the 9' high (6' wide) chandelier of multiple bright yellow swirl pointed tubes. The collection of tubes are broadest near the top and then taper to a point at the bottom. Each of the tubes is blown glass. Chihuly isn't limited to one style of artwork though. Inside the Center, there are lithographs that were created by the artist. But there is no doubt that creating fascinating works of glass requires as much knowledge of engineering as it does talent. In addition to the chandelier, the Center has a collection of "Persians" that are displayed below it. According to Chihuly's website, "Persians are an exploration of form, shape and color--a celebration of wild asymmetry and swirling pattern. They have an ancient sensibility, and for Chihuly, conjure notions of Venice, and the Near and Far East." And if these pieces aren't enough, take a short trip up to the IUPUC campus (4555 Central Avenue) to see the "Sun Garden" (2007) which is a painted plexiglass disc suspended from the ceiling of the Columbus Learning Center. While at the Visitors Center, don't be afraid to ask the staff about the artist. I learned a lot about his process and his history from them. Review #1304

This mural is part of the 2017 Color the County Mural Program. I love that program. It brings the…read morecommunity together, under the direction of a local artist, to bring a mural to life. This mural's artist is Danny Causey. This mural covers three of the building's walls and fittingly is of the town's namesake Benjamin Franklin. The mural depicts an image of Franklin on one wall and and colorful flights on the walls on each side. The mural is not actually painted on the wall, but was painted on boards that were put together to form the completed mural. I really love that the image of Franklin is monochrome blue and has some green glasses on that just comes out at you. It is very detailed and has an uncanny resemblance to Franklin. The kites are pretty basic, but most community murals have to be, but the colors and design still works. I just wish that they could have made the sky stormy, to depict Franklin's famous discovery of electricity, but oh well. Getting a closer look at the mural is easy. There is free street parking located across the street (that is where I parked). There is also a little strip mall parking lot next door and a free parking lot within a reasonable walking distance. As with most murals that I visited, this is not a long stop. I was there maybe 5 minutes tops. I recommend visiting here on your way to somewhere else or making this part of a larger itinerary. Depot park, an antique store and an awesome candy/ice cream are very close by.

In 2017, one of the Color the County murals for Johnson County was added to east Jefferson Street…read morenear the railroad tracks in Franklin. Artist Danny Causey was responsible for the design and installation of the mural. After community members helped fill in the basic design, Causey had to come back to complete the finished work. There are two main components to the mural. The walls facing east on the ends of the mural are covered with multiple colored kites being flown over rolling hills in a partly cloudy sky. The image is simple, much like a child might draw, but large in scale and generally appealing due to its relatability. The center of the mural which is on a north facing wall features Ben Franklin's portrait done in a deep blue color over a black background. It takes on the look of someone standing under a blacklight. To add whimsy, Causey added florescent green glass frames to Franklin to further the effect. As the city's namesake, it seems fitting that the connection to Franklin is immediate between his image and the story of his flying a kite to determine that lightning was electricity (though no storm is painted on the wall.) Review #1263

Discovery is a kugel sculpture (German for "ball") that was created by Kusser Granitwerke. The…read moresphere is carved as a globe and is three feet in diameter, made from South African New Belfast black granite. The sphere weighs over 2,000 pounds and rides on the surface of 12 psi water pressure; when running, viewers can move the granite sphere. The sculpture was donated by Mike and Phyllis Ryan and installed in 2007. Discovery is a sculpture consisting of a granite Earth (2,000lbs) revolving on water atop a stack of three massive books (7,000lbs) made of Bavarian Forest's tittlinger granite, tittlinger grobkorn granite and furstensteiner granite. The piece, made by Kusser Granitwerke, was installed at IUPU-Columbus. It was made to reflect the college's commitment to helping their students compete in a global economy and become citizens, not just of Columbus or Indiana, but of the world. It also alludes to the balance of experience and education required to obtain knowledge. The viewers ability to physically touch and spin the globe symbolizes the ability of one single person to change the world. (Public art archive.org) This is a cool sculpture that I noticed when I was visiting IUC for work, someone told me that I could touch it as well since the water is clean, check this out if you are in the area, I've included the description from public art archive. Org as well.

As I have traveled around central Indiana, I have found several of this type of artwork. A…read morecombination of water sculpture and fine marble detail, this "Kugel" (German for ball) is 3 feet in diameter and weighs nearly 2300 pounds, yet freely spins on its base supported by a mere 12 psi of water. It is made from New Belfast black Granite from South Africa. The ball has the detail of a global map etched into the surface of the ball. The ball is one that visitors can easily touch the exposed surface to rotate the massive weight to view a specific location on the map. Beneath the ball are three over sized books also made from granite found in the Bavarian Forest of Germany and have a combined weight of 9400 pounds! The theme of Discovery fits the location on the IUPUC campus. The combination of education and experience lead to knowledge and is clearly represented by the piece. Review #1307

You can't miss this sculpture if you're walking around downtown Nashville. "Soaring" is a piece of…read morepublic art that is located outside of some shops in the middle of town. This public art piece depicts leaves flying and swirling up into the sky -- 22 leaves, to be exact. I don't know if this was intentional, but the sculpture itself is 22 feet tall, which seems auspicious! Twenty-two and 22. What does it mean?! It has been said that the sculpture stands for hope and healing, and was created by a nonprofit arts group called Elder Heart, founded by Army veteran and Special Forces operators Magnus Johnson and Mike Kissel. There is a lot of art around Brown County. The public art scene in this part of Indiana is incredible. We really are lucky! Soaring is another great art piece to view in Nashville, so you should definitely check it out.

This is another wonderful public art display/statue that my wife and I checked out while we were in…read morethe area. Brown county is an awesome place to check out. I highly recommend it. I think it's awesome to see all it's beautiful scenery and this is a great example.

This is such a great example of surprise and delight community placemaking. This was our second…read morevisit to the alley and both times it filled our family with a sense of wonder and delight. The slow swinging lanterns in the breeze accompanied by the small red bridge and mural painting of Koi fish are such a lovely experience. Big kudos to the town of Franklin for making this magic happen. You will stumble upon this alley as you walk your way around the square. It's wedged between coffee shops and bakeries. Definitely worth a little pitstop.

I love this alley in downtown Franklin. Dedicated to the sister city in Kuji Japan, you will find…read moregorgeous koi fish murals on the walls of the buildings on either side, a new Japanese Cherry Tree installation, hanging lanterns and a bridge. Enjoy coffee or lunch at the tables and chairs in the alley and be sure to read the plaque with the information about the sister city and relationship with Japan. Location is between Benjamin's Coffeeshop and the City Hall.

Nashville has many murals, but the Nature Inspires mural is unique because it's painted on a…read morebridge! The mural is located at the end (or the beginning, depending on where you start) of the Salt Creek Trail, right near the CVS parking lot. Just park at the pharmacy and walk toward the huge concrete bridge under State Road 46. Nature Inspires was created by Kurt Eagleman, an artist who was born in Brown County. The mural depicts nature in some of its forms: spring peepers and Blue Herons and Great Horned Owls, all living in a splendidly colorful landscape. This mural was a nice surprise to see when I got to the end of the Salt Creek Trail. Or, I should say, I knew it was at the end of the Salt Creek Trail, so it was motivation for me to get to the end of Salt Creek Trail, so I could see this piece of public art. If you'd like to learn more about the mural, you can scan a QR code from a little sign that sits by the mural.

The Public Square in Shelbyville is whimsical, lovely and a must-see if you visit the area. The…read moreSquare has been the focal point of the city for over 200 years. Abel Cole first surveyed the area in 1822. The Square has been used for historic rallies, public gatherings and recently, the local farm market. At the center of the square is a plaza with The Julius Joseph Fountain designed by George Honig in 1923. Joseph was a prominent business man with clothing and furniture businesses on the Square. The children atop the fountain symbolize Joseph's love of children. A bronze statue South of the fountain is dedicated to local author, Charles Major. The 1929 statue by Mary Elizabeth Stout Hart, depicts a character (Balsar Brent) and his two pet bears (Tom and Jerry) from Major's book entitled The Bears of Blue River. Blue River runs through Shelbyville and was made popular by the stories of Balsar and his bears. The Square is surrounded by green space (except for several streets running through) and many historic buildings. The 19th century architecture is fascinating. The building have been remarkably maintained. Today, the buildings house restaurants, bars and small shops. There is free street parking around the square and a nearby public parking garage. Bike parking is also available. There are benches and tables around the Square to sit and enjoy the flowers and architecture and think about the history of the space. The Square is ADA accessible. A fascinating exhibit at the nearby Grover Museum details the history of the Square. Artifacts from the early businesses on the Square are preserved at the museum.

Shelbyville, Indiana Public Square (it's actually a circle) is the downtown gathering place. Local…read morebusinesses overlook the beautiful statue and fountain in the center of downtown Shelbyville. There are many events held here year round. First Fridays starts around May 1st and end around Christmas time, and like the name, these events are held on the first Friday of each month. Some of the events held here each year are: Race into Summer, Taste of Shelby County, Celebrate Agriculture, Local Artist, Historic Celebration, Halloween Festival, Christmas Parade, Small Local Business Day and Holiday Market. Other events are: Farmers Markets, Car Shows, Beer Fest, Wine Tasting Events, Live Bands, Santa's Workshop, and more! The events always have something for everyone to enjoy; Music, Food, Libations, Art, Kids Fun and so much more! Merchants are always open for you to browse, buy and enjoy. These are all family friendly events, with the exception of alcohol purchases. Most events are open to all the public for FREE, with exceptions to food and drink purchases. There is parking on the circle, and just off the circle in many of the public or businesses parking lots, and on the side streets just off the circle. So parking is close by, easy to find, and free! On the square in the center of Shelbyville, 30 miles southeast of Indianapolis, stands a statue of a young man holding aloft two bear cubs. The statue is actually of Brent Balser, a character in Charles Major's book, "Bears of Blue River". A plaque on the fence surrounding the statue reads: Charles Major, native son, Author of The Bears of Blue River. Major was actually born in Indianapolis, but moved to Shelbyville with his family when he was thirteen. The Bears of Blue River, one of his better known novels, is set in the early 19th century in Shelby County on the banks of the Big Blue River. Watch for event dates and come to old downtown Shelbyville Public Square for food, fun and frivolity.

This is a nice mural that my wife and I came across while we were in Brown County Indiana. We found…read moreall kinds of nice little art sculptures and paintings and things are adventure. Isn't that we really enjoy doing. This is colorful and took up an entire side of a building. It is an alleyway and you have to really be looking to find it.