Downtown Cambridge City is being transformed by a number of large historic murals painted by the…read moremother-daughter artists, Pamela Bliss and Carly Mattingly Dee. Some of the works were painted individually, while this one was a collaboration. Back in 1865, the Lincoln Funeral Train passed through Cambridge City on its way to Lincoln's final resting place in Springfield, Illinois. For the sesquicentennial of the event, Bliss was selected in 2015 to design and paint a tribute to the event. This huge mural covers the east side of a building on Main Street (US 40, the National Road). A colorful locomotive is depicted as moving from the back of the building towards the front. On the upper left, a historic building is decorated with patriotic drapings while a large black and white bust portrait of Lincoln fills the upper right. There are several other murals in town done by Bliss and Dee: "Back in Time: Cambridge City Canal" by Dee (2011); "Postcards" by Dee (2010); "Single G" (a world famous harness racing horse) by Bliss (2010); and the newest "Gen Solomon Meredith" by Bliss (2018). If you are in the area, the town is just a short drive from the interstate and the murals are within walking distance. Bonus: If the post office is open, there is a mural inside the lobby by Samuel F Hershey called "Pride of Cambridge City" painted in 1941. Review #1201

Centerville, Indiana has an alternate name: "City of Arches". Along West Main and on South…read moreMorton, a number of buildings have arched entrances to breezeways/passages from front to back. So, it seemed fitting to become the theme during the 2015 Festival of Murals in Wayne County for this piece. Artist Mark Gardner created an image of portholes on the side of the building with a ribbon spiraling through them. The ribbon lists facts about the town and also the location/names of the arches. Reflecting the size of the arches themselves, the mural is smaller than many of the other entries in the Festival. Review #1239

If you are in the area this is worth a visit. There is a small parking lot and parking is free. The…read moreadmission fee can be paid via cash or card. There is a short video that tells you about the property and then you can tour. Everything is completely dog friendly but some areas do have steep steps. The employees were kind and ensured any questions we had were answered.

The castle, along with the road to get here, can be treacherous. Take extreme caution when visiting…read moreand don't visit on a stormy day! There's a $5 cover charge per person and the gravel parking lot isn't huge. But if you do manage to visit, it's really a treat! I love the stones embedded in the walls from all over the world. The layout is also really interesting, given the spy hole and ladder.

I'm a big fan of street art and murals. The historic part area of Richmond has some really cool…read moremurals. We were in the area looking at a list of waterfalls but happened upon this area and neat murals. I would like to come back and spend more time exploring.

If you enjoy murals in unexpected places, this is the block to go! The north end of the blocks…read morewhere Ft Wayne Avenue meets North E Street has surprises on the fronts, backs, and even near the tops of the buildings. On the west side of Ft Wayne Avenue, the Richmond Furniture Gallery building has numerous images of furniture painted by the loading docks on the north side. There is also a portrait of Charles Mosey, early recording artist, by Pamela Bliss (1999). There is also a banner mural which reads "Greetings from Richmond, Indiana". On the south end of the block is a mural by Damon Reed of guitarist Lonnie Johnson with a post card of Richmond behind him and to the left. On the east side of Ft Wayne Avenue, you probably see the rooftop billboard/mural of Louis Armstrong playing his trumpet next to a sign for Historic Richmond. Down at street level on the north end is a mural of Louis Armstrong on one side of the doorway and Hoagy Carmichael on the other. The mural that seems to spur the most discussion is the alley mural of windows and doorways by Pamela Bliss. Although there are very few actual doors and windows on the alley, Bliss had painted in the areas to make it appear the building is occupied by a variety of characters. As you stroll through the alley, you will see a peacock, a puppy, a kitten, a young woman, a recreation of the famous WWII image of a sailor kissing a gal, a guitarist, a carousing husband getting home late to a wife with a rolling pin, and even a flying pig! There are other windows and doors as well. Lots of imagination and a bit of humor. If you are in Richmond's Historic Depot District for coffee or a bite to eat, make a point to stop by and check out the fabulous murals throughout the area. Review #1235

I'm so thankful that Winchester has this gem! For most of my middle school and high school days, we…read morehad to drive to Muncie or Richmond for the closest movie theatre. But not anymore! The Towne Square Cinema has three screens and always offers an adult and child friendly film. I've been here many times with friends and family and am always pleased with my visit. Oh! And on Tuesdays they allow you to bring your own bowl for free popcorn. Can't beat that! So if you're in Winchester and are wondering ... what the heck am I going to do to entertain myself? Just know that the theatre is a great option. :)

The well known quote, "good things come in small packages," most definitely applies to this small…read moretown movie theater. Towne Square Cinema offers three screens in a beautiful historic building with extremely reasonable ticket and concession prices. Ticket prices are $7 for a 2D movie & $10 for a 3D movie. In the concession aspect, they offer different popcorn combos and seasonal specials, a variety of candy, dippin dots, pickles, flavored popcorn, and fountain & bottled beverages. Example of a combo would be - 2 medium drinks and a large popcorn (with up to four smaller bags of popcorn on the side) for $11.25 - what a steal. This movie theater also offers private parties (for a great price) where you can watch any of the movies playing, bring in a movie of your own, or even hook up game consoles and play video games on the big screen! Are you ready for this one? You can even host a SLEEPOVER at the cinema. That's right - a sleepover. If you're ever looking for something fun to do in Winchester, make sure you visit Towne Square Cinema!

This mural is on my favorite store in Hamilton. Unsung Salvage. Be sure to stop in if you're…read morechecking out the mural. I'm pretty sure that this building used to be a place that sold lighting fixtures and parts, so the bulbs seem appropriate. I don't know why Hamilton is so into origami, but whatever. It's neat. At first I thought they were cranes and bats but then I found out I don't know anything about origami and that they're swallows "foreshadowing spring." Thinking they are bats is way different than swallows foreshadowing spring. The more I learn the names of murals in Hamilton, the more it seems they are titled to try to alleviate people who fear losing their city to the sort of people who make murals. And the people who make murals are paying homage to the history of the city with bright color pallets. Anyway, I forgot to say this is from the Street Spark team here in Hamilton. They do a fantastic job. I love to see them out painting. From their homepage (https://www.fittoncenter.org/streetspark) Lead Artist: Nick Scrimenti Supporting Artists: Lori Farr, John McCoy, Ariel Williams Thanks, guys!

My review is based upon the Art Park and mural on the outside of the building…read more The Arts Park is a beautiful addition to the Robert Indiana Arts and Culture District of New Castle. The park has numerous pathways that wind between plantings, gardens, pine trees, a gazebo, and a koi pond. There is even a miniature recreation of native son Robert Indiana's "LOVE" sculpture near the south entrance to the park. There is a huge pavilion behind the Art Center that can hold large events under the single roof. A parking lot is conveniently located on the south side of the park. On the south wall of the Art Center, a tribute mural to Robert Indiana was created by artists Steve Weidert and Ed Tarantino in 2017 with images of Indiana at different times in his life. I would have liked to seen a plaque highlighting what some of the other images in the mural represent. And though the grounds are laid out nicely, they could use a bit of touch up/grooming as some of the plantings have become overgrown. Review #1418

This is a real gem that seems to remain undiscovered by most of the population of Henry Country. I…read morestopped in a while back and was greeted by a wonderful curator who was informative and truly concerned with spreading the word about the Art Center. I planned to attend one of the monthly openings but was out of town and hope to do so soon. The prices for art and especially prints were reasonable as you would expect in a small town, but the quality of the work is world class in many instances. I met one artist, Kris Livesley, while we visited and was impressed by his eye and vision. I look forward to meeting the other local artists and suggest to anyone residing in, or visiting New Castle so stop in for a visit. The gallery is free, I'm not sure if there's a charge for special events so I'd recommend calling first on those nights. I walked through the outdoor arts garden and was very excited to see how well thought out the design was, something New Castle really was lacking, tho I rarely see anyone actually using the park or "spanning time" there. Their calendar shows events such as car shows and musical stages, so I will stop back for those when the weather warms up again. I think the Art Center best serves New Castle as an introduction to the arts for the locals who may not have the opportunity as readily as those in larger cities or who travel often. A great and unexpected find!

On my last visit to Muncie, I found this giant mural downtown on the side of the Mark III Taproom…read moreon Walnut. The mural was completed in 2017 by the "We're Trying Collective" and volunteers. The mural was inspired as response to the Orlando Pulse Nightclub attack. Muncie residents wanted to let folks of all types know that they are welcome in Muncie. Community outreach gathered thoughts and interest and developed the mural. The mural has large pastel areas with a black overlay of lines that create a lot of abstract imagery. Between the lines, a number of hand prints can be seen of volunteers. The orange areas also have a number of equality symbols. Review #1367

If you are a history buff or someone who appreciates artistic talent, then stop by the courthouse…read morein Winchester to check out this monument on the northeast corner. This is the oldest Civil War monument in the entire state of Indiana! It is second in height only to its namesake in Indy. I also like that there are plaques about how the monument was funded and who the artist was that contributed the bronze work. Lorado Taft was a famous sculptor from Illinois who completed these numerous bronzes in 1892. There are four corner figures including Artillery, Navy, Cavalry, and Infantry. There is a flag bearer positioned on the top. There also is an encircling bronze ring above the base that is an action diorama. The monument was designed by Indy architect A A McKain. It is made from ornate granite. Review #2589

During the 2015 Festival of Murals in Wayne County, this remote site north of Centerville was…read moreselected to include a mural. Just south of I-70 on Centerville Road is the entrance to a small strip mall that includes Warm Glow Candle Outlet and The Watering Can. On the north side of the building, a cool pastel blue tree, leafless as in winter, is silhouetted on the wall. Among the branches and in the air surrounding the tree are silhouettes of red cardinals which often winter in Indiana. "Indiana Natives" was painted by Joe Thompson for the festival and celebrates the cardinals for bringing color all year to what can be a cold and drab winter scene. Cardinals are the official state bird of Indiana. Review #1240