I was in the Yard District in Fishers playing Pokémon GO and found a PokéStop linked to this mural…read more I decided to go check it out and even posted a picture of it on my story on social media. I think the art is great and the message is wonderful. I wish it was in a more noteworthy visible spot though!

I love when I find public art when I am out and about in the indy area, I was walking through the…read morefishers yard district and noticed this colorful piece and had to take a snap of it. Upon further research, I found out that it was painted by Nekoda Witske, who is a part of the hue mural group, I really enjoyed looking at this since it was bright and just really makes you happy (if you're into colors) and is a combo of a face and a rose. I'll have to seek out more of her work around!

In 2015, Gabriel Lehman created this whimsical mural on the back of a Noblesville business. The…read moremural features a little girl who has a magic (and quite large) teapot that creates clouds which drift off the mural and escape across the back of the building with a 3D effect. The little girl was inspired by the building owner's daughter. The artist Lehman frequently uses fantasy and children in his works. For more information about the mural and other public art in the metro Indy area, go to: https://www.indyartsguide.org/public-art/olive-amazing-cloud-machine/ Review #1218

Carmel has a dang cute selfie station on Elm Street just east of the Monon. The mural looks like a…read more1960's postcard and stamps with scenes from around Carmel. There is even a mark on the sidewalk to tell you where to stand to take your selfie. This is one of several selfie spots that I saw in the area. I used to call the area downtown Carmel, but the City has rebranded as "Midtown" and Midtown Plaza. The colorful mural was the brainchild of Wilkinson Brothers Design and was unveiled in March 2021.

The mural is the work of Carmel-based Wilkinson Brothers Design and was placed in 2021. It faces…read moreElm Street and is opposite the side of the BIG SCREEN at Midtown Plaza. This mural gives the appearance of a vintage post card and reads "Greetings from Carmel, Midtown Plaza". There are scenes from the city in the cutout letters that include the Monon Trail, Sails, the Coxhall Gardens Clock Tower and City Hall. The card is against a colorful cityscape background cutout with other cityscape silhouettes on it. You will also see stamps of local attractions around the area on the mural including Hotel Carmichael and the Palladium. It is a gorgeous mural that is Instagram ready. The city intends it to be an interactive piece that affords visitors the opportunity to take a selfie. To make sure that visitors get the best possible selfie, there is a decal that tells you where to stand. It is located just outside Java House Coffee Bar and Penn & Beech Candle Co. I love interactive art. This mural is no exception. I was excited about seeing it and I am sure it will be a popular attraction in the area. I will say that it is off of a somewhat busy street, so use caution when approaching. There is free street parking and a garage available to park within a very short walk. I know that this is probably not going to be a long stop, but I still recommend checking it out. 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 such as the Monon Trail or the Sails sculpture that is right down the street.

This piece is part of the 2020 Jiffy Lube Mural project, in conjunction with the Arts Council of…read moreIndianapolis. It is the work of Artur Silva and Shaunte Lewis and is not your typical mural. It is not painted directly on the building wall. The image was printed on vinyl and installed on the building. This is the first digitally-created artwork in the Jiffy Lube mural program. So, obviously it is on the side a Jiffy Lube. The mural is abstract. It goes from color in the center to black and white as it gets toward the outer edges. The left side of the mural is a mirror of the right side. It mainly consists of a lot of colorful hands. There is also a heart thrown in for good measure. The hands are based on Silva's friends' performing various actions with their hands. He also used screenshots of films highlighting the role of hands in telling a story. I will say that it is an interesting piece that I found very intriguing. I was trying to figure out which each hand was doing in the mural. I like the way the color portion of the mural contrasts with the back and white portion. They both really pop. I just pulled into the BP gas station that the mural overlooks to park. It was very easy. 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.

As part of the ongoing commitment from the local owners of many Central Indiana Jiffy Lubes,…read moreanother new mural was added to the south wall of the Jiffy Lube on 151st in Westfield. The artists for this piece were Artur Silva and Shaunte Lewis. The artwork is a mixture of bright colored pieces surrounded by black and white "sketches". There are many images of hands that I haven't had a chance to understand what they represent. It is a definite eye catching mural as I noticed it from 151st even though it was just beyond a BP gas station on the south wall of the Jiffy Lube on Thatcher Lane. For more information about the artists and Jiffy Lube art program, see the link to the Arts Council of Indiana that I have added to the Business page of the mural. This piece was added in 2020, so something good came out of that year! Review #3861

You will find this piece on the side of a the Carmel's Jiffy Lube. It is the work of local artist…read moreJustin Cooper, with assistance for community members through community celebration paint days. It is a positive mural and is intended to pay homage to Carmel-born artist and illustrator Franklin Booth. It was painted in 2016 and is the product of a partnership between Jiffy Lube and Department of Public Words, a group dedicated to spreading positive messages through art. The message here is to just pause, take time and just "breathe". As most community murals are, this is a simple design. The colors of the mural are dull, almost pastel like, but it is still in great shape. The mural depicts a blue heron flying, against a blue background, flying through a whimsical sky. It is not a very detailed piece, but I love its message and it being a community project. As with most murals that I have visited, this is not a large consumer of your time, nor a destination piece. I was just there briefly while on my way to another nearby attraction. I would say that I was there about 5 minutes. I highly recommend visiting here on your way to somewhere else or making this part of a larger itinerary.

Love, love, love Jiffy Lube's new art initiatives! They have murals on their different locations…read moreall over the city. It seems to not only connect the Jiffy Lubes to the community more, but also distinguish each one as fun and unique. This mural was painted by Justin Cooper in 2016 (just searched the Internet - definitely didn't know that off the top of my head!). This mural is peaceful and just says the word 'breathe' on the side. Great reminder. The light colors are pretty, but it is hard to read from far away. Regardless, I just love the initiative to spread public art and have learned a lot about how great Jiffy Lube is as a company. This is evidence of it!

At first glance, this mural appears to be a simple, somewhat cartoon-ish rendering of a face…read morepeering out and the words "You Have Company" written above the face. But when you think about it and understand what the mural represents, then you appreciate another level of understanding about the mural and its subject. The figure, which seems to be hiding though clearly in sight, represents those folks we encounter everyday that are going through some sort of mental illness. The message is meant to offer support to those individuals so that they aren't alone and should not feel shamed into isolation. The mural was created by Seattle-based cartoonist/novelist Ellen Forney in 2017 who based the mural upon her book in which she describes how she finds inspiration from other artists and their work. The Department of Public Words, a local public art team, helped with the layout and design of the mural. The mural is part of the Jiffy Lube program of bringing public art to its buildings around central Indiana. Jiffy Lube sells green ribbons to support the state chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) as a tie in to the mural. Review #2299

This is a tall sculpture located in the center of a Carmel roundabout. I saw it both during the day…read moreand the night and in my opinion, it is far more impressive at night than during the day. This piece stands 42 feet high, and is made of aluminum and steel. It is the work of Arlon Bayliss, who created the piece in 2019. It depicts 3 roses towering over the roundabout. It is very detailed and looks very realistic. I love the pink pedals and how they look like they are made of some type of sheer material. The sculpture also includes gold stems and silver leaves, wrapped in a ribbon. It is illuminated at night and looks amazing. It is rumored that if you look closely at the sculpture, you may find a bumblebee hidden among the flower petals. There are a few parking lots off of the roundabout that you can pull into, park, and get out to take a closer look. That is what I ended up doing. Just be carful doing so, as it is a very active roundabout. This is obviously not a destination piece or a long stop, but if you are in the area and near by, then it may be worthy of a quick visit. As with most sculptures (especially those located on roundabouts) that I visit, this was not a long stop. I was there about 5 minutes and I was out. I came across the sculpture by chance, driving to an appointment. I recommend making this part of a larger itinerary or a stop on your way somewhere else.

Wow! When it comes to making eye catching sculptures, leave it to Arlon Bayliss. This newest…read moreedition (2019) fills the center of the roundabout at Pennsylvania St and Old Meridian Streets. The shining steel roses rise above the lawn a towering 42' and are wrapped in a ribbon. According to the artist's statement, he hopes that the roses add beauty as well as bring Grace, Love, and Joy to the hearts of those who see it. P.S. There is a little surprise built into the sculpture that is hidden "in plain sight". If you like this installation, you can see another of Bayliss' work at 96th and Westfield Blvd (Beacon Bloom) in Carmel and another at the north end of Main Street in Speedway (Seeds of Light). Review #3063

This is a decent mural that is painted on the side of a Handel's Ice Cream Shop. It is partially…read moreobstructed by some blue benches and umbrellas. It also seems to have lost some of its luster. It was painted by Craig Martin for the City of Fishers in 2018. Martin has a few other pieces on display in his hometown of Lafayette. The mural is 18 feet high and depicts a blue rose with reds, oranges, white, and other color ribbons coming into the rose. It is intended to be an abstract look at the community of different backgrounds coming together as one. When speaking of the mural, Martin said he was looking to "find a way, through color and line, to bring together threads of the community and gathering." I like the message of the mural. Somewhat of a melting pot type message, but I am not feeling the design itself. But that is just me. I bumped the rating up one star, to 4, based on its message. As is the case with most murals that I review, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. There is street parking available right in front of the mural. However, you can probably even do a drive by and get a decent look at it. It is best to plan out additional stops at many of the other wonderful murals in the area, including the signal box murals, to maximize your trip.

This colorful mural was added to Fisher's growing list of public art in May 2018. Sometimes…read morereferred to as "the City's mural", it was commissioned by the City of Fishers to artist Craig Martin of Lafayette. The bright blue mural has a flower in the center and threads of color reaching out to the edges. It represents how the heart of a community reaches out to bring all of the citizens together. Review #1720

This mural is painted on the side of the Union Brewing Company overlooking its patio. You will find…read moreit right off of the Monon Trail. It looks very nice and is well maintained. I love the use of colors. The brewing company commissioned Nekoda Witsken to paint the mural in 2019. It depicts a woman that looks like the St. Pauli Girl mascot, a German beer company, in a "We Can Do It" poster pose that was made popular during WWII. The woman is holding a beer mug in her hand and using her other hand to reveal a tattoo on her arm. On the left side of the mural, you will find the brewing company's logo. The woman is in front of the words "Be Kind" in bold colorful letters and the white background just makes it all pop. It is a simple message of kindness and a reminder to do what should be basic to everyone. I like the message, I like the presentation and I like that artistic display. This mural is great. I really like it. It gives off a kind of pop art feel. As with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is probably not a very long stop unless you are enjoying an adult beverage on the patio. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, 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 such as the Monon Trail or the community garden that is right across from the patio.

Love this mural with a simple, yet positive message. We can all use more kindness in this world…read more Artist Koda Witsken created another lovely piece of art in Carmel.