This is a very long mural that is the work of The Department of Public Words, a group that spreads…read morepositivity and encouragement through art. The mural runs along the Monon Trail and was completed in 2014 after 8 months of work. The mural had collaboration from the Meridian-Kessler Neighborhood Association, SmallBox, Terra Pro, LLC, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, the Girl Scouts, CFI, the Indianapolis Art Center's Teen Art Council, and Sherwin-Williams chipped in with paint and supplies. The mural was painted to replace aging and deteriorating ones that were becoming more of an eye sore than anything. The mural is nice. I like the detail put into each train car. Each car has a positive word or phrase like "Smile", "I Heart You", "You are beautiful", "Do great things", and "Eye believe you can". Each car was made from numerous four feet tall by eight feet wide stencils to cover the 5,000 square foot surface. It is very colorful and detailed. I almost mistook it as a real train from a far. Dave Combs of DPWords said that "the purpose of The Love Train is to bring positive messages to people in a beautiful way". I think it definitely accomplishes that. I really like this mural and the work or the Department of Public Words. We can never have too much positivity, especially in the times that we are in now. This is one of the few murals that you could make a special trip to see. If you are not going for the trail, but just going to see the mural. The easiest place to park to see it is the parking lot of the Half Littler House. It is a very short walk from there. Even though I spent more time here than most other murals that I have visited, this is still probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 15 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.

If you wanna check out some cool art then this the place. This spot is like 2 miles from the famous…read moreBroad Ripple Village. The Monon Trail Love Train is a long wall with lot of art in different colors and captions but of the same format that looks like coaches. Walk all across the wall and you'll find amazing Angel Wings( see my profile pic)and Pink Cranes. There are 2 different angel wings which are Instagramable. Check out my Insta profile:: Mr.harven

The irony of allowing humanity to fall so deep into greed that the unhoused population sit on this…read morebench without anywhere to call home. Says lots without saying a word.

This is a very powerful and intriguing piece that is located off to the side of the Roberts Park…read moreUnited Methodist Church. This sculpture is the work of Timothy Schmalz, a Canadian sculptor and devout Catholic, who was commissioned by Roberts Park United Methodist Church to create this bronze sculpture in 2015. It also goes by the name Jesus the Homeless. As nice as it is, this piece is not one of a kind. There are a bunch of them placed all around the world, well over 100. The original was made in 2013 and is located at Regis College, University of Toronto. Other locations that you will find the sculpture include Australia, Singapore, Israel, South Korea, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Columbia and the Dominican Republic to name just a few. This sculpture is very realistic and detailed. Which brings me to a funny story. In October 2020, police in Ohio were dispatched to a report of a homeless man sleeping on a park bench. Ironically, this call was made within 20 minutes of the Homeless Jesus sculpture being installed. Yep, some called the police on the statue. I will admit, I had to do a double take to make sure it was not real when I saw it. And you are certain to be fooled if you are driving by. It should be noted the the sculpture in Vatican City has received the blessing of the Pope. The bench is about 7 feet wide and depicts a covered figure, assumed to be Jesus, laying on it. The only real identification being the crucifixion wounds on the figures feet. For the low price of 99.99 you too can have your own mini-homeless Jesus made by the artist himself. The sculpture is just off of the Roberts Park United Methodist Church parking lot and runs along Alabama Street. There is tons of metered street parking available in front of and adjacent to the sculpture. There is also a commercial parking lot directly behind it that you can pull into, get out and take a closer look too. I guess you could also do a safe and strategic slow rolling drive by and get a a half decent look, but I do not recommend that. You will not get the full effect of the sculpture. As with most sculptures 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 sculptures, murals and attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. Brickhead3 and Viewfinders would be a great start.

The ArtsPark borders the Indianapolis Art Center in Broad Ripple. The Park and gardens are natural,…read morefor the most part, with meandering paths through natural wooded and open area. The trail is Certified Sustainable by the Indiana Wildlife Federation. We visited on a beautiful Memorial Day morning. I would not have known the garden was here, had I not been looking for the Twisted House sculpture. The park contains 13 sculptures by artists with Indiana ties. In addition, 37 garden features located throughout the park were gift by various benefactors. The art is interesting. There are a mix of concrete walkways and gravel paths. Benches provide seating at various points along the walkways. Free parking is available on the east side of the Arts building and there is no charge to walk through the trails. The park is a hidden gem and worth a visit.

I love the ArtsPark. It's a free, outdoor space that's on the grounds of the Indianapolis Art…read moreCenter. I would often visit when my children were young when we needed a place for them to roam and explore outdoors, so this place holds a special place in my heart. This park is super kid-friendly. The park is contains several art displays, statues and exhibits all throughout the grounds, all set among beautiful landscaping and trees. It's like a gallery without walls. It's also right by the White River, which you can see from a boardwalk that overlooks the river. It's also right by the Monon Trail, so it's easy to get to by bike or by foot. There are a couple of art displays that my kids would play at a lot, and they were the more hands-on pieces. One of them is the "Twisted House," which is a wooden house that's twisted and turny, but kids can go inside. It also makes for a super Instagram-worthy backdrop! "Circle" is another piece in the ArtsPark that my kids gravitated to. It's a Zen-like sculpture composed of a 10-foot ring of black granite with a sand garden on the inside. You can't miss "Crescendo," a bright blue sculpture composed of 6,000 tiles. If you look at the tiles closely, you'll see little uplifting quotes and sayings written on them. I can spend many hours just sitting at ArtsPark among all of the art and nature. It's a beautiful place in the heart of Broad Ripple, and a genuine hidden gem of Indianapolis.

This is one of Jules "MuckRock" Muck's many murals that she painted while in Indianapolis in 2019…read more This mural overlooks a vacant lot and is highly disrespected. There are two pile of mulch dumped right in front of the mural and there is an abandoned bus on the lot as well. The mural is showing a little bit of wear. The mural depicts two rabbits getting it on. The bottom rabbit is smoking a cigaret and they are both crossed with caution tape. The artists signature MuckRock tag appears a a cloud coming from one of the rabbit's rear and reads "MuckRock "hearts" Indy" This mural is actually a redo an original one that was painted on the side of an Eastside restaurant. It was the same setting, minus the caution tape. It was removed in less than 24 hours after receiving numerous complaints. The mural did have its share of reporters through. It was eventually replaced by another MuckRock mural of Bambi and Thumper. I like the bold statement that MuckRock takes with this mural and that she was able to do it over, be it in a different location. It is basic to intermediate artistically and outside of the obvious, is kind of boring. It is not my favorite MuckRock work, by far. For the record, I am not offended by the mural, nor was I offended by the original, but respect the opinions of those who are/were. I do not totally agree with the original being removed, but I do understand. Being that it overlooks and empty field, parking to get a closer look is very easy. As with most murals that I have reviewed, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 3 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other cool murals in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

They're back. One of the most talked about art installations in recent local history has found a…read morenew home on the side of an art gallery...but with a twist. The artist, international muralist Jules "MuckRock" Muck, was invited to paint her Muck Bunnies on the east wall of the building in August 2019. But this time, the artist painted proportionally sized yellow caution tape across the mural to stay away. If you have been living under a rock, the image originally was painted on the exterior wall of Beholder Restaurant on 10th. The owner of the building objected (even though the chef/restaurant approved) and painted over the mural the very next day. That caused even further uproar as some people remained offended even after the mural was removed and others were offended that the art was destroyed. Talk about controversy. And it was meaningless because the mural was already gone and all the talk was just that..talk. It couldn't change the past, either in the creation or destruction of the art. So what was the point of the outrage? So, now we have a self-censored version in a different area of town and we will see if this one causes a stir. What is sad is that this isn't the artist's most detailed or amazing art work. It is a rather simple image of two rabbits making more rabbits while one of the rabbits is smoking a cigarette. It's not even meant to appear lifelike. The artist can do incredibly detailed art when she wants to. It's just a cartoon style image of two rabbits doing something that everyone thinks of or has thought of doing, but as a society, we can't seem to talk about without offense. Sure, we can have rampant killings and drug abuse and crime, but we just accept those. But anything with sex? It is offensive and people get on their soap box to publicly denounce it. But what do they do behind closed doors? Why so serious? I probably won't change anyone's opinion, but the mural got me to write about it. I find it a bit humorous and I admire that in one simple mural, the artist is able to express so much. In this case, a picture (or mural) is worth a thousand words. Review #2886

The Twisted House is a whimsical, quirky sculpture in the ArtsPark. The house is the 2005 work of…read moreJohn McNaughton. McNaughton was a founding member of the Art Department of University of Southern Indiana. He passed away in 2022. The Twisted House is typical of his fun-loving approach to art. The wood sculpture has a storybook appearance. I can imagine that kids (and maybe even a few squirrels) would have fun visiting and playing in the structure with the crooked door and roof that curves over into the ground. The sculpture brought a smile to my face. The Twisted House worth a visit if you like art. There is no charge to walk through the quiet and serene park. There is free parking at the east side of the park.

It was a cold crisp day in late November when I visited the house. I knocked on the door but…read morenobody was home. Just kidding. It is a piece of artwork. It reminds me of the nursery rhyme about the old woman who lived in a shoe. It is just one piece of outdoor artwork and sculptures available on the grounds of the Indianapolis Art Center. I found plenty of parking available at the Center's parking lot. Then it is short walk from the lot.

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

Broad Ripple is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Indy, and part of the reason is because of all…read moreof the beautiful murals everywhere. This is one of the murals I see frequently, because it's right by the Rainbow Bridge and my favorite store in Broad Ripple Village, Good Earth. So, according to the artist's website (her name is Abigail Staffelbach), this mural is actually called "Fire Station 32 Mural." At least, that's what it's labeled on her website. The name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue or conjure visions of flower gardens, but it is painted on the side of the Broad Ripple fire station, so it makes sense. Sometimes pragmatism wins. This is a beautiful piece of public art, and fortunately, there are other murals by Staffelbach in the area that you can check out.

Public art mural of some brightly colored and beautiful flowers on the back of the firehouse in the…read morebroad ripple neighborhood of Indianapolis Indiana. My family and I on a weekend getaway from louisville was dining in the area when after eating we decided to discover the area around as it was a cool looking place. We pulled over to check out this rainbow bridge public art when my daughter pointed out this awesome mural just off the banks of the canal water from the bridge. Very fun photo op that is a wonderful piece in an area with all kinds of cool Pieces of public art.

This sculpture is the creation of Scott Westphal in 2017. It stands 10' tall, 20" wide and weighs…read more1,200 pounds. It depicts leaves falling from a maple tree and looks like they were partially punched through the aluminum. You will find the sculpture at the intersection of Delaware Street and Fall Creek Parkway in the Mapleton-Fall Creek Neighborhood. It was funded through the Reconnecting to our Waterways grant that was being managed by the Mapleton-Fall Creek Development Corporation. This is a quick stop, that you may have passed many times before and not noticed. It is an interesting piece of art and it is designed to be even more dazzling at night, as light seeps through the cut-out leaf shapes, creating a nighttime focal point of soft light. Similar to a child's night light.

This pair of curved aluminum walls that stand 10' tall can be found on the northwest corner of…read morewhere Delaware meets Fall Creek. The metal has cutouts of maple leaves that appear to be falling like they do in Autumn. With the addition of lighting, the light emits through the cutouts at night to add a different appearance than the solid metal as seen in daytime. The art was created in 2017 by artist Scott Westphal. Review #1840

This mural was painted by Robert Bentley as part of the first Indy Mural Fest in 2019. It depicts…read moreViking warrior with a sword, squaring up to a skull demon with huge horns and symbols under his eyes. That is set against a red and black background. What many may not know, including me, is that the symbols on the skull demons face spell out "destroyer", hence the title. It is artistically amazing. I like the choice of colors and the darkness it portrays. The Viking looks out matched, so my money is on the skeleton demon. Originally, the mural did not have a title, but Bentley suggested "Destroyer" when I inquired about it. So, Destroyer it is. This mural is located on a wall with many other participants of the 2019 Indy Mural Fest, so enjoy. I really like this mural. Bentley is very talented and he showcases his skill in this mural. I respect what they are trying to do, beautifying an otherwise desolate neighborhood and exposing many to the arts. Anyway, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other nice murals and graffiti on the same and adjacent buildings or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

You can tell that this was once an awesome mural. But those days are long behind it. The mural was…read morepainted in 2017 by the FAB Crew, with the assistance of an artist named Gamble, as a tribute to the Cincinnati-based, nationally-known graffiti artist Speedbeard (Jason Brunson), who passed away suddenly in 2017. The mural depicts Speedbeard's pet French bulldog, Frenchie, the inspiration behind many of his characters The dog is wearing Speedbeard's trademark black t-shirt, and has parodies of Speedbeard's full-sleeve tattoos. You can see that the painting has a lot of detail and their inspiration bled through. However, the mural is greatly deteriorated and the wall that it is painted on is actually chipping away piece by piece. I had to do a double take to make sure that I had the correct mural. This mural needs a lot of help, but may be beyond saving. As with most murals, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. There is parking available in the alley that the mural is in and it is easily accesible. However, you can probably even do a drive by. It is best to plan out additional stops at many of the other wonderful murals in the area to maximize your trip.

The FAB Crew (Sacred 317 & 6Cents) and Gamble worked on this mural in the summer of 2018 as a…read moretribute to famed artist "Speedbeard" out of Cincinnati. Speedbeard owns a French Bulldog, has a beard, and full sleeve arm tattoos. The bulldog and the arm tattoos were incorporated into this mural along with the neck chain with Speedbeard on it. If you have a knack for reading the graffiti style writing, you can see the artist's names, though I struggle with the two on the right side more than on the left. The dog looks real. The rest of the mural is a swirl of vibrant colors. Very visually effective in catching the eye of passersby. I hope this one will last longer than most of the other great murals that have been at this location. Review #1878