This mural is located in the front of CityWay II. It is on the wall between the apartments and the…read moreshops on Delaware street. There is a small parking lot there where you can park and get out and take a closer look. The mural was created by Kelsey Montague, a Denver based artist, in 2019. The mural was commissioned by Buckingham Companies for CityWay. It depicts a swarm of firefles taking off over a yellow background. a few fireflies escape the yellow background and bleed over to the wall. I really like that fine touch. This picture is intended to be Instagram ready and will make some awesome social media pictures. As with most murals, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, it is best to plan out additional stops at many of the other wonderful murals in the area to maximize your trip.

It's hard to review a mural. How do you review something as subjective as public art? In any case,…read moreif you need a review, I give this mural five stars! It's pretty and the colors are nice and it's visually pleasing. This mural is located in CityWay, on the back of a building, adjacent to a parking area where cars drive, so be careful when you're visiting! At the bottom of the mural is the hashtag #WhatLiftsYou, so I'm not sure if that's the title or what.

Advance Epoch by Indianapolis artist Jared Cru Smith features three 8-foot curved forms rising from…read morea landscaped island at Post & Hawkins. Installed in 2011, the piece and nearby benches and boardwalk bring a calm, reflective moment to the Fort Ben neighborhood. Smith--an artist, fabricator, and educator at the Herron School of Art + Design--often combines found objects and varied processes to create abstract forms that feel alive through balance and motion. The sculpture was commissioned by the Fort Harrison Reuse Authority.

This abstract sculpture is located on an island off of small park in Lawrence, IN. It was made in…read more2011 by Jared Cru Smith and commissioned by the Fort Harrison Reuse Authority. Smith is the Sculpture Shop Manager at Herron School of Art + Design. There is free parking right next to the sculpture on both sides of the street. It is featured in between two roads and is very intriguing. It consists of 3 curved/wavy limestone pillars with iron attached to it. It sits upon a well-maintained garden that only enhances it. The 3 pieces of the sculpture are about 8 to 10 feet tall and are in great shape. It is a simple but beautiful and interesting piece. If you are in the area, this sculpture is hard to miss. 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 murals such as the Fort Ben Mural and sculptures, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

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

I started seeing this work on Instagram, and had no idea who's work it was, after doing some…read moredigging I found out it was the controversial artist. Jules "muck rock" I remember when she painted bunnies on the side of beholder and that caused a whole to do. Now she came back to Indy and did a ton of work around the city that I've enjoyed checking out. I'm glad someone was here putting art everywhere, and hope that it acts as an inspiration to other artists. We have lots of blank walls in Indy. The luscious Indy are bright red lips, with gold teeth that have Indy in them. Despite the controversy it is nice to see pops of art around.

Indy has a new mural that grabs your attention each time you pass it. A giant pair of luscious…read morelips are slightly parted, revealing teeth with the letters spelling out "INDY". The artwork was added in Aug '19 by international artist/muralist Jules "MuckRock" Muck while on a barnstorming tour of Indy. She hadn't planned to stay very long, but because so many people have contacted her to paint a mural for them, she has been here more than a week! The lips aren't unique to Indy. She has painted similar murals in several cities across the country. But it is unique for Indy. While a lot of our murals are graffiti tagging, this mural is clearly identifiable and relatable. And the placement is perfect since Fountain Square is becoming a destination for eating, it doesn't take much imagination to make the connection between these lips and food. While in the area, take time to notice the other murals that share the same parking lot. Next to the lips is "The Lovers of Indianapolis" by Christian Quintin in 2011 (part of the 46 for XLVI SuperBowl promotion). Across the lot is "The Colors of Cancer" which was added as part of Lilly's "Oncology on Canvas" collection back in 2010. (see Yelp reviews for each for more information.) There is also a Saxophonist Silhouette on an outbuilding on the north end of the parking lot and an abstract mural on the north side of the Mass Avenue Knits business by Teri Barnett (2007). Review #2879

If you wanted to make the largest cookie in the world and wanted to make it into the shape of a…read morebear, I think I found an art piece you could use! ha! Seriously, I can't help but think of this 3D sculpture as representing a large 2D image of a bear that could be used for baking. The sheer size of the sculpture and the amount of work it would take to bend metal into such a recognizable shape must be far greater than the simple image might suggest. It looks effortless, but when you think about it, must have been a major task. Former Indy resident (now in Valparaiso) Matthew Berg created this structure in 1997. It is most easily visible while westbound on 56th Street while crossing the Geist Reservoir. The metal surface has a rusted finish, but the installation looks quite solid. Berg has several other art installations in the area including near the pyramids, Plainfield, and the campus of Franklin College. Review #1601

Theses are two murals that were painted by Jules Muck aka Muckrock in 2019. They are on the Tube…read moreFactory Artspace, a place where all is welcome to create some art. You will find the green beetle on a small door outside the courtyard near the back, near the chicken coop. It is just a plain beetle, nothing spectacular. The other mural, which is a bit larger and located in the back of the building on a garage roll up door. It is a mural of Marguerite Young, an Indianapolis-born poet and novelist, drinking a cup of rainbow. The mural is 3D, as it gives off the appearance that the rainbow is overflowing from the cup and onto the ground in front of the garage door. I like it, I like it a lot. The mural is modeled after an actual photo of Young that was taken in 1948. There is lots of free street parking available for you to get out and check out the mural. However, it is not a very long stop. This is a brief stop and so, it is best to plan out stops at many of the other wonderful murals in the area or at/in the Artspace.

In August 2019, international artist/muralist Jules Muck spent time in Central Indiana adding…read moremurals in multiple styles. Such is the case with the two she added to the Tube Factory on the south east side. On the east wall near the doorway, a giant green scarab beetle is painted. The beetle is painted as if viewed from above. Between the large, jagged pinchers is the artist's signature "Muck Rock". Around the building to the south end is where a garage door has been transformed. The mural is a portrait of Marguerite Young, a famous Indianapolis-born (Butler Univ) writer, poet, and instructor. In the mural, she is sipping from a coffee cup that is overflowing with a rainbow that flows out onto the ground in front of the door. Although well known in literary circles, I was unfamiliar with Young until I saw the mural. I like when I find one piece of art and it leads me to others, in this case, a different art form. I've read some of Young's poems and though she is best know for "Miss Macintosh, My Darling", the book is close to 1200 pages. She had a lot to say! While in the area, take note of the other artwork around the Tube Factory. Check out "Totally Pencil" on the west wall or some of the art scattered around the grounds. Review #2893

This work is by Dan Thompson aka (Artistically Known As) Dan Handskillz. It is rare for an artist…read moreto get a mulligan, but that is the case with this mural. Originally painted in 2018, this mural had to be redone the wood panels that the artist used to paint the murals were very durable or built to last. So, he got the opportunity to paint it again in 2019, but on more sturdy steel panels. It is a two part mural that consists of two separate panels. He had to repaint it a third time after being vandalized in March of 2021. He should be able to paint this in his sleep by now. He tried to stay as true as possible to the original but also wanted to expand with the times. He got the design from the the clusterborg/junkbot concept and depicts a futuristic robotic arm on one panel, reaching out to an outstretched human arm on another panel. The piece is very detailed and colorful. I like it. And the fact that he had to do it twice makes it that much more impressive. It is very similar to the Michelangelo piece, The Creation of Adam. But this just shows the arms, without the full bodies. Anyway, it is a nice piece. There is street parking available right across the street from the mural. As with most murals that I have reviewed, though, this is probably 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 wonderful murals in the area, three are right across the street from it, to maximize your time and trip.

Some art doesn't need interpretation. You simply see it and it is beautiful, or whimsical, and you…read moredon't really wonder what the artist was thinking. I think that is why a lot of artists don't label their work. Other pieces may border on the edge of familiarity, but are left to your interpretation. I think this piece, even titled, is one that is open for interpretation. I was not able to discuss the piece with the artist who is a bit of a mystery himself. So, I simply encourage you to check out this mural and see what you find a connection to. Back in Italy, Michelangelo created the "original' Creation of Adam just over 500 years ago depicting the moment when God reached out to his creation and gave life to the first man. This similarly titled mural pays homage to the moment of creation with two large hands reaching towards each other. On this new mural, one hand is an expected human (or is it God like) hand and the other is somewhat mechanical looking or possibly gloved hand. All kinds of theories come to mind about the intention of the artist, but since I haven't talked with him, I can only speculate. Since I've been following public art in the Indy area for several years now, I am familiar with this artist's work. However, the story is complex and one I don't fully understand. All around Fountain Square and Broad Ripple, you will find work by artist Dan Thompson. Dan keeps recreating himself because he changes how he signs his works and continues to change, so maybe there is something about this mural that signifies moments in his own life. This mural is signed Invisible Hometown. If you look around town, you may find pieces signed by Dan Handskillz, 6 Cents, or FAB Crew (Fantastic Aerosol Brothers of which Dan was half). There may even be more names on his works since he has collaborated on different crews and may have even signed his own name sometimes. As an outsider, it appears he is recreating himself as an artist. So maybe this mural is autobiographical. (I could be way off on this since I have to speculate.) If you want to see this mural in person, go to the location of the former Pioneer Alpine restaurant and entertainment venue. On one side of the venue (facing Shelby Street is another mural called "View from Fountain Square" by Alicia Zanoni (see separate review). On the other side of the panels is the mural "Creation of Adam". If you come see these, you can check in at both! I believe this mural was created in 2019. If Dan does an interview with my friends at the Arts Council of Indiana and shares more about this piece, I will add the link to this business. Maybe this is simply meant to be enjoyed. But it is interesting to wonder what the artist was thinking about or inspired by to put so much into a mural. Review 3852

I love that you can review specific artworks in the White River State Park. I don't have too much…read moreto say here, other than this one of the iconic artworks in the green area in front of the NCAA hall of champions. It probably makes for a good meeting place, since it's pretty easy to describe compared to other landmarks in the park.

This sculpture is located in White River Park, who has ownership of it, and is right across for the…read moreNCAA Hall of Champions. In my opinion, it is the second most prominent piece of art in the Park. Second only to the colorful sculpture, The Tent. It is the work of Rinaldo Paluzzi and was made in 1982. It is was fabricated by Mitchum-Shaefer, Inc and is constructed of steel, which explains why it looks so nice, even after almost 40 years. The sculpture sits centered on a 40 foot wide concrete circle, with a sundial face. You will find a bronze plaque at the base of the concrete pad that details the sculpture and its creator. The sculpture is an abstract piece, and is very eye catching. It is a 32 foot tall x 5 foot wide triangular shaped vertical "tube" with some shapes, mostly triangles, cut-out in the steel. It is a very simple design. There is a few paid parking garages and lots that service the park that this sculpture is located. So, I would not make this piece of art a destination piece. It would be the best use of your time if you made it part of a larger itinerary that included the Park as a whole, the zoo and/or some of the resident museums.