On my most recent trip to Bloomington, I headed out to the west side to find a large wind driven…read moresculpture behind the Bed Bath and Beyond store. Partially hidden by large evergreen trees on the west side of the green space is a sculpture that is nearly 70 feet in height made of coated steel that on sunny days, reflects deep colors off its surface. The piece is officially listed as "Untitled 2001" by artist Stephen Powell (2001) but is also referred to as "Fngers". The piece has two end pillars that support a crossbar. The cross bar has five tapered tubes that use their thicker and heavier bases to counter balance the long and narrow portion that reach skyward. As wind catches the long surfaces, the tubes pivot towards horizontal depending upon the wind velocity. On my visit, the wind was light, so the tubes were generally pointing skyward with litle movement. However, I have seen photos of the tubes frozen in winter parallel to the ground! At the time of my visit, there were no benches in the vicinity for visitors to sit and watch the movement though I can imagine that it may be peacefl to watch the tubes sway. I believe I've read the tubes make noise on windy days as well, but were silent on my trip. If you are in the area and the wind is cooperating, take a moment to swing by to check it out. There is plenty of parking to pull up and view the piece in motion. Review #1370

Fabulous mural honoring Vincennes hometown legend, Red Skelton. This is one of many tributes to him…read morein town.

Worth a stop for viewing this well composed mural in downtown. Next stop the wonderful museum in…read morehonor of the hometown entertainer.

Ready or Dot! Is a fun and clever named mural that sits in downtown Evansville Indiana just off…read moreMain Street. This colorful dot mural is actually part of the areas self.e alley and is the 3rd of 3 murals in the selfie encouraged alley. Very well done and fun piece that my daughters adored. Perfect for a cool and fun photo or selfie opp.

Ready or not is another cool mural that Evansville has in their city. I really like all the public…read moreart that is featured in Evansville Indiana. This is one of many that are in this little alleyway. There are two other ones it's also attached to it and I was like hell it's pretty simple as just a white background with a bunch of bug bites everywhere pretty cool

Along the B-line trail in the northwest part of Bloomington's downtown is a massive sculpture by…read morelocal artist Dale Enochs. The piece is called "Bloomington Banquet" and appears to be a giant dinner table and chairs with a bowl of steaming fish soup. The piece is made of primarily limestone along with anodized aluminum, stainless steel, and powder coated steel. The piece measures 24' x 28' x 12'. According to the artist's website, there is a great deal of symbolism and homage to the location. The dinner table represents the coming together of the community as a family does around the dinner table. The site also was formerly the location of a furniture store, so the table and chairs ties to the history. On top of the table is an ornate bowl surrounded by silverware that stands on end. From the bowl can be seen rising "steam" that supports a detailed fish, suggesting the contents of the dish. The fish was playfully added to reference the image of a fish that sits above the Monroe County Courthouse. Dale Enochs has numerous pieces in the Bloomington and Indianapolis areas. For more information about those pieces, go to his website at https://www.daleenochs.com/artists/ Review #1203

One of Bloomington's own has added another fine sculpture to the local Public Art offerings in the…read morearea. Famed sculptor Dale Enochs has put together this giant sculpture near the entrance to the grounds of the NW Monroe County YMCA. The installation called "Stride" (2019) covers 80' in length and 15' wide. The human figure, made from water cut, powder coated aluminum, stands 16' in height! There are four layers of the figure held together just a short space from each other. The two outer layers are black. The two inner layers are colored with the five colors associated with the YMCA and have the words "Mind", "Body", and "Spirit" cut into them. Besides the human figure, there are multiple pieces of cut Indiana limestone that are spread out beside and behind the figure along the sidewalk that visitors can follow near the path of the giant. I really like that kids who go to the YMCA can see this public art each day and be encouraged to stride forward using their own imaginations to create something that will endure. Review #3287

Self.e Alley is a decorative alley carved out in the popular brick paved Main Street area of…read moredowntown Evansville Indiana. This alley as of February 2022 currently has 3 murals. As you walk into the alley you will see the three murals side by side and a staircase. The first mural you will see is a "welcome to Evansville" mural. The second mural is the awesome and vibrant "neon lights" mural and lastly you have the cleverly named "Ready or Dot!" Mural. All there murals are fantastic and well done. They make for a perfect photo op or as the alley insists a perfect selfie. My personally favorite of the 3 current murals is the neon lights mural. It was my favorite mural I came across on my short trip to the city of Evansville. Overall very cool, fun and clever thing to have in the city. Me and the family always enjoy discovering public art when visiting towns. And self.e alley provided easy access to three really good murals.

This sculpture is located on the Bloomington Art Trail at the end of Miller-Showers Park. It was…read morecreated by Jean-Paul Darreau in 1980. It sits in a small plaza area with a few benches for people to sit and it over looks the water. It consist of 2 limestone statues that are facing each other. The two statues each have two faces for a total of 4. Each face features a different major world ethnicity which is meant to represent Bloomington's diverse population. Depending on how you are viewing it, you will see the faces of an Asiatic woman facing an African woman, or Indian man facing a Nordic man. The artist intended the piece stimulate communication across racial lines. There is a placard near the sculpture with information about it, but it is very weathered and cannot be read. There is a small parking lot at the front of Miller-Showers Park that offers 3-hour parking. It is on the opposite end of the park from the sculpture, but not a long walk. This is a nice sculpture and credited as the genesis of Bloomington's public art displays. It has a powerful and positive meaning and has withstood the test of time. It is over 30 years old and is in great shape. I highly recommend checking this place out. As with most public art 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 or making this part of a larger itinerary, to maximize your time and trip. You could start your itinerary with a visit to, Miller-Showers Park, the park the sculpture is located.

The initial art installation of the Bloomington Community Arts Commission was created in 1980 and…read morerelocated to its current spot on the north end of Miller-Showers Park in 2002. The piece "Red, Blond, Black, and Olive" is meant to represent the four major races of the world, each of which make up part of Bloomington's population. The art consists of two 11 ton pieces of limestone that generally face each other. From the north, the faces of an Asian woman and an African woman are seen. From the south, those same blocks depict the faces of a Native American man and a Nordic man. The artist has added some thoughts about the piece on the east side of the sculpture. The sculpture was created by local artist Jean-Paul Darriau. Darriau also has another famous work on the IU Campus in the Dunn Woods area near Kirkwood Hall called "The Space Between: Adam and Eve". Review #2197

Ferdinand the Bull mural was painted in 2016 by Washington DC artist Lisa Marie Thalhammer. The…read morestory of Ferdinand is based off of 1936 children's book about a gentle bull who rather smell flowers that fight. The mural is located on the side of the Antique Emporium building in Ferdinand. The artist is a distant cousin to the owner of the shop.

I'm a sucker for bright shiny objects. That said, I really like this sculpture completed in 2006…read moreby local art professor Bernard Hegedorn. He was inspired to create something after the tragedy of 9/11 in the hope that the worst of the century was behind us and a new beginning would offer promise. The large sculpture has two curved bronze columns that represent the twin towers in New York post impact. The stainless steel circle in the middle represents the rising and setting sun. The bright surface of the circle reflects the world around and seems to fill the open space as you move around the sculpture (it is located in a roundabout at the entrance to the Red Skelton Museum.) I also appreciate that the artist added a plaque with his insight into his motivation for creating the piece. Too many artist leave no clues to what they were thinking. It seems like leaving a plaque is a great way for the viewers to understand the artist and maybe gain an insight into art in general. Review #2966

One of the prominent businessmen in the early history of the territory that would become Indiana…read morewas Francis Vigo. He is the man who provided funds for George Rogers Clark to capture Vincennes from the British. He is also the man who Vigo County is named after. So when the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park was dedicated in 1936, it seemed fitting to add a granite statue of the man who facilitated Clark's efforts. The statue is carved from granite and took two years for New York sculptor John Angel to create. The granite is perfect for withstanding the weather and the statue has held up remarkably well. The statue shows Vigo in a seated position with a long coat along with some of his goods beneath his right arm. Review #2971