I have passed this mural many times and not noticed it. I decided to make today a mural finding…read morefield trip. The mural wraps around two sides of the Indy Auto Man's Service Center, the front and side and covers 2,400 sqft. It was commissioned in 2021 by the Indy Auto Man Car Dealership and created by Nekoda Witsken. She was assisted by Travis Neal, Bezol One, and Dan "Invisible Hometown" Handskillz. it is meant to represent the business's core values of initiative, growth, integrity, transformation, and resourcefulness. Employees were polled as to which symbols and heroes they felt best represented these values and their feedback was then used to design the mural. The mural not only has the dog, it has MLK, and Freddy Mercury. I like this mural it is large and very detailed. The colors really pop out and pull you in. You can park in the business's lot to get out and see the mural up close. I highly recommend planning out stops at some of the other wonderful murals that are within a mile or two of this one to maximize your time. Fun fact: This mural served as the backdrop to the inaugural Indy Arts Fest as well.

One of the most talented and successful local artists stays busy adding new murals faster than I…read morecan keep up with her. Local artist Nekoda Witsken collaborated with some other local artists to work on an enormous two sided mural on the south side. One of the special details of this mural is that instead of just using brushes, she used spray paint on this metal surface. The front of the building has many figures and faces (including a full sized Fredddie Mercury. Over on the right side of the building you will see the title of the mural as well as a larger than life image of her dog "Potato".. There is also a dog tag with names of people who love Potato as well as the artist. one of the things I enjoy about this artists' work is that there are many styles of art that she can choose to use. I've seen enough of her art that I can arecognize much of it without her signature. Even when she worked with other artists to complete the work, she has such distinctive touches that I can still find them. Review #3969

This is such a great example of surprise and delight community placemaking. This was our second…read morevisit to the alley and both times it filled our family with a sense of wonder and delight. The slow swinging lanterns in the breeze accompanied by the small red bridge and mural painting of Koi fish are such a lovely experience. Big kudos to the town of Franklin for making this magic happen. You will stumble upon this alley as you walk your way around the square. It's wedged between coffee shops and bakeries. Definitely worth a little pitstop.

I love this alley in downtown Franklin. Dedicated to the sister city in Kuji Japan, you will find…read moregorgeous koi fish murals on the walls of the buildings on either side, a new Japanese Cherry Tree installation, hanging lanterns and a bridge. Enjoy coffee or lunch at the tables and chairs in the alley and be sure to read the plaque with the information about the sister city and relationship with Japan. Location is between Benjamin's Coffeeshop and the City Hall.

You will find this mural near Taxman Brewery, right across Johnson BBQ. It was painted in 2020…read moreJohnson County Community Foundation Mural Program. The project was headed artist Stacie Drane. The mural was completed as part of a community day, bringing in community members of all ages and abilities to paint the mural. It was a large paint by numbers deal. Sadly the front side of the mural is used as parking spaces. While I was there there were cars parked in front of the mural pretty much blocking the view of the entire bottom of the mural. It is a basic abstract mural. I can see the image of a dove, hands with arms, a heart, partial faces, flowers, plants, buildings, and random shapes. They were all very abstract and colorful, with overlapping and interesting colors. The mural is in great shape. I will admit though, I am not a fan of abstract art, but love community involved projects. Parking to get a closer look here is very easy. You can park in front of the mural directly, right next to it or across the street at Johnsons BBQ. I parked right next to it and had no issues. As with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is 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 attractions in the area, getting a drink from Taxman, grabbing a bite at Johnson's or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

In the fifth year of its Color the County mural program, the Johnson County Community Foundation…read morehas sponsored a local artist to create a community "paint day" where the artist would create a full sized wall mural in a paint by number scheme that allowed volunteers to come and participate in the painting of a new community piece. In 2020, the town of Bargersville got its second mural (in 2016, they added one I call Bargersville Sunrise by Amber Berninger. See separate review #1261). The new mural was designed by Nineveh artist Stacie Drane and the mural was painted in August. The mural is a mixture of city and county scenes which come together as the small town is now one of the most rapidly growing areas in the Indy metro area. The mural shows different people along with crops and buildings all coming together in one place. The colorful mural uses solid colors and has a cool tone of colors which is very pleasing to the eye. Although the piece is painted on one of TaxMan's southern buildings, it is directly across from the patio of Johnson Barbecue. I appreciate that the artist has to simply the project so that community members can participate in the painting. Still, the final product is pleasing and some attention to clean up left the lines solid and the filled in blocks of color complete. Review #3803

This mural is starting to show signs of wear and tear. This mural was painted by Amy Hommell in…read more2016 as part of the Johnson County Community Foundation's 25th anniversary. It is pretty abstract. It is some colorful circles on a bright blue background. The perimeter of one of the circles looks like piano keys. There is a tree that runs up the center of the mural. It is a simple design, but it had to be that way because it was a community paint by the number project. That had members of the community, even those without artistic ability, to do the painting. I am a fan of community art. I guess it is the sappy side of me. The mural is located on the side of a photography studio, overlooking a small parking lot belonging to De Baun's Service, Inc. So, parking and getting out to get a closer look at this mural is simple and easy, if that is what you want to do. As with most all murals that I have reviewed, this is probably 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.

In the inaugural year (2016) of the Color the County mural program of Johnson County, a site in…read moredowntown Greenwood was selected for a new mural by Amy Hommell. Hommell is a full time artist with a degree from Indiana State University and is the owner of Teal Canary Art Studio. The mural has a background of blue sky and rolling green hills with a series of overlapping circles with intricate patterns within them. In the center is a large tree with new leaves growing. The only negative about the mural was the site selection which is often partially blocked by dumpsters from the neighboring business. Review #1260

You will find this mural on the side of Richard's Brick Oven Pizza. It is very bright and vivid and…read moredemands your attention. It runs along the entire wall and depicts a couple of guitars and features the words "Good Vibes". I like the way the mural incorporates everting on that side of the wall including doors, awnings, garage doors, lights and electric meters. The colors used in the mural really compliment each other and pop. It is the work of Shannon McKeon and was painted in 2019 as part of the Color the County Mural Program. I love that program. It brings the community together, under the direction of a local artist, to bring a mural to life. And to top it off, the mural gives off a positive message, "Good Vibes". Getting a closer look at the mural is easy. It overlooks Richard's Brick Oven's parking lot. I just pulled into the lot, got out and gazed at the mural. As with most murals that I visited, this is not a long stop. I was there maybe 5 minutes tops. I recommend visiting here on your way to somewhere else or making this part of a larger itinerary. The Franklin Art Garden and Young's Creek Park are very close by.

As part of the Johnson County Community Foundation's "Color the County" program, artist Shannon…read moreMcKeon was selected to paint a mural in 2019. This mural in Franklin, is on the south wall of Richards Brick Oven Pizza. The mural is huge and covers the entire wall. Done in deep colors of yellow, orange, violet, and pink, the mural takes on a music theme with the words "Good Vibes" written in cursive to the left of the handicap access door. Music notes also emphasize the good vibes along with images of several guitars. Review #2854

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

The city of Mooresville added a second mural by local artist Kylin Brown to the growing collection…read moreof public art. The newest mural was added to the side of the M&A Automotive Repair in 2020. The mural is easily visible from Bridge Street just west of the local Lowe's but across the street. The mural features a bright yellow background to catch your eye. The main focus of the mural is a black highway with numerous old cars and trucks and features a M&A tow truck driving along. There is a "greeting card" welcoming visitors to Mooresville. There are some inset images that appear to be old polaroids that have been taped to the mural (but oversized probably several feet across.) The mural not only draws attention to the business and lets you know it is auto related. But with the bright colors, it clearly shows a bit of history for the city that the business has been part of for a long time. I like that the business hired a local artist (from Plainfield) to create the mural and thereby, supports the local arts. If I had a car, I would definitely check this place out since it is locally owned and supportive of the community. But this review is strictly for the artwork. I enjoy noticing all the details that the artist has placed within the mural. Review #3802

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

Red, Blonde, Black, and Olive is a fascinating piece of public art in Bloomington. The limestone…read moresculpture is unique, with detailed faces representing different cultures and backgrounds. It's a powerful reminder of connection, diversity, and the importance of understanding one another. I enjoyed stopping by this piece because it's not just something to look at, it has a message behind it. The design makes you slow down and think about the meaning of the artwork and the community it represents. Located in Miller-Showers Park, it's a great quick stop for anyone exploring Bloomington's public art scene. A beautiful and thought-provoking landmark that shows Bloomington's appreciation for creativity and inclusion.

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.

One of the rising stars in the metro Indy public art scene is Nekoda (Koda) Witsken who is from the…read morearea and has returned home after extensive travel and education to brighten the lives of people in the area, exposing them to art without the confines of having to visit a museum by placing her murals inside restaurants and other businesses as well as on the side of a building or on the supports of an underpass. Her murals seem to have a vibrant color to them and sometimes have larger than life images. Sometimes they seem abstract and other times, timeless landscapes or portraits, but what ever she paints, it is a pleasant surprise to enjoy. This mural located inside the El Lago Mexican Restaurant dining room covers the entire east wall (over 25 feet!) There are two parts to the mural which you can check out in the photos attached to this review. If you want to take time to enjoy looking at the mural, just order a fine meal and sit and look at the mural while you dine. Do yourself a favor and check out this mural the next time you are in the Geist area! Review #3879