Statue of americas first president George Washington located on the states lawn in front of the…read morecapital in downtown Indianapolis. My family and I were in town for the weekend my daughter cheer Competition held inside the Convention center. Over the two days while waiting between performances and awards ceremonies me and sometimes my family walked the surrounding areas and explored as the public art scene here is plentiful and creative. My family and I had a great time discovering all the cool pieces that sit on ten state lawn. This sculpture of George Washington sits dead center on the lawn making it a center piece. Which is a nice honor for one of the founding fathers of our country.

Indianapolis is filled with many statues and public art. This one is of First President George…read moreWashington himself. It is located on the south lawn of the state house. It is a public artwork by American sculptor Donald De Lue. It is one of several copies of a 1959 original wax cast at the Modern Art Foundry in Long Island, New York.

One of Indianapolis' oldest art installations was created in 1893. This bronze tribute has been…read morelocated several places and has undergone a major restoration to bring it to the condition it now has on the north side elevation over the Library entrance. Created by artist Richard Bock, the piece has three central figures as well as side images. On the left is Literature. A small bust of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is at her feet. In the center is the statue for Science with enlightenment and achievement represented. On the right is Art with a bust of Michelangelo at her side. Finally, an eagle appears ready to take flight behind the three figures. Review #1719

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

The sculpture was designed by Dick Lutin in conjunction with the Southeast Neighborhood Development…read moreCorporation (SEND). The base was designed and the site was prepared by Eric Etchison and Smock Fansler. It is a simple design that would be much better if it was not vandalized. The sculpture is intended to pay homage to the area's past. It has displays on two of its 3 panels with content about Fountain Square's history and culture. One of the panels has been busted out and has not been repaired. All the panels have a blue neon light that comes on at night and is supposed to represent moving water. The sculpture costed about $85,000 and was funded by the Indianapolis Cultural Development Commission, the Southeast Umbrella Organization and the Fountain Square Merchants Association. This is a decent piece, but definitely not worthy of a special trip to see. If you happen to be in the area then so be it. There is free street parking right across the street from this sculpture. As with most murals that I have reviewed, though, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 3 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the wonderful murals in the area to maximize your time and trip.

As you head southeast on Virginia Avenue over the I-65/I-70 interstates, you may notice a three…read moresided construct on the south side of the road. "Wishful Thinking" is the name of the installation and it is a cultural welcome to the Fountain Square district. Created by artist Dick Lutin in 2005 in cooperation with SEND (Southeast Neighborhood Development Corporation), the steel and stone piece is meant to be an abstract of a spraying fountain. Each of the tree panels is covered with images of Fountain Squares' history. At night, the built-in lighting shines through the panel fronts in shades of blue. Review #1887

This is a love letter to Indiana. I'm not sure who is writing a letter, but it is just a variety of…read morepictures and fun nice things that Indiana offers and make special.

This piece is kind of hard to find based off of the directions. It would be best to just go to the…read moreRiver Walk and enter by the fire station. Then find the West street overpass and....viola. This mural is the work of uncle-nephew team John and Jordan Domont. It was commissioned by the Arts Council of Indianapolis aspart of the 46 for XLVI Mural Initiative It is a nice mural, but is showing severe signs of wear. It depicts Indiana going through its four seasons, winter (a couple holding hands walking through the snow while Raijin, the Japanese wind god blows on them) , spring (a farm ready to begin it harvest and a kid swinging from a ripe apple tree), summer (a hand flying a kite in a field of flowers), and fall (a bird flying through an autumn forest with a river flowing through it). Some parts are hard to see because of the corrosion stains bleeding down from the overpass. Maybe it can be cleaned? Oh well, there is tons of metered street parking available near the entrance to the canal where the mural is located, so you can get out and take a look. Just be sure to make sure you are on the right side of the canal you want to be on. Whether it is the side the mural is on, or across from it to give you more of an overhead view. There are also a few garages within a reasonable walking distance too. Obviously, this is not a mural that you can do a drive by on, so that is not an option. You have to hoof it. 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 wonderful murals in the area, There are a ton of them under over passes along the canal, to maximize your time and trip.

This mural is on the indy/Greenwood line on the wall of a Jiffy lube. It was created in 2019 by…read morePamela Bliss through a partnership between Jiffy Lube of Indiana and the Arts Council of Indianapolis. In painting this mural her vision to depict the importance of bees and their drastic drop in population because of herbicides, pesticides, deforestation, and urbanization. It is her belief that when bees are gone, everything in the world, including humans, will cease to exist. Bliss has a few of other popular pieces around the Indy area like the Reggie Miller mural. This is a piece that I have passed numerous times and not even noticed. It is on the side of the business and a small pieces continues to wrap around the front corner. The mural grabs your attention and really grabs you. She has an excellent use of colors. I like the shadows the artist created in the painting. A very nice touch and the illusion of the wall breaking open to reveal a honeycomb, with some bees coming from it was awesome. I am a sucker for a piece with a message, as this one has. You can park in the jiffy lube parking lot and get out and see the mural. It is not necessarily a huge time consumer, so it is best to plan out stops at many of the other wonderful murals that are in the area

Pamela Bliss has been bringing fantastic artwork to Central Indiana for a long time. Whether it's…read morebeen her historic murals in Wayne County, or the Kurt Vonnegut or Reggie Miller murals in Indy, she has a talent that is at the top of the field in creating images that are instantly recognizable and accurate. She brings color and detail to her work. In 2019, she was selected to paint one of the Jiffy Lube locations with a mural that through a whimsical image calls attention to the importance of the honey bee and its place in keeping our world functioning. While painting the mural, she repeatedly had bees land without stinging. Then one day, she found a dead bee at the base of the mural which focused her even more keenly on how short their lives are and how much good they do. The mural is part of an ongoing program that is sponsored by Jiffy Lube with assistance from the Arts Council of Indianapolis to bring art to unexpected places to inspire visitors and employees to lead full, well rounded lives. This mural, which wraps from the front of the station, features honeycomb, several bees, a whimsical flying baby dressed as a bee and finally, a sunflower with the Earth spinning in the center of the petals. The honeycomb appears to be breaking out of the wall while the bees and other images appear to be casting shadows from in front of the wall. It is a delightful piece that adds beauty and understanding to the lives of those who see it. Review #2947

Back in 1997, local artist Barbara Stahl was selected to paint the support walls of I-65 where it…read morepassed over the White River Parkway (just south of 38th Street. The east side of the river only has one wall for support which is on the east side of the road. The mural has multiple wildlife images and a landscape done in whimsical style containing flowers and plants on the north section. There are also some fish swimming on the south wall beneath waves and an orange colored sky. Sadly, the mural needs some care to restore its original color and condition since over 20 years of weather has taken its toll. Review #1606

This mural is massive. It not only covers Big Hoffas BBQ's main building, front, back, and sides,…read morebut it bleeds over to the building next door. It uses every inch of the building and incorporates flag masts on the buildings roof. It was painted in 2019 by Jackie McCracken and Robert Schaefer. The mural wall is not flat or smooth. It has ridged, kind of like a tin roof, and overlooks Big Hoffas' parking lot. The mural theme continues on into the restaurant. I am not sure of the tie in with Barbecue and pirates, but Big Hoffas is all in and seems to make it work. The mural is very colorful and has a lot going on. In the center you will find a couple of pirate ships sailing off the coast. The front door of the restaurant is used in the larger of the ships. The left side of the mural (as you are facing it), is very interesting. It is actually kind of 3D and has cutouts of a pirate scene with a swashbuckler bursting out of a window of a building and and 4 more pirates down below sitting by a campfire. There are also a set of white angel wings in between those pirates that are like those that are starting to pop up all over the place and where people can takes pictures in front of and make look like they are wearing them. They seem kind of out of place to me, but no big deal. The rest of the mural is mostly a coastal image. I love the artistry and use of color and can only imagine how long it took to paint it. You can not help but be "wow'ed" by this mural. You probably wont spend too much time checking this mural out. It is a lot to look at a digest. I was there about 10 minutes. So, I recommend coupling it with a visit to Big Hoff's to eat some of their delicious "Q". Since it overlooks their parking lot, parking here is easy. I would also recommend checking out that entire mural that includes the patio area and a whole other building next door.

Wow! What a statement piece mural has been added to Westfield. On the east walls (and wrapping…read morearound three other walls) of the Big Hoffa's BBQ and the Main Street Shoppes is one of the largest murals I've seen. The entire length of wall has been turned into a Pirate's Cove with multiple sailing ships, pirates, and even a few skeletons. The north ends of the buildings continue the mural to add images of an island paradise and a cloud covered sea. The mural was created by Rob Schaefer and Jackie McCracken in 2019. There is so much detail to see, I will pick just a few to highlight here. Ship's masts - Not only is there a giant mural, but some construction was done to turn the largest ship's masts into actual wooden structures with crow's nests that stick up above the wall of the mural. As you approach from the east, it makes you think it is a real sailing ship! Pirate theme - For anyone who has dined inside Big Hoffa's, there already existed a pirate theme, so kudos to the artists for taking that and making the entire building a not so subtle advertisement. Insta-worthy - If you can get here when there isn't a crowd, there is a section of the wall with a pair of angel wings where you can take a selfie while surrounded by pirates. This is one of those pieces you have to see for yourself to appreciate how much skill and effort went into creating the mural. The surfaces aren't smooth, but unless you look carefully, you can't tell that there are raised ridges that run vertically which add even more challenge. Although I am rarely a fan of other murals being painted over, (the space used to have a giant village painted in a somewhat primitive style), I can't deny that the visual appeal of this new mural is much greater to me. The next time you are in Westfield, make a point to stop by these shops! Review #3360