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

Basic Action is a unique piece of public art that is worth stopping to see while exploring…read moreBloomington. I enjoyed the creativity and the way it adds something different to the area. It's a great example of how public art can turn an everyday location into something more interesting and thought-provoking. Bloomington does a great job of incorporating art throughout the community, and this is a cool piece to check out if you enjoy sculptures and local landmarks.

Information Technology was the inspiration for this Don Gummer stainless steel sculpture. The…read morepiece was created to honor Myles Brand who was one of the first university presidents to recognize the future of IT to academia. The sculpture is located on the back side (north east) of the Cyber Infrastructure Building where "Big Red II" was installed (at the time, it was the fastest computer in the world!) The piece was created and dedicated in 2011 with Gummer and his wife, Meryl Streep in attendance. The piece is 10'1" x 7'6" x 5'8" in size. Gummer read several of Brand's books to have a better understanding of the man before creating the piece. Review #2183

Although the landscaping needs a bit of attention, the sculpture of Bloomington Stoneware is…read moreamazing! I love the functional aspect of the piece and the great use of space and materials. The installation was completed in 1996 by artist Brad Goldberg. In a narrow triangular shaped area, the wider end is elevated and supports a pool with a large vessel (14' high by 9' wide) made from limestone. The vessel has a cool pattern of multiple lines that flow around the piece. The vessel overflows with water that runs down the sides (changing the color of the limestone where it is wet). The water gathers in a pool below before overflowing on the north side. On the north side of the park triangle is a lightly wooded area with a lazy canal sweeps back and forth, carrying the overflowing pool water down to the point of the park before returning the water back to the south. The water returns to a circular collection point to the east of the vessel where it circles several times before disappearing down a drain which returns the water to the top of the vessel through some pump. The sound of flowing water and the shade of the trees make for an island of calm in the busy downtown location. Review #1282

One of the oldest and most recognizable art installations in Bloomington is the "Birth of Venus"…read morewhich is located in the Showalter Fountain on the west side of the IU Auditorium. The piece was cast in 1958 and installed/dedicated in 1961 as a gift from Grace Showalter. Former IU President Herman B Wells saw the piece and traveled to Italy while the piece was cast. The artist was Robert Laurent who created this large sculpture that is surrounded by five fish that spray water during the warmer seasons. The piece has had its share of controversy as well as vandalism, but has always been restored. The giant female figure stretches across the fountain while balanced on an over sized half shell. Review #2184

Axis is a really interesting piece of public art in Bloomington. The sculpture's bold design and…read moregeometric shapes make it stand out and give the area a unique artistic feel. I enjoyed taking time to look at the details and appreciate the creativity behind the piece. What makes public art like Axis special is that it brings art into everyday spaces and gives people a chance to experience something unexpected while exploring the city. It's a great stop for anyone who enjoys modern art, unique sculptures, and discovering Bloomington's creative side.

This sculpture is located in Miller-Showers Park, along the water. The limestone sculpture was made…read moreby local artist Dale Enochs in 1985. It was constructed to celebrate Bloomington being honored as an "All-American City" by the National Civic League and is intended to be a conceptual representation of the gathering of diverse ideas from each of the four ordinal directions; North, South, East and West. It is a nice sculpture, especially considering its age and is placed in a very picturesque area of the park. It is 4 towering limestone slabs that all intersect in the center forming a quad that has the four panels pointing in the North, South, East and West direction. The slabs have some symmetrical line designs on them, but otherwise are pretty plain. 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. 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.

If you visit the Monroe County Public Library, you will see the three bears on the plaza outside…read morethe entrance. These limestone sculptures are the creation of local artist (Martinsville) Karl Schiefer. Like his father (C R Schiefer), Karl took up sculpting in limestone as a career. In 1997, Karl created two figures for the library. The first was a walking bear considered to be the father of the group. He was named "Sunny" in a local naming contest and weighs about 2 tons. A second sculpture of a seated bear with a cub was also created. The mother was named "Luna" and the cub named "Snowdrop". The combined image of mother and cub weighs about 2 1/2 tons. It is assumed that the bears are polar bears due to the light coloring of the limestone. Schiefer also has another work in Bloomington located at the Bloomington Animal Shelter (3410 S Walnut St). That sculpture is called "Dog and Cat" (2005). Schiefer's father created a piece at the same location called "Animal Totem" for the shelter. Both pieces are carved from limestone. Review #1274

incredible thing to walk by when you're drunk coming home from bars. they always make my friends…read moreand i giggle. it's fun to ride sunny like a horse. 10/10 would recommend

The detail in this mural is off the charts. It is awesome. It is located next to a small apartment…read morecomplex across the street from Miller-Showers Park. I get a last supper type feel when I see this mural. It is a abbreviated version of Raphael's School of Athens from the early 1500's. But the good news is that you don't have to go to the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City. You can drive right over to Bloomington and see it for free. The mural depicts some of the greatest philosophers including Diogenes of Sinopes sitting on the stairs, Plato and Aristotle walking down the center, and Heraclitus sitting on the stairs writing on some paper. This adaptation of the mural had to cut some of the subjects that were on the original's periphery due to limited space. As I mentioned, the detail in this mural is amazing. The columns that are on the murals border are 3D and pop out from the wall. I was throughly impressed. The sky and arches in the background.....wow. To be honest, I think I prefer this one over the original, but it may just be because it is so accesible to. You can either park in the park's parking lot and walk over to get a closer look or just pull into the apartment complex's lot and get a quick look. Well, 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 and making this part of a larger itinerary.

If you are visiting Miller-Showers Park on the north end of Bloomington, you may notice this mural…read moreto the south east. Based upon the original Papal Palace master work by Raphael (circa 1510), this mural's original artist is unknown. Later, around 2005, local artist John Shestak was hired to restore the mural. Due to the challenge of adapting a landscape original of a collection of philosophers into a portrait framed mural, a number of individuals in the Papal original have been omitted. This adaptation does have a few of the most recognized names in Philosophy. Starting with the two central figures, Plato (on the left) and Aristotle who represent the two main types of philosophy. The the viewers far left is a man in a green robe who is Socrates. The man who is lounging on the stairs in front of Aristotle is Diogenes (the Cynic). The man in the lower left was at one time thought to be Michelangelo (who was painting the Sistine Chapel at the same time as Raphael was painting his mural.) However, later thought believe the figure to be Heraclitus. Interestingly enough, this figure was not in the original drawings for the mural. It was painted at a later date than the rest of the mural. Left out of this adaptation are Pythagoras, Euclid, & Ptolemy who were too far to the sides in the original to fit into this mural. Although this mural is nowhere near the color or skill level of the original, it is thought provoking and got me to take time to research about the original and the men who were portrayed. Review #2220

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.

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.