We often walk or drive past the Art & Soul Gallery and Frame Shop and admire the paintings in the…read morewindows. During the seasonal gallery walk in Carmel's Arts and Design District, we stopped in to take a closer look. There are many paintings here that I just love, especially a Fall scene that looks like a photograph if you squint your eyes ever so slightly while gazing at it. Our other favorites include a range of floral paintings rendered in bright and deep hues that are simply breathtaking. I would provide the artists' names in this review, but I cannot pull them from memory and a trip to the gallery Web site did not prove helpful at all - for a gallery with the inventory this place has, the site is disappointingly sparse in terms of digital images. Speaking of inventory, I did think Art & Soul was something of a sensory overload - at least for the eyes - as its works are kind of crowded together. Now, I am not a professional and have no gallery experience to fall back on, but I do appreciate the airy layout of Evan Lurie much better. I find it tough to truly enjoy one painting I may be attracted to when another is creeping in and imposing itself from the periphery. Also, we were not greeted in this store, either. We wanted to know more about the prices of the above-mentioned paintings, but we didn't want to interrupt the staff member's noshing. Weird, going on a gallery walk and not being approached or spoken to kind of feels like more of a trip to the art MUSEUM.

As an alum of former IUPUI, I was back in town for a conference and had some time to kill & a…read morecolleague encouraged me to come & view the galleries on campus! I was happy to find parking comped for visitors (would have been $5). It's a self guided exploration, one of the three was closed but I really enjoyed putting in my headphones and vibing out while admiring the new local art! Highly recommend!!

Herron Galleries (located at Herron School of Art + Design at IUPUI) is probably my most visited…read moreart gallery in Indy. They typically have exhibitions featuring visiting artists as well as faculty and alumni. Most of the displayed works can be considered contemporary, and can range across the entire art spectrum. The variety of works at the exhibitions are always interesting and unexpected. The opening receptions are typically accompanied by artists talks. Besides ongoing exhibitions, one of the most popular events at Herron Galleries is the end of the year student show. At the end of the semester, the galleries celebrate the work of graduating students. It is a great opportunity to appreciate the works of emerging artists and designers. The students are usually available to explain their works in more detail. The exhibitions and events at Herron Galleries are generally free and open to the public. It is a great place to check out some contemporary art and see something interesting.

Price too much. I'm thinking $5 at most. We have many art fair in our area at no cost and we see…read moremany of the same artists and vendors.

Always one of my favorite artist events. Two days of wandering around and discovering someone new…read more Too bad they had to cancel the second day because of potential weather conditions. Food trucks were good. We didn't stay too long to enjoy entertainment but got to walk through the arts center and discovered new pop up events. Tip: go early. It's usually a hot day. Carpool to shuttle or take Uber. Broad ripple restaurants/nightlife is within walking distance.

The first American killed in the American Revolution was Crispus Attucks. Indianapolis' Crispus…read moreAttucks High School, a namesake and historically Black school, operates the museum. The exhibits inside feature Indianapolis African-American history as well as broader African-American and African history. The space is small for a museum, but massive for what it is. There's a plethora of art, displays, and factoids. It's well worth the low ticket cost. The community carefully curates and protects the history and space.

Wow, I did not know this was here! Located connected to the Crispus Attucks High School just off…read moreof 10th st downtown. (I beelive the space is a renovation of their old auxiliary gym.) Admission is $9 for adults and there is a large parking lot on the 10th st side of the school. I was there with a small group and we had an appointment; I would check first because I am not sure if the hours are by-appointment only. We were greeted and given a wonderful presentation by nad discussion with the curator, as well as walked around on our own. The museum has some info on Crispus Attucks, the first person killed in Boston in the upcoming age of the Boston Tea Party and Revlutionary War. Also some information about the history of the High School, including their state champion basketball team, and segregation in Indianapolis. Also some hsmall exhibits of poeple of color in the Indinaapolis music scene, and also an exhibit about serving in the military. One of the traveling/temporary exhibits when I was there was about lynching. There was specific signage in this area requesting no photos or video, so I do not have pics of that. Go see it in person and educate yourself. The last lynching in the US happened in 1930, and it was here in Indiana, not some far away "deep south." It was HERE. There's a photo of beaten, bloody, descirated bodies hanging and a whole crowed of dressed up people spectating, looking unphased like they're just at a street fair. There is also other news articles, art work, etc. Lynching history in the US is beyond horrible, and even if you think you know, go and learn more, and reflect. Was there in Feb 2024, and other exhibits included some of ancient Egypt , Ethiopa, Timbuktu, and other parts of Africa. Of particular interest to me also was some customary fabric for clothing, many articfacts, and descriptions of the symbolism in the fabric patterns, so I have included pics of that here. Definitely worth the visit. #BlackHistory #AmericanHistory #WorldHistory #ReviewsByRL

I've been here a couple of times but this time a friend is promoting their popcorn company! It was…read morenice to support a self made company! The popcorn is delicious! La Margarita is below, defiantly worth a visit!

First Fridays are very cool. Ecclectic crowd, unique collection of artists, styles &…read moreinterpretations. The Murphy Art Center itself combines vintage setting with a diverse array of digital , modern, alternative arts & expression. Even areas for vendors and a thrift shop with a DJ.

Whenever I am out and about for First Fridays, I always seemed to make it to Gallery 924. The…read moregallery is located in the same building as the Indy Arts Council and The Cabaret. They tend to have the most variety of artworks whenever they have exhibitions, and they are very good about showcasing artists from different backgrounds. Their most popular show is probably their holiday exhibition called Tiny. As the name suggests, the artworks are smaller in scale and are for sale at approachable price points. They make for good stocking stuffers during the holiday season.

I had the opportunity to check out Gallery 924 yesterday while at the adjacent venue The Cabaret…read more Established in 2010, Gallery 924 is a non-profit art gallery sharing space with The Cabaret and the Arts Council of Indianapolis. Gallery 924 provides a mixture of programming highlighting contemporary Central Indiana artists in curated solo and group shows. The current exhibition is Dehaan Artist of Distinction Group Exhibition that is running from Sept. 3 - October 29, 2021. Included artists are painter Mason Archie, photographer Eric Lubrick, multidisciplinary artist Samuel Levi Jones, and papel picado inspired artist Beatriz Vazquez. This is a relatively small but inviting space that's open 10am-4pm from Tuesday-Friday and by appointment. They are following CDC guidelines and recommendations. The gallery offers free parking across the street in the Lucille Raines parking lot. There's also metered parking along Pennsylvania. Occasionally, you can get lucky and find free spots along 9th Street. The gallery is also on an IndyGo route and it's adjacent to Indy's Cultural Trail. On a budget of less than $2,000 annually, Gallery 924 puts on 10 exhibitions annually empowering mid-career and established artists. The gallery is a participant in the Indianapolis Downtown Artists and Dealer's Association First Friday Art Tour. Even when the gallery doors are closed, Gallery 924 is working to promote Central Indiana's artists. I honestly loved this little space. It's not the fanciest gallery you'll find, but the energy is positive and the love for artists is obvious. I look forward to returning.

PSA -- FULL CIRCLE NINE IS NOT A BORING STUFFY ART GALLERY!! THIS PLACE IS AN AWESOME ART COOP RUN…read moreBY OUR TALENTED LOCAL ARTISTS!! Apologies for the caps, thought that was an important message. TLDR -- Full Circle Nine is an art coop for est. 2 dozen local artists who display their work here and also made Circle City Industrial Complex a badass art exhibit. The artists support the gallery, and all proceeds from art sales go directly to the artists. Tour the gallery and you'll fine a very diverse collection of art, including collaborations between the artists! The artists are local & best of all, most of the art is affordable. Swing by and get inspired... its also very likely that you'll bring something home, while supporting the local art community!

Beer + outside + beer + friends + festival + Indiana beers = one of my favorite days of the year…read more We go to (*ahem*) quite a few beer festivals and other beer related events, and I must say that the Indiana Microbrewers Festival just keeps getting better and better every year. I love that it is in Military Park where you can catch some shade under the trees and there is plenty of space to walk around and enjoy whatever sample happens to be in your hand at the time. My favorite part? How else would it be possible to sample from 100+ breweries without it taking days and many miles on the ol' car? Fear not, my friend - you can use Microbrewers Fest (or "SummerFest" as I call it) as a way to get a taste of the breweries you have been meaning to visit and just haven't road tripped to yet. Conversely, it can also serve as a springboard for visiting a Brewery that you may not have otherwise after sampling their wares. Sweet action. What has changed and what has stayed the same? This year there was no VIP early entry, but you could get an Indiana Beer Brigade membership which came with special perks (a special tent with super secret special stuff, etc)... but there was no early entry for an additional fee as in years past. I DO like that you can get pre-banded at Hop Cat and bypass part of the entry lines, so that is cool. I LOVE that they release the map and the list of what some breweries are bringing early so the beer geek in me can scope out EXACTLY where we need to hit. My best advice? With 100+ breweries represented, NO ONE can possibly drink all the beers here. NO ONE. Don't try. Please. The best pro-tip I have is to sip and dump - if you don't love it, dump it. It will save you tummy space, calories, and room for other delicious samples... not to mention a less rocky recovery day after. Keep an eye on Indiana On Tap for all the latest festival info, fellow Craft Beer Lovers! See ya soon! (and a HUGE shout out to YELP INDY for the swag and for being AMAZING!! We had a blast!!)

Okay, so I totally wasn't prepared for such a large event, and that's my bad. I should have…read moreresearched how big this event really is, studied the maps and websites, and had a better game plan. Simply "walking around tasting beer" is a great plan, until you forget what you've tried and where you've been. Holy smokes is this an awesome event! This isn't your typical beer tasting event. Nooo sir. This is a bad ass, all out event with multiple tents spread over acres and acres of space. As for the beer.. the standard breweries you'd expect to see were there, such as your Oaken Barrel, Triton, Sun King, etc. In addition, places I had never heard of were all over the place too, sampling such creative selections as chocolate beer (which held true to it's advertising that it tasted like cocoa puffs) and strawberry basil beer, which started off with a strong basil flavor and then the subtleness of the strawberries came through in the end. Two hours and several pints in, this Yelper had to excuse himself before he drank so much he "Yelped" all over the place. Next year, I'll be sporting the pretzel necklace. The people who brought these are genius!