I'm a big fan of street art and murals. The historic part area of Richmond has some really cool…read moremurals. We were in the area looking at a list of waterfalls but happened upon this area and neat murals. I would like to come back and spend more time exploring.

If you enjoy murals in unexpected places, this is the block to go! The north end of the blocks…read morewhere Ft Wayne Avenue meets North E Street has surprises on the fronts, backs, and even near the tops of the buildings. On the west side of Ft Wayne Avenue, the Richmond Furniture Gallery building has numerous images of furniture painted by the loading docks on the north side. There is also a portrait of Charles Mosey, early recording artist, by Pamela Bliss (1999). There is also a banner mural which reads "Greetings from Richmond, Indiana". On the south end of the block is a mural by Damon Reed of guitarist Lonnie Johnson with a post card of Richmond behind him and to the left. On the east side of Ft Wayne Avenue, you probably see the rooftop billboard/mural of Louis Armstrong playing his trumpet next to a sign for Historic Richmond. Down at street level on the north end is a mural of Louis Armstrong on one side of the doorway and Hoagy Carmichael on the other. The mural that seems to spur the most discussion is the alley mural of windows and doorways by Pamela Bliss. Although there are very few actual doors and windows on the alley, Bliss had painted in the areas to make it appear the building is occupied by a variety of characters. As you stroll through the alley, you will see a peacock, a puppy, a kitten, a young woman, a recreation of the famous WWII image of a sailor kissing a gal, a guitarist, a carousing husband getting home late to a wife with a rolling pin, and even a flying pig! There are other windows and doors as well. Lots of imagination and a bit of humor. If you are in Richmond's Historic Depot District for coffee or a bite to eat, make a point to stop by and check out the fabulous murals throughout the area. Review #1235

Stumbled on this when in town to visit the county historical museum. Google or Apple or someone…read moreknows I am a history buff, and this popped up. Fit it in when I could. Pull up to the building on the hill. Nice parking area. But it turns out that is the smaller, annex building, really. Head down to the row of shops across the street, and you will enter a world full of Model Ts. Beautifully restored and displayed, with good explanations of their backgrounds, and often a copy of the group's magazine in front with an article about that particular car. Superb staff, friendly and knowledgeable. Tons to see. When you finish here, there are more cars (and a plane) across the street. They have events, and it's really worth a visit if you are anywhere nearby, are at all a car buff or history buff. Or just curious. A few cars for kids to sit in, etc., and they'll have fun too.

A fun and interesting diversion, but I think unless you're really a car buff, the $7 admission is a…read morebit stiff. Fascinating to see actual 100-plus year old vehicles arranged in such a way that you learn about their development. Interesting how they were really toys for the very wealthy until about the early 20s when the assembly line started to bring the prices down. It's housed in two buildings, the second one really had much more to see than the first. The docent/tour guide was full of knowledge and enthusiasm and would probably talk for hours if you were willing to listen. A couple visitors who were there were major car buffs, looking closely under hoods and discussing valves and pistons at great length. The guide did a good job balancing between them and those of us who were really more interested in the historic aspect and a somewhat shorter tour. Along with the cars, tractors, trucks, you can see antique office equipment, tools, car accessories, vintage advertising and mannequins dressed in period costumes. Most of the vehicles have been restored with fresh Ford paint jobs, but a few are on display in all their ancient, rusty glory. Be prepared to spend the entire visit on your feet. As with most antiques, the general rule is 'look but don't touch' but they are not obsessed with this and didn't seem to mind some careful, respectful touching of the restored vehicles. Perfect activity for a Sunday afternoon.

Centerville, Indiana has an alternate name: "City of Arches". Along West Main and on South…read moreMorton, a number of buildings have arched entrances to breezeways/passages from front to back. So, it seemed fitting to become the theme during the 2015 Festival of Murals in Wayne County for this piece. Artist Mark Gardner created an image of portholes on the side of the building with a ribbon spiraling through them. The ribbon lists facts about the town and also the location/names of the arches. Reflecting the size of the arches themselves, the mural is smaller than many of the other entries in the Festival. Review #1239

Starting in 2014, the center part of the IU East Campus in Richmond has displayed juried sculptures…read morefrom around the country. As numerous pads were installed around the landscaped center, they became the temporary resting places of sculptures that are loaned to the campus for two year periods. From 2015-7, six sculptures were added, one of those, becoming a permanent addition. Placed close to the central exits of the campus halls, it was easy to see a variety of sculptures. One of the sculptures was placed close to the center of the campus, Portal for the Agrarian by Greg Mueller. This is considered a permanent placement (I believe) and continues in that location even though the other five were replaced by six new sculptures. In roughly the same location as the previous exhibit, five new pieces were added and a sixth was placed on a hill to the north of the Whitewater Hall. These pieces are expected to be on site until their loan period ends in August 2019. These will eventually be replaced by new pieces. The pieces currently on campus include the first kinetic installation on campus. Much of the art is abstract in design, so it may appeal to different people in ways that are unique to the individual. My favorites are the "Calibration" by Luke Achterberg, the Kinetic Beam 2.2 by Rollin Karg, and the Unending Ache by Victoria Nieman. The art work does not have plaques labeling the pieces, but information can be found on the campus website. Review #2596

The Gennett Records Walk of Fame has been completely revitalized and just had their ribbon cutting…read moreto showcase the all brand new plaques. Previously the Hall of Fame records were showing wear and destruction from vandalism and weather, but they have all been restored, and even lifted up off of the sidewalk on concrete stands. Talented musicians like Hoagy Carmichael and Louis Armstrong all became famous and recorded their records here in Richmond at this site. It's a really cool, free, and historic sight to see in Richmond. And it documents the history of Gennett Records, where the actual buildings once stood. There is one building that still remains, and it is used for the winter farmers market and other community events.

What a cool head in treasure in Richmond, Indiana. Who would have had any clue that some of them…read morethe roaring twenties greatest musicians came to Richmond and recorded in Richmond. I was totally amazed and I had a better understanding when I went to the firehouse barbecue restaurant in town and they had quotes from different famous musicians from led Zeppelin, to Bob Dylan to The Beatles who are all influenced by these musicians from the 1920s. The Walk of Fame is really cool because they had tile colored tile mosaic pictures of the famous musicians and then biographies about what they did and when they came to Richmond, Indiana to record at the Gennett studios. They also have the remnants of the recording studio and Gennett piano factory. What was disappointing was that there wasn't more information on the piano factory itself or the recording studios or any photographs which would have been really cool. And with today's society there's many retired people who love volunteering their time to set out a welcome center and help educate the younger people about the past. The musical history that came from Richmond Indiana is timeless to the point where my son who is now 18 and I listened on our cell phones some recordings of some of these famous musicians.I would definitely recommend anyone who wants to truly understand the origins of today's country music, blues, jazz, Texas blues, and soul to visit this place even for a couple hours just to read the information and soak up where they came to record their music. I felt that with a little bit more information about the studios and the piano factory maybe a welcome center and some photographs is definitely would have been a four or five-star attraction.

During the 2015 Festival of Murals in Wayne County, this remote site north of Centerville was…read moreselected to include a mural. Just south of I-70 on Centerville Road is the entrance to a small strip mall that includes Warm Glow Candle Outlet and The Watering Can. On the north side of the building, a cool pastel blue tree, leafless as in winter, is silhouetted on the wall. Among the branches and in the air surrounding the tree are silhouettes of red cardinals which often winter in Indiana. "Indiana Natives" was painted by Joe Thompson for the festival and celebrates the cardinals for bringing color all year to what can be a cold and drab winter scene. Cardinals are the official state bird of Indiana. Review #1240

First Indiana exit on westbound I-70. Good coffee, clean bathrooms and very nice people. Warm…read moreinside with lowkey music and a lovely deck for warmer times. It's a definite 5-star place to stop. Fluffy Bunny sends

Fall flavored coffee cake and a pour over in a chill rural setting? I'm in!…read more Service was quick and friendly. Picked up some coffee beans during my visit, too. This place has a chic lodge/industrial vibe inside and has a wonderful deck/porch that doubles the size of the shop in warmer weather. I'll definitely be back when I visit my local friends again.

My favorite Richmond museum. They always have something interesting on display. Special exhibits…read moreare top notch, and support for the local art scene is amazing. Their permanent collection is bigger than they have room to keep up so they're always rotating their displays. Definitely worth multiple visits.

As someone who has only recently devoted time to appreciating art, I am truly glad that the…read moreRichmond Art Museum (RAM) exists. The more research I put into local artists, the more I find source material from the Richmond area. That includes numerous artists that are from the Golden Era of Indiana Artists as well as the book written by the RAM curator Shawn Dingwerth. This free museum is open on Tuesdays through Saturday from 10 to 5. Parking is free in the lot on the north side of the building and on the street. The museum is attached to the school, so it has made due with size constraints and old building problems, but will be undergoing some large construction/renovation in 2017 to ensure better lighting (the current UV emitted by old lights is damaging) and climate control so that when space becomes available, more paintings will be able to be displayed. On my visit, the staff was very helpful and I had the opportunity to talk with the curator which I found quite interesting since I had read his book about the Richmond Group (local artists from the late 1800's to early 1900's) the week before. There are several galleries that have a theme for each: Ceramics, Contemporary, "Golden Age Artists", Portraits, and an exhibition hall. The lobby holds some of the large sculptures and paintings as well. The museum has an extensive program to reach out to local children to give them the opportunity to see the art first hand and learn. Programs are tailored to the age levels and focus on introducing different styles and cultures with each visit. The works themselves are truly representative of the different styles of art and serve as a time capsule of local artists that may be under appreciated by the current generation. Along with the Swope Art Museum in Terre Haute and the Haan Mansion Museum in Lafayette, the RAM has preserved our State's cultural best. I look forward to returning to see the improvements and the new exhibits. Review #233