This sculpture is located right outside the main entrance to IU Saxony Hospital and was created by…read moreJeff Laramore. It is made of steel and frosted glass and has three sections that look like an orange wedge. The pieces are 20 feet tall and are set over a bubbling fountain. I visited in the winter, so the fountain was not so bubbling. It was off. As I mentioned previously, the sculpture is located at a hospital, with free parking. There are tons of spots available. So, parking and getting out to take a closer look would not be an issue. The sculpture is located in a roundabout in front of the hospital, so you could also get a good look from your vehicle as well and not even get out. The sculpture is supposed to resemble of a seed from one angle, and leaves from another, but I did not see it. I saw an orange wedge. But to each its own. At night the sections are illuminated and intended to be a glowing, reassuring beacon. During the day the sun shines through. I wish I could have seen it at night. I have seen pictures, and it looks very nice. As is the case with most public art that I review, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. It is probably best to plan out additional stops and make it part of a larger itinerary to maximize your trip.

One of my favorite artists is Jeff Laramore. He has contributed numerous pieces throughout central…read moreIndiana and it seems that everything he does is on a large scale. Whether its co-designing and installing the 92 county reliefs on the side of the Indiana State Museum, or creating vibrant installations like the Voss Model or "Gateways" in West Lafayette/Lafayette, the art is something that will attract and hold your attention. So, I wasn't surprised when I drove by the IU Saxony Hospital to see "Harmony" set at the front of the building in the parking area. The piece has three main sections that rise over 20' in steel and frosted glass wedges. The individual wedges are curved from top to bottom and have radiating rods that extend from the middle of the sculpture to the outer edges. The rods are reminiscent of veins in a leaf. When viewed directly towards the center, the narrowest point of each wedge is closest to the viewer and then widens as it reaches inward. The overall shape of the sculpture can appear like leaves or as a nut shape, depending upon your angle. And at night, the whole installation takes on a glow as the lighting changes the color from the cool daytime blue/green to the glow of a bright yellow. Review #1293

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

There is no easy way to get to this piece. You have to walk over to see it. Driving by is not an…read moreoption. It is located on an underpass along a very nice walkway that leads from a Lily parking lot to its campus. The mural is part of Lilly Oncology on Canvas (LOOC) program, which gives cancer patients an artistic outlet to cope with their affliction. It was painted in 2012 by a cancer patient (name withheld for HIPPA reasons) in Minnesota depict their personality and represent their cancer journey. The abstract mural has a lot of meaning and symbolism, which is explained on a placard right next to it, along with a brief excerpt of the artist's journey. I absolutely love the program that this mural was created under. Unfortunately, this mural has definitely seen better days and is experiencing severe effects of erosion and water run off from the bridge it sits under. It could sure use a refresh. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the many attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

One of the four Lilly Oncology on Canvas (LOOC) murals on Merrill Street is located on the south…read morewall of the railroad underpass. Although somewhat damaged by groundwater leakage, enough of the mural is left to appreciate the intent. Created by a cancer patient, the mural uses a rainbow of colors and geometric shapes and lines to transition from the deep colors at the periphery, transitioning to lighter colors as they approach the golden center of the mural. The center represents hope and healing. The patient attributed survival to positive thoughts and inner strength allowing the patient to focus on getting better...keeping the right perspective. Review #1512

This is another simple mural with a powerful message. It is part of the…read moreLilly Oncology on Canvas program, which is a program that affords individuals affected by cancer with an opportunity to share their stories through art. The mural was painted by an anonymous cancer patient in 2010. It is of a pinwheel with a brown handle, and colorful petals on a green background. This mural is supposed to illustrate the journey taken by a mother and her daughter, who was diagnosed with cancer and soon saw it spread to other parts of her body. Each petal brings awareness to the different areas cancer can grow in. You can see that the petals resemble cancer awareness ribbons. Everyone knows that pink is for breast cancer. But also gray is for brain cancer, green is for kidney cancer, lavender is for all cancers, black is for melanoma, and blue is for stomach cancer. The I love murals with a good message and story. This is a simple mural with a complex story. I love the concept of these murals. Anyway it is a nice piece. Definitely worth a look. As with most murals, though, this is probably not a very long stop, even you may reflect a bit more on this one. 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 to maximize your time and trip

One of the earliest murals in the Lilly Oncology on Canvas (LOOC) program was recreated in Fountain…read moreSquare along Virginia Avenue in 2010. The mother of a woman who was fighting cancer created the image of a flower made up of a number of colored ribbons. Each ribbon represents a part of the body that can be afflicted by cancer. The pink represents the breast which was the original site of the daughter's cancer. The emerald green represents the liver where the cancer spread and the yellow, her bones. The tan center is supposed to have small pink dots which represent the cancer spreading to other parts of the body. It is quite sad to read the stories on the plaques, but knowing that the people who created these paintings found strength to deal with the struggle is uplifting. Review #1503

This mural is on what appears to be a vacant building. It is actually two murals. One on the back…read moreand one on the side. The one one the back is the one titled Shine Love and is the work of youth from the TeenWorks program with the guidance of the Department of Public Words, a group that aims to empower people through art and education. They used a design by Megan Jefferson and Holly and Dave Combs.They painted it in 2016. Their work is usually pretty simple, but has a positive message. This one is no different. The majority of the mural is background that horizontally transitions from light yellow to lime green. There are also small set of butterfly wings on the mural, that also has a transiting color schemed transition. It transitions from blue to purple. The mural is highlighted by the word "Love" in the lower right corner. It is not spectacular and even though the bright colors are cool, It is still pretty dull. The other mural on the side of the building depicts, an abstract vegetable garden with a silhouette of the cityscape and of people in the background. It is a very colorful mural. I could not find a title or tag for this mural. There is free street parking on the side street that the murals are located. It is relatively easy to get to and park. That is where I parked to get out and take a closer look at the murals. As I previously mentioned, this is one of the most basic murals you will find. As with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is probably 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 wonderful murals in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. There is a mural painted by the same group titled Maple Crossing Positive Polka Dots, that is located right down the street.

The building that houses Happy Brewing has two murals on the west and south sides…read more The mural on the west side is called "Shine Love" and was completed in 2016 by the Department of Public Words. The mural is a simple one: a band of yellow along the bottom and a band of lime green above that. The simple word "Love" is written in the yellow band like it is written on sunshine. On the south side of the building is an untitled mural that was added in 2016 or 2017. It depicts colorful vegetables along the bottom of the mural like the harvest from a community garden. Behind/above the garden, are shaded layers of trees, then shadow people, and finally, a cityscape in simple colors. As far as I could see, the south mural was unsigned. Review #1523

This is a historical piece that made by Myra Reynolds Richards in 1924 as the top to a fountain…read more Hence the name Fountain Square huh? The sculpture is made of bronze and depicts a pioneer family, a mother clutching a book to her chest, a father carrying a rifle, a son carrying an axe and a daughter with a spindle. The sculpture has earned a lot of frequent flier miles in its time. It was moved to Garfield Park in 1954 after being deemed a traffic hazard, only to be moved back to its original location due to public pressure in 1969. In 2010 it was put in to storage to protect it from the Cultural Trail construction. It was brought back to its current location in 2014. This piece sits at a major intersection and is small, but still eye catching. For me, the sculpture is more intriguing and valuable due to the story behind it. If it was just a plain old sculpture I would have been like...mehhh! Anyway, there is street parking available near the sculpture or you could probably even see it from the comfort of your vehicle and do a slow rolling drive-by. This is probably 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 wonderful murals in the area, three are right across the street to it to start, to maximize your time and trip.

Though most visitors to Fountain Square notice the central Lady Spray Fountain located in the…read moremiddle of the intersection, some may overlook the statue/fountain across the street. "Pioneer Family" is a bronze statue that was created in 1924 by famed local artist Myra Reynolds Richards to adorn the second version of the fountain in the intersection. This statue stood there from 1924 to 1954 before being deemed a traffic hazard and relocated to Garfield Park. After a 15 year absence, neighbors fought to bring this statue back and after another ten years, placed on a new pedestal and fountain. But historic preservationist wanted a return to a fountain that looked more like the original, so this statue was again removed. Fortunately, it was removed from storage after four years and placed along the newly completed Cultural Trail in 2014. The Pioneer Family was originally dedicated to local politician Ralph Hill. Review #1889

Absolute best place to see a show in Indy. Coolest venue I've ever been to. So much amazing artwork…read moreand absolute best vibes. I've never felt more at home at a venue, people who understand you and the best drinks in town.

This pair of murals were some of the more challenging to find. When Jules "MuckRock" Muck came to…read moretown to paint murals throughout the city, she made stops in some prominent places, and some that are hard to find. Having a hint from her Instagram account, I found this pair of murals very close to each other on the back side of a stripmall, away from the general public's view. If you park in the shared lot of the area, you can walk around the west end of the buildings and find the murals. Healer depicts a larger than life green skull with roses growing from the eye sockets. The back of the skull has the Muck Rock logo on it. To the west of the skull is a black and white mural of a cowboy riding a bucking bronco. When the cowboy puts his hand back for stability, a wave of rainbow colors emerges. The artist has signed the work under the rainbow. It just goes to show you that any surface is game for a muralist to transform. Whether fantastic or factual, the splash of color brightens an otherwise grim loading area. Review #2889

This is another mural that was created during a Day of Service. This was part of Marian…read moreUniversity's teen Day of Service in 2017. It is located on the backside of Lincoln Center, a faith based community center and gathering place. This mural was painted by Marion University teens volunteers and "at risk" youth from the surrounding neighborhood, none of whom had any formal art training. Volunteers traced each others' silhouettes, and then filled in the background, like it was a large paint by numbers wall. The mural was designed by Bethany Friesen, the assistant director of the Lincoln Center. It is not the best mural by far, but I love the story behind it. It is a simple, abstract design. It is meant to represent the uniqueness and creativity of the Lincoln Center and Bates Hendricks community. It depicts black silhouettes upon a background of random figures including a butterfly, a Batman symbol, a rainbow, a sun, and colorful geometric shapes. It works for me because of the piece's back story. This was a nice community project and I wish there were more like it. As with most murals I have visited, 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 it part of a larger itinerary, to maximize your time and trip.

On the west side of the Lincoln Center in Bates Hendricks, a mural was painted on the 2017 Marian…read moreUniversity's teen day of service. The art was designed by artist Bethany Friesen who planned a predetermined pattern on the right side of the mural and left the background on the left to be designed by the teens. Neighborhood teens traced the images of each other on the wall and then painted them in black to appear as silhouettes. The art is meant to represent that each of us is valued, regardless of age, race, or status. Review #1894