The irony of allowing humanity to fall so deep into greed that the unhoused population sit on this…read morebench without anywhere to call home. Says lots without saying a word.

This is a very powerful and intriguing piece that is located off to the side of the Roberts Park…read moreUnited Methodist Church. This sculpture is the work of Timothy Schmalz, a Canadian sculptor and devout Catholic, who was commissioned by Roberts Park United Methodist Church to create this bronze sculpture in 2015. It also goes by the name Jesus the Homeless. As nice as it is, this piece is not one of a kind. There are a bunch of them placed all around the world, well over 100. The original was made in 2013 and is located at Regis College, University of Toronto. Other locations that you will find the sculpture include Australia, Singapore, Israel, South Korea, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Columbia and the Dominican Republic to name just a few. This sculpture is very realistic and detailed. Which brings me to a funny story. In October 2020, police in Ohio were dispatched to a report of a homeless man sleeping on a park bench. Ironically, this call was made within 20 minutes of the Homeless Jesus sculpture being installed. Yep, some called the police on the statue. I will admit, I had to do a double take to make sure it was not real when I saw it. And you are certain to be fooled if you are driving by. It should be noted the the sculpture in Vatican City has received the blessing of the Pope. The bench is about 7 feet wide and depicts a covered figure, assumed to be Jesus, laying on it. The only real identification being the crucifixion wounds on the figures feet. For the low price of 99.99 you too can have your own mini-homeless Jesus made by the artist himself. The sculpture is just off of the Roberts Park United Methodist Church parking lot and runs along Alabama Street. There is tons of metered street parking available in front of and adjacent to the sculpture. There is also a commercial parking lot directly behind it that you can pull into, get out and take a closer look too. I guess you could also do a safe and strategic slow rolling drive by and get a a half decent look, but I do not recommend that. You will not get the full effect of the sculpture. As with most sculptures 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 sculptures, murals and attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. Brickhead3 and Viewfinders would be a great start.

"Greetings from Ft Ben" is a commissioned public art display that adorns the front of The Otis at…read moreFt. Ben Apartments, one of multiple complexes in the area known as Fort Ben just inside Lawrence. The mural is a beauty, though I'll admit I found it a bit uncared for in my opinion. It's still quite beautiful and it probably didn't help that I stopped by on what was a late fall/early winter dreary day. The mural was completed by Jon Edwards from Blice Edwards. It's what is often referred to as a "postcard" mural complete with the "Greetings From" verbiage along with imagery that will no doubt be familiar for most Ft. Ben area folks. The area's military history is proudly on display along with a reference to golf (there's a golf course within a few blocks), lots of greenery, trails, and a former barracks imagery (these are now office spaces). The colors utilized make the mural pop. Even with a lot of construction going on, the mural is difficult to miss if you drive by it and it's definitely one that draws you in. This one is easy to stop and see. While parking around here has gotten a wee bit territorial, there's a Ft. Ben Branch library 1-2 blocks away and it's easy to stop and catch this mural while on a library visit. The mural was completed in 2021 and adds a terrific touch to an already picturesque area. For those who love public art, this is one of several pieces in the Fort Ben area worth your time.

This mural was painted by Jon Edwards from the Blice Edwards art gallery. It was commissioned by…read moreand located in front of The Otis at Ft. Ben Apartments. It is very nice art work and is based on your stereotypical "Greetings From" postcard. The artist intended to represent the military history and natural beauty of the City of Lawrence/Fort Ben. The mural is pretty busy and has a lot going on. The letters in FT Ben have an American flag, 3 soldiers saluting, a golf course flag, and a Fort Harrison Park hiking trail. The dot after the "FT" even has a golf ball on a tee. The mural has a golf club leaning against the "E" in the mural. There are also leaves, branches and other greenery is placed along the bottom of the mural. I like the use of colors that Edwards uses. It is a gorgeous mural. There is parking available at the apartment complex and there is also some street parking available across the street from the mural. This is an excellent addition to the Fort Ben landscape. 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 or checking it out on your way somewhere else. You may consider checking out "Threshold", which is right around the corner.

The Twisted House is a whimsical, quirky sculpture in the ArtsPark. The house is the 2005 work of…read moreJohn McNaughton. McNaughton was a founding member of the Art Department of University of Southern Indiana. He passed away in 2022. The Twisted House is typical of his fun-loving approach to art. The wood sculpture has a storybook appearance. I can imagine that kids (and maybe even a few squirrels) would have fun visiting and playing in the structure with the crooked door and roof that curves over into the ground. The sculpture brought a smile to my face. The Twisted House worth a visit if you like art. There is no charge to walk through the quiet and serene park. There is free parking at the east side of the park.

It was a cold crisp day in late November when I visited the house. I knocked on the door but…read morenobody was home. Just kidding. It is a piece of artwork. It reminds me of the nursery rhyme about the old woman who lived in a shoe. It is just one piece of outdoor artwork and sculptures available on the grounds of the Indianapolis Art Center. I found plenty of parking available at the Center's parking lot. Then it is short walk from the lot.

This is a neat concept, but not much to it. It is a huge door located in the corner of Memorial…read morePark. It is in a wide open area overlooking the lake. It is a white door frame with four glass panes in the door that are reflective. It is the work of Cydney Campbell, who was a Herron School of Art student at the time. The door is mounted to the ground by a heavy duty bracket on a steel base, but I do not know how structurally sound it is so I would not recommend walking through the door. It is for show and not for go. The piece is was commissioned by the Ft. Benjamin Harrison Reuse Authority, through a partnership with Herron School of Art and Design's Basille Center for Art, Design and Public Life. It is ok, but definitely not a destination stop. I would make this part of a larger itinerary or stop here on my way to somewhere else. There is a small parking lot that belongs to the neighboring apartment complex where I parked to get out and get a closer look. Not a long stop, I was there about 5 minutes, but still worth a look.

I have been trying to check out different public art in the city of Indianapolis, threshold is one…read morethat I googled and look a little trip over to Lawrence to Check out this piece. It is located in Memorial Park bear fort ben. This is a quick and easy drive and recommend that people try and go explore fort Ben. Memorial park is just past all of those new condos. I parked and started walked into the little park, and the first door was there, it's very tall and has pretty see through glass. There is also 2 other doors located across the park and I wanted to go check them out but there was a heard of angry geese that blocked my way so I could only see them from afar. This is a piece done by a Herron art student, and the park is def some place I would come back and relax and read :)

I had seen photos of some sculptures at Celadon Trucking Company on the internet, so I called and…read moreasked if it would be okay to come to their campus to walk around and see the pieces. Although many of the art installations are viewable from the street, I thought it a good thing to make sure I was cleared to wander around their campus. Sure enough, I was given a visitors pass and one of the marketing people accompanied me around to check out the numerous pieces. Sadly, by the time I made my trip, one of the pieces had already fallen into disrepair. Basically, the founder of the company loved art and began contacting Herron School of Art about having the students create art pieces to be purchased by the owner and displayed here. Cool opportunity for the students and a great way to improve the campus for the company. Here is a list of the eight pieces I found intact: Face Behind a Nation - Dennis Green - 2005 (9' x 4') Truck on a Steek - Kevin Huff - 1999 steel Ordered Column - J Craig Riddle - 2001 (12' aluminum) Terpsichores Polychromed Towers - Rhonda Kearns - 2000 (6 to 8' ceramic, glass, and granite) Lines in Negative Space - Donald Mee - 2000 steel (8' tall, 2200 lbs) Mankind - Cary Chapman - 1999 steel Evolutionary Tree - Michael Wilken - 2000 steel (12' 4900 lbs) inMOTION - Brent Gann - 1999 steel For me, the fun of the discovery was trying to see the connection between the title and the object in front of me. The pieces are quite diverse, though a great number of them are made of weathered steel. Note: at the time of my visit, the 9th piece was still there, but needed repair. It was called Wood Grids & Aluminum #2 by Kristina Estell (1999). Review #1329

Broad Ripple is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Indy, and part of the reason is because of all…read moreof the beautiful murals everywhere. This is one of the murals I see frequently, because it's right by the Rainbow Bridge and my favorite store in Broad Ripple Village, Good Earth. So, according to the artist's website (her name is Abigail Staffelbach), this mural is actually called "Fire Station 32 Mural." At least, that's what it's labeled on her website. The name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue or conjure visions of flower gardens, but it is painted on the side of the Broad Ripple fire station, so it makes sense. Sometimes pragmatism wins. This is a beautiful piece of public art, and fortunately, there are other murals by Staffelbach in the area that you can check out.

Public art mural of some brightly colored and beautiful flowers on the back of the firehouse in the…read morebroad ripple neighborhood of Indianapolis Indiana. My family and I on a weekend getaway from louisville was dining in the area when after eating we decided to discover the area around as it was a cool looking place. We pulled over to check out this rainbow bridge public art when my daughter pointed out this awesome mural just off the banks of the canal water from the bridge. Very fun photo op that is a wonderful piece in an area with all kinds of cool Pieces of public art.

This is a very long mural that is the work of The Department of Public Words, a group that spreads…read morepositivity and encouragement through art. The mural runs along the Monon Trail and was completed in 2014 after 8 months of work. The mural had collaboration from the Meridian-Kessler Neighborhood Association, SmallBox, Terra Pro, LLC, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, the Girl Scouts, CFI, the Indianapolis Art Center's Teen Art Council, and Sherwin-Williams chipped in with paint and supplies. The mural was painted to replace aging and deteriorating ones that were becoming more of an eye sore than anything. The mural is nice. I like the detail put into each train car. Each car has a positive word or phrase like "Smile", "I Heart You", "You are beautiful", "Do great things", and "Eye believe you can". Each car was made from numerous four feet tall by eight feet wide stencils to cover the 5,000 square foot surface. It is very colorful and detailed. I almost mistook it as a real train from a far. Dave Combs of DPWords said that "the purpose of The Love Train is to bring positive messages to people in a beautiful way". I think it definitely accomplishes that. I really like this mural and the work or the Department of Public Words. We can never have too much positivity, especially in the times that we are in now. This is one of the few murals that you could make a special trip to see. If you are not going for the trail, but just going to see the mural. The easiest place to park to see it is the parking lot of the Half Littler House. It is a very short walk from there. Even though I spent more time here than most other murals that I have visited, this is still probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 15 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.

If you wanna check out some cool art then this the place. This spot is like 2 miles from the famous…read moreBroad Ripple Village. The Monon Trail Love Train is a long wall with lot of art in different colors and captions but of the same format that looks like coaches. Walk all across the wall and you'll find amazing Angel Wings( see my profile pic)and Pink Cranes. There are 2 different angel wings which are Instagramable. Check out my Insta profile:: Mr.harven

This is a great spot for locals and visitors alike! We stopped by from out of town thinking it…read morewould be a good winter activity for our little one while it's too cold to walk much outside. The conservatory exceeded our expectations! Admissions is affordable at $5 per person, but it was free the day we visited because of a reptile show! We got to see tortoises, skinks, salamanders, tarantulas, snakes, and more! Inside the conservatory, there are fish and a couple other critters permanently on display. The signage around the gardens is informative and interesting- and the plants are simply beautiful! So well cared for and healthy. I could have walked around the loop 5 times and noticed new things each time. There are several places to sit and relax throughout the gardens (we fed our baby on one of the benches). There is a restroom and coat racks- which you'll need because the gardens are quite warm! What a great find for the afternoon! Bonus that it's located right in a park, by a library, several cute places to stop and eat, and public art. The only downside I can think of is that there wasn't a ton of parking- probably more accessible when there isn't a special event going on!

There is something about plants and nature that brighten up my mood. I came here on a gloomy rainy…read moreday, and it was the perfect decision to lift up my spirits. It's close to the highway so easy access and near my house - double plus. The admission to get in was $4 per person, and they take card - another plus for being inexpensive. They have plants for sale and host events/activities, the lady working was friendly and explained all of that. They have brochures in the front as well. Inside is so astonishing, there is so much to see. It's so beautiful, I adore and admire all of it. I love how things are labeled and have informational tidbits about the plants. They have ponds with live fish and waterfalls around. They have a restroom and it had a window so of course there is a plant inside, I love it. I'll have to take note next time I go here that it was very warm inside, I felt very hot so dress accordingly. There is parking available. Check hours before coming, holidays vary.

Amazing swings. I thought my kids wouldn't like it but they really loved it! They are building…read morearound it and it's kinda hard to get to. Great experience though!

Love the idea and love the execution. I had no concept of musical swings, but basically each swing…read morehas a sound/tone they emit as you swing. Swing faster to get a faster rhythm, slow down and the sounds slow down. I could imagine this being either horrible or fascinatingly beautiful when all of them are in full swing. Either way, this adds a bit of interested to swinging and I love it.

You can tell that this was once an awesome mural. But those days are long behind it. The mural was…read morepainted in 2017 by the FAB Crew, with the assistance of an artist named Gamble, as a tribute to the Cincinnati-based, nationally-known graffiti artist Speedbeard (Jason Brunson), who passed away suddenly in 2017. The mural depicts Speedbeard's pet French bulldog, Frenchie, the inspiration behind many of his characters The dog is wearing Speedbeard's trademark black t-shirt, and has parodies of Speedbeard's full-sleeve tattoos. You can see that the painting has a lot of detail and their inspiration bled through. However, the mural is greatly deteriorated and the wall that it is painted on is actually chipping away piece by piece. I had to do a double take to make sure that I had the correct mural. This mural needs a lot of help, but may be beyond saving. As with most murals, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. There is parking available in the alley that the mural is in and it is easily accesible. However, you can probably even do a drive by. It is best to plan out additional stops at many of the other wonderful murals in the area to maximize your trip.

The FAB Crew (Sacred 317 & 6Cents) and Gamble worked on this mural in the summer of 2018 as a…read moretribute to famed artist "Speedbeard" out of Cincinnati. Speedbeard owns a French Bulldog, has a beard, and full sleeve arm tattoos. The bulldog and the arm tattoos were incorporated into this mural along with the neck chain with Speedbeard on it. If you have a knack for reading the graffiti style writing, you can see the artist's names, though I struggle with the two on the right side more than on the left. The dog looks real. The rest of the mural is a swirl of vibrant colors. Very visually effective in catching the eye of passersby. I hope this one will last longer than most of the other great murals that have been at this location. Review #1878