This is another piece of art that is located in the center of a traffic circle. It was created in…read more2011 by Brad Howe. It is an abstract sculpture that was commissioned to brighten the mood on residents and motorist who came across it in their day to day. Howe said that he titled the piece Watusi "because it was inspired by photographs of dancers, mainly modern dancers, mainly Martha Graham." The sculpture consists of shapes. There is a red "S" shape, with it going through a stainless ring at the bottom of it that is sitting at a 45 degree angle. There is another ring on top of the one that the red shape is going through and a stainless bar on top of that. There is a yellow half circle on the top portion of the red "s" shape and above the stainless bar. It all sits on a cement base. The colors are very vivid and the sculpture gives me a pop art kind of vibe. I am not a big fan of abstract art, but this piece is "OK". It is also well maintained and looks great, especially considering its age. It is located on a somewhat busy round about. You can either view it from your windshield doing a safe and strategic, slow-rolling drive by or you can find some where to park and get out to take a closer look. I pulled into the parking lot of a church that was right off of the roundabout to get a closer look. As with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. Also, be very careful if you are going to get a closer look, as i previously mentioned, this is located at a busy roundabout. With that being said, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip such as the other sculptures at the roundabouts on the road.

If you are traveling north on Rangeline Road just north of the Arts District in Carmel, you will…read morereach a roundabout at Smokey Row Road (136th St) that features this sculpture as its centerpiece. Carmel Watusi was named by artist Brad Howe when it was built site specifically for Carmel in 2011. The artist wanted something wild like the dance similarly named. Metal shapes similar to tires are chaotically arranged among other shapes, some with polyurethane, some with bright colored paint. Review #1296

"Homage to Hoagy" is one of my favorite sculptures in the Carmel round-about series. The sculpture…read morehonors Indiana's musical genius, Hoagy Carmichael. The sculpture itself is timeless with a huge victrola gramophone that spews sculpted musical notes. The sculpture was created by British-born artist, Arlon Bayliss in 2018. Bayliss is currently an art professor at Anderson University. His profound works of public art have put him on the map. Bayliss has sculptures at the Indianapolis International Airport, as well as several in Carmel. The sculpture is beautiful by day, but also is lit up at night. The sculpture is surrounded by pristinely manicured foliage. We found nearby free street parking to visit the sculpture. There are several sculptures nearby that make the trip memorable and educational.

This interactive steel sculpture is a dedication to Hosier Native musician and song writer Hoagy…read moreCarmichael and is located in the center of a roundabout. It is right in the heart of the city and right off of the Palladium. It is 40 feet tall and depicts stars, moons and musical notes. It sits on a limestone base. It is an abstract piece, but makes a lot of sense when you know its backstory. The sculpture is rumored to be inspired by Carmichael's hit song "Stardust", bursting out of an antique gramophone horn. It was dedicated in 2020 and is the work of Arlon Bayliss. If you look across the street, near the back of the Palladium, you will see the other part of the sculpture, a four foot kiosks that has a mini gramophone horn on top of it. You will see an informational plaque on the front on the kiosk that talks about Carmichael. It also has a hand crank on its left side that when actuated play songs written by Carmichael as recorded by artists such as Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Bublé and Kristin Chenoweth. The kiosk playlist includes songs like 'Georgia On My Mind,' 'Heart and Soul,' 'Can't Get Indiana Off My Mind,' 'The Nearness of You,' 'Skylark,' and of course, 'Stardust'. The sculpture is extra cool at night when it is Illuminated by multicolored LED lights. Unfortunately, I visited it during the day and was not able to get the full effect of the sculpture. This is definitely a must see. You have to experience it at least once. There is free street parking within a reasonable walking distance of the statue, if you want to get a closer look. You can get a decent look from the windshield of your vehicle doing a safe and strategic, slow rolling drive by. however, you will miss the interactive kiosk feature of the sculpture As with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is probably not a very long stop, even though you can play with its interactive feature for a bit and listen to music. I was there less than 10 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. The Veteran's Memorial Park would be a great start.

Reaching is part of three bronze figures commissioned by Browning Investments for their building at…read more251 N Illinois. The sculpture shows a nude male and female figure engaged in the free flowing motion of contemporary dance. The piece was dedicated in 1987 and created by Gary artist Zenos Frudakis, who was born in Indiana. This pair of dancers can be found on the opposite side (west) of the building from the other dancer (called "Flying") that is on the east side of the building. Back during the dedication, there was some minor objection to having nude sculpture on display, but ultimately, the quality of the art won out and now is accepted as simply art. Review #1838

This is a basic abstract sculpture that is located on the side of the Meridian Office Building…read more(door 2). It is off to the side of a decent break/picnic area and is facing the parking lot. There is a picnic table off to the side in the grass. The sculpture is in very nice condition and well maintained, especially considering that it is over 20 years old. I was not very impressed with this mural. It is as basic as it gets and with out any backstory or explanation, it is pretty dull. The sculpture depicts seven rings of different sizes stacked and interlocked vertically along a steel post. The piece was made in 2001, by James Darr, who at the times was a student at the Herron School of Art and won a completion to create a piece for that site. Parking here is very easy, considering that the sculpture overlooks a huge parking lot. I am really not a fan of this piece though. I would probably only come here if I had business in the building or near by. However, if you do visit here on your own accord, I highly recommend planning out additional stops or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. There are tons of murals in the alley and adjacent alleys to check out.

This sculpture can be found on the south side of the building outside of Guardian Pediatrics…read more Formed in 2001 by then Herron student James Darr, the piece towers over the surrounding landscape. The tower consists of seven rings at different angles stacked and interlooped along a bent central shaft. The piece is made of steel. The rings are different in sizes and have no regular pattern to how they are arranged. Darr has become an art instructor in addition to being an artist on his own. Review #1294

For Endless Trees IV is a corten steel sculpture that was created in 1991 by then professor of…read moresculpture at Herron, Gary Freeman. The piece was commissioned for the site by Indiana Gas Company before the company moved and the site became home to WFYI. There are four columns that branch out at the top representing trees. The sculpture can be found on the northeast corner of the building. Review #1818

This sculpture is located in front of North Central High School. It was the winning submission for…read morethe North Central High School Art Department's design contest. It was made in 1989 and is the work of Martina Nehrling. I consists of 3 stainless steel structures, which considering their age are an excellent shape. The first thing I thought of when I saw the sculpture was origami, which turns out to be the artist's inspiration for the piece. The three pieces look like large metal origami pieces. This sculpture did not stick out like I thought it would. I had difficulty finding it. It is located in the long grass strip between the school and the road, if they helps you. It was an overcast day when I visited, so I probably did not get the full effect of the sculpture. I think it would be better with the sun shine off of it, as it is intended to make the sculpture somewhat interactive. There are a decent amount of parking spots in the school's lot. I would just caution you from trying to check this place out during student arrival and departure. 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 checking it out on your way somewhere else.

If you've ever wondered about those gleaming stainless steel sculptures (there are 3 of them) along…read more86th Street, they are called "Arrows of Direction". They were built in 1989 as a result of a design competition at North Central HS. Martina A Nehrling is the artist. The design was based upon folded paper origami. At different times of day, the light strikes different angles affecting the shadows and reflection on the highly polished steel. Review #1516

Of all the public art on the terrace behind the Eiteljorg Museum, Watercarrier is the only true…read moreabstract piece. This unlabeled sculpture sits on the eastern edge of the plaza and was created in 1986 by Allan Houser. Houser created the Morning Prayer piece across the way as well. The smooth bronze shape is wider in the middle and tapers as it reaches the top where a globe rests on top. The image has a couple openings including a large oval in the middle and a smaller opening on the top. The image is supposed to represent a woman carrying water. Review #1620

This is a very interesting and eye catching piece that is located just down the street from the…read moreChildren's Museum and in front of IFD Station 14.This bronze and glass sculpture was created in 2004 by artist Jeff Laramore and fabricated by David Bellamy. The Glass was done by Ed Francis. Laramore has a ton of art placed all around the city. This is an abstract piece and is left up to your interpretation. The vision however, is supposed to be a human figure holding a globe of fire away from the community. The glass has a fire ball appearance and the human figure is actually made of various cutouts fused together. Some of the cutout shapes include dogs, cats, churches, trees, buildings, and houses. If you look at the top back portion of the statue, you can clearly see a house with a chimney. If you look even closer you may be able to find the dinosaurs from the Children's Museum. I parked at the liquor store across the street and got out real quick to take a closer look. It is right off of a very busy road though. As is the case with most public art that I review, this is 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, such as the nearby Children's Museum, to maximize your trip.

Local artist Jeff Laramore created this sculpture in 2004 that sits on the site of a near north…read moreside fire station. The sculpture depicts an abstract human form holding a ball of fire away from the community. The community is represented by numerous cutouts that are fused together to form the human shape of the sculpture. The cutouts include buildings in the community, pets, families, and exhibits from the nearby Children's Museum. Review #1794