Before seeing the mural, I didn't know much about the Cole Noble District on the east side of…read moreIndy's downtown. But after seeing this triptych, I can see the past, the present, and the future. Back in 2012, the mural by Shannon M Johnson was dedicated on the north wall of the Flanner & Buchanan building. The left side of the mural shows the past. It features images of Noah Noble (former Governor of the State) and Joseph Cole (founder of Cole Motor cars) with additional images of the Cole baseball team and one of their vehicles. The middle shows the district boundaries, sports, and entertainment (though the images are dated now too!) The right shows the future which focuses on the link of the National Road towards entrepreneurship and diversity for a better tomorrow. I like when I can understand the message the mural is hoping to communicate and gather some insight to the choice of location as well. Review #1763

As I was preparing to write my review for the Oliver P. Morton Statue located on the east side of…read morethe Indiana Statehouse, I was immediately struck by something missing on the Yelp page. I actually looked twice. For those who've been Yelpers for several years, you likely remember Yelp Elite Ken N., a lover of Indiana's parks, public art, and memorials. Ken, who passed away probably 3-4 years ago now, hadn't reviewed this statue and I have to admit it surprised me as he'd even gotten up the motivation at one point to begin driving around the state reviewing a variety of parks and public art. It's hard to imagine he missed such a dominant one here in Indy. Sigh. This statue remembers Morton, Indiana's governor during the Civil War years (he actually served from 1861-1867). Officially called "Oliver P. Morton and Reliefs," the statue was commissioned by the Indiana General Assembly and created by Austrian artist Rudolph Schwarz. This memorial is composed of three bronze statues and two bronze reliefs with one plaque on the front and two in the rear. The plaques are also made of bronze. Morton is in the center somewhat raised and flanked by two Union soldiers. Morton was born in Wayne County in 1823. He died on November 1st, 1877 in Indianapolis. After serving as Governor, he served as a U.S. Senator from Indiana from 1867 until his 1877 death. Fun fact about Schwarz - he emigrated to Indianapolis in 1897 to help completion of the Soldiers and Sailors' Monument. I think most people who work downtown see the Morton monument on a regular basis, though I often wonder how many actually know his story. He was the first Indiana native to be Indiana governor. Morton was originally a Democrat and opposed to the extension of slavery, however, he became one of the organizers of the Republican party. In 1860, he was Henry Lane's Lieutenant Governor and then became elected Indiana's governor. In 1876, he received the second-highest number of votes for the Republican presidential nomination. This is yet another statue I find really mesmerizing. I drive by it every single work day and it's one of those statues I always notice as I drive by. This is also another statue where I found myself coming home and learning its history (and also learning Morton's - I knew he'd been governor, however, I had no idea it was during the Civil War).

Statue of Oliver P Morton former governor of Indiana sits appropriately outside the capital…read morebuilding in downtown Indianapolis Indiana. My family and I were in town for the weekend my daughter cheer Competition held inside the Convention center. Over the two days while waiting between performances and awards ceremonies me and sometimes my family walked the surrounding areas and explored as the public art scene here is plentiful and creative. This piece was in very close walking distance of the convention center so was easily discoverable. On the same capital grounds was several other statues of political figures along with other cool sculptures. Overall a very nice looking statue. Being a Kentuckian I'm not too familiar with Indiana political history so it's always good when pieces of art or sculptures can add knowledge to a person.

I drive by the Major Taylor mural in downtown Indianapolis every day on my way to work. It has…read morebecome a source of inspiration that I look forward to seeing. In September 2020, the Arts Council of Indianapolis kicked off a series of murals called the "Bicentennial Legends Series." The decision was made for Major Taylor to be the first Bicentennial Legend. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Marshall "Major" Taylor was a racial justice advocate and internationally recognized cyclist. In 1899, he became the first African-American world champion professional cyclist. He was also the U.S. Sprint Champion in 1899 and 1900. He became one of the truly pioneering athletes in the U.S. and a role model for other athletes facing discrimination. The mural is located on the Barnes & Thornburg building at 11 S. Meridian Street. It is easily visible from East Washington Street driving west. Funding was provided by the City of Indianapolis Bicentennial Commission, Barnes & Thornburg, the CIBA Foundation, Glick Philanthropies, and public donations that were made to the Major Taylor Coalition and matched by SRAM Corporation. The mural, which was finished in early Fall 2021, was created by African-American artist Shawn Warren, a Chicago native whose most notable work commemorates the Tulsa Massacre - it's called "In a Promised Land" and is an absolute masterpiece. Indy-based painter Boxx the Artist assisted Warren as part of a program to train artists on the creation of larger murals. The mural itself is a triple-portrait of Taylor capturing him at three stages of his life - as a youth, at his peak in racing, and after a two-year hiatus from racing. I love this quote from Warren - ""It was important to create some form of a narrative that not only depicts Major Taylor as a world-champion cyclist, but as a stoic, unwavering individual who faced the ugliest forms of racism," Warren said. "It's imperative that those who view the mural understand the difficult task Major Taylor took on to represent and win in a sport for a country that viewed him as an inferior person. The three portraits display Taylor as hopeful, courageous, and determined. His humanity is just as significant as his accomplishments as an athlete." I don't typically review a lot of public art, however, I've grown really fond of this mural and am thrilled I get to see it everyday. As we move toward opening up downtown Indy again, I'm excited that more and more people will be able to see this remarkable mural in downtown Indy.

This Mural goes by the name World's Fastest (Major Taylor). It pays homage to cyclist Marshall…read moreWalter "Major" Taylor, the world's first international Black sports superstar. During his career, Taylor set numerous world records, and won national and international titles. Even with all of his accomplishments, Taylor died without a dime to his name. The mural was painted by Shawn Michael Warren with the help of Boxx the Artist in 2020 and was commissioned by the City of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Bicentennial Commission, the Arts Council of Indianapolis and the Major Taylor Coalition. It takes a village to make a mural happen The mural depicts Taylor holding an American flag and him on a bike. It also has a quote from Taylor's autobiography "I was a pioneer, and therefore had to blaze my own trail. It is very vivid and huge. It is facing a huge paid parking lot and is on the side of Buffalo Wild Wings. I did not know about Major Taylor or his story. After doing some research on him, I wonder why I didn't. He is a very inspirational man and has a miraculous story. Who knew that looking at a mural could lead to some knowledge. As this mural is in a parking lot, parking and getting out to get a closer look at this mural is simple and easy, if that is what you want to do. You could probably even see it from the comfort of your vehicle and do a slow rolling drive-by and have the same effect. As with most murals that I have reviewed, 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 other wonderful murals in the area or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

This mural is the work of artist Matthew Aaron and depicts his signature stick of dynamite that he…read morehas employed in murals across the city. It depicts a single red stick of dynamite with two black bands, one on each end and a squiggly fuse coming from it. That is all set against a grayish background. I always love the shading that he uses when painting the dynamite. The faint white streak makes it look so real. If you are not familiar with his work, dynamite is Aaron's signature figure and appears in most of his murals and paintings. However, he does not condone the use of dynamite, he just likes the figure. It is a plain a simple image, but I still like it every time I see it. This is the 3rd dynamite image that I have seen of Aaron's. There is free street parking available along the street in front of the mural and you could get a half decent look from the comfort of your vehicle doing a safe and strategic slow rolling drive dy. It is one of his larger dynamite murals and is painted on the side of LJI Wealth Management. 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 are tons of murals in the area, such as Chilly Water and Smoking Cardinal, and as well as in nearby fountain square to explore.

This is a mural that was painted as part of the Superbowl 46 for XLVI mural program in 2011. The…read moreartist that painted it was Damon Lamar Reed. I will be the first to admit that the mural is not in the best area and is in a rundown part of town. You will find the mural on the side of the New Fountain Lounge, which is a venue that gives local musicians the opportunity to showcase their talent and play some jazz. Once you get past that, you see a beautiful mural. It depicts a very very real looking saxophone, trumpet, microphone, and the top of a double bass. I can not stress how real it looks. The Lounge that the mural is painted on has a huge parking lot that you can park in, get out and take a closer look. It was empty when I was there. Well now to my standard mural disclaimer/PSA. As with most murals I have visited, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. This is not a destination stop. 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. Luckily, there are a lot of other interesting murals right across the street to get you started.

At the northwest corner of the intersection of 30th and MLK Blvd, a musical based mural pays…read moretribute to Indy's Jazz history. The piece features a saxophone, microphone, trumpet, and string bass. The mural was created by Damon Lamar Reed in 2011 as part of the SuperBowl 46 for XLVI mural program. Review #1492

There are a pair of limestone globes with eagles perched on top in front of the former Indiana…read moreState Museum on North Alabama. The statues are just over 8' in height and 4' square. The sculptures were created in 1904 by Indy's most famous terra cotta sculptor, Alexander Sangernebo. The pieces were relocated in 1968 to the location and have a plaque telling part of their history. Note: As a bonus, there is an inscription on the wall of the former museum with the quote "I, am myself, a citizen of no mean city." which was based upon a statement by Benjamin Harrison in 1897, then used in a quote by Indy Mayor Charles Bookwalter in 1909. The use of the word "mean" has a double meaning. The obvious is that it is intended to reflect the Hoosier Hospitality that makes Indy a friendly place to be. The other, and probably the original meaning is that Indy isn't an "average" city, but is something better. Review #1821

A true Indianapolis icon. Very glad to see it's still standing strong after all these years.read more

This is an Indianapolis staple and a unique piece of public art. It is on a triangular strip of…read moreland between a Burger King and a dog park. It is a horse made of recycled tires. The word on the street is that you can sit on it, but I can not vouch for its integrity though. So, climb at your own risk. This is a quick stop and there is not much to it, but it is on many of the Indiana odd or unique things to see lists. I do not know much about the artist that created this or its origins, but it is here and worth a visit.

This mural is on the side of Henry's Coffee Bistro. It overlooks the business's parking lot. It was…read morepainted by Robert Bentley in 2012. Henry's got the inspiration to commission the mural from all the murals that popped up in the city as part of Arts Council of Indianapolis's 46 for XLVI Mural Program. The mural depicts the head of woman that has an orange tint, with rays coming from her head like the sun. That is on an abstract black and white background. I am not sure of the meaning of the mural, but it is rumored that the artist intended to express the energy of nearby Mass Ave. I don't see it though. It is a nice looking piece, but lacks context or a story for me. It is well maintained though. You can do a slow roll drive by or you could park in the business's parking lot and get out and take a closer look. I ended up parking in the loading zone on the street, of the hotel next and getting out. 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. There are tons of attractions in the downtown area to see.

When I first began taking photos for the Arts Council of Indianapolis, I met the person who…read morecoordinated the City's Public Art program for coffee at Henry's Coffee Bistro on East Street. On the north side of the building was a mural painted by Herron alumnus Robert Bentley in 2012. A former street artist, the artist has gone on to work with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) to paint murals and signal boxes around Indy. This mural shows the face of a woman on the left with rays of golden light shining out over a black and white background. I though of the background as a stylized image of downtown with the rays of light being a message to visitors to brighten up your city. Be a positive asset. Review #1735