I don't know what's going on with this, but Coco mantis is big giant bug that hangs out on the…read morecorner of the street and kokomo Indiana. It was pretty cool to see. Don't know why it's there but it's there.

I've been to Kokomo, Indiana multiple times on my Tenderness Tour events and I discover new things…read moreeach time. Kokomantis is one of the more unusual tourist attractions you could ask for, but it's even listed on Atlas Obscura. Scrap artist Scott Pitcher crafted Kokomantis in 2012 and it's proudly placed in downtown Kokomo at the corner of Sycamore and Washington Streets. The torso and wings were crafted from World War II fuel pontoons, while the legs were crafted from traffic light poles (I wonder if that would work for me?). Construction took a reported 220 hours to both create and position this remarkably unique structure. Truthfully, I'm surprised I don't see it pop up in more horror movies. The sculpture is 22' long and 17' high. Kokomantis includes a sign that reads "please do not climb me; I'm ticklish!" and at one point had its own Facebook and Twitter accounts. I believe the Facebook account is now inactive. The Twitter page still exists, though there have been no new posts since 2016. You've got to love a city that would embrace a giant praying mantis. While the love doesn't seem to be quite as passionate as it used to be, it's like any oversized sculpture - if you are going by it, you're going to stop for a photo op. Seriously.

When I visited Kokomo in March, I found a static public art piece in front of City Hall. Little…read moredid I realize that this space becomes a fountain during summer months. Although the piece has numerous gears, it is not a kinetic sculpture. It was thought the chance of someone walking up to it and touching a moving gear might cause harm, so even though the artist has experience with kinetic art, he went with this fixed installation. The art was created by David Braun of Kokomo Opalescent Glass back in 2013. Colorful glass panels are inserted into some of the gear openings to add a bit of color to the 8', 2000# construct. Review #2340

This mural was painted by Holly Sims in 2023, in four and a half days. It is located on the side of…read morethe old Fraternal Order of Eagles building and overlooks a commercial parking lot and private parking for nearby businesses. It is located in Elwood's main business district and is located near many other awesome murals. This mural was cultivated by StraightEdge Creative and Jacqueline Collis Lane of Gypsy Soul Boutique. Because it overlooks a wide open parking lot, parking to get a spot here is very easy. I pulled in, got out and checked out the mural. The mural depicts a very detailed black panther that was painted to appear to be sticking his head out of the mural with some type of 3D effect. You will see a couple of white flowers and green foliage around the panther's head. Sims is very talented and her talent is well on display in this mural. I really like the mural's detail. The panther almost looks real. I believe the mural is a nod to the town's Junior/Senior High School mascot, but you will notice that the two cats look nothing alike. I actually like Sims' version of a panther better. Anyway, 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 some of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

If you are in the area of the Seiberling Mansion, make a point to walk around to the west side of…read morethe building to see this relatively new bronze of one of Kokomo's greatest citizens, Elwood Haynes. Haynes was a world class inventor known for designing the first commercially built auto, for inventing Stellite and Sterling Silver, for making brass (he was only 15!), and for coming up with a way to make the waste product gasoline into a useable product. He also invented the small thermostat that is used in regulating home temperatures. Quite the inventor! The bronze was added in 2017 to the grounds by sculptor DJ Bawden. Review #2489

IU-Kokomo got its first piece of public art back in 1965 when a local firefighter, Robert Edward…read moreHamilton, created "Phoenix Rising From the Ashes". As a firefighter, he was well acquainted with the power of fire and the story of the mythical bird rising again from the ashes inspired him to create this gleaming metal piece. It is permanently located on the west side of the campus. Since then, the campus has seen public art installations come and go. From what I've been able to gather, it seems like artists loan their pieces for display for a roughly two year period. While visiting Kokomo, I found seven additional sculptures on campus. All the pieces were fairly new with the oldest of the temporary pieces being from 2014. The art can be found relatively close to the academic buildings in the center of campus. However, very few are visible from a single location, so you have to walk around campus to find them. I hope that as new pieces are added, that they will be added to the photos on this website. See the details on the individual photos for the titles, artists, and year of creation for each piece. Or, visit campus yourself and look for the identifying plaques associated with each sculpture. Review #2341

The Phoenix Rising from the Ashes sculpture by Robert Edward Hamilton in Indiana is stunning!…read more It's definitely my favorite!

This brightly colored mural is a fun welcome to the small town of Elwood. The Red Gold themed art…read moreis the work of local artist, Rod Leisure, who signed the mural "Rod Man". Family owned, Red Gold has a large processing plant in Elwood and employs many local residents. Red Gold sponsored the mural with support from Red Gold owners, the Reicharts family. So, it is no coincidence that the mural reminded me of a Red Gold label. The "Welcome to Elwood" mural is prominent on Main Street in Elwood. The mural features butterflies, tomatoes with a blue ribbon attached, and Indiana farmland scenes. There is parking in the lot next to the mural.

This mural was commissioned by Elwood based Red Gold Tomatoes and the company's first family, the…read moreReicharts. It is located on the side of an old, and now vacant, cleaners and was painted in 2020 and is the work of Elwood native Rod Leisure. The colors and detail of the mural are awesome. It draws you in. Parking to get a closer look at this mural is simple. It overlooks a parking lot that you can pull into, get out of your vehicle and check it out. The mural depicts a tomato field with tomatoes in the fore ground. You will also find two butterflies with tomatoes for their body and the words "Red Gold" on the viewers left and "Welcome to Tomato Country on the viewer's right. The mural is painted around a window, which it is centered on and above that window is "Elwood, Indiana". The mural's border is a curtain that is pulled back which is a nice extra touch. The mural is interactive, as you are able to stand in front of one of the butterflies and it makes it appears as if you have wings. It is a great advertisement for Red Gold and a nice welcome to this small town. I really like this mural. It is defiantly worth checking out, as well as the story behind Red Gold and its roots in Elwood. 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 some of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

Originally to be known as the American Flag Mural, this mural adorning the exterior of Joyner's…read moreRestaurant in Elwood, Indiana is noted to have been seen by Elwood police officer Noah Shahnavaz the day before he was killed during a traffic stop in on July 31, 2022. It wasn't long before the mural, which Officer Shahnavaz had admired, was renamed the Officer Noah Shahnavaz Memorial Mural and dedicated within the past month or so. The mural was created by Indiana-based pop artist Theodore Winters and practically wraps itself around the Joyner's building. Winters, who possesses a retro vibe and specializes in painting scenes from the 50's, has now created what he calls his most important work and a work that is helping heal the small Madison County community of Elwood. The mural was dedicated during a public event and prayer vigil in Shahnavaz's memory. The 24-year-old officer had been an Elwood officer just shy of a year when his alleged assailant shot him through the front window of his cruiser. Prior to becoming a police officer, Shahnavaz served in the military for five years. The mural was originally intended as promotion for the business, however, Joyner's has responded enthusiastically to the mural's new significance in the community and are proud it can be used to honor Officer Shahnavaz and all police officers. Winters, who has been creating murals for 15 years, has expressed feeling similarly about the new and powerful significance of the mural. If you get a chance, I highly suggest a trip to Elwood to check it out along with other public art in the Elwood area. While you're there, stop into Joyner's - they have great burgers!

Fun fact: Much like…read morethe drama masks included as part of the public art installation "Admit One" located on the east wall of Tipton, Indiana's Diana theatre, I am also adorned with a similar tattoo. So, you can imagine my delight when I finally had a chance to check out "Admit One," an installation added to the historic theatre in 2017 with most of the work being done by Robin Coyner along with community volunteers. The installation was part of the "Art in Rural Places" project and it fits sublimely on the Diana's building as its an entirely film-themed installation that includes a large projector, the theater masks (my tattoo), and a theatre ticket. It's an attractive, colorful addition to the historic building (I'll confess I was somewhat surprised it was allowed on the building). I like the way that the film reel incorporates touches significant to the Tipton area. It's a wonderful weaving together of the project's rural setting with the public art. While the project was completed in 2017, I'm somewhat saddened that it hasn't caught on in downtown Tipton. Sponsored by The Arts Federation, "Admit One" is artwork that instantly makes you smile when you drive by it and it's one of those pieces of art that is practically a "must stop" locations that is ideal for a selfie. The mural takes the entire east side of the building and draws you in if you're coming in on that side of the Diana. The Arts Federation actually places murals in several counties and they're nearly all remarkable efforts that add a nice spark of creativity in rural settings.

Unless you are coming into Tipton from the east, you could easily miss one of the best matches of…read moreart and business in the area! On the east wall of the Diana Theatre, a mural was added in 2017 that compliments the movie theater with local historical sites in the area. The art shows the historic buildings as frames of film while an over sized projector and the theater masks sit in the background. The art was primarily painted by Robin Coyner (with some help from local volunteers) as part of the Tippecanoe Arts Federation's program "Arts in Rural Places." The mural is colorful and somewhat whimsical. There's even a giant theater ticket on the north end of the wall. This is a really nice addition to the downtown to add some color and vibrancy to an area known with its older buildings that lack much life. I hope Tipton can continue to find ways to add art to its downtown. Review #2042