Return to innocence is a public art mural located along downtown Indianapolis canal walk that…read morefeatures the innocence of children playing and blowing bubbles. 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. One of the cooler places we discovered while exploring the area. The canal walk we noticed when checking out the 9/11 tribute. We went down a flight of stairs and while walking along the canal we noticed on the underpasses on each side was murals all the way down This piece was one of my favorites we seen while walking the lovely canal. Displays as the title suggests the innocence of children and the water of the canal provides a fitting back drop for This mural.

This is a very fun mural that is very vivid and has lots of detail. It is the work of Cecilia…read moreLueza, who painted the mural in 2011, as part of the Arts Council of Indianapolis' successful 46 for XLVI Mural Initiative Program. It is located under the Ohio Street overpass. The mural depicts black silhouettes of two little girls, one on each end of the mural, blowing bubbles. There are lots of different sized bubble between the girls, some just black, but many filled with colorful images that represents past experiences from Lueza's life. This is a very nice mural that demands your attention. It is very viid and still in relatively good shape, especially considering its age. This is another must see if you are touring the canal walk mural under the overpasses. Anyway, there is tons of metered street parking available near the entrance to the canal where the mural is located, so you can get out and take a look. Just be sure to make sure you are on the right side of the canal you want to be on. Whether it is the side the mural is on, or across from it, to give you more of an overhead view. There are also a few garages within a reasonable walking distance too. Obviously, this is not a mural that you can do a drive by on, so that is not an option. You have to hoof it. 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 at many of the other wonderful murals in the area, There are a ton of them under the over passes along the canal, to maximize your time and trip.

I have passed this mural many times and not noticed it. I decided to make today a mural finding…read morefield trip. The mural wraps around two sides of the Indy Auto Man's Service Center, the front and side and covers 2,400 sqft. It was commissioned in 2021 by the Indy Auto Man Car Dealership and created by Nekoda Witsken. She was assisted by Travis Neal, Bezol One, and Dan "Invisible Hometown" Handskillz. it is meant to represent the business's core values of initiative, growth, integrity, transformation, and resourcefulness. Employees were polled as to which symbols and heroes they felt best represented these values and their feedback was then used to design the mural. The mural not only has the dog, it has MLK, and Freddy Mercury. I like this mural it is large and very detailed. The colors really pop out and pull you in. You can park in the business's lot to get out and see the mural up close. I highly recommend planning out stops at some of the other wonderful murals that are within a mile or two of this one to maximize your time. Fun fact: This mural served as the backdrop to the inaugural Indy Arts Fest as well.

One of the most talented and successful local artists stays busy adding new murals faster than I…read morecan keep up with her. Local artist Nekoda Witsken collaborated with some other local artists to work on an enormous two sided mural on the south side. One of the special details of this mural is that instead of just using brushes, she used spray paint on this metal surface. The front of the building has many figures and faces (including a full sized Fredddie Mercury. Over on the right side of the building you will see the title of the mural as well as a larger than life image of her dog "Potato".. There is also a dog tag with names of people who love Potato as well as the artist. one of the things I enjoy about this artists' work is that there are many styles of art that she can choose to use. I've seen enough of her art that I can arecognize much of it without her signature. Even when she worked with other artists to complete the work, she has such distinctive touches that I can still find them. Review #3969

This is a neat mural that depicts a bookshelf. I am not sure if the mural has anything to do with…read morethe library that is so very close to. It was painted by French artist Youri Cansell aka "Mantra"in 2019. It is located in a section known as Library Square, which is fenced off and under major construction. The area is fenced off and private, but that did not stop me from checking out the mural. The pieces uses natural colors and depicts an oversized old-fashioned library shelf with books and curios on it. The building that it is painted on windows are incorporated in the mural and you will find some butterflies on some of the books. I would have liked to see more color, but that is just me. Anyway, There is metered street parking available for you to park and get out and check out the mural. As with most murals, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. It is probably best to plan out additional stops at many of the other wonderful murals in the area.

Fun to see but when I went it was gated and you had to take pictures through the gates. Also all…read morestreet parking so something to note.

This is a series of images that were commissioned by Buckingham Companies for their CityWay II…read moreproperty to be painted in the CItyWay North Garage. There is a sisiter set of murals painted by the same artist in the South Garage called Vandals. The CityWay developers tapped Nick Walker, the artist that also did the Love Conquers All mural, to do the paintings in 2019. He has paintings on each level of the garage. Most of the murals are stand alone images and can be partially obstructed by parked vehicles since they are in an active parking garage. My favorite one is of the guy with a can of spray paint in each hand that is painting a heart. All of the works are very detailed and have masterful use of colors. I really liked this collection of art and I am sure that you will too. It is a shame that it is mostly secluded form everyone in a parking garage and not somewhere more prominent. As with most murals, this is probably not a very long stop, even though you have to cover a few levels in the garage (elevator or walk it up). I was there less than 10 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other wonderful murals in the area, such as the neighboring "Vandals", to maximize your time and trip.

"Mutations" is a collection of street art murals done by Nick Walker (Bristol, England) for the…read moreopening of the North CityWay Parking Garage in 2019. No matter what floor you are on, you are never far from one of his murals. Most prominent are the south walls of the 2nd and 3rd floors which have triptychs that stretch the entire length. One says "Good Vibes Only" while the other says "Sweet Indy Dreams". There are also some images that draw upon Walker's most famous character "Vandal". (See the Vandal collection in the south garage.) There are also some spiders, ghosts, tag writing, black and white street scenes, and cartoon style characters. A little something for everyone to discover. Walker now has two collections in CityWay and his giant "Love Conquers All" mural that rises above the north garage on the outside east wall. Looks like Indy is really a hot spot for public art in 2019. Review #2949

This mural is part of Jiffy Lube of Indiana mural project, in conjunction with the Arts Council of…read moreIndianapolis. It is the work of local artist Nekoda Witsken, who is also the owner of Hue Murals. She completed the mural in 2021 in about 2 weeks. This is a unique and interesting mural. It is in Witsken's signature "color explosion" style. And it also seamlessly incorporates a regaining wall that it in front of the primary wall. It has a 3D cutout flower panel on it. The mural itself is not painted directly on the Jiffy Lube wall because the wall is exposed brick. Witsken used large specially cut aluminum dibord to create a floated surface on which to paint. The mural depicts the colorful image of a black woman's face and a nonbinary person with their arms up above their head while they are standing in front of a sunflower. The retaining wall has a 3D flower and continues with the black woman's neck and top portion of her body. There is also a very close up image of the upper right side of a face. This piece grabs your attention. I like how Witsken uses colors. Witsken aimed to paint a mural that featured empowered, diverse people in terms of both gender and race. She hopes this mural inspires people to take a deep breath, grow their positivity, and be open to those around them. Witsken is very talented and I am a fan of her work. You claims that this piece is her best work thus far. You should really check this mural out if you are in the area. 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 at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. You could start with the Lincoln Mural (another of Witsken's pieces) or Lincoln Park.

When one of your favorite local artists proclaims that their latest work is their favorite, you…read moreshould make a point to see it in person. Even though I live southwest of Indy and this new mural is north west, I am so glad I went. She was still working on the mural so I got a brief moment to chat with her. Now I will have to make a return visit to capture the final version. Hopefully some other Yelpers will stop by who can add more photos until I get back to the area to share. As part of an ongoing series sponsored by Jiffy Lube of Indiana, the business wants to be a good neighbor and bring art to the community in unexpected places. In its fifth year at the time of this installation, the business coordinates with the Arts Council of Indianapolis to find local artists who would be willing to take on the opportunity to have their work seen by lots of folks who might not make it to galleries or art museums. One of the limitations is that the mural should have nothing to do with vehicles or that might be interpreted as simply advertising. The artists are given a great deal of freedom to be creative which is one reason this artist Koda Witsken enjoyed working on the project. All artists are paid for their work too! According to comments on the artist's website (Hue Murals), the mural was inspired by the chance to show gender and ethnic diversity as well as the native flowers of Indiana. One of the most impressive things about the mural (in addition to her amazing sense of color and talent) is that she hand paints with brushes (no spray cans for her) the entire 400 sq ft area! Imagine painting a 12 x12 room just over 8 ft tall with paint brushes, no roller? My hands ache just thinking about that task! Another challenge the artist had to deal with is that sometimes the mural may be replaced, so to preserve the art she paints on specially cut aluminum dibord which can be attached and then removed for another location later. In some of my photos you will notice the white dibord before she had a chance to finish the mural with painted jewelry. Personally, I love how the artist can see colors within color. Her work can be found all over the north side and she is adding more locations in the metro area. For more of her work check out my Collection of reviews and photos on Yelp. Review #3941

I pass by Indiana Avenue Jazz Masters every single day on my way home from work. Appropriately…read morelocated on the south wall of the simple but iconic Musicians' Repair & Sales building in downtown Indy, this mural is created in the area of Indiana Avenue - home to many of Indiana's jazz greats including those depicted here - trombonist JJ Johnson, trombonist David Baker, sax player Jimmy Coe, sax player David Young, bassist Larry Ridley, trombonist Slide Hampton, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, and guitarist Wes Montgomery. Pamela Bliss completed the mural as part of the Superbowl celebration "46 for XLVI" based upon photos from jazz documentarian Duncan Scheidt. Most of these musicians were noteworthy during Indy's jazz heyday of the 50's and 60's. They grew here. While many/most have passed, many of them still have family here. I love the color of this mural. I love the shading and the way it beautifully captures the essence of jazz. The mural takes the entire side of the building and really transports you through Indy's jazz history. For the way it captures Indiana music history and for its uniqueness in terms of mural design, I have to give this beautiful piece of public art a 5-star.

We were out exploring and we came across the Indiana Ave., Jazzmasters mural we thought it was…read morereally cool, looking at a lot of detail, and was easily to find

Love whoever is a hard to see and interesting public art mural piece in a trendy Indianapolis…read moreneighborhood full of shops and eateries My family and I was in town from Lousiville on a weekend getaway while my daughter has cheer comp. Her competition was a few miles down the road at the convention center when we decided to take a post comp lounge at the popular Bluebeard and check out the public art in its surrounding area. This piece was on the rear of the establishment facing towards the public parking lot so we got to see it up close. It also sits next to another awesome public art piece of Dolly Parton sign her hit songs tatted on her face (yeah you read that right). Anyways this piece spreads a great positive message. It's kinda down in a like pencil outline look so makes it hard to see from the road. The giant whale/fish (excuse my lack of inanimate sea life) above it is honestly what makes it stick out an noticeable. Not sure if the whale/fish is sort of the mural or just existed prior and they kept it up there. Overall solid piece. It defiantly has a unique style. I'm Curious how long it has existed and how it will hold up over the years with the design and non use of primary colors.

This mural is located right next to MuckRock's Dolly Pardon mural on the side of Amelia's Bakery…read more It is more of a sketch than a mural. It is the work of Flatland Kitchen, Rebekah and Eric Nolan, a team of designers specializing in restaurant identity design, environmental graphics, and culture branding. They painted the mural in 2016 "Love Whoever is Around to be Loved" is a quote by Indianapolis' own Kurt Vonnegut, from his novel Sirens of Titan. The mural is pretty basic. It depicts six pair of legs with a slight hint of pinkish tint in some of them. The legs are over a banner that reads, "Love Whoever is Around to be Loved". There is a huge fish shaped metal sculpture above the mural, that I do not think is part of the mural. However the metal sculpture is creating a couple of rust streaks running down the center of the mural. The mural is not well maintained and is showing signs of fading. It is a decent mural, but not impressive or awe -inspiring. You could probably not even have to leave your vehicle and do a slow rolling drive-by to get a look at it, or you could park in one of the street parking spots across the street. You could even just make your own parking spot like I did, jump out, look, and get back in and you would be fine. As with most murals that I have reviewed, though, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 3 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other wonderful murals in the area, you could start with the Dolly Door right next to it or the Chilly Water mural that is right around the corner, to maximize your time and trip.

This mural is on the indy/Greenwood line on the wall of a Jiffy lube. It was created in 2019 by…read morePamela Bliss through a partnership between Jiffy Lube of Indiana and the Arts Council of Indianapolis. In painting this mural her vision to depict the importance of bees and their drastic drop in population because of herbicides, pesticides, deforestation, and urbanization. It is her belief that when bees are gone, everything in the world, including humans, will cease to exist. Bliss has a few of other popular pieces around the Indy area like the Reggie Miller mural. This is a piece that I have passed numerous times and not even noticed. It is on the side of the business and a small pieces continues to wrap around the front corner. The mural grabs your attention and really grabs you. She has an excellent use of colors. I like the shadows the artist created in the painting. A very nice touch and the illusion of the wall breaking open to reveal a honeycomb, with some bees coming from it was awesome. I am a sucker for a piece with a message, as this one has. You can park in the jiffy lube parking lot and get out and see the mural. It is not necessarily a huge time consumer, so it is best to plan out stops at many of the other wonderful murals that are in the area

Pamela Bliss has been bringing fantastic artwork to Central Indiana for a long time. Whether it's…read morebeen her historic murals in Wayne County, or the Kurt Vonnegut or Reggie Miller murals in Indy, she has a talent that is at the top of the field in creating images that are instantly recognizable and accurate. She brings color and detail to her work. In 2019, she was selected to paint one of the Jiffy Lube locations with a mural that through a whimsical image calls attention to the importance of the honey bee and its place in keeping our world functioning. While painting the mural, she repeatedly had bees land without stinging. Then one day, she found a dead bee at the base of the mural which focused her even more keenly on how short their lives are and how much good they do. The mural is part of an ongoing program that is sponsored by Jiffy Lube with assistance from the Arts Council of Indianapolis to bring art to unexpected places to inspire visitors and employees to lead full, well rounded lives. This mural, which wraps from the front of the station, features honeycomb, several bees, a whimsical flying baby dressed as a bee and finally, a sunflower with the Earth spinning in the center of the petals. The honeycomb appears to be breaking out of the wall while the bees and other images appear to be casting shadows from in front of the wall. It is a delightful piece that adds beauty and understanding to the lives of those who see it. Review #2947