Something cool to look at when approaching the Indianapolis airport. Colorful fencing with…read moredifferent patterns along the way. Clearly I do not know anything about art, so I just go with my feelings and I do like this piece. Livens up the drab airport surroundings. Unfortunately I am usually the one driving, so I haven't been able to snap pictures.

This mural is a unique 3D mural that is made of more than 300,000 colorful recyclable cups. It…read morespans more than 14,000 square feet, making it the largest art installation of its kind. It is the work of artist Jackie Head, who won the job out of 29 other applicants. Head specializes in 3D art and her work can be seen all around the city. Making this piece was no small feat. This is her largest project by far. It took Head about 5 months to complete. I remember driving by a few times on my way to catch a flight, wondering what they were doing over there. The mural is very colorful and eye catching and has colorful geometric patterns running its length. You will find one of the designs resemble a checkered flag (a nod to the Indy 500). Another resembles the rainbow carpet from the old IND terminal. The best view is from the road approaching the terminal. It may be hard to find a spot to park and enjoy the piece from there though as it is marked as no parking. You can also view the mural from the cell-phone lot. You can get a longer more stationary look from there, but it is like looking at a sweater from the backside, you can kind of see it, but it is not the best. The mural is intended to be viewed from the road entering the airport. I am not saying that I pulled over on the side of the road to get a quick look, but you will have to be creative to get a look from the road as the mural is intended to be. If you want to catch the mural, you have time. It will be on display for at least 3 years and do not worry about the cups that make it up. They will either be reused or recycled. I really like this mural. You do not see many like this. I could only imagine what it took to bring this project together. I understand that this is not a destination piece and would probably only be viewed by someone visiting the airport, either to fly out, drop someone off or pick someone up. I am glad that I was able to check it out and share my experience.

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.

This mural is the work of Mary Mindiola, who painted the piece in 2022 as part of the Indianapolis…read moreAirport Art Program, in conjunction with In Indianapolis Art Council. It replaced the Life in Covid mural and in my opinion is an upgrade. You will find this mural on the small wall on the ramp leading from the 3rd level of the parking garage to the bridge leading to the terminal. This is the area that you will find kiosk to pay for your parking and the water bottle vending machine. It wraps all the around the entirety of the walls on both sides, bookending the stairs. Where it is positioned, It can easily be missed. The mural is abstract and depicts a series/pattern of bamboo, tree trucks, yellow fruit, leaves and flowers. You will also find the word "happiness" running vertically along some of the sections. If you look closely you will see other things such as claps hands, the name "Gary", and a bunch of other hidden words and images. That is Mindiola's signature painting style. It is a simple mural and has a wall paper type of feel. I am on the fence about this mural. It is no secret that I am not a huge fan of abstract art anyway. The art work is nice though and Mindiola displays her talent. I understand that this mural is not a destination piece and the majority of its viewers will have business at, or be flying into or out of the airport and most likely using the garage. It is a plus that you don't have to go through security though to see it. Well, anyway the airport is full of wonderful art pieces and even has a small gallery. This is not one of the better ones and is a little too deep for my blood. But hey, at least you know what they crazy painted wall is the next time you see 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

Colonel Harvey Weir Cook is the namesake of the road that the Indianapolis airport is located. He…read morewas a pioneer of commercial and military aviation in Indiana and is credited with founding the city's first principal airport and predecessor of IND, the Indianapolis Municipal Airport, in 1931. This statute is the work of Terre Haute Artist Bill Wolfe, and it took him two years to complete. It sits prominently at the center entrance to the Airport's Ticketing Hall and greets visitors as they are coming off the escalator from the parking garage and rental car area. It stands seven-feet tall, is made of bronze and sits on a 1 ton limestone base. They statue weighs about 500 bounds itself. The statue is flanked by two small metals stands holding a black informational plaque. The one on the left lists some of Colonel Cook's accomplishments and the statues donors. The one on the right lists his military accomplishments. The statue is displayed prominently in the airport and demands your attention. It is very detailed and from what I have seen, an accurate depiction of Colonel Cook. I understand, that the sculpture it is located in the Airport, making it is hard to get to and impractical to just make a special trip to see. The vast majority of people seeing this sculpture will be flying in or out (to some extent) of the airport. Some may be waiting for someone to meet someone getting off the plane, while others walking their friend or loved one to the gate.

It really reminds me of a cloudy sky. Clouds preceding the coming rain. A sky related art piece is…read moreabsolutely fitting for an airport. It is really worth looking up towards the ceiling while you are in the airport's main hall. I think Tank has already covered all the technical data and artist information available, so I am not even going to elaborate on it.

This very intriguing piece is located high above the main atrium in the Indianapolis Airport. It is…read morea permanent piece in the Indianapolis Airports Art Collection, in conjunction with the Indianapolis Art Council and the Indianapolis Airport Authority. This piece has an interesting story. It was the brain child of Rob Fisher, who envisioned the aircraft of the future as being silent, hovering, feather-light machines for "dirigibles." However, Fisher passed away unexpectedly, after only two weeks of learning that he had received the commission to do the piece. Ultimately, the piece was completed by his wife, daughter, and studio manager, in 2008, using his plans and vision. The piece spans 200 feet in diameter and is constructed of 118 pieces of teal-colored, perforated aluminum and stainless steel. Each piece weighs about 10 pounds and are hanging from aircraft cable. It is intresting to note that The teal color used on the project's vessels is a custom blend that is only used on Fisher's projects. It has become known as his signature color. At first glance, for me, I thought the pieces resembled jelly fish. They have the beauty of a smack of jellyfish. I will admit that I have passed this piece many times without even noticing it. I never took the time to look up because I was so focused on getting to my gate. I am sure that I am not alone either. After reading the vision though, I can easily see it and I am here for it. So if you are in the airport's atrium/food court, located outside terminal A and B's security screening checkpoints, slow down and look up, and treat yourself to some nice public art. I totally understand that this is not a destination piece being located in the Airport. It is hard to get to and impractical to just make a special trip to see. The vast majority of people seeing this sculpture will be flying in or out (to some extent) of the airport. Or some may be meeting someone at the airport and did not feel like waiting in the car for them.

Indiana got all kinds of cool murals and stuff. There's another example of it. The Indy butterfly…read moremurals right there pretty close to the Pacers stadium fun spot to check out.

This mural is located on the downtown CVS. It was painted by Kelsey Montague in 2019 and…read morecommissioned by the developers of CityWay2. Montague painted a few other murals in the Cityway complex while she was here. This is an interactive piece that has been following a national Instagram trend. There is a set of big wings for adults and small wings for the littles. So, this mural is not very unique as you can find similar pieces all across the country. The mural is meant for you to stand in front of and give you the appearance that you have wings. I almost posed for one of those then I remembered I was a grown man with a little self dignity. Just kidding, the wings make for good photos. There are also a large mural of Indy native butterflies on the adjoining wall titled Shadowbox Butterflies. It is a very nice piece and goes well with this one. As with most murals I have visited, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. If you are quick, you could probably park in the CVS parking lot. 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 in CityWay to view.

Little Green Thumb at Garfield Conservatory…read more We tried a new-to-us program today and it was honestly SO cute! This peaceful, hands-on story time was such a sweet way to spend the morning with the kids. The kids got to: Feed & pet the chickens Read stories about the sun Use the sunshine to melt crayons into cute animal shapes Pick peppers Check out dried sunflowers & their seeds Have a little dance party Plant beets Explore the garden It was such a calm, down-to-earth experience that combined story time, gardening, animals, crafts + outdoor exploring--perfect for little ones! Garfield Park Conservatory -- Indianapolis Ages: 2-5 $6 per child Registration required Next Little Green Thumb: September 16 | 10-11 AM Join them in Blake's Garden to learn about gardening and help plant, grow & harvest in the vegetable garden. There will also be a story, craft + time to explore! Definitely adding this one to our list of sweet Indy activities for little kids!

The conservatory offers a variety of plants, flowers, and serene views of the waterfall. The…read morewaterfall and fish pond was definitely my favorite view out of everything offered at the conservatory with their scenic views and decor. The sunken garden was an okay view, the fountains were beautiful but there wasn't any other foliage, flowers, or scenery out there to enhance the view. The garden definitely has potential to be better than it is.

Many years ago, when I went to school in Indianapolis, this was not a part of town I would go to…read morefor any reason. Now, it is my favorite part of the great city of an Indianapolis. It's filled with fun things to do and terrific restaurants. It is my go to place when visiting and the place I point people to when they ask me for a recommendation.

As a tourist visiting for a weekend: having lived in Silver Lake (LA, CA) for a few years and…read morehaving walked around a bit and dined in this area (Fountain Square), I think it's safe to say that this is the or at least one of the hipster areas in the Circle City. The area feels artsy and very pedestrian/bike friendly. The restaurants look nice, but not overly expensive or unapproachable. It's funny because when I visit new cities, I tend to gravitate towards the restaurants in these type of areas. On this trip, I ate at both Milktooth and Bluebeard - both wonderful places to eat. I also had drinks at Four Finger Distillery and Inferno Room. It's located really close to the main downtown Indianapolis area. I actually parked in the area between here and the downtown area when I went to the Colts game on the Sunday I was here.

This is a permanent piece in the Indianapolis Airport's Art Collection. It is located between the…read more2nd and 3rd level of the airport's parking garage, suspended between the walkways. It is the work of local artist Greg Hull, who created the piece in 2008. It consists of 11 individual red balloon looking structures that meant to be "kinetic elements". The artists describes a much deep meaning for this piece, which is way above my head. They say "the final work embodies layers of complexity that were developed and executed through collaboration with professionals in a variety of fields." The piece does add some decorative value to the garage though. The structures are starting to show signs of fading and wear, a bit. But I am sure that I would too, if I was exposed to the elements for almost 15 years. So, considering all that, it looks pretty good. If you park or go through the garage, you cannot help but see this piece. However, because it is located in the Airport, more specifically it's parking garage, it is hard to get to and impractical to make a special trip just to see. With that being said, just keep an eye out if you park in the garage or have some time to kill and want to run over there and check it out. And if you do understand what is going one here, please enlightened me. I am lost in the red ballons. I can't see any interpretation past their beauty. They have me hypnotized.