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

One of the most unique art installations in the city is called "Nineteen", located behind IFD…read moreFirehouse #19, just southwest of downtown. Created by Clyde Pennington (with science information by Mark Kesling and fabricated by Intuitive Iron), this park/art installation behind the firehouse fills a circular plaza with multiple pieces. Fire hoses are bent and extend parallel to the ground to make benches. Another bench is created from road signs. A cityscape (practically in 2D because it is so flat) rises in the middle of the park with a great deal of useful fire safety information attached. (Not so much art, but there is also four small pergolas for shade in the area too!) Pennington is a firefighter and took up creating sculpture and furniture in his spare time. This collection was created in 2013. Review #1670

This abstract sculpture is the work of Jerald Jacquard and is located in the front of the…read moreIndianapolis Fire Fighters Museum/Union 416. It was made in 1999. This sculpture was commissioned by the Riley Area Development Corporation as part of the MassAttractions program, an art program that placed art along Indianapolis' s world famous Massachusetts Avenue. It find it odd the way it is set up. The sculpture sits on a cement pedestal that is on a cement pad. The sculpture itself is made of steel that was painted to help slow down the effects of corrosion. The piece is intended to depict contrasting thoughts and emotions. I do not know where to even start to accurately depict such a thing. Well, if you ask me, the sculpture kind of resembles the symbol that Prince (the Purple One) changed his name to a few years ago or an upside down fish hook. Anyway, now that you will never be able to unsee my comparison. The sculpture looks like a saw formed into an abstract T. Maybe it is just me but this is way too deep for my blood and I am not a fan. Being over 20 years old, the sculpture is starting to show signs of wear. The aqua color that the steel sculpture is painted is stating to fade and wear off. Luckily there is a lot of other stuff to see right by this sculpture and should definitely not be your primary destination, but a stop on your way to a more captivating attraction. There is a lot a metered street parking available to park, get out and take a closer look at this 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 murals and attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. I would start with the Chatham Passage, the Indianapolis Fallen Firefighters Memorial and the Firefighters Museum

If you look at it now, it is hard to believe that only 30 years ago that Mass Avenue was nearly…read moreabandoned and considered a blighted area. The City wanted to turn the area around and with the help of a number of initiatives, began adding art to brighten the look of the area. One of the pieces eventually added in 1999 was Visual and Mental Paradoxes that sits near the intersection of Mass Ave and St Clair. The piece was created by IU-Bloomington professor Jerald Jacquard. The elevated metal sculpture has two flat surfaces that are secured at right angles to each other. The metal has a variety of shapes cut from the sides forming an irregular shape that rises to a horizontal section at the top. The metal has been painted to help reduce rust from taking over, but the piece does show some signs of aging. Although it was briefly not viewable on site during the construction of a new building on the corner, the piece was not repaired. There is also a double pedestal below the art: a stone block sits on a pad and a gray cylindrical shaped pedestal lifts the piece even higher. Review #1743

What I really like about this art installation is that it is unique in a location filled with other…read moreart. It appears to be a pathway on the east end of the IAC that is covered by a pergola. There are lots of colorful plantings that make for a nice stroll, especially in spring and summer. But what makes this unique is that the artist has included sensors to trigger a collection of sounds from nature as the visitor passes through the pathway. Sometimes it may be a bird call, or some insect or maybe even a breeze. Fifty years of sounds have been selected to help transport the visitor to some place more rural even though the installation is surrounded by an asphalt parking lot. Quite a feat! Review #1558

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

Nice mural hidden on the side of the building facing Gomez Grill. I don't really know the…read morebackground on this, I just know it is made of several individual panels and depicts a bus picking up folks. It's a nice bright spot and the artist is certainly talented. Check it out next time you sare in the area.

This is a mural that is not actually painted directly on the wall. It consists of six individual…read morepanels mounted on a wall to form one picture. It is a small mural, even with the 6 panels. It is the work of Matt Eickoff and was made in 2007. Even though it has been around a while, it is still in great shape. The colors are very vivid and bright. The artist intended to display his experience with riding the bus to work by incorporating mini narratives between all of the people at the bus stop in the mural. It tells a story of sorts. The mural also has the city scape in the background. The mural is located on the side of Financial Health FCU, overlooking a small parking lot and facing MuckRock's Fire, Fire mural. So, parking and getting out to get a closer look at this mural is simple and easy, if that is what you want to do. This piece is very busy, but it works and I like it you can see the story the the artist is trying to tell and the colors really pop. As with most all murals that I have reviewed, 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, such as Kiss Kittens and Fire, Fire, in the area to maximize your time and trip

This mural is an abstract piece that seems to have its best years way behind it. It is located…read moreacross from the City/County building and is painted on a parking garage that overlooks a commercial parking lot. It was painted by Roland Hobart, with assistance from Naegele Outdoor Advertising, in 1973 as part of the Indianapolis Urban Walls Project and was founded by American Fletcher National Bank. It was the first installment of the project. I would call it old, but we are close to the same age, so I will just call it a mural with seniority. The mural was also originally on two walls. The white wall perpendicular to where the mural is now was part of the mural in 1973, but severe deterioration forced it to be repainted and all they could come up with was white. The mural has been receiving increasing calls for restoration and people are starting the raise funds. The walls being located on private businesses with different landlords presents a little bit of an obstacle because they have to have them agree to have their walls painted. It is a simple piece that consists of geometric shapes, Consisting of mostly red, yellow, and orange circles, pie shaped wedges and triangles. I believe the mural has not been painted or maintenanced since it was originally painted. It is severely faded, peeling and chipped, but I guess considering that it is almost 50 years old it almost has some historical significance. It is old school. I think the mural has more value as a historical piece than the actual art work. Anyway, there is a lot of metered street parking available near the mural, so you can park, get out and take a closer look. There are also a few garages within a reasonable walking distance too. You could also get a decent look from the windshield of your car doing a strategic slow-rolling drive by. 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 downtown attractions.

Having spent more than 40 years in the metro area, I am continuously amazed at how the downtown…read morearea has transformed from the well earned "Naptown" label into a destination. And for as much as sports, construction, and the canal have done for the area, I believe that public art has to be considered as another great success. Think about it: Colorless limestone building with no imaginative decoration filled the area (with just a few exceptions). But in 1973, the City took a chance and created an "Urban Wall" Project that set things rolling. Back in '73, the original mural selected for the project was a Shelbyville artist named Roland Hobart who oversaw the installation of a two-wall mural. The colors were vibrant! The impact was amazing! Indianapolis with a multi-story mural? And an abstract at that? Really? It got people around here to think about art beyond what was in the IMA. It got people to remember that there were older pieces of art around town that should be maintained. But sadly, when murals are painted on private property, it is difficult to control the maintenance of the piece. Heavy water damage on the south facing wall led to a decision to whitewash the entire half of the mural. It was assumed that the empty lot would eventually be built on and so, go ahead and paint over it. Sad. And what is left of the east facing wall is faded and has damage to it as well. It is just a shadow of itself today of what it once was. The good news is that there is movement towards restoring the mural to its vibrant origins. Now that the near east side of downtown is finally getting some development with the Cummins Building and others, maybe someone will generously contribute to the project to restore this landmark piece. For more information about the history of the wall, check out the Arts Council of Indianapolis website for an excellent write-up. (see website on the business page of this review.) Review #1323

If you are in the Keystone at the Crossing Area, drive a couple blocks north of the mall to check…read moreout this massive art installation, Trigonum. Created in 1979 by local sculptor Don Robertson, this giant metal wedge is balanced in the center of a roundabout in front of the Phillip R Duke Assoc. building. The 10 1/2 ton sculpture is made of steel and has been allowed to take a rusty patina. The sculpture has been surrounded by a small circular flower garden to add a bit of color to the installation. This thing is bigger than my car! I still wonder how it doesn't fall over...must be some massive anchor in the ground. Review #1514