The Twisted House is a whimsical, quirky sculpture in the ArtsPark. The house is the 2005 work of…read moreJohn McNaughton. McNaughton was a founding member of the Art Department of University of Southern Indiana. He passed away in 2022. The Twisted House is typical of his fun-loving approach to art. The wood sculpture has a storybook appearance. I can imagine that kids (and maybe even a few squirrels) would have fun visiting and playing in the structure with the crooked door and roof that curves over into the ground. The sculpture brought a smile to my face. The Twisted House worth a visit if you like art. There is no charge to walk through the quiet and serene park. There is free parking at the east side of the park.

It was a cold crisp day in late November when I visited the house. I knocked on the door but…read morenobody was home. Just kidding. It is a piece of artwork. It reminds me of the nursery rhyme about the old woman who lived in a shoe. It is just one piece of outdoor artwork and sculptures available on the grounds of the Indianapolis Art Center. I found plenty of parking available at the Center's parking lot. Then it is short walk from the lot.

What a great place! The first 10 minutes on the path are fairly residential, but after that you…read morewalk into beautiful trails and nature! Definitely a hidden gem!

I admit that I've passed by this site a number of times, not knowing what it was. What started out…read moreas a parking lot for the south end of the Big 4 Rail Trail has turned into much more. The site has two prominent pieces of art including a mural of a flowing creek that seems to flow onto the sidewalk. The mural, on the south side of the public restroom building, was completed in 2023 by artist Blice Edwards. If you look at the mural face on, the building seems to melt into the natural background. The mural was made possible by the Zionsville Parks Department. There is a second piece of art which is a sculpture called Wingz by Mark McGarvey. This towering sculpture was also completed in 2023. The "wings" move gracefully, almost flapping, with the breeze. Zionsville really needs more public art so this is a wonderful addition at the south entrance to town. The public unisex restrooms are really nice for Trail users or people out walking. There is natural prairie landscaping around the park. The small site is pristine and has 17 parking spots including 2 handicap spots at the front. I'll be using this new entrance to the Trail. I recommending stopping to enjoy the art.

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

In the roundabout at 151st and Carey Road in Hamilton County, a gleaming stainless steel sculpture…read moresits atop a pedestal. Hoosier artist Steve Wooldridge (from Sheridan) created the piece in 1999 and it was installed recently in this location. From the front and back (north and south views I think), the piece is very narrow with two long and slightly angled support columns reaching up to a cluster of arcs attached where the columns meet. The attachments not only form arcs when viewed from the side, but also are curved away from the supports at the top and bottom of the arcs to add the effect of wings when looked at from the front. There is also a smaller attachment at the back of the arcs that could be interpreted as the body of the dragonfly. There are three shapes which could creatively (if not biologically accurate) represent the three body segments of the insect (head, thorax, and abdomen). On a clear day, the piece is truly eye catching as it rises above the landscaping in the center of the roundabout. Review #1292

Beautiful, love when the sun hits the sculpture. So impressive & it makes me smile as it does look…read morelike a dragonfly!

This is a very long mural that is the work of The Department of Public Words, a group that spreads…read morepositivity and encouragement through art. The mural runs along the Monon Trail and was completed in 2014 after 8 months of work. The mural had collaboration from the Meridian-Kessler Neighborhood Association, SmallBox, Terra Pro, LLC, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, the Girl Scouts, CFI, the Indianapolis Art Center's Teen Art Council, and Sherwin-Williams chipped in with paint and supplies. The mural was painted to replace aging and deteriorating ones that were becoming more of an eye sore than anything. The mural is nice. I like the detail put into each train car. Each car has a positive word or phrase like "Smile", "I Heart You", "You are beautiful", "Do great things", and "Eye believe you can". Each car was made from numerous four feet tall by eight feet wide stencils to cover the 5,000 square foot surface. It is very colorful and detailed. I almost mistook it as a real train from a far. Dave Combs of DPWords said that "the purpose of The Love Train is to bring positive messages to people in a beautiful way". I think it definitely accomplishes that. I really like this mural and the work or the Department of Public Words. We can never have too much positivity, especially in the times that we are in now. This is one of the few murals that you could make a special trip to see. If you are not going for the trail, but just going to see the mural. The easiest place to park to see it is the parking lot of the Half Littler House. It is a very short walk from there. Even though I spent more time here than most other murals that I have visited, this is still probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 15 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.

If you wanna check out some cool art then this the place. This spot is like 2 miles from the famous…read moreBroad Ripple Village. The Monon Trail Love Train is a long wall with lot of art in different colors and captions but of the same format that looks like coaches. Walk all across the wall and you'll find amazing Angel Wings( see my profile pic)and Pink Cranes. There are 2 different angel wings which are Instagramable. Check out my Insta profile:: Mr.harven

This is a tall sculpture located in the center of a Carmel roundabout. I saw it both during the day…read moreand the night and in my opinion, it is far more impressive at night than during the day. This piece stands 42 feet high, and is made of aluminum and steel. It is the work of Arlon Bayliss, who created the piece in 2019. It depicts 3 roses towering over the roundabout. It is very detailed and looks very realistic. I love the pink pedals and how they look like they are made of some type of sheer material. The sculpture also includes gold stems and silver leaves, wrapped in a ribbon. It is illuminated at night and looks amazing. It is rumored that if you look closely at the sculpture, you may find a bumblebee hidden among the flower petals. There are a few parking lots off of the roundabout that you can pull into, park, and get out to take a closer look. That is what I ended up doing. Just be carful doing so, as it is a very active roundabout. This is obviously not a destination piece or a long stop, but if you are in the area and near by, then it may be worthy of a quick visit. As with most sculptures (especially those located on roundabouts) that I visit, this was not a long stop. I was there about 5 minutes and I was out. I came across the sculpture by chance, driving to an appointment. I recommend making this part of a larger itinerary or a stop on your way somewhere else.

Wow! When it comes to making eye catching sculptures, leave it to Arlon Bayliss. This newest…read moreedition (2019) fills the center of the roundabout at Pennsylvania St and Old Meridian Streets. The shining steel roses rise above the lawn a towering 42' and are wrapped in a ribbon. According to the artist's statement, he hopes that the roses add beauty as well as bring Grace, Love, and Joy to the hearts of those who see it. P.S. There is a little surprise built into the sculpture that is hidden "in plain sight". If you like this installation, you can see another of Bayliss' work at 96th and Westfield Blvd (Beacon Bloom) in Carmel and another at the north end of Main Street in Speedway (Seeds of Light). Review #3063

Broad Ripple is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Indy, and part of the reason is because of all…read moreof the beautiful murals everywhere. This is one of the murals I see frequently, because it's right by the Rainbow Bridge and my favorite store in Broad Ripple Village, Good Earth. So, according to the artist's website (her name is Abigail Staffelbach), this mural is actually called "Fire Station 32 Mural." At least, that's what it's labeled on her website. The name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue or conjure visions of flower gardens, but it is painted on the side of the Broad Ripple fire station, so it makes sense. Sometimes pragmatism wins. This is a beautiful piece of public art, and fortunately, there are other murals by Staffelbach in the area that you can check out.

Public art mural of some brightly colored and beautiful flowers on the back of the firehouse in the…read morebroad ripple neighborhood of Indianapolis Indiana. My family and I on a weekend getaway from louisville was dining in the area when after eating we decided to discover the area around as it was a cool looking place. We pulled over to check out this rainbow bridge public art when my daughter pointed out this awesome mural just off the banks of the canal water from the bridge. Very fun photo op that is a wonderful piece in an area with all kinds of cool Pieces of public art.

Fluorescent frogs is a very cool and unwise display of public art located inside the intech park…read morearea of Indianapolis Indiana. My family and I discovered this cool piece while entering a round a bout on the way to our hotel while in town for a weekend get away from Lousiville. Int he center of the round a bout is a small pond. On Thai pond is some constructed Lilly pads with each containing a frog statue on them. At night these frogs glow a beautiful fluorescent light. Very pretty and unique thing to view. I'm not quite sure I've ever seen anything like this before. What a cool and creative way to spruce up a round about for intech park.

At first glance, this mural appears to be a simple, somewhat cartoon-ish rendering of a face…read morepeering out and the words "You Have Company" written above the face. But when you think about it and understand what the mural represents, then you appreciate another level of understanding about the mural and its subject. The figure, which seems to be hiding though clearly in sight, represents those folks we encounter everyday that are going through some sort of mental illness. The message is meant to offer support to those individuals so that they aren't alone and should not feel shamed into isolation. The mural was created by Seattle-based cartoonist/novelist Ellen Forney in 2017 who based the mural upon her book in which she describes how she finds inspiration from other artists and their work. The Department of Public Words, a local public art team, helped with the layout and design of the mural. The mural is part of the Jiffy Lube program of bringing public art to its buildings around central Indiana. Jiffy Lube sells green ribbons to support the state chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) as a tie in to the mural. Review #2299

You will find this piece on the side of a the Carmel's Jiffy Lube. It is the work of local artist…read moreJustin Cooper, with assistance for community members through community celebration paint days. It is a positive mural and is intended to pay homage to Carmel-born artist and illustrator Franklin Booth. It was painted in 2016 and is the product of a partnership between Jiffy Lube and Department of Public Words, a group dedicated to spreading positive messages through art. The message here is to just pause, take time and just "breathe". As most community murals are, this is a simple design. The colors of the mural are dull, almost pastel like, but it is still in great shape. The mural depicts a blue heron flying, against a blue background, flying through a whimsical sky. It is not a very detailed piece, but I love its message and it being a community project. As with most murals that I have visited, this is not a large consumer of your time, nor a destination piece. I was just there briefly while on my way to another nearby attraction. I would say that I was there about 5 minutes. I highly recommend visiting here on your way to somewhere else or making this part of a larger itinerary.

Love, love, love Jiffy Lube's new art initiatives! They have murals on their different locations…read moreall over the city. It seems to not only connect the Jiffy Lubes to the community more, but also distinguish each one as fun and unique. This mural was painted by Justin Cooper in 2016 (just searched the Internet - definitely didn't know that off the top of my head!). This mural is peaceful and just says the word 'breathe' on the side. Great reminder. The light colors are pretty, but it is hard to read from far away. Regardless, I just love the initiative to spread public art and have learned a lot about how great Jiffy Lube is as a company. This is evidence of it!