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!

This mural commemorates five Tuskegee Airmen that had local ties to Howard County. The mural is the…read morework of Texas artist, Malcolm Byers and was recently unveiled on May 14, 2024. The mural is part of a larger project that includes a historical exhibit at Grissom Airforce Base that tells the stories of those that served. The mural and exhibit were conceived by Robin Williams, V.P. Of Howard County Memorial Corporation with funding from grants and donations. The mural is located on the side wall of Dechert Law Office in downtown Kokomo. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first group of African American pilots and support staff to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. The five gentlemen pictured were either born, lived or worked in Howard County. Pictured from left to right are Gordon Morgan, Sgt. Andrew Dunnigan, Maj. John Cunningham, LT. John McClure and LT. Col. Bennett Hardy. The mural tells a powerful story of these Hometown Heroes and is worth a visit to Kokomo. There is a single park bench near the exhibit and plenty of free street parking.

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

As Tipton embraces the new murals that are contributing to the revitalization of the downtown area,…read moreit is nice to look back to the first public art in town. Inside the Post Office, a 12' x 7' mural was added to the interior west wall. The mural, painted by Donald Mattison, was started in 1936 and finished the following year. The title, "Indiana Farming", fits the community even today. The mural was commissioned post-Depression as part of a program to help keep artists employed around the state. I know of 36 post offices which were selected as part of the program. The idea being that since everyone used the post office, the mural would be shared by everyone. The mural shows multiple activities related to farming. There is a team of horses hauling the crops into the barn, a mother and daughter folding the laundry from the clothes line, a boy who collected eggs, and several other activities. The mural is done is pastels though it is possible that time has faded some of the colors. If the post office is open, this is a fine example of the cultural heritage of the community. Review #2814

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!

One of the newest additions of public art to Tipton's downtown is from the self-taught county…read moreresident Tanner Fernung. Fernung grew up in nearby Sharpsville and was selected to paint this mural about a block north of the courthouse. The mural is called "22" which represents the number of American Veterans who commit suicide daily in the USA. This heartbreaking statistic connected with the young artist who created the mural in black and white of a waving American flag. In the foreground of the mural is an image of a sculpture that represents a fallen soldier: a pair of boots with a gun sticking out of them and the soldier's helmet balanced over the end of the gun. The mural is not easily seen from the street since it was painted closer to the back part of the north wall it is on. If you like Fernung's work, you can visit The Alley on South Main to see a couple more examples of his painting. Review #2815

Love this mural. Patriotism at it's best! The artist did a fantastic job. It's kind if hidden but…read moreworth looking for. It's at the intersection of Main St. & Washington St. Just look to the SE and you will see it.

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

In Marion, Indiana, there is a stretch of State Road 9 that runs through the town that has been…read moredesignated as "Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial Way". On each end of the memorial road, a marker was installed to honor Dr King. Hoosier artist Kenneth Ryden created a bronze bust/deep relief (circa 2000) of Dr King to be attached to the markers on each side of town. The marker has a quote from Dr King that reads: "I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality." The quote is from his acceptance speech for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Review #2236