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

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.

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

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.

It has changed from an artsy community to a more heavily food focused area. Not that I am…read morecomplaining. I thoroughly enjoy all sorts of foods. I take my foodie group to this area to dine out a lot. And you can take a nice walk around the area and admire the murals of this area. There are so many, gorgeous and from such talented artists. I often take a stroll before or after dinner to see the murals or peruse through the little shops. One of the big plus points had always been the free parking. Unfortunately it seems to be changing as I have ended up in a couple of paylots lately. I am not amused. So do yourself a favor and double check your parking spot to see if you need to pay.

This is a great spot for locals and visitors alike! We stopped by from out of town thinking it…read morewould be a good winter activity for our little one while it's too cold to walk much outside. The conservatory exceeded our expectations! Admissions is affordable at $5 per person, but it was free the day we visited because of a reptile show! We got to see tortoises, skinks, salamanders, tarantulas, snakes, and more! Inside the conservatory, there are fish and a couple other critters permanently on display. The signage around the gardens is informative and interesting- and the plants are simply beautiful! So well cared for and healthy. I could have walked around the loop 5 times and noticed new things each time. There are several places to sit and relax throughout the gardens (we fed our baby on one of the benches). There is a restroom and coat racks- which you'll need because the gardens are quite warm! What a great find for the afternoon! Bonus that it's located right in a park, by a library, several cute places to stop and eat, and public art. The only downside I can think of is that there wasn't a ton of parking- probably more accessible when there isn't a special event going on!

There is something about plants and nature that brighten up my mood. I came here on a gloomy rainy…read moreday, and it was the perfect decision to lift up my spirits. It's close to the highway so easy access and near my house - double plus. The admission to get in was $4 per person, and they take card - another plus for being inexpensive. They have plants for sale and host events/activities, the lady working was friendly and explained all of that. They have brochures in the front as well. Inside is so astonishing, there is so much to see. It's so beautiful, I adore and admire all of it. I love how things are labeled and have informational tidbits about the plants. They have ponds with live fish and waterfalls around. They have a restroom and it had a window so of course there is a plant inside, I love it. I'll have to take note next time I go here that it was very warm inside, I felt very hot so dress accordingly. There is parking available. Check hours before coming, holidays vary.

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 work is by Dan Thompson aka (Artistically Known As) Dan Handskillz. It is rare for an artist…read moreto get a mulligan, but that is the case with this mural. Originally painted in 2018, this mural had to be redone the wood panels that the artist used to paint the murals were very durable or built to last. So, he got the opportunity to paint it again in 2019, but on more sturdy steel panels. It is a two part mural that consists of two separate panels. He had to repaint it a third time after being vandalized in March of 2021. He should be able to paint this in his sleep by now. He tried to stay as true as possible to the original but also wanted to expand with the times. He got the design from the the clusterborg/junkbot concept and depicts a futuristic robotic arm on one panel, reaching out to an outstretched human arm on another panel. The piece is very detailed and colorful. I like it. And the fact that he had to do it twice makes it that much more impressive. It is very similar to the Michelangelo piece, The Creation of Adam. But this just shows the arms, without the full bodies. Anyway, it is a nice piece. There is street parking available right across the street from the mural. As with most murals that I have reviewed, though, this is probably 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, three are right across the street from it, to maximize your time and trip.

Some art doesn't need interpretation. You simply see it and it is beautiful, or whimsical, and you…read moredon't really wonder what the artist was thinking. I think that is why a lot of artists don't label their work. Other pieces may border on the edge of familiarity, but are left to your interpretation. I think this piece, even titled, is one that is open for interpretation. I was not able to discuss the piece with the artist who is a bit of a mystery himself. So, I simply encourage you to check out this mural and see what you find a connection to. Back in Italy, Michelangelo created the "original' Creation of Adam just over 500 years ago depicting the moment when God reached out to his creation and gave life to the first man. This similarly titled mural pays homage to the moment of creation with two large hands reaching towards each other. On this new mural, one hand is an expected human (or is it God like) hand and the other is somewhat mechanical looking or possibly gloved hand. All kinds of theories come to mind about the intention of the artist, but since I haven't talked with him, I can only speculate. Since I've been following public art in the Indy area for several years now, I am familiar with this artist's work. However, the story is complex and one I don't fully understand. All around Fountain Square and Broad Ripple, you will find work by artist Dan Thompson. Dan keeps recreating himself because he changes how he signs his works and continues to change, so maybe there is something about this mural that signifies moments in his own life. This mural is signed Invisible Hometown. If you look around town, you may find pieces signed by Dan Handskillz, 6 Cents, or FAB Crew (Fantastic Aerosol Brothers of which Dan was half). There may even be more names on his works since he has collaborated on different crews and may have even signed his own name sometimes. As an outsider, it appears he is recreating himself as an artist. So maybe this mural is autobiographical. (I could be way off on this since I have to speculate.) If you want to see this mural in person, go to the location of the former Pioneer Alpine restaurant and entertainment venue. On one side of the venue (facing Shelby Street is another mural called "View from Fountain Square" by Alicia Zanoni (see separate review). On the other side of the panels is the mural "Creation of Adam". If you come see these, you can check in at both! I believe this mural was created in 2019. If Dan does an interview with my friends at the Arts Council of Indiana and shares more about this piece, I will add the link to this business. Maybe this is simply meant to be enjoyed. But it is interesting to wonder what the artist was thinking about or inspired by to put so much into a mural. Review 3852

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.

The pictures tell it all. I know I have reviewed this before but for some reason the pictures fell…read moreoff so I wanted to add them back. I would have to say that service is the number 1 one thing you can expect from this place besides location and the jaw dropping beauty of it. All the brides I have talked to for referrals say: Bill will find a way to make your wedding dreams come true.

High end gallery some very interesting pieces. If you want to look around or are looking for…read moresomething for you our a gift. Art is of course very subjective ... what one person loves .. another might dislike but I saw a lot here that I thought was interesting.