I was in stop-and-go traffic along I-70 this afternoon and spotted this very unusual artwork…read more Unfortunately, this was not a good place to park or visit as the sculpture is located inside the onramp from Madison Avenue onto the Interstate. I was able to find the description by searching https://www.indyartsguide.org/public-art/life-evolving/ and here we are. This is a 40-foot metal sculpture of a ribonucleic acid (RNA) nucleotide molecule. The location (mostly) is good because it is just south of the Eli Lilly and Company campus. The artwork was installed here in 2012. Life Evolving is the creation of Chilean-American artist and scientist Biagio Azzarelli, who lives in Indianapolis. There is a good writeup on https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/forty-foot-sculpture-symbolizes-lillys-indianapolis-commitment. [Review 17199 overall - 39 in Indiana - 716 of 2022.]

This sculpture is not in the best place to SAFELY get a good look. It is located just off of the…read moreI-70 on ramp from magazine street. The 40 foot tall sculpture was designed by Biagio Azzarelli and is made in the likeness of a ribonucleic acid (RNA) nucleotide molecule. In speaking of his sculpture, Azzarelli said "I am thrilled with the installation of Life Evolving. Its prominent location along I-70 will welcome people to downtown and, I hope, stimulate public conversation and scientific curiosity." I must be honest, I have seen it a few times and thought it was a radio tower, antenna, or a replica satellite. It is made of hollow steel spheres, beams and rings. It is a site to see, but you will better appreciate it with a explanation before your visit. The sculpture was the final installation of Indys' Green Welcome, where members of the community worked together to produce a new identity for their community. It is a collaborative effort by the Eli Lilly, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB), and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). It was made as part of Eli Lilly's 2010 Global Day of Service. The land that the sculpture is on was donated by INDOT. I do not recommend trying to stop at this sculpture. It is a drive by type attraction and the speed of which you do so is dictated by who is behind you. For some reason, I really like this sculpture. It is unique and I am sucker for road side attractions. So, anyway if you do pass this sculpture now at least you know what it is and not have to worry about getting zapped by radio waves.

Viewfinders is a set of three illuminated sculptures in downtown Indianapolis created by artist…read moreJason Myers and unveiled in 2026 as part of the Indiana Convention Center expansion's major public-art initiative. There isn't a formal artist statement specifically for Viewfinders, Myers is known for using transparent, skeletal forms to explore human connection, conversation, and shared presence. These themes align with these three figures standing together as if mid-discussion. Catching them in the early evening between rail was ideal. The LEDs were already active, giving the trio a quiet glow while there was still enough daylight to appreciate the fine detail in their metal work. They really do read as three people paused in conversation, and the lighting adds a subtle sense of motion, almost like you've walked up on a moment already in progress. [Review 1023 of 2026 - 229 in Indiana - 26202 overall]

This three piece sculpture set is the work of Eric Nordgulen, who created the piece in 1996. It is…read moreconstructed of aluminum and glass and welcomes you to the Mass Ave area. The sculptures have a combination of glass and fensnel lens, which are the type of lenses used for page magnification and theater lighting. It is located on a very busy pedestrian crossing island where New York Street, Delaware Street and Mass Ave meet. It has heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Rumor had it that the lenses produce an inverted image of yourself when you are close to the sculptures, making the viewer part of it. So, I had to give it a shot. And yes, I can say that it is true. It is kind of like a kaleidoscope effect. This is an eye catching piece that is a nice gateway to the area. It, along with Ann Dancing, is a staple of Mass Ave and one of the area's signature pieces This piece was MIA for a while. Sadly, the piece was hit by a car during the winter of 2020 and was severely damaged. Fortunately, Nordgulen was able to restore the sculpture back to its original glory and it was placed back in its location in the summer of 2021. So I guess Ken N's 2018 review of the piece was some type of omen or something. There is tons of metered street parking and commercial parking lots available within a reasonable walking distance of this sculpture for you to park and get out. I guess you can get a peek of it from the windshield of your vehicle doing a safe and strategic, slow rolling drive by. Anyway, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, as interesting and interactive as this one is, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. 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. There are tons of murals and sculptures concentrated in this area including, Ann Dancing, Mari Evans mural, and the Boom Baby (Reggie Miller) mural.

Personally I think it's ugly and doesn't do the honoree justice. I do get the concept behind it…read morethough. And I do feel that Wooden does deserve to be remembered by a statue at least. But being surrounded by just the lower extremities of the players? What's more this seems to invite folks, especially young ones to climb around in between the legs. I think we could have done better.

Hmmmm. This is very interesting. It is located in the pedestrian median in the middle if a somewhat…read morebusy street. It is located in the club/bar district of the downtown. There is metered street parking and paid lots all around for you to park, if you so desire, to get out and take a closer look. Coach Wooden was a college basketball coach, nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood". During his 27-year career as coach of the UCLA Bruins, he won 10 national championships, 7 of which were consecutive, in a 12-year period. Additionally, he coached the Bruins to 88 consecutive wins, four perfect seasons, 20 PAC 10 championships, 38 consecutive NCAA tourney wins. His tie to Indiana is that he was born in Hall, Indiana, grew up in Martinsville, IN and he coached basketball and baseball at Indiana State, in addition to being the school's athletic director. The sculpture depicts Coach Wooden crouched down in between a group of 10 legs (5 pair, which happens to be the number of players on a basketball court) while clutching a rolled up playbook (which was his signature). I am assuming the sculpture is simulating Wooden being in a huddle with his players. The base of the sculpture has the words from Wooden's Pyramid of Success, such as confidence, honesty and cooperation. On the ground you will find a quote from Wooden himself, "Success is piece of mind attained only through self satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you're capable." It is cast in bronze and is the work of Jeffrey Rouse. Rouse created it in 2012. It is definitely, eye catching. But I must be honest, I have passed it many times while I was downtown and never noticed it though. I must have been focused on the road. Anyway, be careful crossing the street if you are going to get a closer look at the sculpture. As is the case with most public art that I review, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. It is probably best to plan out additional stops and make it part of a larger itinerary to maximize your trip.

Since I sat at the Slippery Noodle watching the artists install this mural, I think I should give…read moremy 2 cents worth. Long overdue. I am one of those folks who know nothing about art and so I judge it by how it makes me feel. Generally I have three options, like, dislike and meh... This one falls into the like category mainly due to the colors used. I really enjoy this color scheme. It feels upbeat and reminds me of spring even so there are no flowers involved. It does brighten the underpass for sure. And every time i drive it makes me smile.

This mural is located in the underpass leading to downtown's Warehouse District, just one block…read moreaway from the Rolls-Royce corporate office and aircraft engine museum; It is beginning to show signs of wear and tear, but is still decent. The mural gets its name from the 100 Rolls Royce employees that created it. It was painted in 2018 with the aid of local mural group, Big Car Collaborative as part of their day of volunteering. The mural depicts a repetitive, yet colorful Rolls-Royce jet engine. The mural is not painted directly on the wall. It is actually, painted on 24 - 8' x 4' foot wooden panels making the 60 ' x 24' mural. They were installed on the walls in 2019. It is a very colorful mural. The colors surrounding the center axis of each engine randomly shift. Those shifts in color are suppose to evoke a sense of the circular motion of the engine. Unfortunately, I did not feel it. There is metered parking near the mural or if you wont be long, there are spots reserved for IMPD, that are right in front of the mural, that you could probably pull over and get out and take a quick look. Unfortunately, for this mural, I have seen a ton of public art and compared to the bulk of what I have seen, this one is ok, middle of the road for me. Anyway, as with most murals I have reviewed, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 3 minutes. You should consider planning out additional stops at many of the other wonderful murals and attractions in the area, such as the Major Taylor Mural or John Wooden statue, to maximize your time and trip.

Brickhead 3 sits in the center of Bill Gray Plaza, a small pocket of space directly across from Ann…read moreDancing and it fills it with an unmistakable blocky geometry. The Brickhead series is all about the human head as a recurring theme, pulling from imagery tied to past cultures and ancient civilizations. This one adds a 21st-century twist with a sound component meant to echo a "calculating mind," mixing permanent thought patterns with fleeting ones. I missed hearing that in the street noise but I did get here in the very last light of the evening and it made the bricks pop with a warm contrast that really brought the form to life. It's easy to overlook this plaza when Ann Dancing is pulling the crowd, but Brickhead 3 rewards the detour. The scale, the texture, and the way the piece blends the form with modern sound makes it a surprisingly engaging stop on an Indianapolis art walk. [Review 1035 of 2026 - 239 in Indiana - 26214 overall]

These cool brick head sculptures are showing up around Indiana, so am finally getting the scoop…read more The giant head sculptures are the work of American artist, James Tyler. According to the plaque, Tyler is an Indianapolis native, who now works in New York. The sculptures are made of terra cotta and treated with metals to give unique a patina on the surface. The head on Mass Ave (outside Bru Burger) is entitled "Brickhead 3". According to a nearby plaque, the sculpture is supposed to have an audio feature that is activated by nearby movement. Unfortunately, I did not notice an audio feature during my walk around the sculpture. Perhaps, the feature is turned off during the winter? Brickhead 3 was made in 2004 and placed permanently on Mass Ave. I love that an Indy artist is featured locally. The head is whimsical and seems blend in with nature. The surrounding green space could use a cleanup. There is metered street parking nearby (if you are lucky). Worth a visit if you like art.

With the passing of Dolly Parton, I had to stop by Amelia's to check out Muckrock's 2019 mural…read morelocated at the back of Amelia's in the Fletcher Place/Fountain Square area. The mural is of Dolly in her younger days, glammed up and tattooed with the tattoos reflecting a couple of Dolly's iconic moments - the award-winning film "9 to 5" and her famous song Jolene. It's hard to imagine anyone in Indy not knowing about MuckRock, aka Jules Muck, an England born street artist now based in Venice, California. Muck created the mural during an informal artists' residency here in Indy in 2019. Even with all the traffic issues in this area, it's pretty easy to be able to stop and check this out. It's a quick visit, of course, but this area has quite a few other places (including Amelia's) worth a stop. There are a handful of murals in Indy that really make me stop and smile when I see them. Dolly Door is most definitely one of them, and stopping today to check it out made me remember so much about her history and also a long ago interview I got to do with her during my college days. An iconic mural for an iconic artist and human being.

Dolly door is a Indianapolis garage mural of Americas sweetheart Dolly Parton with lots of her hit…read moresongs tatted on her face in a trendy Indianapolis neighborhood. My family and I was in town from Lousiville on a weekend getaway while my daughter has cheer comp. Her competition was a few miles down the road at the convention center when we decided to take a post comp lounge at the popular Bluebeard and check out the public art in its surrounding area. On the rear of Bluebeard where the public parking is we seen this amazing piece. The artist did a wonderful job painting her likeness and the hit songs being tatted on the face was a fun and unwise touch very contrasting to Dolly herself. Overall we loved this piece. We seen a lot of public art while in town and this one will undoubtedly be our favorite and most memorable piece. I laugh every-time I look at it. Good stuff!

It was a nice day in January so, I decided to take advantage of it and go for a stroll. There was…read moreno better place to do it than the Cultural Trail, That is when I stumbled across this gem. This is part of the 12-part series Glick Peace Walk. It was made possible by the generosity of Gene and Marilyn Glick and was installed in 2010. With the exception of two, the walk runs along a section of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail on Walnut Street, between Meridian Street and Capitol Avenue. There is metered street parking of the streets that run perpendicular to the walk and you may be able to find some areas to pull into, if you are not going to be long. The walk celebrates the lives of individuals who made peaceful contributions to humanity. It honors luminaries that made peaceful contributions to humanity. This luminary garden, as it is referred, is dedicated to Samuel Langhorne Clemens, AKA Mark Twain, a writer, humorist, and entrepreneur, best known for the books Tom Sawyer and Huckelberry Fin. The garden was designed by Rundell Ernstberger Associates, RLR Associates and Circle Design Group. The garden also has an informational placard, a small bench to sit on and a curved surfboard shaped piece, made of glass, aluminum, with Anthony's face on it that illuminates at night. It is eye catching, especially with it lined up with the other 10. I really like these luminaries and what they stand for. They are eye catching, ascetically pleasing, and educational. Definitely worth a peek. It looks great for being almost 15 years old and the area is adequately maintained. This is definitely a spot to check out. I would not make a special trip for it, but if you are in the area, traveling on the cultural trail or at the Main library branch, it is definitely worth a peak. It not only gives you the opportunity to stretch your legs and get some fresh air, but you can also learn a little too.

The Glick Peace Walk (Cultural Trail) has a collection of ten islands that are located on Walnut…read moreStreet between Meridian Street and Capitol Avenue including a luminary & information kiosk about Mark Twain. The installation was added in 2010 as one of twelve (total) to celebrate the achievement through peaceful means by contributors to our country. The installation uses glass, aluminum, and lighting along with an informational kiosk about Twain and a timeline embedded in the concrete beneath.  Instead of writing about all the great things Twain has done, I will simply direct you to the kiosk. Review #1800

This piece is part of I-70's Corridor Public Art Project, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful. It is the…read morework of then art student Kathryn Armstrong, who fabricated the piece in 2010 when the city was trying to get all pretty for the Super Bowl. It consists 34 pod-like forms of varying sizes and colors and is located off of I-70's exit 77 (Holt Road) . It is spread across the on and off ramps. This work was a collaborative effort between Herron's Center for Art, Design and Public Life, Eli Lilly and Company, and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. (KIB). The table looking pieces are very colorful and Armstrong intended for them to naturally interact with the green space. The individual structures are made of Concrete and paint, anchored down by heavy duty steel cables. The grass around the pieces is somewhat maintained. I understand they cannot cut it every week, but the grass was high and was in need of a good trim when I was there. You can easily see the piece as you I driving down I-70 in either direction. It welcomes visitors driving from the airport to the city. The pieces are in good repair, but as you can expect with 12 year old painted surfaces, they are starting to lose their luster and fade. They are pretty sturdy. I was able to stand on top of one with no issues at all. If you desire to get a closer look, you could pull off at the exit, park on the shoulder get out and take a closer look. I would just caution you that it is an active road (be it an off ramp) and to be careful crossing the street. I had been by this piece many times and always wondered what it was and today was the day I decided to go in and check it out. This is a nice conversation piece that definitely demands your attention. It is a simple design that many of you may have past on a number of occasions. Anyway, as with most sculptures and art works that I visit, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. As I mentioned, please be very careful if you do stop. I recommend making this a part of a larger itinerary or visiting here on your way to somewhere else such as the airport.

I drive by these every day on my way to and from work . I…read moreremember this was done in an effort to beautify our city in time to host the super bowl. I am unsure if visitors were very impressed by the effort. It does add a bit of color to the exit and I guess it is something different. The pretty pastel colors of these shapes remind me of Easter eggs. Especially since they are sprawled out in the grass. Like deformed eggs, or those that have been stepped on. I know that sounds bad, but I do like them. And isn't art anything that makes you feel something?