I believe that this was once a nice mural. However, it has deteriorated very fast. It is severely…read morefaded and the business that it is on, Union Street Flower & Gifts, looks vacant. As others have mentioned I really like the 3D aspect, but it needs to been renovated soon before it hits the point of no return. The mural is the work of Jon Blice and Christopher Edwards, artistically known as Blice Edwards. They painted the piece in 2011. The mural is pretty busy and depicts a blooming flower with a lot of imagery that symbolizes the city's history such as "34" which represents 1834, the year Westfield was founded, the North Star which represents the underground railroad which went through the city, a shamrock, representing Westfield High School's mascot and "31" and "32", which represent the convergence of these two highways known as the "Grand Junction." There is a lot going on here and without context or very intimate knowledge of the city it is just a lot of stuff. The fading and deterioration just compounds the issue. I love the work of Blice Edwards as a whole, but I am really not too fond of this one. If you would like to get a closer look of this mural, there is street parking available in a reasonable walking distance and there are a few lots that you can park in as well. I recommend parking across the street to give you the best view because the mural is so large. As with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, 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 huge Pirate Cove mural down the street.

If you are driving from US31 towards downtown Westfield, you can hardly miss the brilliantly…read morecolored 3D mural at the corner of SR32 (Main St) and Union. The mural seems to pop out at you from the north wall of the Union Street Flower & Gifts. So, it seems appropriate that the murals contains brightly colored flower petals and other shapes to reflect the purpose of the business inside. The mural was completed in 2011 by the artist team of (Jon) Blice (& Christopher) Edwards. They operate out of their offices just south of 54th Street in Broad Ripple and have done numerous murals around the Indy Metro area. Review #1209

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 mural is massive. It not only covers Big Hoffas BBQ's main building, front, back, and sides,…read morebut it bleeds over to the building next door. It uses every inch of the building and incorporates flag masts on the buildings roof. It was painted in 2019 by Jackie McCracken and Robert Schaefer. The mural wall is not flat or smooth. It has ridged, kind of like a tin roof, and overlooks Big Hoffas' parking lot. The mural theme continues on into the restaurant. I am not sure of the tie in with Barbecue and pirates, but Big Hoffas is all in and seems to make it work. The mural is very colorful and has a lot going on. In the center you will find a couple of pirate ships sailing off the coast. The front door of the restaurant is used in the larger of the ships. The left side of the mural (as you are facing it), is very interesting. It is actually kind of 3D and has cutouts of a pirate scene with a swashbuckler bursting out of a window of a building and and 4 more pirates down below sitting by a campfire. There are also a set of white angel wings in between those pirates that are like those that are starting to pop up all over the place and where people can takes pictures in front of and make look like they are wearing them. They seem kind of out of place to me, but no big deal. The rest of the mural is mostly a coastal image. I love the artistry and use of color and can only imagine how long it took to paint it. You can not help but be "wow'ed" by this mural. You probably wont spend too much time checking this mural out. It is a lot to look at a digest. I was there about 10 minutes. So, I recommend coupling it with a visit to Big Hoff's to eat some of their delicious "Q". Since it overlooks their parking lot, parking here is easy. I would also recommend checking out that entire mural that includes the patio area and a whole other building next door.

Wow! What a statement piece mural has been added to Westfield. On the east walls (and wrapping…read morearound three other walls) of the Big Hoffa's BBQ and the Main Street Shoppes is one of the largest murals I've seen. The entire length of wall has been turned into a Pirate's Cove with multiple sailing ships, pirates, and even a few skeletons. The north ends of the buildings continue the mural to add images of an island paradise and a cloud covered sea. The mural was created by Rob Schaefer and Jackie McCracken in 2019. There is so much detail to see, I will pick just a few to highlight here. Ship's masts - Not only is there a giant mural, but some construction was done to turn the largest ship's masts into actual wooden structures with crow's nests that stick up above the wall of the mural. As you approach from the east, it makes you think it is a real sailing ship! Pirate theme - For anyone who has dined inside Big Hoffa's, there already existed a pirate theme, so kudos to the artists for taking that and making the entire building a not so subtle advertisement. Insta-worthy - If you can get here when there isn't a crowd, there is a section of the wall with a pair of angel wings where you can take a selfie while surrounded by pirates. This is one of those pieces you have to see for yourself to appreciate how much skill and effort went into creating the mural. The surfaces aren't smooth, but unless you look carefully, you can't tell that there are raised ridges that run vertically which add even more challenge. Although I am rarely a fan of other murals being painted over, (the space used to have a giant village painted in a somewhat primitive style), I can't deny that the visual appeal of this new mural is much greater to me. The next time you are in Westfield, make a point to stop by these shops! Review #3360

This piece is part of the 2020 Jiffy Lube Mural project, in conjunction with the Arts Council of…read moreIndianapolis. It is the work of Artur Silva and Shaunte Lewis and is not your typical mural. It is not painted directly on the building wall. The image was printed on vinyl and installed on the building. This is the first digitally-created artwork in the Jiffy Lube mural program. So, obviously it is on the side a Jiffy Lube. The mural is abstract. It goes from color in the center to black and white as it gets toward the outer edges. The left side of the mural is a mirror of the right side. It mainly consists of a lot of colorful hands. There is also a heart thrown in for good measure. The hands are based on Silva's friends' performing various actions with their hands. He also used screenshots of films highlighting the role of hands in telling a story. I will say that it is an interesting piece that I found very intriguing. I was trying to figure out which each hand was doing in the mural. I like the way the color portion of the mural contrasts with the back and white portion. They both really pop. I just pulled into the BP gas station that the mural overlooks to park. It was very easy. 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.

As part of the ongoing commitment from the local owners of many Central Indiana Jiffy Lubes,…read moreanother new mural was added to the south wall of the Jiffy Lube on 151st in Westfield. The artists for this piece were Artur Silva and Shaunte Lewis. The artwork is a mixture of bright colored pieces surrounded by black and white "sketches". There are many images of hands that I haven't had a chance to understand what they represent. It is a definite eye catching mural as I noticed it from 151st even though it was just beyond a BP gas station on the south wall of the Jiffy Lube on Thatcher Lane. For more information about the artists and Jiffy Lube art program, see the link to the Arts Council of Indiana that I have added to the Business page of the mural. This piece was added in 2020, so something good came out of that year! Review #3861

One of the rising stars in the metro Indy public art scene is Nekoda (Koda) Witsken who is from the…read morearea and has returned home after extensive travel and education to brighten the lives of people in the area, exposing them to art without the confines of having to visit a museum by placing her murals inside restaurants and other businesses as well as on the side of a building or on the supports of an underpass. Her murals seem to have a vibrant color to them and sometimes have larger than life images. Sometimes they seem abstract and other times, timeless landscapes or portraits, but what ever she paints, it is a pleasant surprise to enjoy. This mural located inside the El Lago Mexican Restaurant dining room covers the entire east wall (over 25 feet!) There are two parts to the mural which you can check out in the photos attached to this review. If you want to take time to enjoy looking at the mural, just order a fine meal and sit and look at the mural while you dine. Do yourself a favor and check out this mural the next time you are in the Geist area! Review #3879

First time in this booth style antique and vintage store. It is located in Westfield to the right…read moreand behind Big Hoffa BBQ. You never know what you are going to find in booth style shops. Prices were good and bad. As always prices are controlled by each individual booth owner so some are reasonable and some I would consider unreasonable. The staff in the store were all real friendly and they held our items at the counter as we shopped to keep our hands free for more items, yes that is a problem Just kidding, nice of them to do. I failed to get through the entire store so I will have to make a return trip, my friends are faster than me as I like to look at absolutely every piece to make sure I do not miss than gem I was searching for. I keep a running list of things I want to find as well as a list for some of my friends. I found plenty to bring home on this day and we had a fun time reminiscing and searching through each booth. It is a good place to spend several hours. I will definitely return.

Customer service needs some work. Lady at the front was extremely dismissive and rude. She was…read moreunable to provide helpful assistance on how the process had been updated and made us feel like we were idiots for not already understanding. We will be taking our business elsewhere.

Located within walking distance from where all the action is in town made it easy to get around…read morewithout a car. The neighborhood is charming and filled with friendly people. My accommodations were extremely comfortable, clean and truly exceeded my expectations. There are only three quest rooms so it is very quiet and relaxed. The food was absolutely outstanding, especially the chocolate chip cookies!!! Kelly and Joe made me feel like I was at my home away from home. I will definitely return and highly recommend a stay.

We just returned from a stay at this B&B in the charming town of Carmel IN. Our stay was fabulous,…read morethanks to our hosts, Kelly and Joe. The property is lovely, and our room (Anna Lynn) was spacious and comfortable. The pillow top King size bed was spectacular! Joe and Kelly's breakfasts were absolutely phenomenal. Everything was gourmet quality, and served with care. They are lovely people and we enjoyed chatting with them each day. I fell in love with their little dog Ted, and it was very hard to say goodbye! We have stayed in many B&Bs and the Old Town Carmel was one of the best! Would highly recommend this to anyone seeking a relaxing stay in the Indianapolis area, as it was an easy drive to the city. Lots to do in the Art & Design District.

A very nice theater in the heart of Westfield. I had not even realized it was here until a friend…read moresuggested going here for a play. The seats are tiered so it appears that there isn't a bad seat in the house. We sat in row 2 toward the middle. Seats are very comfortable. The staff members here are very friendly and it is obvious they enjoy what they do. Concessions are available although there wasn't much variety on the night we were there. I recommend dining at one of the nearby restaurants before arriving. Parking is available in a lot behind the building. We will definitely be watching for upcoming plays.

Charming playhouse, easy to locate. Nice big stage with…read moretiered seating. Lots of interesting plays coming up Saw Class of Chaos performed by the Basile Westfield Playhouse Youth Advisory Council. These kids had 24 hours to learn the play and did a great job. My granddaughter Brooke was one of the 17 actors. Tickets are reasonably priced. Lots of parking

I was in the Yard District in Fishers playing Pokémon GO and found a PokéStop linked to this mural…read more I decided to go check it out and even posted a picture of it on my story on social media. I think the art is great and the message is wonderful. I wish it was in a more noteworthy visible spot though!

I love when I find public art when I am out and about in the indy area, I was walking through the…read morefishers yard district and noticed this colorful piece and had to take a snap of it. Upon further research, I found out that it was painted by Nekoda Witske, who is a part of the hue mural group, I really enjoyed looking at this since it was bright and just really makes you happy (if you're into colors) and is a combo of a face and a rose. I'll have to seek out more of her work around!

Carmel has a dang cute selfie station on Elm Street just east of the Monon. The mural looks like a…read more1960's postcard and stamps with scenes from around Carmel. There is even a mark on the sidewalk to tell you where to stand to take your selfie. This is one of several selfie spots that I saw in the area. I used to call the area downtown Carmel, but the City has rebranded as "Midtown" and Midtown Plaza. The colorful mural was the brainchild of Wilkinson Brothers Design and was unveiled in March 2021.

The mural is the work of Carmel-based Wilkinson Brothers Design and was placed in 2021. It faces…read moreElm Street and is opposite the side of the BIG SCREEN at Midtown Plaza. This mural gives the appearance of a vintage post card and reads "Greetings from Carmel, Midtown Plaza". There are scenes from the city in the cutout letters that include the Monon Trail, Sails, the Coxhall Gardens Clock Tower and City Hall. The card is against a colorful cityscape background cutout with other cityscape silhouettes on it. You will also see stamps of local attractions around the area on the mural including Hotel Carmichael and the Palladium. It is a gorgeous mural that is Instagram ready. The city intends it to be an interactive piece that affords visitors the opportunity to take a selfie. To make sure that visitors get the best possible selfie, there is a decal that tells you where to stand. It is located just outside Java House Coffee Bar and Penn & Beech Candle Co. I love interactive art. This mural is no exception. I was excited about seeing it and I am sure it will be a popular attraction in the area. I will say that it is off of a somewhat busy street, so use caution when approaching. There is free street parking and a garage available to park within a very short walk. I know that this is probably not going to be a long stop, but I still recommend checking it out. 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 Monon Trail or the Sails sculpture that is right down the street.