Man o man, this mural has really fallen off, as have a few of the artist's other works. This is the…read morework of Jules Muck AKA (artistically known as) Muckrock. She painted in 2019 during her brief residency in Indy. The mural is located in front of a record store, Indy CD and Vinyl and depicts Debbie Harry's head, the lead singer of Blondie on a red background. The mural has a metal plate that has been painted to blend in with the mural. The artist painted her traditional tag "MuckRock" under Harry's eyes, like some form of eye black that football players wear. Artistically, the mural is very good. It is a realistic depiction of Debbie Harry and could almost pass as a photo. The mural has began to show signs of wear and is plastered with street flyers and stickers. It also has a newspaper distribution box in front of it. It is almost as if people are intentionally trying to block it, like a game or the new Tik Tok challenge. There is metered street parking right in front of the record store. That is where I parked and got out to get a closer look. You could also get a decent look from the windshield of your car doing a strategic slow-rolling drive by. 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 decent murals in the area.

Sometimes, art surprises you by its placement. It isn't expected and therefore, catches your…read moreattention. But there are other times when art is perfectly matched to the surroundings and adds to the ambiance/culture of the area. That is the case for two new murals added in Aug '19 by international artist Jules "MuckRock" Muck. The placement of two murals at Indy CD & Vinyl was perfect for a mural of Blondie (Debbie Harry) on the front of the building, and of two of Motorhead's members on a shed in the back of the building. Both murals are done in a lifelike style but with little twists from MuckRock. The headshot of Blondie is a faithful rendering of Harry but with the the words "Muck" and "Rock" added to her cheeks. The Motorhead image is primarily done in black and white with a giant full colored rainbow emerging from behind the headshots of the two musicians. Note that Motorhead Lemmy Kilmister (not pictured) has been a frequent image created by Muck. And Muck doesn't pull any punches with the image as one of the musicians is proudly flying "the bird". If you are a fan of music, or art, or just looking for something different, stop by and check out the new murals. Review #2872

One of my favorite sculptors in Central Indiana is Arlon Bayliss. His works can be found in…read moreseveral mediums in cities in or near the metro Indy area. For this particular sculpture, he has used 150 identically shaped 1" thick glass pieces rotated around a metal axis to create this image. The Helix shape is thick, but the medium still allows sunlight to pass through on sunny days. Unfortunately, my visit was on a cloudy day in winter, so I didn't get the benefit of the sunlight or of the three fountains in a pool for the full effect. The piece stands about 17' in height and was dedicated in 1993 to celebrate Anderson University's 75th anniversary. The piece can be found on the north side of Hartung Hall (north of 5th and east of College Dr). This piece has a smaller "sister" piece in Noblesville called "Flame of Life" created in 2000. Review #3544

This is a nice mural located on the side of a tall building and overlooking a parking lot. It is…read moreright next to the Hancock County Jail. The mural is the work or renowned artist Pamela Bliss and was painted in 2021. The Downtown Greenfield Mural Committee commissioned the piece through a grant from the local White Family Foundation, who has farming ties themselves. The 35 feet tall mural is intended to celebrate Hancock County's agricultural roots. It depicts what appears to be 3 generations of famers by a fence with a teenaged girl sitting on a fence while an older farmer is telling her and another farmer a story while gesturing excitedly. On the other side of the fence, you will see a small calf joining in on the conversation as well. The mural is very vivid and detailed and I like it a lot. I am a fan of Bliss's work. It is rumored that the likeness of the three people in the mural are based off actually Hancock County residents, Tom Graham (older farmer), Jay Shininger and Katie Brown (young girl farmer). They were selected by local theater director Chris Schaefer. It is interesting to note that some pear trees were cut down because they were blocking the view of the mural. Greenfield is all in on this mural. The mural is in great shape and not showing signs of wear yet. This is definitely not a destination piece, but if you are in the area and nearby, then it may be worthy of a quick visit. As with most murals that I visit, this was not a long stop. I was there about 5 minutes and I was off. I recommend making this part of a larger itinerary or a stop on your way somewhere else such as the nearby Riley Park or Old Log Jail.

This mural is very busy. It has a lot going on. It is painted on a wall right outside the Indiana…read moreCity Brewing Company. It was painted a a collective of drinkers that have a painting problem known as the Craft Brew Doodle Crew in 2019. The group formed in 2014 and has partnered with the brewery. The mural only used three colors, white and yellow, with a black background. There is a bunch of doodles on the mural including a cat, a sawn, ghosts, skulls, robots, worms, a shark, beer in a pint class, a drink in a wine glass, an owl, a wolf, and a guy in a ball cap saying "yo". That is not all of the doodles packed into the mural. You will also find the logo of the Indiana City Brewing Company prominently placed on the left side of the mural and the words "Love Great Beer" centered on the mural and painted over top of all the doodles. The crew has promised to periodically redo the mural to keep it fresh, which is very rare. I like this piece and the Doodle Crew's passion and background makes me like it that much more. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. The mural is painted on a wall that forms one of the perimeters of the brewery's parking lot. So, parking and getting out to get a closer look at this mural is simple and easy, if that is what you want to do. As with most all murals that I have reviewed, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 3 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other wonderful murals in the area to maximize your time and trip. You could start with the Hardware Peg Board mural that is right across the street.

I drive by the Major Taylor mural in downtown Indianapolis every day on my way to work. It has…read morebecome a source of inspiration that I look forward to seeing. In September 2020, the Arts Council of Indianapolis kicked off a series of murals called the "Bicentennial Legends Series." The decision was made for Major Taylor to be the first Bicentennial Legend. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Marshall "Major" Taylor was a racial justice advocate and internationally recognized cyclist. In 1899, he became the first African-American world champion professional cyclist. He was also the U.S. Sprint Champion in 1899 and 1900. He became one of the truly pioneering athletes in the U.S. and a role model for other athletes facing discrimination. The mural is located on the Barnes & Thornburg building at 11 S. Meridian Street. It is easily visible from East Washington Street driving west. Funding was provided by the City of Indianapolis Bicentennial Commission, Barnes & Thornburg, the CIBA Foundation, Glick Philanthropies, and public donations that were made to the Major Taylor Coalition and matched by SRAM Corporation. The mural, which was finished in early Fall 2021, was created by African-American artist Shawn Warren, a Chicago native whose most notable work commemorates the Tulsa Massacre - it's called "In a Promised Land" and is an absolute masterpiece. Indy-based painter Boxx the Artist assisted Warren as part of a program to train artists on the creation of larger murals. The mural itself is a triple-portrait of Taylor capturing him at three stages of his life - as a youth, at his peak in racing, and after a two-year hiatus from racing. I love this quote from Warren - ""It was important to create some form of a narrative that not only depicts Major Taylor as a world-champion cyclist, but as a stoic, unwavering individual who faced the ugliest forms of racism," Warren said. "It's imperative that those who view the mural understand the difficult task Major Taylor took on to represent and win in a sport for a country that viewed him as an inferior person. The three portraits display Taylor as hopeful, courageous, and determined. His humanity is just as significant as his accomplishments as an athlete." I don't typically review a lot of public art, however, I've grown really fond of this mural and am thrilled I get to see it everyday. As we move toward opening up downtown Indy again, I'm excited that more and more people will be able to see this remarkable mural in downtown Indy.

This Mural goes by the name World's Fastest (Major Taylor). It pays homage to cyclist Marshall…read moreWalter "Major" Taylor, the world's first international Black sports superstar. During his career, Taylor set numerous world records, and won national and international titles. Even with all of his accomplishments, Taylor died without a dime to his name. The mural was painted by Shawn Michael Warren with the help of Boxx the Artist in 2020 and was commissioned by the City of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Bicentennial Commission, the Arts Council of Indianapolis and the Major Taylor Coalition. It takes a village to make a mural happen The mural depicts Taylor holding an American flag and him on a bike. It also has a quote from Taylor's autobiography "I was a pioneer, and therefore had to blaze my own trail. It is very vivid and huge. It is facing a huge paid parking lot and is on the side of Buffalo Wild Wings. I did not know about Major Taylor or his story. After doing some research on him, I wonder why I didn't. He is a very inspirational man and has a miraculous story. Who knew that looking at a mural could lead to some knowledge. As this mural is in a parking lot, parking and getting out to get a closer look at this mural is simple and easy, if that is what you want to do. You could probably even see it from the comfort of your vehicle and do a slow rolling drive-by and have the same effect. As with most murals that I have reviewed, 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 or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

This is an awesome mural that consumes the entire building. It is on 6 walls of the building and…read morewas designed by Anne Costillo. It is one of the better Lilly Day of Service murals. It was painted in 2013 by volunteers, most of which with little to no formal artistic training or experience, through collaboration by Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, the Indianapolis Children's Museum and the Lilly Day of Service. The mural is on Ikelite's worldwide headquarters, an Indianapolis-based company that has produced underwater photographic equipment. So this mural is a perfect fit for the building. The mural is very detailed and depicts underwater scenes taken from photographs from photographers Bob Stubbs, Steven Miller and David Fleetham, of the deep blue sea shot around the world. The mural is in great shape and looks relatively new. They must have used some really good paint. The mural is very detailed, especially considering that it was painted by volunteers. You will find a bunch of scuba divers, some sharks, and an octopus. I love the shading used to make the blue water. It is awesome. Parking here to take a good look is relatively easy. Most of the mural overlooks a parking lot and there is also free street parking available to check the mural out as well. I just parked in the street on the side of the building the mural is on. As with most murals that I have reviewed, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 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.

What's not to like about a mural with scuba divers, a shark, and an octopus? This mural was…read morecreated in 2013 as part of the Lilly Day of Service (LDOS) in part with the Children's Museum and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB). The design was created by Anne Costillo and the mural was painted with the help of lots of volunteers. I would say this is one of the better "paint by number" murals done by volunteers in the community. Review #1757

This is an awesome mural that covers two sides of a Fisher's Jiffy Lube. It was commissioned in…read more2020, by the Arts Council of Indianapolis and Jiffy Lube. It is the work of Carl Leck and it took him 3 weeks to complete. The Jiffy Lube is located at the end of a service road, so you can easily find a place to pull over, park, get out and take a closer look. As it is a two part mural, it is best viewed from the corner that the murals meet. The mural uses optical illusions, also known as trompe l'oeil, and makes it appear that you are viewing 3 pillar statues, one of a lions, another of a tiger and the third of a bear. The statues were a nod to the Wizard of Oz line "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!" And if you looked closely, you will see a partially opened curtain being pulled back by a large blue ibis bird, that exposes a man working the levers, as the Wizard did in the Wizard of OZ. The blue ibis is based on the head of Thoth, the ancient Egyptian god of magic, wisdom and truth.The Leck intended the mural to represent the search for truth (the blue ibis pulling back the curtain), and once the truth is revealed, rebuilding a positive future. This mural is a marvel. It is well detailed and really tricks the eye, especially if you view it from the right spot. It is an optical illusion/3D. I really like it. Leck has done many murals in the area and in my opinion, this is the best one. As is the case with most murals that I review, this is 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. Heck, you could even get your oil changed.

In 2020, a new addition was added to the growing Public Art collection in the Fishers/Noblesville…read morearea. As part of an even larger collection sponsored by the Indianapolis Arts Council and local Jiffy Lube owners, a mural was added to two of the walls of the Jiffy Lube near 138th and Olio Road (near the exit from I-69 for Campus Pkwy/Southeastern Pkwy. This eye catching mural is another fine work by local artist Carl Leck who uses a 3D technique to add painted images that appear to take on 3D structure. The style is called "Trompe L'oeil" and Leck has used it to great effect here. (Another local artist named Pamela Bliss has used this style on many simulated storefront murals in the Richmond, IN area.) The two wall mural has a Wizard of Oz theme (seems like a natural for me!). The artist created images of support columns in the form of a lion, tiger, and bear (oh my!) Along one wall, an Ibis can be seen pulling back the curtain of a man who operates everything in secret. Note that the Ibis' tail cast a shadow on the wall nearest it even when there is no sunshine. There appears to be steps leading up to the man behind the curtain, but those are strictly painted to appear as steps. Nothing to climb! If you don't stand in the perfect spot, you may notice a few images not quite lining up because the structures that were painted had to be shown from a specific angle. But it is easy enough to move around to make all the images align. I've been a Jiffy Lube fan for years, but since this one is nearly an hour away, it will be hard for me to support this business for supporting the arts. But if you live near here, I am sure they will appreciate your business. You can check out the artwork while you get your car serviced! Review #3771

This is another piece of art that is located in the center of a traffic circle. It was created in…read more2011 by Brad Howe. It is an abstract sculpture that was commissioned to brighten the mood on residents and motorist who came across it in their day to day. Howe said that he titled the piece Watusi "because it was inspired by photographs of dancers, mainly modern dancers, mainly Martha Graham." The sculpture consists of shapes. There is a red "S" shape, with it going through a stainless ring at the bottom of it that is sitting at a 45 degree angle. There is another ring on top of the one that the red shape is going through and a stainless bar on top of that. There is a yellow half circle on the top portion of the red "s" shape and above the stainless bar. It all sits on a cement base. The colors are very vivid and the sculpture gives me a pop art kind of vibe. I am not a big fan of abstract art, but this piece is "OK". It is also well maintained and looks great, especially considering its age. It is located on a somewhat busy round about. You can either view it from your windshield doing a safe and strategic, slow-rolling drive by or you can find some where to park and get out to take a closer look. I pulled into the parking lot of a church that was right off of the roundabout to get a closer look. As with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. Also, be very careful if you are going to get a closer look, as i previously mentioned, this is located at a busy roundabout. 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 such as the other sculptures at the roundabouts on the road.

If you are traveling north on Rangeline Road just north of the Arts District in Carmel, you will…read morereach a roundabout at Smokey Row Road (136th St) that features this sculpture as its centerpiece. Carmel Watusi was named by artist Brad Howe when it was built site specifically for Carmel in 2011. The artist wanted something wild like the dance similarly named. Metal shapes similar to tires are chaotically arranged among other shapes, some with polyurethane, some with bright colored paint. Review #1296