Centerville, Indiana has an alternate name: "City of Arches". Along West Main and on South…read moreMorton, a number of buildings have arched entrances to breezeways/passages from front to back. So, it seemed fitting to become the theme during the 2015 Festival of Murals in Wayne County for this piece. Artist Mark Gardner created an image of portholes on the side of the building with a ribbon spiraling through them. The ribbon lists facts about the town and also the location/names of the arches. Reflecting the size of the arches themselves, the mural is smaller than many of the other entries in the Festival. Review #1239

I'm a big fan of street art and murals. The historic part area of Richmond has some really cool…read moremurals. We were in the area looking at a list of waterfalls but happened upon this area and neat murals. I would like to come back and spend more time exploring.

If you enjoy murals in unexpected places, this is the block to go! The north end of the blocks…read morewhere Ft Wayne Avenue meets North E Street has surprises on the fronts, backs, and even near the tops of the buildings. On the west side of Ft Wayne Avenue, the Richmond Furniture Gallery building has numerous images of furniture painted by the loading docks on the north side. There is also a portrait of Charles Mosey, early recording artist, by Pamela Bliss (1999). There is also a banner mural which reads "Greetings from Richmond, Indiana". On the south end of the block is a mural by Damon Reed of guitarist Lonnie Johnson with a post card of Richmond behind him and to the left. On the east side of Ft Wayne Avenue, you probably see the rooftop billboard/mural of Louis Armstrong playing his trumpet next to a sign for Historic Richmond. Down at street level on the north end is a mural of Louis Armstrong on one side of the doorway and Hoagy Carmichael on the other. The mural that seems to spur the most discussion is the alley mural of windows and doorways by Pamela Bliss. Although there are very few actual doors and windows on the alley, Bliss had painted in the areas to make it appear the building is occupied by a variety of characters. As you stroll through the alley, you will see a peacock, a puppy, a kitten, a young woman, a recreation of the famous WWII image of a sailor kissing a gal, a guitarist, a carousing husband getting home late to a wife with a rolling pin, and even a flying pig! There are other windows and doors as well. Lots of imagination and a bit of humor. If you are in Richmond's Historic Depot District for coffee or a bite to eat, make a point to stop by and check out the fabulous murals throughout the area. Review #1235

Downtown Cambridge City is being transformed by a number of large historic murals painted by the…read moremother-daughter artists, Pamela Bliss and Carly Mattingly Dee. Some of the works were painted individually, while this one was a collaboration. Back in 1865, the Lincoln Funeral Train passed through Cambridge City on its way to Lincoln's final resting place in Springfield, Illinois. For the sesquicentennial of the event, Bliss was selected in 2015 to design and paint a tribute to the event. This huge mural covers the east side of a building on Main Street (US 40, the National Road). A colorful locomotive is depicted as moving from the back of the building towards the front. On the upper left, a historic building is decorated with patriotic drapings while a large black and white bust portrait of Lincoln fills the upper right. There are several other murals in town done by Bliss and Dee: "Back in Time: Cambridge City Canal" by Dee (2011); "Postcards" by Dee (2010); "Single G" (a world famous harness racing horse) by Bliss (2010); and the newest "Gen Solomon Meredith" by Bliss (2018). If you are in the area, the town is just a short drive from the interstate and the murals are within walking distance. Bonus: If the post office is open, there is a mural inside the lobby by Samuel F Hershey called "Pride of Cambridge City" painted in 1941. Review #1201

It is completely free. So fun. Lots of history. Really a beautiful little spot. Flowers were…read morebeginning to bloom. My 3 girls loved it. Made a little donation and they sent me a thank you email.

The Rock Garden was neat to see. It had a bunch of places created out of rocks and it is well…read morepreserved. It's free to visit, they just ask for a donation to help preserve the community.

If you are in the Hagerstown area, do yourself a favor and check out this fantastic mural inside…read morethe second floor of the Nettle Creek Valley Museum (the Odd Fellows Hall). The place may have a small fee and has limited hours, and the stairs up to the second floor can be kind of steep. But I have never seen anything quite like it, despite the quirky setting. Painted in 1913 (and having had some touch up work along the way), this massive mural by Charles Newcomb covers all four walls and has a painted sky for the ceiling! Despite the room being a bit cluttered with other items, there is enough of the mural visible to appreciate the effort it took to make the images all fit with a common theme. Each of the walls appears to be painted as an outdoor wall with a balcony about two thirds of the way up. Above the balcony, there are potted trees and shrubs, and folks dressed in what I would be guess to be Florentine attire from the Renaissance period. And in some cases, there are figures painted at floor level like an affluent couple with their dog. The mural is thought to be inspired by the painting in Philadelphia called "Girls Dining Room" by Maxfield Parrish, a contemporary of Newcomb. Review #1244

happened upon some great street art and murals in the historic section of Richmond. We made the…read moretrip from the Dayton Ohio area to see some waterfalls and happened upon this section of town while passing through. I would like to come back and explore the murals and take more time. I'm sure i missed some.

The stretch of murals between 8th and 15th on Main Street is amazing! Many of the pieces celebrate…read morethe musical heritage of the city. Others have some connection to the building they are part of in some way. If you start near the corner of 9th and Main St, on the north side of the street is "Layers" by Jon Terzini. It is on the east wall and shows a giant hand pealing layers of whitewashing off the side of the building to reveal images. Crossing to the south side of the street, "Greetings from Richmond, Indiana" by Carly Dee Mattingly (2015) is on the west side of 9th. The mural is done in black and white and looks like a historic postcard of Richmond. Across 9th on the east side of the street, the back of the building has a 25' tall portrait of Hoagy Carmichael by Pamela Bliss (Mattingly's mother). The portrait is also in black and white. Along the side of the building as you head back to Main is the mural "King of the Delta Blues (Charlie Patton) by Charles Guess (2011). The mural appears to recreate an old photograph. Sadly, the image is somewhat marred by drainage from the rain gutters. The mural is roughly 10' x 10' Heading east on Main, you will next see "The Age of Communication" by Mark Gardner (2010). The mural is on the east wall of the building on the north side of Main. Part of the mural was covered by an attached banner that I wasn't sure if it was planned that way or simply a case of some business that doesn't care about art. The mural is 20' x 14' Across the street at 1003 E Main St is a Peacock mural that was added 2014. Continuing east another block to 1129 E Main (south side of the street), the east wall of the building has a mural called "Cross-Rhythm Coda" by Justin Montavan (2010). Two blocks east and on the north side of the street are a pair of small paintings on the front of House of Ink. And at a business that sells tobacco at 1428 E Main St, there are several images of celebrities who smoked: Bogart & Bacall are paired, and Groucho Marx. All the detailed images were painted by Pamela Bliss. Bogart & Bacall's portraits are painted 13' while Groucho's is painted 8'. Each of the portraits shows the celebrity: cigarettes for the pair; a cigar for Groucho. Note: Just a block north of Main at 9th (120 North) is a building that has a number of mosaic inlays by Henry Mercer (1910). There are nine trades represented by the images as well as numerous medallions. Review #1245

This mural is on my favorite store in Hamilton. Unsung Salvage. Be sure to stop in if you're…read morechecking out the mural. I'm pretty sure that this building used to be a place that sold lighting fixtures and parts, so the bulbs seem appropriate. I don't know why Hamilton is so into origami, but whatever. It's neat. At first I thought they were cranes and bats but then I found out I don't know anything about origami and that they're swallows "foreshadowing spring." Thinking they are bats is way different than swallows foreshadowing spring. The more I learn the names of murals in Hamilton, the more it seems they are titled to try to alleviate people who fear losing their city to the sort of people who make murals. And the people who make murals are paying homage to the history of the city with bright color pallets. Anyway, I forgot to say this is from the Street Spark team here in Hamilton. They do a fantastic job. I love to see them out painting. From their homepage (https://www.fittoncenter.org/streetspark) Lead Artist: Nick Scrimenti Supporting Artists: Lori Farr, John McCoy, Ariel Williams Thanks, guys!

Stumbled on this when in town to visit the county historical museum. Google or Apple or someone…read moreknows I am a history buff, and this popped up. Fit it in when I could. Pull up to the building on the hill. Nice parking area. But it turns out that is the smaller, annex building, really. Head down to the row of shops across the street, and you will enter a world full of Model Ts. Beautifully restored and displayed, with good explanations of their backgrounds, and often a copy of the group's magazine in front with an article about that particular car. Superb staff, friendly and knowledgeable. Tons to see. When you finish here, there are more cars (and a plane) across the street. They have events, and it's really worth a visit if you are anywhere nearby, are at all a car buff or history buff. Or just curious. A few cars for kids to sit in, etc., and they'll have fun too.

A fun and interesting diversion, but I think unless you're really a car buff, the $7 admission is a…read morebit stiff. Fascinating to see actual 100-plus year old vehicles arranged in such a way that you learn about their development. Interesting how they were really toys for the very wealthy until about the early 20s when the assembly line started to bring the prices down. It's housed in two buildings, the second one really had much more to see than the first. The docent/tour guide was full of knowledge and enthusiasm and would probably talk for hours if you were willing to listen. A couple visitors who were there were major car buffs, looking closely under hoods and discussing valves and pistons at great length. The guide did a good job balancing between them and those of us who were really more interested in the historic aspect and a somewhat shorter tour. Along with the cars, tractors, trucks, you can see antique office equipment, tools, car accessories, vintage advertising and mannequins dressed in period costumes. Most of the vehicles have been restored with fresh Ford paint jobs, but a few are on display in all their ancient, rusty glory. Be prepared to spend the entire visit on your feet. As with most antiques, the general rule is 'look but don't touch' but they are not obsessed with this and didn't seem to mind some careful, respectful touching of the restored vehicles. Perfect activity for a Sunday afternoon.

Starting in 2014, the center part of the IU East Campus in Richmond has displayed juried sculptures…read morefrom around the country. As numerous pads were installed around the landscaped center, they became the temporary resting places of sculptures that are loaned to the campus for two year periods. From 2015-7, six sculptures were added, one of those, becoming a permanent addition. Placed close to the central exits of the campus halls, it was easy to see a variety of sculptures. One of the sculptures was placed close to the center of the campus, Portal for the Agrarian by Greg Mueller. This is considered a permanent placement (I believe) and continues in that location even though the other five were replaced by six new sculptures. In roughly the same location as the previous exhibit, five new pieces were added and a sixth was placed on a hill to the north of the Whitewater Hall. These pieces are expected to be on site until their loan period ends in August 2019. These will eventually be replaced by new pieces. The pieces currently on campus include the first kinetic installation on campus. Much of the art is abstract in design, so it may appeal to different people in ways that are unique to the individual. My favorites are the "Calibration" by Luke Achterberg, the Kinetic Beam 2.2 by Rollin Karg, and the Unending Ache by Victoria Nieman. The art work does not have plaques labeling the pieces, but information can be found on the campus website. Review #2596