Driving north on US 231 into Greencastle, it is hard to miss this giant four piece mural that was…read moreadded in fall 2019 by international artist Andrei Krautsou (who signs his work Key Detail). Funds were raised by the local people and a matching grant led to a search for the right artist who would work with the people to create a mural that would capture the spirit of the area. What makes this mural unusual, other than its gigantic size, is that it covers four grain silos (only two are inactive). The round surface makes for a pit of a challenge to fit full images in view. The artist did a rough sketch on the surface and then used a lift and spray paint to finish the job in just a few weeks in September. The four silos have unique themes. On the left, the silo features a bald eagle for American Strength. The next features a cow and horse for Agriculture. The next silo, which is a bit larger features a giant violin representing the Arts, particularly DePauw School of Music & Arts. Finally, the last mural features a whitetail buck, a covered bridge, and morel mushrooms along with the artist's tag on the back. Common to all the murals is the artist's use of plants and flowers to fill in the space around the central images of each silo. The space not only creates a sense of identity, but offers a vibrant first image of the city as visitors arrive. Well done! I enjoy discovering these installations by towns that are fighting to stay appealing to locals and visitors alike. Review #3121

Over the years, this location has been the site of many public art murals that face the county…read morecourthouse with a vibrancy of color that is welcoming to the downtown Brazil area. The last two murals (maybe more) have been painted by local artist Becky Hochhalter. Her previous mural was for Coke products and featured a polar bear. But this new mural (2019) was painted over the previous mural and now features Pepsi products and a scene that recreates a delivery truck and kid's sneaking a peak through a fence into the ball park. The mural has lifelike characters, a full size delivery truck, and loads of color in a family friendly style. It also features advertising for the restaurant located inside the building which I also recommend (see a separate review). If you are in the Brazil area, take time to grab a bite to eat inside, but leave enough time to head outside and check out the details of this giant mural. So many things to check out in the Brazil area. Be sure this is one of them. Review #3789

This mural is only 12 x 12 but features a local celebrity known for his loyalty and dedication…read more Stiffy Green was a British Bulldog who followed his owner everywhere. When the owner passed away Stiffy found his owner's mausoleum and stood guard . Eventually the loyal pet passed away on his own and to protect the loyal pet from damage/vandalism, he was stuffed and now resides in the Vigo County museum. I am sure there is a lot more to the story, but you can research that on your own. If you are driving north on 7th, you can easily spot his mural on the side of the building. I find it delightful that there was such a bond between a man and his pet. Whenever you are in the area, be aware of the multiple images of Stiffy hat can be found around town including having his own beer! Review #3972

One of the most impressive sculptures I have found in my travels around central Indiana is the…read more"Flame of the Millennium" by Leonardo Nierman (2003) on the campus of Rose-Hulman University. Even though the day was overcast, the gleaming stainless steel piece cut 45' into the air. I can't wait to visit it during the summer when the fountains are going on a bright blue day. It must be even more spectacular. And while you are on campus, there is a great variety of sculpture to be found. Many of the pieces were "temporary" when displayed, but the artists, in many cases, simply thought it easier to leave the pieces on campus than to pay to have them hauled and stored elsewhere. So, the folks at Rose-Hulman get the continued benefit of having them there. Across from Olin Hall is an untitled piece by Mark Parmenter. It reminds me of a large scoop and is located near the parking lot. Over on the Olin Hall Lawn can be found "Intersection" by Jeffrey Garrett and "Rays of the Rising Sun over Still Waters" by popular artist Phil Dees. There is also a piece called "Spiral" by Patrick Titzer. There is a small garden near Olin (Advanced Learning Center Friendship Garden) that has a human figure covered in mirrors called "Elusive sElf" by Aleksandra Krasuskaya that is a permanent piece. Closer to the entrance of Olin Hall are "Curly-Que 05" and "Storm Bender", both by Dees. On the back side of Olin is a Cairn for the Chapel Bell (to the west) and many other pieces of sculpture. "Knotty Knot" by Robert Evans is a twisted piece of aluminum. A massive red construct "Cecil Lobo Memorial" is also between Olin and the library. One of the older pieces on campus is the 1924 "Call of the Sea" by local artist Harriet Whitney Frishmuth that shows a young woman riding a fish. Another Evans piece "Knot Revisited" is just east of that. Over towards Moench Hall is a nice bronze called "Woman in Prayer" by Paul Dubois. And in front of the library are a cool sundial and "The Silver-Pulsar" by Dees. Back by the stadium is a sculpture in the roundabout "Self Made Man" by Bobbie Carlyle. This bronze shows a man chiseling himself out of stone with a hammer. The campus also has a Bell Tower and Carillon and a very cool shell shaped building called the White Chapel. If you like art, make sure to fit time to visit Rose-Hulman the next time you are near Terre Haute. Review #1248

On my most recent trip to Bloomington, I headed out to the west side to find a large wind driven…read moresculpture behind the Bed Bath and Beyond store. Partially hidden by large evergreen trees on the west side of the green space is a sculpture that is nearly 70 feet in height made of coated steel that on sunny days, reflects deep colors off its surface. The piece is officially listed as "Untitled 2001" by artist Stephen Powell (2001) but is also referred to as "Fngers". The piece has two end pillars that support a crossbar. The cross bar has five tapered tubes that use their thicker and heavier bases to counter balance the long and narrow portion that reach skyward. As wind catches the long surfaces, the tubes pivot towards horizontal depending upon the wind velocity. On my visit, the wind was light, so the tubes were generally pointing skyward with litle movement. However, I have seen photos of the tubes frozen in winter parallel to the ground! At the time of my visit, there were no benches in the vicinity for visitors to sit and watch the movement though I can imagine that it may be peacefl to watch the tubes sway. I believe I've read the tubes make noise on windy days as well, but were silent on my trip. If you are in the area and the wind is cooperating, take a moment to swing by to check it out. There is plenty of parking to pull up and view the piece in motion. Review #1370

If you like your art big and bold, then you will love the massive steel structure on the Musical…read moreArts Center lawn: Peau Rouge. The "Red Skin" structure was built by renowned artist Alexander Calder in France in 1970 before being installed in 1971 at its current location. The piece is 40' in height (40 x 32 x 33). The vibrant red-orange color is known as "Calder Red" and when the original paint (which included lead) began to fade, an extensive search took place to carefully remove the paint (and deal with the lead safely) and restore the original color paint. Normally, Calder pieces are dismantled and sent to the original casting location to strip and repaint. But this piece was welded and can not be dismantled, so it had to be done on site. There were a number of challenges in restoring the 5500 sq feet of surface area with the special paint, but it was worth it as the sculpture is still vibrant ten years after the restoration. It is worth noting that this fixed standing structure, or stabile, was the last stabile that Calder completed before his death. Review #1268

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.

Along the B-line trail in the northwest part of Bloomington's downtown is a massive sculpture by…read morelocal artist Dale Enochs. The piece is called "Bloomington Banquet" and appears to be a giant dinner table and chairs with a bowl of steaming fish soup. The piece is made of primarily limestone along with anodized aluminum, stainless steel, and powder coated steel. The piece measures 24' x 28' x 12'. According to the artist's website, there is a great deal of symbolism and homage to the location. The dinner table represents the coming together of the community as a family does around the dinner table. The site also was formerly the location of a furniture store, so the table and chairs ties to the history. On top of the table is an ornate bowl surrounded by silverware that stands on end. From the bowl can be seen rising "steam" that supports a detailed fish, suggesting the contents of the dish. The fish was playfully added to reference the image of a fish that sits above the Monroe County Courthouse. Dale Enochs has numerous pieces in the Bloomington and Indianapolis areas. For more information about those pieces, go to his website at https://www.daleenochs.com/artists/ Review #1203

The academics are exactly as described, very good and a lot of work. The amazing food I was…read morepromised has yet to show itself. The cost to attend school here is very steep but worth the price. I wish the required freshman class would cover proper showering but sadly it doesn't. Overall the school is a lot of fun.

This is a college visit review. We took son #2 here for one of their special visit days and they…read moredid it up right! Your basic college visit on one of these special days is lots of talk saying how the school is so great, a few tours and then some unstructured time where you can ask questions. The main presentation was short and sweet. It covered the important points without overdoing it. We all had a good laugh when the PowerPoint presentation stopped and there were technical difficulties with the equipment. We had a vivacious and very talkative tour guide who covered lots of the basic questions and gave my son some good insights. All in all it was a good experience. One star for the dumb ass who asked how much tuition cost. Um you look that up BEFORE you visit the college!