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

One of Bloomington's own has added another fine sculpture to the local Public Art offerings in the…read morearea. Famed sculptor Dale Enochs has put together this giant sculpture near the entrance to the grounds of the NW Monroe County YMCA. The installation called "Stride" (2019) covers 80' in length and 15' wide. The human figure, made from water cut, powder coated aluminum, stands 16' in height! There are four layers of the figure held together just a short space from each other. The two outer layers are black. The two inner layers are colored with the five colors associated with the YMCA and have the words "Mind", "Body", and "Spirit" cut into them. Besides the human figure, there are multiple pieces of cut Indiana limestone that are spread out beside and behind the figure along the sidewalk that visitors can follow near the path of the giant. I really like that kids who go to the YMCA can see this public art each day and be encouraged to stride forward using their own imaginations to create something that will endure. Review #3287

This sculpture is located on the Bloomington Art Trail at the end of Miller-Showers Park. It was…read morecreated by Jean-Paul Darreau in 1980. It sits in a small plaza area with a few benches for people to sit and it over looks the water. It consist of 2 limestone statues that are facing each other. The two statues each have two faces for a total of 4. Each face features a different major world ethnicity which is meant to represent Bloomington's diverse population. Depending on how you are viewing it, you will see the faces of an Asiatic woman facing an African woman, or Indian man facing a Nordic man. The artist intended the piece stimulate communication across racial lines. There is a placard near the sculpture with information about it, but it is very weathered and cannot be read. There is a small parking lot at the front of Miller-Showers Park that offers 3-hour parking. It is on the opposite end of the park from the sculpture, but not a long walk. This is a nice sculpture and credited as the genesis of Bloomington's public art displays. It has a powerful and positive meaning and has withstood the test of time. It is over 30 years old and is in great shape. I highly recommend checking this place out. As with most public art 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 or making this part of a larger itinerary, to maximize your time and trip. You could start your itinerary with a visit to, Miller-Showers Park, the park the sculpture is located.

The initial art installation of the Bloomington Community Arts Commission was created in 1980 and…read morerelocated to its current spot on the north end of Miller-Showers Park in 2002. The piece "Red, Blond, Black, and Olive" is meant to represent the four major races of the world, each of which make up part of Bloomington's population. The art consists of two 11 ton pieces of limestone that generally face each other. From the north, the faces of an Asian woman and an African woman are seen. From the south, those same blocks depict the faces of a Native American man and a Nordic man. The artist has added some thoughts about the piece on the east side of the sculpture. The sculpture was created by local artist Jean-Paul Darriau. Darriau also has another famous work on the IU Campus in the Dunn Woods area near Kirkwood Hall called "The Space Between: Adam and Eve". Review #2197

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

There are a set of about four or five different murals in downtown Bloomington right next to each…read moreother. This is another one that I called the rainbow Mural none of them have names so I kind of come up with my own names for them. I thought this one was pretty cool with all the colors and displays and fancy artwork

The IU campus of Bloomington and the surrounding neighborhoods are filled with art. Some are…read moremurals, some abstract sculptures, and in particular on the campus, a number of lifelike bronze statues of people. On my recent visit to the campus, I found five outdoor installations that can be seen from the sidewalks. (Note that there are some other sculptures within the Eskanazi Art Museum when open and the Memorial Union.) On the west side of Campus in front of Franklin Hall is a bronze of Ernie Pyle by sculptor Harold Langland (2014). Pyle was a famous war correspondent who reported from the front lines to get the news for the readers of his articles. He is depicted seated at a small table typing one of his stories. To the east across the sidewalk from Owen Hall is a plaza that has former IU President Herman B Wells seated on a park bench. This was another sculpture by the Harold Langland (2000). A little way to the south on the edge of Dunn Woods by Lindley Hall is a pair of bronze statues representing Adam and Eve. "The Space Between" by Jean-Paul McAuley was sculpted in 1968 and is the oldest of the lifelike sculptures I found. Instead of being connected like many sculptures, the two figures (maybe a little smaller than life sized) face each other across a small raised platform. To the northwest on the north side of the IU Auditorium by the cinema is a full sized Hoagy Carmichel statue, complete with grand piano! The piece was created by Michael McAuley (2007). You can even see the titles of his music on the sheet music found on the piano. On the north side of the campus is the Cox Arboretum. Near the small pond in this park is a pair of unidentified figures that I assume are another representation of Adam and Eve. I've tried contacting the school, but was unable to gather any information about the origin or creator of the pieces. Review #1399

Local artist, Michael McAuley, created this bronze statue of local music legend, Hoagy Carmichael…read more Hoagy sits at his bronze piano just outside the IU Auditorium on the IU campus. The patio is surrounded by a lush serene garden. There is no parking close to the statue and you have to walk to see the statue. It took me some time to find, as it is tucked in near a wall just outside the doors of the Auditorium. I recommend visiting when classes are not in session. IU has a lot of interesting and beautiful art scattered around the campus.

Beautiful tribute to one of America's best composers. It captures his image well and it's so…read morerefreshing to see this be a fixture at IU, given his legacy and time there. I love that the pose is of him at work with "Stardust" at his fingertips, as he penned that just a few blocks away. It's easy for me to conjure up the image of what his style of work may have been like and I can totally hear the song in my head as I go by. I'm so happy that this tribute to him exists.

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 detail in this mural is off the charts. It is awesome. It is located next to a small apartment…read morecomplex across the street from Miller-Showers Park. I get a last supper type feel when I see this mural. It is a abbreviated version of Raphael's School of Athens from the early 1500's. But the good news is that you don't have to go to the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City. You can drive right over to Bloomington and see it for free. The mural depicts some of the greatest philosophers including Diogenes of Sinopes sitting on the stairs, Plato and Aristotle walking down the center, and Heraclitus sitting on the stairs writing on some paper. This adaptation of the mural had to cut some of the subjects that were on the original's periphery due to limited space. As I mentioned, the detail in this mural is amazing. The columns that are on the murals border are 3D and pop out from the wall. I was throughly impressed. The sky and arches in the background.....wow. To be honest, I think I prefer this one over the original, but it may just be because it is so accesible to. You can either park in the park's parking lot and walk over to get a closer look or just pull into the apartment complex's lot and get a quick look. Well, 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 and making this part of a larger itinerary.

If you are visiting Miller-Showers Park on the north end of Bloomington, you may notice this mural…read moreto the south east. Based upon the original Papal Palace master work by Raphael (circa 1510), this mural's original artist is unknown. Later, around 2005, local artist John Shestak was hired to restore the mural. Due to the challenge of adapting a landscape original of a collection of philosophers into a portrait framed mural, a number of individuals in the Papal original have been omitted. This adaptation does have a few of the most recognized names in Philosophy. Starting with the two central figures, Plato (on the left) and Aristotle who represent the two main types of philosophy. The the viewers far left is a man in a green robe who is Socrates. The man who is lounging on the stairs in front of Aristotle is Diogenes (the Cynic). The man in the lower left was at one time thought to be Michelangelo (who was painting the Sistine Chapel at the same time as Raphael was painting his mural.) However, later thought believe the figure to be Heraclitus. Interestingly enough, this figure was not in the original drawings for the mural. It was painted at a later date than the rest of the mural. Left out of this adaptation are Pythagoras, Euclid, & Ptolemy who were too far to the sides in the original to fit into this mural. Although this mural is nowhere near the color or skill level of the original, it is thought provoking and got me to take time to research about the original and the men who were portrayed. Review #2220

On the southwest corner of 2nd and Walnut in Bloomington, you will notice a unique piece of…read morecommunity art that forms a large "C" that rises 13' into the air. The piece is called "(C)olumn" and was commissioned by the city to serve as a gateway to the local Entertainment and Arts District. In 2014, the community was given the opportunity to submit words or phrases that described Bloomington. The words most commonly suggested were then given to artists Jiangmei Wu and Jon Racek, faculty members of IU's Dept of Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design. They designed the piece by writing the words on pieces of steel to make sure each word was connected and supported when laser cut into a curved column with an open side that looks like the letter "C" from above. The piece is large enough that a viewer can step inside the column and see the city through the openings between letters. The C-shape was selected to represent Community. The piece was completed and dedicated in 2015. Review #2190