“With the easing of restrictions in Marion County, we are excited to welcome the public back to the CCIC for an in-person First Friday event,” Rachel Ferguson, Vice President of Teagen Development, said. “So many of our tenants have expressed how much they have missed this opportunity to connect with our community. In accordance with local mandates, our guests and artists are still required to wear masks while indoors, but with 500,000+ square feet to maintain social distance, and plenty of art and non-art attractions, we’re looking forward to a fun, safe event.”

Various artists and galleries will have open doors during the evening, in accordance with their own schedules and comfort levels. The Schwitzer Gallery, on the second floor of the North Studios, will showcase paintings by Dave Voepel in “Red Letters.”

“Over the years, I primarily considered myself a landscape painter,” Voepel said. “I enjoy painting in the studio and especially enjoy plein air work, in which most of the works were done outside. This body of work is primarily abstract landscapes painted in acrylic paint on canvases, either panel or on burlap.”

Also debuting in the building, “Mr. Indianapolis, ‘Remembering Chris Beaty,’” by CCIC Artist Andrea Townsend. Beaty was murdered last year during the riot and Townsend was moved to paint his mural near the scene. Beaty was an acquaintance of Townsend, and she felt it was important to capture his likeness in a way that paid tribute to his character, and also to anchor a space for memorialization and grief.

“It was a way to use my talents to help people feel close to him in a moment when they were so lost and saddened by his tragic murder. My entire newsfeeds on social media were flooded with posts of grief from mural friends,” Townsend said. “He left a huge void and lots of broken hearts. He was such a positive pillar in the community.”

“Chris Beaty’s untimely death was a tragedy felt far and wide in the Indianapolis community. At the CCIC, we believe that art is a powerful healing tool. We hope that on the one-year anniversary of Chris’s loss, his friends and family can find some comfort in gathering together here and viewing this beautiful tribute to him and remembering his life,” Ferguson said.

The piece was painted on plywood used to protect shop windows and the panels have been moved to the CCIC and will be displayed indoors.

Open Studios and Galleries

Several studios and gallery spaces will be open throughout the building. This list is not all-encompassing; some artists may decide to open that night based on current information and comfort levels.

Arts & Images by Anthony Armstrong
Anthony Armstrong presents a blend of new abstract painting highlighting bold colors and deep texture. Armstrong is a self-taught abstract painter and photographer. “Often times, we are moving through the day so quickly, we forget to look at our surroundings and how every beat creates the pulse of the city,” Armstrong said. Anthony Armstrong is located in Studio B11 of the South Studios.

Kent Brinkley
Kent Brinkley will present new works, both in oil paint and mixed media, as an exploration of changing times. Kent Brinkley is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Lydia Burris Studio S-09
Lydia Burris will have new works and new issues of her magazine, “Darkness Dreaming: An Homage to Strangeness and Wonder.” Burris is a mixed media artist who imagines strange worlds and creates work with the sense of dreams; a place of ambiguity and flowing themes that dissolve into one another. “I am so glad to see people again! This magazine I’ve started is my new baby and I’m super excited to share it!” Burris said. She also has studio mannequins that would love to say hi and give a dose of weird on First Friday. Lydia Burris is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Circle City Metalworks
Circle City Metal works is helmed by Dan Jones, who will be displaying a small sampling of products for sale from their large product line. “We offer over 300 different unique and artistic items on our website. We also do design and custom work. If you can dream it we can make it,” Jones said. Circle City Metalworks is located in the back corridor, near the South Studios, on the first floor of the building.

Darkroom Revelations
Tom Potter, Nancy Frass, and Gayle Moore will host Charles R. Yang, and “Asian Through Asian Eyes.” Over the last decade, Charles R. Yang has traveled and lived in Asia. His sensitive photographic eye focuses on socio-cultural street photography, depicting moments in Asian lives that invite the viewer deep into Yang’s visual narratives.  Darkroom Revelations is located on the first floor of the North Studios.

Five Seasons Studio Gallery
Martha Nahrwold presents “Hooters – the Great Owl Show!,” a group and multi-studio celebration of owls, executed on paper and on glass. A fine artist specializing in marbled impressionism, Martha Nahrwold creates her art by floating paints on water—not watercolor, and not using a brush—it’s magic! She will be teaming up with Norma Davis, Deb Shoptaw, Sandy Ezell, Casey Roberts, Indy Fused Glass, and Glass Arts Indiana. “I discovered that there are 250 species of owls, and many times that number of owl lovers. We’ll hoot, holler, and have a hoot in’ good time. You’ll say ‘what a hoot!’ We’ve gone overboard with our hoot expressions, and keep coming up with even more corny ones!” Nahrwold said. Five Seasons Studio Gallery is located on the first floor of the North Studios.

Full Circle Nine Gallery
The Full Circle Nine Gallery (FC9) will feature Robert Neat and “Celebrate History in Color,” a commemorative show on impactful figures. “As a young man I always loved art that pushed the boundaries of social issues,” Neat said. “I believe art can be used for social change, and to bring attention to social issues. This show is meant to make you think. Do you like it? Do you hate it? Either way would be a success! It caused you to have an emotion. But the biggest significance, is that we never forget those amazing individuals that sacrificed so much.” Highlighted historical figures, events, and symbolism include Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Anne Frank, as well as Stonewall and the Pink Triangle, as Neat hopes visitors remember and reflect. Full Circle Nine Gallery is located in the South Studios on the first floor of the building.

Glass Arts Indiana, Inc.
Glass Arts Indiana creates a collaborative glass community to support emerging and established artists; host fun, interesting and educational events; increase appreciation and understanding of the glass arts; and promote glass-related opportunities in Indiana and the U.S. Finished works are available and visitors will get to see glass-blowing in action. Glass Arts Indiana, Inc. is located on the first floor, in the corridor.

Sylvia Gray Art Studio
Abstract and Fiber Artist Sylvia Gray creates largely using silk and various means to interpret her designs on the delicate fabric. “I love the freedom of painting on silk. My silk wearables and paintings will be on display. Hope you will enjoy my work as much as I have creating it,” Gray said. Sylvia Gray Studio is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

HI Print Gallery
James Hubbard & Kurt Ihrig, Indianapolis print artists, will open up HI Print Gallery for the evening with plenty to see. HI Print Gallery is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Matt Hurdle / Matt Hurdle Fine Art
Matt Hurdle’s successful “Emotional Rescue” exhibit will continue to be on display in Studio S27. Hurdle and Diane Lehman teamed up for the April Schwitzer Gallery show. Hurdle is an abstract painter of contemporary landscapes and abstract art. “Emotional Rescue” is both a serene and energized art exhibit of vibrant color and emotion. Its soul depicts the emotions of the past 12 months of the world of Covid. Matt Hurdle Fine Art is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Larry Lad, LadArt
Larry Lad is a self-taught painter experimenting with a variety of media and surfaces, such as cigar boxes, recycled material, and unique surfaces. “While I start with a general idea of what I would like to create, I am learning to listen, to see, and to let the art tell me where to go next,” Lad said. “With COVID, we have been given the gift of time. It has allowed us to produce some new art and new poetry. It has also taught us patience.” Larry Lad, LadArt is located in the corridor on the first floor.

Nancy Lee, Nancy Lee Designs Studio
Nancy Lee, a metalsmith, jewelry maker, enamellist, will debut recent renovations in her gallery space including a new window with neighboring Indy Fused Glass. Lee also presents new work collected as “Summer Sun,” celebrating all that is light and bright for the coming summer season. She works with stones such as London Blue Topaz, sparkling natural Blue Zircon, Moonstone, Amethyst, and White Sapphire, set into pieces made of silver, copper, or gold. “My new line of jewelry is eclectic but unified in its approach to fine design and wearability. For example, my earrings are lightweight, weighing less than six grams per pair, and are made by hand using traditional metalsmithing techniques with a modern twist,” Lee said. Nancy Lee is located on the first floor of the North Studios.

Wendell Lowe Fine Art
Wendell Lowe has a unique style of abstract expressionism finger painting. Since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2009, Lowe’s style has evolved from detailed chalk pastel landscapes and photography to his current work. His work evolves from deep in his soul and documents his Parkinson’s journey. “My finger paintings deal with my Parkinson’s and my Parkinson’s Psychosis,” Lowe said of his work that sometimes combines his finger painting techniques with prints of his own photography. Wendell Lowe Fine Art is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Ryan Mullin / The GhostYard
Ryan Mullin paints abstract colors and shapes on many surfaces. Born and raised in Indianapolis IN and influenced by street art from his travels around the world, Mullin is an abstract painter and graffiti artist, preferring bright and contrasting colors, inspired by graffiti, urban life, and freight trains. He will have a section dedicated to photographs of freight trains and graffiti. Ryan Mullin/The GhostYard is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Katrina J. Murray Studio and Gallery
Katrina J. Murray Studio and Gallery will feature ceramic sculpture and collage work. Murray considers all of her works to be a form of collage. Educated at the Herron School of Art and Design and Ivy Tech, Katrina Murray studied art history in Italy and lived for a time in Germany. A native of Brown County, Indiana, Murray now makes her home in Indianapolis and has held a longtime studio at the CCIC. Katrina J. Murray Studio and Gallery is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Shaun M. Niles Gallery & Studios
Shaun M. Niles will be displaying select pieces from his “Beneath It All” project, a photographic exhibition illustrating a contemporary perspective on art nudes and figure studies styled after those of the 1930’s through the 1960’s. The work was created using large-format view cameras and a series of medium-format film cameras. Niles develops the negatives himself and has the prints produced on a silver halide paper with a unique, smooth deep-matte surface that is non-reflective and feels velvety soft. This project has been in the works for 19 months, with 24 people photographed to over one hundred individual prints. Shaun M. Niles is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Amelia Rose
Amelia Rose presents an exploration of color, inspired by flowers and atmosphere, with her contemporary paintings in oil and acrylics. This University of Tennessee grad cherishes memories of her grandmother’s greenhouse, gardens and love of growing flowers. “Hopefully, my work will provide some joy and peace in the exploration of color and light and give an overall impression of a moment of time,” Rose said. Amelia Rose is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

The CCIC is also open during regular business hours, with the Schwitzer Gallery accessible throughout the week. Several artists and galleries will remain open for their regular ‘retail’ hours, usually on weekends, and posted on their own websites and social media. Some studios will also be open by appointment.

Masks are required at the CCIC during any visit, and hand sanitizing stations are installed throughout the building. Visitors are asked to maintain social distance no matter which business within the CCIC they may be visiting.

The Circle City Industrial Complex has become a destination for art appreciators and supporters of local work, with the total number of artists working within the CCIC at topping 100. Just northeast of the Mass Ave. Art and Theatre Cultural District, at 1125 Brookside Ave., the CCIC Artists First Friday programming is a must-see stop, while events and viewable hours continue throughout the month.

The Main Entrance of the building (identified by its black marble façade) provides easy access to both the South Studios and the North Studios (with a wheelchair accessible ramp and elevator). Maps of the building are also available in several locations to help visitors find all that the building has to offer.

For more listings and event updates please visit https://ccicindyartists.wordpress.com, or the CCIC Artists Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ccicartists

About the Circle City Industrial Complex Artists

The Circle City Industrial Complex (CCIC) is a nearly half-million square foot industrial building, located at 1125 Brookside Ave., and was formerly home to the Schwitzer automotive company. Its industrial appeal remains and artists and artisans have made the space their home, carving cozy studio, work, and show spaces from the concrete and steel structure, and the CCIC Artists have grown in number to over 50 galleries, individual artists and artisans. The main artist entries are the North Studios entrance and the South Studios entrance, each marked with signage along Brookside Avenue. The CCIC provides free parking in a large lot, and is accessible by the Pogue’s Run Trail, connecting to the Monon Trail and the downtown Cultural Trail system. The complex also offers other art-supporting destinations such as the Centerpoint Brewery, Lick Ice Cream, and Eighth Day Distillery and The Fowling Warehouse.

For more information on the building, please visit: http://circlecityind.com
For more information on the artists please visit: https://ccicindyartists.wordpress.com/