As the CCIC follows state and county regulations, masks are no longer required for vaccinated visitors but are highly encouraged, and individual artist studios may continue to require masks within their space. The CCIC is a 500,000 square foot building, making social distancing somewhat easier than other venues, but the smaller studios may also maintain limitations on visitor numbers at times.

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 host “No Rainbows Without Clouds,” by Michal Lile, a conceptual painter, in partnership with Maria Behringer. Lile challenges his audience to adopt unwarranted and unrealistic optimism with his new modular artwork, with the title piece acting as the signature of the exhibit. The show is supported by additional pieces that share Lile’s philosophy of embracing negativity by understanding its unbreakable connection to positivity.

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.

Roberta Avidor
Roberta Avidor is a graduate of Parsons School of Design (NYC) in illustration and has been working as an illustrator for the last 40 or so years. Now semi-retired, she focuses on painting scenes in and around Indianapolis. Also featured is the “Art Clothesline”, where random quick sketches are pinned up and suitable for framing. “As always, I like to draw and paint the world around me with focus on the often-familiar places and the people that are moving through those spaces,” Avidor said. “Hopefully, visitors will recognize and appreciate the value of the subject matter as much as I do.” Roberta Avidor is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Bebito
Rachel Hedges creates cute and quirky plush toys and soft sculptures from repurposed and upcycled textiles. Bebito Toys are adorable plush characters made from recycled materials. They are soft and squishy, and totally unique! Visit the birthplace of the Bebito Toys at the Bebito Studio on the second floor, right outside the Schwitzer Gallery. This warm and inviting space is both cozy and quirky, you won’t want to miss it! Bebito is located on the second floor of the North 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.

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.

Daily Epiphany Studio: Michele Burns and Kurt Kriese
Daily Epiphany Studio will present work by Michele Burns and Kurt Kriese. Kurt works with oils, acrylics, cold wax and mixed media to make rich-color abstract art and landscapes, and he is also a stained glass artist. Michele makes “Night Light Art” paintings and mobile sculptures, with child-safe naturally luminous/glowing pigments. Daily Epiphany is located in the South Studios.

Full Circle Nine Gallery
The Full Circle Nine Gallery will feature a group show titled “Full Circle Nine’s Spooktacular Feature.” Organized by FC9 Artist Mike Meares, this group show will see member artists expressing their love for the holiday, portraying their favorite parts about it in their art. “Halloween is a holiday that celebrates us challenging and changing the perception of who we are,” Meares said. “It invites us to embrace our whimsy, our humor, and our darkness. It celebrates the need to escape from daily life. When you think about it, art serves a lot of the same purposes and desires.” Full Circle Nine Gallery is located in the South Studios.

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.

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 will be have new contemporary landscapes on display as part of his show “In Another World,” and always enjoys visitors. 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 is known for her handmade sterling silver jewelry and will feature new silver and gold jewelry designs in her freshly updated gallery space. She has made custom work for clients in gold and silver for over a decade. She specializes in alternative wedding and engagement rings in a warm and inclusive environment. Her offerings also include kiln-fired enamel landscapes on copper substrates. These paintings show the same attention to detail with which Lee touches all of her work. “Details delight me, and I can easily get lost in them, whether in gold, silver, or enamel. You might say tiny things are my superpower!” Lee said. Nancy Lee is one of the original three artist pioneers who brought First Friday art openings to the Circle City Industrial Complex. 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.

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.

Soundspace
Soundspace Open Mic is a free First Friday event held monthly in the CCIC Suite B3. Come check out the space, or join the artists! Bring a finished OR unfinished song to share with the group and get feedback from other artists. Sound system provided. Share a poem or song, or improvise one! Finished, unfinished, conceptual, share your art with other artists in a music focused safe space. Soundspace exists to erase the barriers to a professional music career, so artists can afford to be a musician. They do that by providing unlimited access to fully equipped rehearsal and recording space, cultivating growth through collaboration, and empowering the artist through industrial innovation. Soundspace is located on the south end of the CCIC, next to Centerpoint Brewing.

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.

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/