Jul 01 2022
July FIRST FRIDAY with the Circle City Industrial Complex Artists  

July FIRST FRIDAY with the Circle City Industrial Complex Artists  

Presented by Circle City Industrial Complex Artists at Circle City Industrial Complex

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.

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. The Schwitzer Gallery, located on the second floor of the North Studios, will host Steiner Studios and Boss Illustrations in “Kismet, The Stars Align.” Inspired by tarot card readings, the show will have abstract art and photography by Steiner Studios, as well as art tarot cards and related works by Boss Illustrations. A palm reader will be on hand to give readings. A portion of the art sales will go to the Damien Center.

Arts & Images by Anthony Armstrong
Anthony Armstrong presents a new array of large scale photographs. These images depicting everyday life and simplicity of still life, people and places. Displayed in mostly black and white to allow the viewer to see the texture and movements of the images. Multi-talented, Armstrong also 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 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. “I am inspired by the various scenes around Indianapolis and create oils and watercolors based on them,” Avidor said. “Lately, I have added some scenes based on my travels.” Roberta Avidor is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Bebito Toys
Bebito Toys are plush toys crafted from original patterns using recycled, up-cycled, repurposed or found materials. They are quirky, happy, colorful and earth-friendly. The Bebito Studio is a welcoming, creative space where you can feel inspired and connect to your inner child, including new plush toys for sale such as the signature Dolores. Bebito Toys is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Jacob Bower-Bir
Jacob Bower-Bir is a self-described “failed academic and an aspiring failed artist.” “Despite his professed anti-capitalist ideology, he knows deep down that he, like everyone, is a shill for the market economy. He holds a doctorate of philosophy in political science and public policy, and a masters in architecture, which together have made him largely intolerable.” He will have “new work by that jerk, mostly 2D, mostly of questionable artistic value.” “This month’s show is about unloading a bunch of garbage, for money, on people who ought to know better. (Just kidding. None of my stuff is actually for sale,)” Bower-Bir said. Jacob Bower-Bir 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 new work by Michele Burns featuring a lot of greens, golds, and copper by day, with super-bright green blue and aqua glow by night. Burns’ art draws from diverse inspirations. She features recurring elements of pattern and tessellation, texture, added objects, delicious colors, organic abstraction, mandalas, art deco motifs, and naturally photo-luminescent minerals that create a “Nightlight Art” second composition when the lights go out. She makes these luminous paints herself with minerals that are 30 times brighter than ceiling stars and glow for 10-20 hours after any light exposure. Daily Epiphany is located in the South Studios.

Darkroom Revelations – Tom Potter, Gayle Moore, Nancy Frass
Darkroom Revelations features “A Transcendental Journey,” images by Gayle Moore. Moore’s unique style of photographing plants began years ago and captures her exquisite sensitivity to the beauty of nature is seen through her creative, spiritual, transcendental vision. Moore’s work demonstrates her extraordinary ability to see and photograph the often-overlooked simple beauty of the plant world that she explores every day. This will be a very special night for Moore to exhibit her wonderful photography, telling a story about who she is and how she captures the beauty she sees around her every day. Gayle Moore’s work will be the only photography on display this month. Darkroom Revelations is located on the first floor of the North Studios.

Five Seasons Studio and Gallery
Martha Nahrwold presents floating acrylic inks on water in a technique she calls marbled impressionism, an ancient art form she manipulates into modern takes. “My art is created by floating acrylic inks on water, applied with an eye dropper, whisk, or glass rod,” Nahrwold said. “My landscapes often feature a path or road meandering through. Where will it take us? What’s on the other side? I look for peace, calmness, and serenity. I create those in my paintings and hope to share that with others in this crazy world.” Five Seasons Studio and Gallery is located on the first floor of the North Studios.

Taylor Figg/Oliver Upside Down
Taylor Figg, of Oliver Upside Down, specializes in digital, cat-themed art, and also creates catnip-filled cat toys. An Indianapolis native with a degree in Media Arts and Sciences at IUPUI, Figg has a passion for helping animals in general. “I utilize my design ability to generate funds for rescues. I donate a portion of all of my profits to various cat organizations and rescues and wildlife rehabilitators,” Figg said. Taylor Figg is located on the second floor of the North Studios, sharing a space with Rachel Hicks.

Full Circle Nine Gallery
The Full Circle Nine Gallery will feature Kent Brinkley, with “Fragments,” a collection of collage with a 1970’s sci-fi flair. “I wanted to jump head-first into the realm of collage,” Brinkley, a multi-media artist, said. “I had never worked with the medium before, but I’m always trying new things, learning everything I can. This project has been and still is a lot of fun and intense. It’s interesting that so many people believed in my vision and wanted to share in the experience by donating so much material. Now I have a thousand magazines that I stumble over every day, in and out of my studio. If people’s belief in my idea was measurable in pounds, I guess it was worth its weight.” Full Circle Nine Gallery is located on the first floor of 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.

Chuck Horsman Art
Chuck Horsman presents “Iconic Reality: Faces You Know in a New Light.” Horsman is an abstract expressionist painter and a graduate of the University of Indianapolis with a BS in Fine Arts. He primarily works in oil on canvas capturing people and landscapes in vibrant color and texture, pulling his audience in to the work from a distance and allowing them to discover more layers as they get closer. Chuck Horsman 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.

Grace Marshall, Grace M Design
Grace M Design is an Indianapolis-based custom jewelry/fashion shop owned and managed by Grace Marshall, a certified jeweler and gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America, and will feature new work for First Friday. Marshall is an Army veteran with a B.A. in Industrial Design from Purdue University and a Graduate Jeweler/Gemologist degree from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Grace Marshall has always had a passion for using her hands to create beautiful and functional designs. Making unique jewelry with precious metals and gemstones has been both a challenging and rewarding career choice. Grace has been at the heart of forming a jeweler’s community in Indianapolis. Grace M Design is located on the first 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
Shaun M. Niles has opened his Tintype studio and for a limited time is offering portraits at discounted introductory rates. The tintype was developed in 1856 and became very common during the American Civil War. The modern version involves coating a sheet of anodized aluminum with nitrocellulose dissolved in ether and soaked in a bath of silver nitrate to produce a light sensitive media used to capture images. Niles’s approach is to use authentic 160 year old processes in the production of contemporary portraits, ready to take home in about 20-30 mins. Shaun M. Niles 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.

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/

Dates & Times

2022/07/01 - 2022/07/01

Location Info

Circle City Industrial Complex

1125 Brookside Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46202