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, the Schwitzer Gallery will host Jeremy Tubbs and “Capturing Change: Obama.” Tubbs, an MFA graduate from UIC in 2010, is a new media artist focused on the convergence of art and technology. His work reflects a commitment to pushing boundaries by exploring emerging and traditional media. “Capturing Change: Obama” presents 108 months of found newswire images encapsulating Barack Obama’s presidency, commencing with his 2008 campaign. This visual timeline invites contemplation of the ephemeral, serving as a reflective lens on our collective journey of hope and uncertainty.

Arts & Images by Anthony Armstrong
Anthony Armstrong presents an array of abstract paintings and fine art framed photography. Armstrong’s abstract paintings highlight bold colors, deep textures and layers in his mixed media presentations. Armstrong is a self-taught abstract painter and photographer. His photography tries to capture the essence of life from his various European destinations. Anthony Armstrong is located in the South Studios.

Bruce Armstrong
Anthony Armstrong’s father Bruce joins the South Studios, presenting his own abstract, minimalist and collage art for the first time in the Circle City Industrial Complex. Bruce Armstrong is located in the South Studios.

Aurora PhotoCenter
Aurora PhotoCenter is a nonprofit that serves Central Indiana photographic artists with exhibitions, residencies, workshops, visiting artist talks, and access to creative tools. As the only nonprofit in Indiana devoted exclusively to photography, Aurora is an essential hub for the medium in the arts community. Aurora also serves as a bridge between local artists and the greater photographic community, with a regional, national, and international scope, and is passionate about photography’s emotional and social power as an art medium in its own right. Aurora PhotoCenter is located on the first floor in the corridor.

Stan Blevins
Stan Blevins is a painter living and working in Indianapolis. His work ranges from abstract to still life. Using a range of materials, primarily oil and enamel, his work has been described as “whimsical” and “pop surrealist,” along with identifying as abstract expressionism. For March, Blevins will host a group show, where he teams up with artist friends. Stan Blevins is located in the South Studios.

Aimee Bruno
Aimee Bruno is a mixed-media artist who has a passion for vibrant colors and all that is abstract and this month presents “The Dimension of Color,” a study on how color can transform dimensional pieces of work. This exhibit highlights multiple mediums using color to create abstract narratives. Her style is expressionistic and abstract. Using color to tell the story, she develops her pieces to bring emotions to the forefront. She studied Fine Arts at Indiana University, spending most of her time split between the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts and interning at both the Indiana University Art Museum’s Administrative Offices and the Mathers Museum, Conservation Lab. Aimee Bruno is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Circle City Metalworks
Circle City Metalworks is owned and operated by Dano Jones, along with partners. Dano and the entire Circle City Metalworks team continues to push new ideas, new designs and keeping a fresh outlook on metal fabrication. “First Friday is always a great time,” Jones said. “With the entire building open and a buzz about the place, it’s awesome to meet new people, welcome them into the shop and talk to them about my passion for metal art and metal fabrication.” Circle City Metalworks is located on the first floor in the corridor.

Daily Epiphany Studio: Michele Burns and Kurt Kriese
Michele Burns and Kurt Kriese hit with a double whammy of the experimental and the grounded; geometry and political commentary, the new and the old, and more. This month, they present assemblage work centered around the “I Spy” game. “My sister had me make a frame full of trinkets she had collected over many years from several generations, and she was so delighted with it that I decided to make some for everyone,” Burns said. “Each painting comes with a list of things to look for as a game of ‘I Spy.’ It can be simple to play with a child or more challenging to play and debate with adults.” Burns works with photoluminescent minerals to create paintings that are beautiful in the light of day as well as in the dark of night. Kriese’s work centers around rich, layered, evocative abstracts and landscapes, and is a gifted stained-glass artist. Daily Epiphany is located in the South Studios.

Stephanie Doty
Stephanie Doty is on faculty at Herron School of Art and Design and will exhibit new paintings and sculpture works in clay. Doty’s works exhibit experimentation with textures and the effect of paint and glaze on a variety of surfaces. The underlying surface reveals detail and content that requires a closer and more contemplative view of the work. Stephanie Doty is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Darkroom Revelations
Darkroom Revelations photographers Tom Potter, Gayle Moore, and Nancy Frass will host “Impressions of New York,” by visiting artist Lesley Ackman, one of Indy’s premiere photographers. Ackman’s work will include a series of images featuring creative views of New York City. In addition, she will display her work in her unique style of woven images, highlighting her unique eye for line and design. Darkroom Revelations is located on the first floor of the North Studios.

Down The Hall Gallery
Down The Hall Gallery will host Beech Grove artist Kelsey Behl (“Kelsobell”). Bell delves into the abstract via both expressionism and surrealism. “Oftentimes I’m just playing with the paint to see how it moves, how it sprays when I throw it, or what lines of the brush it will pick up when I drag it,” Bell said. “The variable physical characteristics of the mediums evoke expressions that I follow and react to. Subconsciously, my emotions and moods spill out as if they were made of paint just waiting to be on a canvas.” Down the Hall Gallery is located on the first floor in the corridor.

Five Seasons Studio Gallery
Longest-serving artist Martha Nahrwold (with about 35 years in at the Circle City Industrial Complex) opens up her studio to showcase her marbled impressionistic works. This month, Nahrwold will host “The Crow Show,” a group show by painters and sculptors. Norma Davis, Deb Shoptaw, and Joanie Drizin, promising excitement for visitors who may also be fans of Edgar Allen Poe or the film The Birds. Nahrwold creates tree studies and landscapes, as well as mischievous animals, in pans of water using ingredients that harken back to a past life as a chemist, lays paper over the pan and transfers the image, in an ancient technique brought to a new era. 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 Mike Meares with “The Bond of Art and Music,” a collection of his mixed media paintings centered around and inspired by music. Meares will be teaming up with singer-songwriter Peter Adriel to add a musical layer and to showcase the inspiration for Meares’s collection of acrylic abstract-expressionist pieces. “My work uses music as an inspiration, so that I can focus on storytelling and the expression of motion while keeping it bold and energetic,” Meares said. “Peter and I have had a friendship of over 25 years and we are forever bonded over our shared love of music and art. I hope that bond shows through in the creativity behind this show.” The Full Circle Nine Gallery is located on the first floor of the South Studios.

Victoria Gillieron
Victoria painted one painting and decided to get a studio. Within the first two weeks in her studio the other artists in the community instantly took her under their wings and guided her through the basics. That was 23 years ago and from then on, she studied with most of the premiere painters in the country. Gillieron feels very blessed to have studied with such amazingly talented artists and counts many of these individuals as her good friends and credits them with helping her to become the artist she is today. Gillieron also found out that she will never know everything there is to know about art but loves learning new useful skills every day. She invites the curious to visit and see her broad collection of paintings. Victoria Gillieron 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.

Larry Lad, LadArt
Larry Lad is a painter who covers the spectrum of abstract and representational work. He likes to add dimension to his paintings using additional canvas, cigar boxes, collage, and other materials to layer his work. His show “Replication” traces his journey as an artist as he searches for his own style by borrowing from the works of artists he admires. Lad also creates large sculptures and installations. Larry Lad, LadArt is located in the corridor on the first floor.

Grace Marshall, Grace M Design
Grace Marshall has always had a passion for using her hands to create beautiful and functional designs. “I’m inspired by our natural surroundings. I find that I don’t get enough time in nature but when I do, I’m recharged. My latest work captures some elements of the natural world that can we adorn our bodies with,” Marshall said. As a certified jeweler and gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America, making unique jewelry with precious metals and gemstones has been both a challenging and rewarding career choice. Besides showing her own collection of fine jewelry, Indianapolis-based Marshall is now offering Permanent Jewelry, having a gold or silver chain welded around a wrist or ankle. Grace M Design is located on the first floor of the North Studios.

Leslie Staller
Leslie Staller presents “Intimacy of Place,” a showcase of macro photography, mixed media collages, and montages that offer a glimpse of the beauty of the world as a gift to pause and explore. “In our often fast-paced world, giving ourselves and each other permission to explore the intimacy and the beauty of what surrounds us on a daily basis is a gift we give to ourselves,” Staller said. “And in that, we open, receive, connect, and automatically gift others.” The card-sized original artwork is simply awaiting personal messages to be added. Leslie Staller is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Strawberry Studio
Strawberry Studio by Maya is dedicated to all the little things in life that bring joy through vibrant color combinations. This First Friday, an eclectic collection of art prints will be available along with textured paintings, representing the themes of peace, travel and joy that surrounds our everyday lives. Strawberry Studio is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Jake Walker
Jake Walker is a photographer and digital artist whose work is beautifully unique and thought provoking. Some of his pieces are bold and vibrant while others give a sense of nostalgia. This month, he presents Valentine’s Day gifts for him and her, including customizable cards, making this time all about precious moments. Jake Walker is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

The CCIC is open during regular business hours, and the Schwitzer Gallery is accessible throughout the week. A number of the city’s most varied and exciting artists and galleries will remain open for their regular hours, with many of them available on weekends, posted on their own websites and social media. Some studios will be open by appointment.

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., just northeast of the Mass Ave Art and Theatre Cultural District, 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 100 galleries, individual artists and artisans. The CCIC Artists First Friday programming is a must-see stop, one of the most authentic Indianapolis experiences, 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 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. 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, Eighth Day Distillery and The Fowling Warehouse.

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