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 father-son duo Bruce and Anthony Armstrong in “Brushstrokes and Beyond,” a collection of abstract, minimalist, and intuitive paintings alongside fine art photography. A more recent addition to the CCIC, Bruce Armstrong is a Crispus Attucks alum and studied art at the IU extension in Indianapolis, and through the years, he has become a mixed-medium artist focusing on charcoal, oil, acrylic, wood, sculpture and some photography. “The formula for my art is best when there is not a formula at all,” Bruce said. “I allow the colors to sail as a ship on the sea, being blown by the artist winds, which takes the work to a sometimes unforeseen but rewarding destination.”

Anthony Armstrong, Bruce’s son, is a self-taught abstract artist and photographer, and has maintained a studio at the CCIC for several years. His work centers on bold colors, texture, and movement. As a mixed media artist, Anthony wants visitors to be engaged with their pieces, hoping to garnish new perspectives and elements of design with each viewing. His photography, on the other hand, is mostly monochromatic. “The absence of color often helps the viewer see the texture and life of a photography,” Anthony said.

Stokol Gallery
In the Stokol Gallery, on the first floor of the North Studios, Ami Wooten presents a mixed media collection of art, both painting and sculpture, which represents her use of art therapy as an art form. A BFA undergraduate at Herron School of Art and Design, Wooten is using this show as an end-of-degree display of her works created throughout her college career. These works, both abstract and representational, show her progression through school, while also telling a story of the mind and body connection through the use of art therapy exercises, a field Wooten hopes she to move into for her Masters next year. Her show also tells her story of grieving.

“My grief comes in the form of having lost loved ones, but also grieving for myself and my daily struggles with mental health,” Wooten said. “The emphasis on the words comes from the connection of body and mind to create works, allowing feelings and emotions to flow.”

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.

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 photography, capturing architecture, abstracts, and street scenes from her wanderings around New York City. These will be developed an impressive three-dimensional presentation process that is uniquely “Lesley” and demonstrates her extraordinary creativity and artistry. Darkroom Revelations is located on the first floor of the North Studios.

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 presents “Allee, a Corridor of Trees,” leaning into nature and representations of trees acting as arches, such as in cathedrals. 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 Robin Frost-Bess with “Do What Makes You Happy!” Frost-Bess takes a different path to create her work, weaving together acrylic paint, handmade or “found” paper, hand-stamped fabric, alcohol ink pens and art pens onto canvas, depicting scenes everything from overseas trips to animals and plants, anything that makes her happy. “I create because I need to create. Creating art is what makes me happy,” Frost-Bess said. “I waited a long time to start my art business. I raised my family and I’m at a time in my life where I can devote much of my time to creating. I am the happiest when I’m in my art room, except for when I’m with my husband of forty years, and my children and grandchildren, of course.” The Full Circle Nine Gallery is located on the first floor of the South Studios.

Victoria Gillieron
Victoria Gillieron is an impressionist oil painter who loves to paint images from Sanibel Island, Florida, capturing its beauty before the hurricane, as well as still life and landscapes. 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. 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.

Chuck Horsman Art
Chuck Horsman works in oil on canvas and his paintings are often described as a dynamic mix of realism and expressionism. His work is bold and contemporary with rich textures created with brush and palette knife. Chuck Horsman is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Matt Hurdle
Matt Hurdle is an intuitive painter of contemporary landscapes and abstract paintings. His landscapes create a feeling of calm and peacefulness through his use of color palette and hazy, blending technique. Hurdle’s abstracts are brighter and energetic through shape, color and movement. For April, his March Schwitzer Gallery show returns to his regular studio space on the second floor of the North Studios.

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.

Sara Love
Sara Love exhibits paintings and linoleum block prints that utilize strong color and design. Love is a graduate of Herron School of Art and Design, IU. Sara Love is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

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.

Strawberry Studio
Strawberry Studio Indy is all about appreciating the playfulness of vibrant colors. Maya’s art is inspired by travel and various small things that frequently bring us joy. “My hope is that the colors I bring together in my work displayed in the studio space will make visitors feel joyful,” Maya said. Maya is a self- taught painter, writer and model. “Sometimes life can be very fast paced or our work lives stressful, it is important to channel the things that bring a smile to your face and the small highlights of each day,” Maya said. “This month’s show is about appreciating spring and the upcoming strawberry season, with a fresh set of art prints appreciating fruit.” Strawberry Studio is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Jake Walker
Jake Walker uses instinct to create work that spans the gamut of categories including low light/long exposure, portraits, pets, and street photography. Walker is a self-taught photographer who travels the states and the world to shoot different subjects, with his most recent shoot in Alacante, Spain at a five-day ayahuasca retreat. His April show, “Remembering Mom,” focuses on the story of how a mother who passed only a year ago came to visit in spirit at a roadside scenic stop between Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Pass. 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