The Harrison Center for the Arts and the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation present Outside, new work by Justin Vining in the Harrison Gallery and Gallery Annex. Vining began painting outside, en plein air last year in an effort to return to the fundamentals of observational painting and further hone his skills as a painter. What he didn’t expect was that many months later he would still be painting outside, every day, all winter long. Early on, Vining partnered with the Library Foundation, alongside other local artists, to create plein air paintings inspired by the Central Library’s garden space. This new exhibit shows the evolution and development of his work over the past year. He will be displaying nearly 100 paintings that have all be painted on location, near and around Indianapolis.

The Speck Gallery features Nature as Spirit, new work by Minda Douglas. Douglas, Assistant Professor in Fine Arts at IU Kokomo, says of this work, “Throughout human history, nature has often been equated with the spiritual. The concept of nature as spirit touches many religions and philosophies. This body of artwork attempts to symbolize the power, complexity, mystery, and beauty found in the natural world and ecological systems. Succession, decomposition, and erosion are points of departure, and the constant flux and cycles found in nature is celebrated.”

The City Gallery presents place-based art by Forrest Formsma with the show I Am Here. Am I Here?. Formsma sets forth to produce paintings with peaks of energy, valleys of tension, and an overall flow of harmony – the result a physical record of the rhythm in tune with what it means to be human. He works in an impressionist style that often pushes to abstraction.

Also that night, visit the gym to learn more about the work of the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation, participate in book-making activities, a read-aloud story corner, get book recommendations from local librarians and more. Tour the Harrison Center to meet our 36 studio artists and see where they create their work.

The work hangs through March 31.

With support from: the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation, Arts Council of Indianapolis and the City of Indianapolis, the Indiana Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Efroymson Family Fund, Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, Allen Whitehill Clowes Foundation, the Speck Fund, Sun King Brewery, and Amy McAdams Design.

Member, IDADA (Indianapolis Downtown Artists and Dealers Association)