Through a partnership with Williams Creek Management funded by the Kresge Foundation, Reconnecting to Our Waterways (ROW) worked with local artists and community members to create rest stops that give people a chance to pause and see the power of art and the beauty on the Near Eastside. Led by artist Eric Nordgulen, students from Herron School of Art and Design, a team of professional artists, local residents, and stakeholders collaborated on the design and implementation of public art installations centered on waterway issues and inspirations. Created by local artist Bobby Gilbreath, A History of Magic in the Midwest: Pogue’s Run highlights the mystery and stories surrounding Pogue’s Run Creek in Indianapolis.

Bobby Gilbreath is an Indianapolis-based artist and Herron School of Art and Design alumni. Gilbreath is interested in art as representative of the collective beauty found in every form. Primarily working in paint, Gilbreath believes that his paintings that are a snapshot of his psyche, universally translated into an intimate relationship and unique to all. Gilbreath seeks to challenge viewers to reflect upon and expand their own field of questioning and experience, and to realize that everything is connected and everything matters.

Reconnecting to Our Waterways (ROW) is a grassroots initiative designed to catalyze and bundle neighborhood quality-of-life initiatives, neighborhoods assets, and opportunity for residents living in disadvantaged neighborhoods. The goal is to enrich the livability of Indianapolis and the well-being of residents by generating new and sustainable opportunities to learn about and experience art, nature, and beauty along targeted natural waterways and the neighborhoods around them.