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Greatriarchs

Category: Mural ; Temporary

The Greatriarchs are sixteen long-term residents of the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood. They are leaders, nurturers, mentors, and friends of the old and new residents of their neighborhood. Artist Abi Ogle spent time with each Greatriarch and painted a large-scale portrait of each one to be displayed outside along the 16th Street corridor in Martindale-Brightwood. Each portrait includes visual themes drawn from African American art history. The Greatriarch project reminds us that every neighbor has a story that deserves to be heard. The portraits have been displayed both indoors and out around many Indianapolis locations, including the 16th Street Corridor, the City Gallery, and Black Expo. Harrison Center is a force for cultural development in Indianapolis and a model for community arts, education, and urban revitalization programs across America. Abi Ogle is a fiber and installation artist. Her practice is rooted in the belief that art history influences everything, art really can make you more human, and that if you take the time to listen to the stories around you, they can change you. Often, her work explores concepts such as the familiar made strange and includes unexpectedly bodily materials such as human hair. She is a fellow and resident artist at the Harrison Center.

Greek's on 16th murals

Category: Mural

The murals on the interior of this local business were commissioned by Greek’s Pizza to enhance the interior space. The stenciled decoration on the front of the order counter is by Indianapolis-based artist Jamie Locke, who has created the popular Angel Wings murals around town and a similar mandala mural along the Monon Trail. Carved detailing in white interacts with a rainbow of colors that radiate from the counter’s center top. Locke’s inspiration for her mandalas (a Sanskrit word meaning “circle”) is the concept of wholeness, where the intricate designs are metaphors for the organizational structure of existence–complex, interconnected, and repeating. For Locke, creating a mandala is about “non-attachment,” simply existing in a state of peace and harmony. The street-art style composition in the dining area was painted by Carmel-based artist Gavin Goode of SemperFly Studios. The mural shows a seated robot (balanced on a real piece of wood embedded into wall) with its leg crossed, wearing earbuds and working a phone screen. Goode, a Marine veteran, is an actor as well as a muralist, graphic designer, sculptor, and illustrator. His work is inspired by popular culture and design trends of the past, present, and future as well as his own extensive imagination.

Greek's Pizzeria Murals

Category: Mural

Four distinct and boldly graphic murals by local artist Shane Brown give life outside this building. One mural of a blue-haired woman against a red-and-yellow striped backdrop was inspired by classic comic books and the vibe of the neighborhood. This was the original mural, and a building addition created space for the artist to create two more murals. The second mural is of two hands, one white and one brown, forming a heart shape inspiring positivity and support. The third mural is of a happy orange cat biting down on a slice of pizza. The fourth mural on a wooden fence is of the Indianapolis flag, conveying pride for the city. The pieces were commissioned by Greek’s Pizzeria. Shane Brown is an Indianapolis-based illustrator, graphic designer, and creative identity expert. His street-savvy design work has been commissioned for local popular breweries, sports teams, festivals, and other events. Brown also owns a T-shirt printing business, where he works with his own and custom designs for clients.

Ms. Jimmie

Category: Traffic Signal Box Art

Ms. Jimmie Luton, one of the Greatriarchs, was an integral part of the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood for as long as anyone can remember and was a friend and older mentor to many. Ms. Jimmie was well known for running a successful beauty salon in the neighborhood, named Jimmie’s, near this painted traffic box signal. In the mural, she is depicted as a gardener, a metaphor for her mentorship that nourished the neighborhood. Ms. Jimmie passed away in 2021, two years after this mural was created. Indianapolis’ traffic signal box art program enabled neighborhoods to express their identity, beautify their streets, and discourage “tagging” vandalism of the neighborhood’s traffic signal control boxes (TSBs). The process was neighborhood-driven, with the Arts Council of Indianapolis assisting neighborhoods or other citizen groups by setting a common process, technical standards, and aesthetic guidelines; working with the Department of Public Works to reserve, permit and track the boxes used; and providing advice and support for finding and working with artists and then maintaining the TSBs once they are done. Jamahl Crouch has been working as a freelance artist since he was 16. He takes inspiration from stories and people around him. One of his recent series portrays predominantly Black children as Kings and Queens in more modernistic regal outfits as a reflection on his own upbringing.

Pre-Enactment Mural at Monon 16

Category: Mural

For PreEnactIndy 2017, Church of God in Christ member and local artist Courtland Blade expanded this mural, adding more people and surroundings to the painting on an exterior wall on 16th Street. The original mural, envisioned and created by Earlham-educated artist and True Victory Church of God in Christ member Ajia Coleman Durham, depicted people who have lived, worked, and worshipped in this community for years. The current mural activity signifies the church’s commitment to neighborhood outreach and partnership with PreEnactIndy. PreEnactment theater envisions a neighborhood that ought to be just, equitable, and economically vibrant. Stretching an entire three blocks of 16th Street, from the Monon to Andrew J. Brown, every vacant lot/building, existing business, street lane, and sidewalk is part of the stage for this annual full-day event as a partnership between the Harrison Center and local theater groups and neighbors. Harrison Center is a force for cultural development in Indianapolis and a model for community arts, education, and urban revitalization programs across America. Courtland Blade received his MFA from the school of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston in affiliation with Tufts University in 2011. A painter, Blade works primarily with oil, and his work has been shown nationally and internationally and is in various public and private collections. Recently Blade’s work deals with spaces within benign areas and places of transience around Indianapolis.

PreEnact Community Mural

Category: Mural

Artist Gary Gee asked community participants to paint their hopes and dreams for their neighborhood and what they want their neighbors to know. This community mural was part of the event PreEnact Indy 2019. PreEnactment theater envisions a neighborhood that ought to be just, equitable, and economically vibrant and then constructs that neighborhood for a period of time. Stretching an entire three blocks of 16th Street, from the Monon Trail to Andrew J. Brown Avenue, every vacant lot/building, existing business, street lane, and sidewalk is part of the stage for this annual all-day event as a partnership between the Harrison Center, local theater groups, and neighbors. Harrison Center is a force for cultural development in Indianapolis and a model for community arts, education, and urban revitalization programs across America. Gary Gee is a painter, sculptor, and graphic designer. He received his associate’s degree in Fine Art from Ivy Tech Community College and his B.F.A. in Integrated Studio Practice from the Herron School of Art, IUPUI. He has received numerous awards and shows his work regularly in Indianapolis.

You Are Amazing

Category: Mural

This boldly graphic mural of a blue-haired woman against a red-and-yellow striped backdrop was inspired by classic comic books and the vibe of the neighborhood. The image remains static, while the text is changed quarterly based on input from customers on the business owner’s Facebook page. The piece was commissioned by Greek’s Pizza. Shane Brown, the artist, is an Indianapolis-based illustrator, graphic designer, and creative identity expert. His street-savvy design work has been commissioned for local popular breweries, sports teams, festivals, and other events. Brown also owns a T-shirt printing business, where he works with his own and custom designs for clients.

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