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"Cue" Tribute Wall

Category: Archive ; Mural

On the north-facing wall of Kismet, a multimedia production studio in the Bates-Hendricks neighborhood, is a tribute to graffiti artist Cue. Known as the “Prince of 16th Street,” Cue’s influence on graffiti in Indianapolis can be seen throughout the city. After his death in 2016, local graffiti artists and fellow Cool Boys crew members Mitch, Rich, and Italy created this mural in honor of their friend.

Barth Avenue Bench

Category: Functional Artwork ; Outdoor Sculpture

Barth Avenue Bench was created as a seating area for visitors using the Pleasant Run Trail. It was constructed from elements of the old Barth Avenue car bridge, which was removed and reconstructed in 2015 as a pedestrian-only bridge to allow more people to safely access both sides of the Pleasant Run waterway. Indianapolis-based artist Brian McCutcheon designed the sculptural bench; it was fabricated by Indianapolis Fabrications (iFab). McCutcheon works in video, photography, and sculpture. He has been the recipient of a number of artist grants, awards, and residencies, including a 2010-11 Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant and a summer 2009 residency at Sculpture Space in Utica, New York. Since 2006, his work has been featured in a wide range of exhibitions on a national and international scale. More about the artist can be found at http://brianmccutcheon.com/ Improving the area around the Barth Avenue Bridge is a project of Reconnecting To Our Waterways, a collective impact initiative 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. More information about the project can be found here: http://reconnectingtoourwaterways.org/barth-avenue-bridge-project/

BLNKPG Mural

Category: Commercial ; Mural

Blank Page Marketing (aka BLNKPG) sought to create an exterior mural for their newly renovated space in Bates-Hendricks that reflected their values and mission in a doodle-style format. This mural by Andrea Haydon features the company name and addess, as well as doodles, words, and phrases like “service,” “get it done,” and a picture of a target, all in the company’s signature blue & white tones. Andrea Haydon is an artist located in Garfield Park. She has been studying and creating art for almost 20 years. Along with the many murals she has created, she works in a diverse array of mediums such as oil pastel, watercolor, graphic design, and charcoal/graphite. BLNKPG is a woman-owned marketing & advertising firm that specializes in working with agricultural businesses. They are driven by passion, strategy, and blank pages.

Indy Mural Fest 2019: Robert Bentley

Category: Mural

Held October 25 – 27, 2019, Indy Mural Fest, presented by Indy Go, Do317, Visit Indy, and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, is a celebration of art and slowing down to really see the walls that flash by when you’re in your car, on the bus, or riding a bike or scooter. All over the city, over 50 local artists spent their time painting over 50 murals. This mural by Robert Bentley shows a Viking character turned toward a large horned skeleton figure. Robert Bentley attended Broad Ripple High School and the Herron School of Art & Design, IUPUI, earning his B.A. in drawing and printmaking. Originally a graffiti artist, since 2012 he has been creating commissioned murals using aerosol paint, his preferred medium.

Indy Mural Fest 2019: Stuffy

Category: Mural

Held October 25 – 27, 2019, Indy Mural Fest, presented by Indy Go, Do317, Visit Indy, and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, is a celebration of art and slowing down to really see the walls that flash by when you’re in your car, on the bus, or riding a bike or scooter. All over the city, over 50 local artists spent their time painting over 50 murals. This mural by local artist Stuffy is of a green figure holding an explosive with a colorful surreal background. Stuffy, aka Kyle Rogan, was an Indianapolis-based graffiti artist, painter, and muralist. He passed away on September 21, 2021, the victim of a fatal hit-and-run vehicle event.

Indy Walls

Category: Mural ; Temporary

As one of the few sanctioned public graffiti walls left in Indianapolis, IN, Indy Wall’s graffiti wall stands as a testament to the talent of the young, aspiring graffiti community as well as the more well-known graffiti writers in the area. Constantly changing, this living wall has represented the very nature of the art form and the state of graffiti in Indianapolis since 1984 when it was formerly known as American Tent And Awning.

Irises 1

Category: Traffic Signal Box Art

Irises 1 is one of a series of traffic signal control boxes painted by local artist Greg Allen in the Bates-Hendricks Neighborhood, located on the near south side of Indianapolis. Building from a historic tradition of planting irises in the area, some of which continue to bloom annually, neighborhood residents looked to the past to form a future identity. Developing a new practice of iris imagery throughout the neighborhood, Allen used the traffic signal control boxes to “plant” additional flowers as well as add color and creativity to an otherwise ordinary street corner. Located on the corner of Madison and Terrace Avenues, Irises 1 is part of a larger effort to beautify the city known as Streetcorner Canvases. This traffic signal box art program enables Indianapolis’ neighborhoods to express their identity, beautify their streets, and discourage “tagging” or vandalism. The process is 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 signal control boxes once they are completed.

Irises 2

Category: Traffic Signal Box Art

Irises 2 is one of a series of traffic signal control boxes painted by local artist Greg Allen in the Bates-Hendricks Neighborhood, located on the near south side of Indianapolis. Building from a historic tradition of planting irises in the area, some of which continue to bloom annually, neighborhood residents looked to the past to form a future identity. Developing a new practice of iris imagery throughout the neighborhood, Allen used the traffic signal control boxes to “plant” additional flowers as well as add color and creativity to an otherwise ordinary street corner. Located on the corner of South East Street and Terrace Avenue, Irises 2 is part of a larger effort to beautify the city known as Streetcorner Canvases. This traffic signal box art program enables Indianapolis’ neighborhoods to express their identity, beautify their streets, and discourage “tagging” or vandalism. The process is 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 signal control boxes once they are completed.

Irises 3

Category: Traffic Signal Box Art

Irises 3 is one of a series of traffic signal control boxes painted by local artist Greg Allen in the Bates-Hendricks Neighborhood, located on the near south side of Indianapolis. Building from a historic tradition of planting irises in the area, some of which continue to bloom annually, neighborhood residents looked to the past to form a future identity. Developing a new practice of iris imagery throughout the neighborhood, Allen used the traffic signal control boxes to “plant” additional flowers as well as add color and creativity to an otherwise ordinary street corner. Located on the corner of South East and Lincoln Streets, Irises 3 is part of a larger effort to beautify the city known as Streetcorner Canvases. This traffic signal box art program enables Indianapolis’ neighborhoods to express their identity, beautify their streets, and discourage “tagging” or vandalism. The process is 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 signal control boxes once they are completed.

Irises 4

Category: Traffic Signal Box Art

Irises 4 is one of a series of traffic signal control boxes painted by local artist Greg Allen in the Bates-Hendricks Neighborhood, located on the near south side of Indianapolis. Building from a historic tradition of planting irises in the area, some of which continue to bloom annually, neighborhood residents looked to the past to form a future identity. Developing a new practice of iris imagery throughout the neighborhood, Allen used the traffic signal control boxes to “plant” additional flowers as well as add color and creativity to an otherwise ordinary street corner. Located on the corner of South East and East Morris Streets, Irises 4 is part of a larger effort to beautify the city known as Streetcorner Canvases. This traffic signal box art program enables Indianapolis’ neighborhoods to express their identity, beautify their streets, and discourage “tagging” or vandalism. The process is 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 signal control boxes once they are completed.

Irises 5

Category: Traffic Signal Box Art

Irises 5 is one of a series of traffic signal control boxes painted by local artist Greg Allen in the Bates-Hendricks Neighborhood, located on the near south side of Indianapolis. Building from a historic tradition of planting irises in the area, some of which continue to bloom annually, neighborhood residents looked to the past to form a future identity. Developing a new practice of iris imagery throughout the neighborhood, Allen used the traffic signal control boxes to “plant” additional flowers as well as add color and creativity to an otherwise ordinary street corner. Located on the corner of South East and Prospect Streets, Irises 5 is part of a larger effort to beautify the city known as Streetcorner Canvases. This traffic signal box art program enables Indianapolis’ neighborhoods to express their identity, beautify their streets, and discourage “tagging” or vandalism. The process is 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 signal control boxes once they are completed.

Out of Many, One

Category: Mural

Out of Many, One expresses the beauty and value of every person, no matter their age, status, or situation in life. It is a portrait of the Lincoln Center community. The mural was created in collaboration with Marian University’s teen service day during their annual mission week in summer 2017. The Marion University teens and youth “at risk” from the surrounding neighborhood traced each others’ silhouettes, and then filled in the background according to a pre-planned set of imagery. Interestingly, the plan “fell apart” as the mural execution moved from right to left, with the community painters using their own creativity and ideas to express their joy and spontaneity. True to The Lincoln Center’s philosophy, everyone painting the mural had something of value to add to the collective effort and everyone was able to learn from the project. The result is more than any one person could have accomplished alone. Bethany Friesen, the assistant director of The Lincoln Center, conceived the mural’s design and working method. The Lincoln Center is a project of the faith-based organization Dathouse, and functions as a community gathering place and after-school youth ministry for residents of the Bates Hendricks neighborhood. Lincoln Lane Coffee Shop, in the same building as The Lincoln Center, is a conversation facilitator and fundraising effort for The Lincoln Center.

Peony Fence Mural

Category: Mural

Artist Megan Jefferson painted pink and red peonies on this black privacy fence. Peonies are the state flower of Indiana, and Jefferson often incorporates them into her floral murals. Megan Jefferson is an Indianapolis painter and has been actively creating work ever since receiving her BFA from Miami University. She has exhibited extensively, regionally, and sells her work to designers and individual patrons. Jefferson’s work shifts in theme depending on the series. She loves to create pieces that have a focus on color-based abstraction.

Play (Catch)

Category: Archive ; Outdoor Sculpture

THIS SCULPTURE WAS DEINSTALLED IN APRIL 2022. The painted-metal sculpture consists of two large, curvilinear forms facing each other and three painted balls. Yellow and purple balls are suspended from the metal curves and a blue ball is on the platform between the two curves. This piece of art was commissioned as part of a Keep Indy Beautiful Inc. initiative in 2002 in association with the Bates-Hendricks Neighborhood Association. Lars Jonker is a local artist at Wheeler Arts Community in the Fountain Square District. Jonker is a premiere custom steel sculpture artist whose works are featured online, in print, and on television.

The Horse

Category: Outdoor Sculpture

This popular sculpture was initially installed as part of a 2008 festival focusing on vacant homes available to purchase in the Bates-Hendricks neighborhood. The annual event, sponsored by Southeast Neighborhood Development, was called Fab for Less and featured rehabbed homes decorated by professional designers using a limited budget. The 2008 festival focused on nearby New Jersey St. “The Horse” refers to the early history of the community: Madison Ave. was the main stagecoach route to the Ohio River in the 1820s, and New Jersey St. had a lot of stables. The artist was Marti LaMar, who at the time lived in the neighborhood.

The Light

Category: Mural

This mural by Blend Creative Minds shows a woman with light radiating from her fingertip toward a figure on a flying carpet. Behind her is the Earth, showing she is on another planet with plants and mountain ranges around her. The mural includes a quote from the Bobby Caldwell song “Open Your Eyes” from 1980: “There are times when you need someone, I will be by your side. There is a light that shines special for you.” Blend Creative Minds was founded in 2016 by artists Rafael Caro and Erica Parker. The collective has grown to include other artists who bring their unique talent to the group. Blend Creative Minds works collaboratively on large-scale paintings, murals, and public art.

Untitled (Man Reading Paper)

Category: Outdoor Sculpture

This painted plastic and resin sculpture is located on the west side of this repurposed school. Together with a similar sculpture of a man with a walking stick, it provides a whimsical welcome to the businesses located inside the facility.

Untitled (Paperboy)

Category: Outdoor Sculpture

This painted plastic and resin sculpture is located in the parking lot on the west side of this repurposed school building. Its whimsical presence provides a chuckle to the people arriving to do business in the facility.

Untitled (Policeman)

Category: Outdoor Sculpture

This whimsical painted plastic and resin sculpture is located on the west side of a repurposed school building. An old-fashioned, English-style police officer wields his baton as if he is guarding the premises.

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