"Cue" Tribute Wall 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.
"Detour" Mural This mural was created by graffiti artist Detour as a continuation of the Infamous with Style 20th Anniversary Mural. Dose, Sacred, 6Cents, and Detour are local graffiti artists that make up part of the Infamous with Style (IWS) crew.
Founded in 1995 by Dose and Creep, IWS was one of the original Indianapolis graffiti crews. At various times, IWS had members from NUA, KA, HFX and S2L, all graffiti crews that had previously worked in Indianapolis. Without the necessary leadership, however, each member eventually dropped from IWS and the group disbanded. In 2004, IWS reorganized and refocused their goals: to create pieces, raise the bar as much as possible, and have no leader. Since then, IWS has produced several murals and commissions, proving that every graffiti writer needs a good partner with similar goals and tastes.
"Devious" Robot This robot was painted by graffiti artist Devious (Cincinnati, OH) as a part of the annual Subsurface Graffiti Expo in 2012.
Subsurface is an event that showcases mural and graffiti artists from all over America and beyond. Since 2002, artists have traveled to Indianapolis every Labor Day weekend to create work and build community. Subsurface seeks to advance the art form through beautifying and revitalizing the landscape of the Fountain Square neighborhood specifically. Subsurface also seeks to raise social and cultural awareness and promote the arts as an institution of empowerment for all involved.
"Like One" Mural Rubén “Like One” Aguirre is a Chicago based painter who has transitioned from graffiti writer to abstract painter and contemporary muralist. This black and white mural was designed and created during the 2015 Subsurface Graffiti Expo.
Subsurface is an annual event that showcases mural and graffiti artists from all over America and beyond. Since 2002, artists have traveled to Indianapolis every Labor Day weekend to create work and build community. Subsurface seeks to advance the art form through beautifying and revitalizing the landscape of the Fountain Square neighborhood specifically. Subsurface also seeks to raise social and cultural awareness and promote the arts as an institution of empowerment for all involved.
Like One has produced a number of murals in the Chicagoland area, across the U.S., and in Brazil. Like One’s work is an intersection of abstract graffiti, design, and contemporary muralism. With traces of typographic letter structure from his graffiti roots, his work is informed by architecture and plays with re-imagining public space, while investigating pattern, texture, and color field through the use of the spray can. This carries through his studio work while further exploring materials i.e., latex, wood, paper. He has exhibited in The National Museum of Mexican Art, the Hyde Park Art Center, and the Chicago Cultural Center.
100th Running Celebration Mural at the 500 Festiva... The 500 Festival commissioned this mural from Indianapolis-based artist Carl Leck to commemorate several important race-related anniversaries occurring in 2016: the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, the 60th Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade, and the 40th Indianapolis 500 Mini-Marathon. Leck’s mural depicts the Borg-Warner Trophy, which is presented annually to the 500 winner; the original and current track pagodas; and three race cars, one of which is the inaugural 1911 winner, the Marmon Wasp. Other images include depictions of the 500 Festival Parade and the Mini-Marathon.
See a timelapse of the installation of the mural at https://vimeo.com/167786445.
Learn more about artist Carl Leck at http://harrisoncenter.org/carl-b-leck/
20 Past 4 & More Mural This mural was created in collaboration with local business 20 Past 4 & More and FAB Crew, aka the Fantastic Aerosol Brothers. Spanning the entire side of the building, this creative depiction of a young man with magical powers brings bold design and bright colors to the structure.
This mural is representative of the many unique characters 6Cents and Sacred317 have created over their 17 years together as Fab Crew. Though both are trained in fine art and commercial design, graffiti art remains the driving force behind their creativity. The FAB Crew has been commissioned to create murals for Klipsch, the NFLPA, Hot Box Pizza, IndyGo (for whom they painted two buses), Red Bull, Pabst Blue Ribbon, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as well as many others.
20th Anniversary Infamous with Style Mural Dose, Sacred, 6Cents, and Detour are local graffiti artists who make up part of the Infamous with Style (IWS) crew. This 20th Anniversary medallion represents the group’s long-term career as bright, bold, and dynamic group of artists working together.
Founded in 1995 by Dose and Creep, IWS was one of the original Indianapolis graffiti crews. At various times, IWS had members from NUA, KA, HFX and S2L, all graffiti crews that had previously worked in Indianapolis. Without the necessary leadership, however, each member eventually dropped out of IWS and the group disbanded. In 2004, IWS reorganized and refocused their goals: to create pieces, raise the bar as much as possible, and have no leader. Since then, IWS has produced several murals and commissions, proving that every graffiti writer needs a good partner with similar goals and tastes.
4 Leaves As part of the 2017 Indy Do Day, Indianapolis’ It’s My City coalition partnered with local artists and volunteers to create temporary and semi-permanent pavement murals throughout Indianapolis. Most of the murals were made of chalk and were designed to last just a few days, but as part of its neighborhood engagement efforts, Big Car Collaborative worked with artists to create murals in the Garfield Park neighborhood that would stay fresh-looking for up to a year.
Indianapolis-based artist William Denton Ray painted this mural for the Garfield Park Art Center in its large parking lot, originally the site of a swimming pool when the park was first built. The mural includes four 30′ x 10′ stylized leaves that are designed to be graphic in nature and also provide a visual direction towards the Art Center’s entrance, which can be difficult for patrons to find. The original design was a teal-green color; however, after the artist discussed the palette with the Friends of Garfield Park, the decision was made to change it to shades of red. The design was laid out by the artist and filled in by the staff of local digital marketing company Trendy Minds, with additional volunteers from Eli Lilly as part of the Lilly Global Day of Service on September 28. To finalize the design, Ray painted the white outlines to make all the reds pop.
Alien Leia This mural is a humorous take on the Princess Leia character from the Star Wars movie series. It features a small version of the artist Jules Muck’s signature amorous bunnies, a larger version of which, when painted on the Near Eastside in October 2018, caused controversy and was removed by the property owner within 24 hours. The current mural was painted during an informal artist’s residency in Indianapolis in the summer of 2019.
Jules Muck, aka MuckRock, is a street artist from England who learned her craft in the 1990s from Lady Pink and many other legends of graffiti and hip-hop culture. After working extensively in New York, she moved to Venice, California in 2008. She currently works nationally and internationally, with major works in various locations including Miami’s famous Wynwood district, produced with Art Basel Miami. MuckRock’s street works are both invited and unsanctioned, and she has created work for gallery exhibitions.
Alley Cat Building Mural BurgerFuel is a New Zealand-based restaurant chain that advocates for the arts. They have their own resident artist, team of graphic designers, and even run a few of their own arts based programs. To celebrate the opening of their first U.S. location, in Broad Ripple Village, BurgerFuel not only created custom murals for the interior of their store but also created them throughout the Broad Ripple community.
The owners of Broad Ripple’s Alley Cat bar gave Haser full rein of their exterior wall. Rising to the occasion, he tied the piece back to the building and business with his own creative take on what an alley cat looks like.
Haser is BurgerFuel’s resident artist and head of their “Creative, Sweet” arts program. He works as part of BurgerFuel’s graphic design team at their headquarters and travels the world to create pieces specifically for BurgerFuel, as well as creating pieces of his own with his crew, TMD.
American 3.14 Mural Artist Ezi Underwood created and installed the images and backgrounds to revitalize this corridor on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis. A crew from Teen Works was a significant part of the creation and installation process. The project was completed with the support of Teen Works and the Rivoli Park Neighborhood. Englewood Church, NEAR, and Recycle Force also provided key logistical supports to make this project happen.
Listen to an episode of Curious Mix that features the mural project HERE.
American Tent and Awning Graffiti The west-facing American Tent and Awning graffiti wall was created by the DF Crew in 2012 as a part of the annual Subsurface Graffiti Expo.
Subsurface is an event that showcases mural and graffiti artists from all over America and beyond. Since 2002, artists have traveled to Indianapolis every Labor Day weekend to create work and build community. Subsurface seeks to advance the art form through beautifying and revitalizing the landscape of the Fountain Square neighborhood specifically. Subsurface also seeks to raise social and cultural awareness and promote the arts as an institution of empowerment for all involved.
The DF Crew has influenced the graffiti landscape all over the world with innovative styles and was a major contributor to the early ’90s production era. Kwaze, Rapes, Emit, Ewok, Jick, Vogey, and Dero (known as an NYC subway legend) are among some of the artists showcased on this Southside graffiti wall.
And the Future Was Wide Open This mural is located on the wall of Horizon House, a homeless shelter and services provider on the east side of Indianapolis, in conjunction with the Indiana chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The artist dubs it “a painting for local heroes” and the concept talks about an open road to a bright future. The mural was painted during an informal artist’s residency in the summer of 2019.
Jules Muck, aka MuckRock, is a street artist from England who learned her craft in the 1990s from Lady Pink and many other legends of graffiti and hip-hop culture. After working extensively in New York, she moved to Venice, California in 2008. She currently works nationally and internationally, with major works in various locations including Miami’s famous Wynwood district, produced with Art Basel Miami. MuckRock’s street works are both invited and unsanctioned, and she has created work for gallery exhibitions.
Angel Wings Mural This mural at DeveloperTown is one of two similar sets of street-art interventions by Indianapolis artists Megan Jefferson and Jamie Locke. Initially created in the summer of 2016, the murals are Jefferson’s attempt to infuse hope and love into public spaces of the city. Their interactive nature (many people share photos of themselves standing in front of the wings, seen at #indyangelwings) and positive spirit are intended to provide a bright spot in one’s day.
Two other sets of Jefferson and Locke’s angel wings, in full color at both adult and child heights, are located further north along the Monon Trail at 64th St. in Broad Ripple. Angel wings “graffiti” are seen in many cities in the U.S., done for similar reasons.
Megan Jefferson is one of the artists in the collaborative known as the Department of Public Words, whose mission is to spread positivity through word-based murals and interactive projects in public places.
Learn more about the group at: http://www.dpwords.org/main/
Jefferson also creates studio work independent of the collaborative. Learn more about Jefferson’s work at: http://www.jeffersonartstudio.com/
Jamie Locke is a resident artist at Ruckus Makerspace. Her work usually takes the form of intricate mandalas (spiritual maps) in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional media. Learn more about Locke’s work at: http://www.jamielockeart.com/
Angler Fish Mural FAB Crew, comprised of 6Cents and Sacred317, partnered with Chicago street artist Amuse126 to create the Angler Fish mural during the 2015 annual Subsurface Graffiti Expo.
Subsurface is an event that showcases mural and graffiti artists from all over America and beyond. Since 2002, artists have traveled to Indianapolis every Labor Day weekend to create work and build community. Subsurface seeks to advance the art form through beautifying and revitalizing the landscape of the Fountain Square neighborhood specifically. Subsurface also seeks to raise social and cultural awareness and promote the arts as an institution of empowerment for all involved.
The Angler Fish mural is representative of the dynamic colors and design that 6Cents and Sacred317 have created over their 17 years together as a crew. Though both are trained in fine art and commercial design, graffiti art remains the driving force behind their creativity. Amuse126 is also known for his bold, vibrant, and visually intoxicating pieces that often recall traditional elements of graffiti art over his 15 years as an artist.
Apple Catapult Apple Catapult celebrates the important role that Teachers’ Treasures plays in our community. Referencing school supplies found inside, Schlough’s mural depicts a clever contraption that might be used to send an apple to a teacher in a most unusual way: one simple push of a domino causes a chain reaction; even the “blueprint” of the machine can be seen taped to the wall.
Apple Catapult was one of 46 murals commissioned by the Arts Council of Indianapolis as part of its nationally renowned 46 for XLVI mural initiative.
Aquarium Surprise This wraparound design of an aquarium deftly mixes the expected with the unexpected. The artist has shown both the inside and the outside of the aquarium, adding the cat on the outside as he views his own tail on the other side through the water. The views are true to what an actual aquarium looks like.
Aquarium Surprise is one of an ongoing series of traffic signal box artworks sponsored by the City of Fishers as a way to enliven its downtown area.
Artist Travis Neal lives in Indianapolis and specializes in mural artwork.
Arsenal Technical High School mural The left half of this mural celebrates the nearby historic campus of Arsenal Technical High School (“Tech”) as the center of the Near Eastside. Many of the campus’ buildings date to the Civil War period, when it was built as an arsenal for the Union army. Converted to a high school in 1912, the campus became host to a comprehensive academic and vocational education program that was also known for strengths in the arts, graduating many famous individuals including jazz musician Freddie Hubbard, artist Robert Indiana (Robert Clark), and U.S. Congressman Andre Carson.
The left half of the mural shows the backdrop of downtown Indianapolis with the Near Eastside and the high school in the foreground, as if it were a field on which several overscaled soccer players contest for a ball. The right half of the mural shows newer Arsenal campus buildings and two students in a science lab with a DNA helix, arranged along a brick path that leads to another image of downtown Indianapolis. Missing panels on the left once continued the images of the Tech campus and the Downtown skyline.
The artist, Indianapolis painter Morris Kurz, chose Tech as the theme in order to inspire local youth to think of the opportunities provided by education as the key to a good life. He depicted the figures as African American and Latinx to indicate that a quality education is accessible to all. The soccer players not only provide a sense of movement to the mural, but were painted as a symbol of beneficial physical activity and the idea that working collaboratively as a team is another way to succeed in life. Originally there was to be text proclaiming “Gateway to the Near Eastside,” but it was never implemented.
Kurz created the mural in 4’ x 8’ sections on cement board in his garage, because the property owner did not want anything permanent on the building. The cement board proved to be too delicate for this type of installation, and periodically would fall off the building. After several replacements, it was decided to leave the installation alone, resulting in an irregular appearance.
Despite a campaign by neighbors to remove and relocate the remaining sections, the mural was destroyed in 2018 when the building to which it was attached was demolished.
At the Bus Stop, Without Delay At the Bus Stop, Without Delay was inspired by the artist’s experiences riding the bus to work. Many people overlook bus riders, yet there are communities and neighborhoods of people that live solely by commuting by bus. By showing the near East Side community at the bus stop, it created the most natural setting for a large group of people to mingle below the cityscape.
The artist incorporated little narratives occurring between all of the people featured at the bus stop. The cityscape above shows the Indianapolis skyline flowing out into the houses and landmarks along East 10th Street. The sky even unfolds from dusk to daytime as the mural moves from left to right. All of these nuances make up the mural, and will be there for the many viewers who will see this on a daily basis, as well as the initial impact it will give the first time visitors driving along 10th Street.
Autumn Autumn is one of a series of 14 glass murals commissioned for the concourses at Indianapolis International Airport. For eight of the murals, the artist was inspired by the colors of the Indiana landscape at different times of the day and different seasons of the year. He created abstract imagery to communicate his perceptions in hopes that they would remind departing visitors of what they had experienced and welcome returning residents back home.
This mural is located on Concourse B.
Autumn Prairie Morning The mural features wildflowers and animals native to prairie land in the central United States.
Fabricated and installed in conjunction with Perdoma Byzantine Studio in Cuernavaca, Mexico.
www.dixiefriendgay.com
Away with Words and All That's Left are Strangers In December 2017, NEAR and Partners in Housing collaborated to create this temporary mural at the corner of 10th and Rural. Their goal was to enliven the streetscape, express the diversity and “vibe” of the area, call attention to rentable retail spaces, and increase the perception of safety in this important neighborhood hub. They engaged the artist William Denton Ray, known for his whimsical drawings, to create a multi-part composition that fills the storefront windows of a historic commercial block. The mural is anticipated to remain in place for approximately two years.
The title of the mural is a call for people to talk with each other to improve understanding and connection.
Partners in Housing is a leading agency in the fight against homelessness and for access to more affordable housing. Since 1993, Partners has rescued and rehabbed properties that have provided a total of 248 supportive housing units and 335 affordable housing units. These units serve more than 600 people every day, making Partners In Housing by far the largest and oldest developer of this kind of housing in Indianapolis.
Near East Area Renewal (NEAR) is the community development agency for Indianapolis’ Near Eastside, working to develop housing options for all income levels, assisting in rehabilitation efforts, urban homesteading, and essential repairs with low-income homeowners, energizing industrial site cleanup and re-use, and putting the Near Eastside Quality of Life Plan into action.
Back in Indiana Artwork includes poem by Creative Renewal Arts Fellow and former Indiana Poet Laureate Norbert Krapf.
Located in the Indianapolis International Airport – Concourse A
Balancing Act Lilly Oncology on Canvas (LOOC) has provided individuals affected by cancer with an opportunity to share their stories through art and narrative. Since its founding in 2004, in partnership with the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, thousands of LOOC participants have been inspired to share their journey with countless others. For more information, visit http://www.lillyoncology.com/support-resources/lilly-oncology-on-canvas.html
The artist chose to show cancer as a balancing act between mind and body. The artist is now cancer-free, but informs the viewer that the balancing doesn’t stop once one is free of cancer. Each CAT scan, twitch of pain, or thought can put a survivor out of balance but they just have to remember to rebalance themselves after doubt pulls them down.
(photo courtesy of Ken Norris)
Balloon Ride The artist of this mural was inspired by the hot air balloons that can be seen hovering over Fishers, courtesy of nearly Conner Prairie. Balloon Ride is his take on this iconic sight. A tiny mouse rides as a passenger in each balloon–motorists miss this detail, but it is a special reward for pedestrians.
Mark Anderson is a sculptor and mural artist based in Indianapolis.
Balloon Ride is one of a series of traffic control box artworks commissioned by the City of Fishers to enliven its downtown area.
Balloon Spaceman This mural was created after nearby Square Cat Vinyl issued an open call for murals relating to its 2019 Backalley Ballyhoo psychedelic music and art festival. The theme of “science fiction” was amply addressed by a number of artists, including this whimsical (and improbable!) composition of a spaceman holding a balloon.
Indianapolis-based artist Joy Hernandez specializes in simple, quirky illustrations and favors robots, spacemen, and other fantastic creatures.
Bambi & Thumper This mural appropriates the iconic 1942 Disney image of Bambi and Thumper, but switches the characters’ antlers and horns. The artist’s signature is in a small cloud seeming to emanate from the Bambi figure’s rear end. The artist’s Instagram page comments, “@beholderindy mural got a PG rating this year … looks can be deceiving,” referring to a previous mural she had created on the same wall in October 2018: that mural depicted a pair of amorous bunnies and was so controversial that it lasted a mere 24 hours before it was painted out by the building owner. The current mural was created during an informal artist’s residency in Indianapolis in the summer of 2019.
Jules Muck, aka MuckRock, is a street artist from England who learned her craft in the 1990s from Lady Pink and many other legends of graffiti and hip-hop culture. After working extensively in New York, she moved to Venice, California in 2008. She currently works nationally and internationally, with major works in various locations including Miami’s famous Wynwood district, produced with Art Basel Miami. MuckRock’s street works are both invited and unsanctioned, and she has created work for gallery exhibitions.
Bargersville Sunrise Colorful sunrise mural painted as part of the Johnson County Community Foundation’s 25th anniversary. In 2016, three murals were installed in three different cities and towns in Johnson County.
Battle of the Bands Located in the bistro area of the Greenwood/Bargersville Kroger supermarket, Battle of the Bands was designed by Andy Fry and painted by volunteers from the Greenwood and Bargersville communities. The mural was inspired by the importance of their marching bands to Greenwood Community High School and Center Grove High School: their awards records generate school pride and performances show off individual and group talent, and their musicianship is unquestioned. More importantly, though, the marching bands and color guards embody crucial values like persistence, teamwork, discipline, camaraderie, and tradition. One has only to visit Johnson County to recognize how important those values are to maintaining its fine community spirit.
Big Car Collaborative is an Indianapolis-based nonprofit arts organization and collective of artists that focuses on creative placemaking and socially engaged art. Their mission is to “bring art to people and people to art, sparking creativity in lives to help communities thrive.” Among their many activities are projects that enable people to make art together, whether in the civic commons, in community spaces, or through their own facilities. Big Car was started in 2004 and currently works out of the Tube Factory Artspace in Indianapolis’ Garfield Park neighborhood. Read more about their work at http://www.bigcar.org
Bee Mindful: They are Important Given the opportunity to paint whatever she liked on the wall of this Jiffy Lube store, the artist chose to depict the importance of bees and their drastic drop in population because of herbicides, pesticides, deforestation, and urbanization. When bees are gone, everything in the world, including humans, will cease to exist. True to her style, the artist depicted an illusion of the wall breaking open to reveal a honeycomb, with several bees in various states of maturity flying out from it. The final “bee” is a baby in a bee costume holding a heart balloon, to indicate the importance of bees to human life. The bees appear to be flying towards a giant sunflower, with a world globe in its center.
Although not apparent to the casual viewer, the artist also added several details that ground the mural in the time (summer 2019) and place it was painted and reflect her personal concerns. A careful look at the globe in the sunflower reveals red and orange areas in the depiction of South America, to indicate fires in the Amazon rainforest that were in the news at the time. There is also a tiny hurricane in the Caribbean–indicating Hurricane Dorian, which was just forming at the time and was projected to be one of the most devastating hurricanes in recent memory–and a dot indicating Indianapolis. The baby was created to be of an indeterminate race, and the pattern in the wings of the baby’s bee costume is reminiscent of the chain link fences that controversially characterize conditions in immigrant holding camps along the U.S.’s southern border, also in the news while the mural was being created. All together, they reveal an artist who is passionately devoted to the health of the world and moved by crises that are damaging to humanity.
Pamela Bliss is an Indianapolis-based artist specializing in large-scale, photorealistic murals.
Bee Mindful… was created through a partnership between Jiffy Lube of Indiana and the Arts Council of Indianapolis. The partnership is an opportunity to showcase local artists, beautify commercial corridors with original public art murals, and encourage viewers through positive images while expressing the goals of Jiffy Lube’s programming: Growing People Through Work.
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