On a recent sunny weekend day, I found myself long on time and short on money. The kids wanted to get out of the house so, based on a friend’s recent suggestion, we piled into the family vehicle and took off in search of outdoor public art in Hendricks County, Indiana.
As it turns out, the number of outdoor public art displays in our county surprised me! Here are 10 locations in Hendricks County where we found public art, all of it free of charge and publicly accessible.
1. Historic Hendricks County Courthouse Square
On the northwest corner of the Hendricks County Courthouse Square in Danville, across the street from the Mayberry Cafe, you'll find a Bicentennial Bison -- part of the statewide "bison-tennial" art project celebrating Indiana's 200th anniversary of statehood in 2016. The artwork on Hendricks County's bison was completed by local artist Kerry Trout, and the statue was unveiled during a public celebration in 2016.
2. Downtown Danville Murals
From the bison, you'll easily be able to see the giant "Open Windows" mural painted on the side of a building a half-block down Main Street. This beautiful piece of art captures many of Hendricks County's iconic people and places, and it was painted in 2016 by Danville's own, Tiffany Black.
Then take a stroll around the Courthouse Square and peek down each alley between buildings. More murals by a variety of artists are sprinkled throughout the Square, offering photo opportunities, a nice place to sit for a bit and lots of beautiful artwork to admire.
3. Danville Town Hall
Sitting in front of Town Hall are two sculptures donated to the town by the Indianapolis Museum of Art.
The larger of the two sculptures is called "Holistic Image VIII" and was created by Betty Gold in 1980. The 16-foot-tall work of art arrived in Danville in 2010 after several decades on display at the Museum of Art.
The smaller of the two sculptures is called "Nimrod" and was created by Oded Halahmy. "Nimrod" was on display in front of the U.S. Federal Building in lower Manhattan in 1975 for our nation's bicentennial celebration before making its way to the Indianapolis Museum of Art and then to Danville.
4. Hendricks Regional Health
Near the Northwest entrance of Hendricks Regional Health is a little hill that leads down to some cafeteria windows. On that hill, for those eating in the hospital's cafeteria to enjoy, is a sculpture by Gary Lee Price called "Children of Peace." The artwork depicts a boy and girl releasing doves into the wild.
(Insider tip: Another sculpture by Price, called "New Seasons," can be found in the lobby of Hendricks Regional Health's Avon Campus.)
5. Avon Town Hall Park
You'll find two pieces of outdoor public art at Avon Town Hall Park. The "200" sculpture by Randall Flake simultaneously commemorates 200 years of statehood and 20 years of Avon's existence as a town.
From the "200" sculpture, turn left and walk down the paved trail to discover the Angel of Hope statue based on the original statue created by Ortho and Jared Fairbanks. Hendricks County's Angel of Hope depicts a child with arms outstretched toward heaven where parents whose children have lost their lives can come to grieve and reflect.
6. WWII Memorial Park
The WWII Memorial Park in Avon boasts a statue of Brigadier General Clyde C. "Chet" Wright, an Avon resident with a decorated career in the U.S. Army during World War II.
The statue was created by Bill Wolfe.
7. Fish
Just southeast of The Shops at Perry Crossing in Plainfield, you'll notice a giant bony fish leaping from a pond.
The sculpture, aptly called "Fish," was designed by Indianapolis artist Matthew Berg, Jr. and erected in 2003.
8. B&O Trail Tunnel
Under Ronald Reagan Parkway near County Road 300 North in Brownsburg, you can find the tunnel along the B&O Trail that safely leads walkers, runners, bicyclists and other trail enthusiasts underneath the parkway.
The B&O Trail Tunnel is beautifully painted by several different artists on both sides. The tunnel lacks any artificial lighting, but in the daylight, the tunnel is short enough to be well-lit all the way through, allowing for easy appreciation of the artwork.
9. John Force Racing
The next stop on our excursion took us to John Force Racing in Brownsburg where we found a statue honoring the late Eric Medlen, a mechanic and Funny Car driver for John Force Racing who was killed in a racing accident during a test session in Florida in 2007.
The statue was fabricated by Storyland Studios in California and unveiled at a ceremony at John Force Racing in 2007, just months after Medlen's death. The statue depicts Medlen celebrating a victory at a 2006 race in California.
10. The Spot
In a project spearheaded by ASH Interactive, four artists created The Spot in Brownsburg, painting murals on both sides of ASH Interactive's building.
The murals display the works of artists Kevin "Scraps" Burdick, Dan "Cents" Thompson, Nick "Abstract" Smith and Zach "ZMed" Medler.
11. Williams Park
Located at Williams Park in Brownsburg, a human-sized bee playing a violin graces the entrance to the park. Why would a bee play the violin? To encourage park guests to listen to the music made by the nature that surrounds them!
The bee was created by the late Indianapolis artist Patrick Mack, who has other pieces of his artwork on display throughout North America.
12. Mill Creek Mural Project
The final spot on my list can be found in the small town of Clayton at the Copper Top Customs building.
This mural was painted by Putnam County native Holly Sims. Sims, who also teaches at Anderson University, worked closely with students from the two Mill Creek Elementary Schools to come up with content and a theme for the mural.
