Topiary

Last week, while on my search for pizza, I found another 

of  The Public Collection installations.

This one, called Topiary, is by sculptor Eric Nordgulen.

He intends it as a natural outgrowth of the

surrounding garden space, one that shows reading

"as another form of growth."

The tubular steel sculpture is located just off 

Washington Street at Virginia Avenue.

These installations, meant to promote literacy and the arts,

hope to provide books to people who may have 

difficulty gaining access to reading matter.

Research has found that, while middle class households

can average thirteen books per person, folks

in less well-off households have, on average,

about "one age-appropriate book available for every

three hundred people."

A New Angle

After swim practice Monday morning,

I went downtown for lunch. I decided to have 

a little pizza instead of my favorite turkey burger. 

The change meant a little detour, 

away from my usual rat trail. I headed

into the southeast section of downtown Indy

where I walked along the short block

called Pearl Street. I looked up to see the restored

buildings along Washington Street, now full

of restaurants, art galleries, and a barber shop.

In the background, Victory pokes up 

from atop her perch on Monument Circle, while other 

buildings, all built within the past thirty years,

stand in stark blahness compared

to the older beauties in the foreground.

Bigger is definitely not better.

And my pizza? Meh. 

At least it had a nice thin, crispy crust

and plenty of cheese. I found another

 pizza place afterward on Pearl Street.

I'll have to try it next time.

Chard

Chard, kale, and green onions are some 

of the veggies planted in a garden 

just outside Eskenazi Health, in a patch 

near the little sandwich shop.

The Art of Healing

When the plans for Eskenazi Health were taking shape, 

one of the first considerations was that art

should be an important focus, both of the building itself 

and within its walls. This has been accomplished

with great success; many artists responded to the hospital's

request for proposals and the results are hanging

from the ceilings and walls, as well as on the exterior

of the building itself. It's a beautiful place,

making the experience of healing more tolerable, 

which can all too often be difficult and tragic 

for both patient and caregiver alike.

However, the use of art to provide a pleasant and 

inspiring atmosphere for the patients is not new.

In 1914, Hoosier Group artist William Forsyth led 

a group of his contemporaries in creating murals intended

to "promote healing and wellness." When completed

in 1916, patients could view artwork by Forsyth, John

Hardrick, Otto Starke, and others. 

The most famous of these artists was, perhaps, 
T. C. Steele, whose paintings now hang in a room 

at the south end of the Eskenazi Health main lobby.

The fate of the others have not been quite so fortunate.

Their story, and of the efforts to restore them has been

detailed in an article in this week's Nuvo Weekly.

Perhaps the doctors who practice at IU Health and at

Eskenazi might get together, contribute an hour or two of

their fees to restore these paintings and to

save the Indiana Medical History Museum. 

And, when you get the opportunity, go take a look 

at Steele's paintings. Titled The Four Seasons,

Steele's landscapes drew me into their composition;

I could almost smell the grass, the trees, and hear

the sound of the water as it flowed in the creek.

And the artist used little to no black in his work,

making him a man after my heart.

Family Scenes Seen

These last few weeks of summer are bringing changes.

As the temperatures hang in the 90s, a hot breeze swirls 

in the streets, a welcome relief as the sidewalks 

and buildings radiate the sun's warmth 

onto the passers-by and commuters.

Here people wait for their buses home, 

hoping that they will be able to ride in the

comfort of air conditioning.

Storms are forecast for the overnight, 

bringing a cold front that will provide 

a precursor of fall weather.

Too soon, we'll all be cursing the cold

weather as we stand in snow and frigid air,

waiting for buses that provide a few

minutes shelter in snug warmth.

Strawberry

Oops! There it was, spray-painted on the sidewalk,

a few inches from the foundation of a shop

 on Delaware Street. I'd stopped in at a runners'

specialty store to purchase an item and noticed

the solitary strawberry as I left.

No reason. No copy. No identification,

just a solitary picture of a bit of fruit

to decorate the cracked sidewalk.

View from the Bottom of the Washing Machine

When I looked up from inside this installation 

at the IUPUI Library, all I saw was the white light 

coming in through the skylight. 

Later, at home, the image took on the look of a sun, 

multi-colored rays emanating from its white heat.

Then again, it could just be a loose button's view 

from the bottom of a washing machine after

the spin cycle has completed and all the T-shirts 

are stuck to the sides of basket.

Curiousity: Theme Day Missed, But It was Worth It

A public library is the most enduring of memorials, 

the trustiest monument for the preservation of an event 

or a name or an affection; for it, and it only, 

is respected by wars and revolutions, 

and survives them.  -- Mark Twain 

 I had intended to have a post for Theme Day. 

There aren't many "curiousities/ oddities" in Indy 

that don't verge on the downright scary.

What I had planned was pretty standard fare, 

but I missed it due to an odd conjunction

of circumstances not worth repeating.

Instead, I hied myself to Monument Circle

on Tuesday, September 2nd to take pictures

of Monument, one of six installations

comprising The Public Collection.

Developed to promote public art and literacy,

I found a wide range of books

provided by the Marion County Public Library,

titles that could entice just about anyone to

borrow something to read.

I found one for myself, a bit of historical

fiction that allows me to indulge

some life-long romantic fantasies. 

The SPARK Project continues on the Circle,

allowing visitors to mix and mingle among little

seating areas to play chess or checkers,

to stack giant Legos, play Foosball or ping-pong.

The temperatures were in the sun-baked

and humid ninetys so many folks, instead, 

seemed to prefer to sit in the shade with a bowl

of ice cream. 

But the serene and quiet activity at Monument 

and SPARK screened the main event of the lunch-time

schedule, a gathering of NHRA drivers and

displays of their Top Fuel and Funny Car dragsters.

They are in town for the annual NHRA Nationals

held each Labor Day weekend since 1955 

at Lucas Oil Raceway, just a few miles west

of Indianapolis.

I don't care for drag racing - it's just

not my thing, nor do I like Corvettes, but I 

do like the Camaro shown above.

Of course, I'd like it; priced at over $150,000

it was a beautiful expression of technologies

and mechanics wrapped in a sleek yellow and black

aerodynamic skin. If given enough money

to buy the damn thing, would I pay my bills or

have this low-flying road sculpture?

The Chevy Funny Car shown above belongs to 

NHRA Champion driver, John Force,

Shown below at the Fan Fest Autograph session 

with his daughters Ashley and Courtney,

themselves champion drivers who 

often beat their dad. He's taught them well.

While sitting in my own spot of shade with a dish of ice cream, 

I happened to notice a young man sitting at a picnic table. 

For whatever reason, I recognized him right away. 

He was Graham Rahal, Indy Car driver, son of 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal, and fiance of Courtney Force.

He was waiting for her to complete a radio interview promoting this weekend's drag racing. Between the book kiosk, 

the cars and their drivers, and the displays at SPARK, 

seeing him made my day, topping both my curiosities and 

my interests with a little cherry.