Best Arts & Media

Mural
It took one day (May 15, 2008) and 8,400 Lilly employees to complete the Healthy Living mural on Madison Avenue, which now holds the Guinness Book of World Records slot for the largest paint-by-number project ever completed. After mere seconds of seeing the finished endeavor, we fell in love with this drive-by work of art. As part of Lilly’s Global Day of Service and its partnership with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, the mural features walls and walls of art with, among other things, the mugs of many of Indiana’s notables (Kurt Vonnegut, T.C. Steele, Madam C.J. Walker are all there). South Madison Avenue between Raymond and Terrace streets.

Figurative Artist
Last year, Amy Rheinhardt won the Fountain Square Masterpiece in a Day contest, during which she painted an expressive but realistic image of a girl in just a few hours. Imagine what she can do when she has a little time. Specializing in figurative work, the artist fills her Stutz Building studio with canvases like a 10-foot-long behemoth titled “Swing Set Series No. 12.” Of course, if you don’t have a wall the length of a stretch limousine, she’ll be happy to paint a likeness of your pet—complete with a classical background that looks as if she pulled it right out of an 18th-century work—at just 2 inches square. amyrheinhardt.com.

New Art Gallery
With established galleries in Beverly Hills and Miami, collector-entrepreneur-actor-martial artist Evan Lurie has opened his latest venture, Evan Lurie Fine Art Gallery, in the heart of Carmel’s Arts & Design District. From the human sculpture handles on the front door to the interactive sculptures inside to the monumental outdoor sculptures, the place feels like a tribute to Lurie’s love of Latin American and European contemporary abstract art (prices range from $1,500 to $150,000). It’s easy to lose entire hours among the paintings and sculptures from international, national, and local artists. 30 W. Main St., Carmel, 844-8400, evanluriegallery.com.

Up-and-Coming Illustrator
When “See-Saw,” an installation by Greenfield illustrator Chris Sickels, went up on the side of a building at the corner of Massachusetts and College avenues in late 2007, we kicked up our public art-loving heels for joy. Sickels—who fashions approximately 5-inch puppets out of Sculpey Clay, wire, and cloth; inserts them into intricately detailed settings; and then captures the dioramas through a photographic lens—has long been on our short list of artistic heroes. Sickles, featured in recent issues of Communication Arts and the New York Times, and working on illustrations for a children’s book about a famous garbage barge, is on the rise. rednosestudio.com.

Belly Dancers
With their spectacular Bollywood costumes and mesmerizing moves, the 13 dancers of Belly Belly prove that it’s hip to have hips. And to use them. Catch their (non)traditional performances—accompanied by clubby, contemporary Middle Eastern music—at local events such as the Gathering of the Goddesses and the International Festival. Or shimmy on down to Santorini Greek Kitchen to catch leader Badriya Bint Daa’ood’s bi-monthly appearances. 514-6663, beledibelly.com.

Video Blog
It may be a world-wide Web, but there are great things happening locally on the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association’s podcast doingindy.com, hosted by ICVA production manager, Seth Hancock. Whether he’s ghost-hunting with pros at Central State Hospital, hanging out at Victory Field with Indians coach Trent Jewett, or swimming with dolphins at the Zoo, the unassuming Hancock investigates with sincerity that’ll make you forget you’re watching civic propaganda. Each week the energetic Everyhoosier tracks down people and places around town that will awaken you to the fact that we might actually live in a cool city. doingindy.com.

Welding Classes
Long ago, word about the artful metalwork of Chris Foster circulated around town. His steel furniture was making its way into First Friday art events, and his wrist cuffs and belt buckles became local fashion statements. But recently we realized that the local artist is not just a master of his craft but also a teacher, offering $275 five-week Tig welding classes at downtown’s Sutton-Garten Co. 901 Senate Ave., 264-3236, fosterweld.com.

New Installation
The installation of fluorescent light created by renowned artist Robert Irwin earns big points in our contemporary art book of love. The three-story Light and Space III illuminates the museum’s Pulliam Great Hall with white floor-to-ceiling scrim panels and grids of lights. The work surrounds the museum’s main escalators, so visitors can actually move through the installation. 4000 N. Michigan Rd., 923-1331, imamuseum.org.