Public Art and the Indianapolis Cultural Trail

Public Art

The Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick connects the vibrancy of the five downtown Cultural Districts. Along the 8 mile path, Cultural Trail users will pass by and pass through the many cultural destinations that make Indianapolis a recognized leader in the arts community. However, the Cultural Trail is not just about the destination...it is about the journey.

From its inception, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick was planned as a place for public art. It was to be a place where artists could stretch their imaginations and careers; a place that embraces artistic interventions created using diverse materials, concepts, and creative professionals. Currently, $2 million in private funding has been allocated to new public art along the trail. Mindy Taylor Ross, the principal of Art Strategies LLC, is the curator and public art project manager for the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. 

The principles of art integration that informed the commissioning of the first art projects for the Cultural Trail were established during a charrette that took place with the design and management team prior to the start of the formal design of the trail. Those initial principles included the following:

  1. Focus on quality over quantity
  2. Site sensitivity
  3. Engage both experienced and emergent artists
  4. Support innovation
  5. Promote Connectivity

Working with the Arts Council of Indianapolis, Ross assembled a Curatorial Advisory Committee comprised of local curators of contemporary art, local artists, and relevant design professionals during the artist selection and project proposal stages. Artists for the initial projects were selected through a state-wide request for qualifications as well as through a direct section process.

For more information about the public art program of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, please contact Mindy Taylor Ross at artstrategies@me.com.