Indy Airport Gives Artist Stage to Reach Millions of Travelers

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 17, 2024) -- The Indianapolis International Airport (IND) will become the latest stage to showcase Greenwood miniaturist Jimmy Landers’ amazing replica art.

Landers’ intricate replica of President Benjamin Harrison’s residence will be on exhibit at the Indy airport through Jan. 6, 2025, in Civic Plaza.

“Jimmy’s talents are a testament to the amazing Hoosier family of artists from all backgrounds and genres,” said Mario Rodriguez, Indianapolis Airport Authority executive director. “And IND is the perfect place to showcase that talent and artistry, telling the Hoosier story to each of the nearly 10 million people who travel through the airport annually.”

The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site is recognized as one of the top 5 “Things to Do” in Indianapolis by TripAdvisor. And showcasing it at the Indy airport further increases the opportunity for travelers to the city to visit the residence. Per IAA data, travelers are 50 percent more likely to visit a local cultural institution because of viewing art at IND.

The Benjamin Harrison home, constructed originally in 1874, is a national historic landmark, which has been exquisitely restored. The residence is part of the Old Northside community of Indianapolis, and within walking distance from the downtown area.

Landers’ replica of the 23^rd president’s home is nearly six feet long by three feet wide, and four feet tall.

With painstaking care, Landers recreated every detail of the Harrisons’ residence. Both the actual residence and the replica feature over 40 windows, eight columns lining the front porch, four chimneys and real slate roofs. The original home was built with 380,552 bricks, whereas the replica required 48,000. Astonishingly, while the miniature is one-twelfth the size of the real Harrison residence, the construction of the replica was only half as much at $15,000. The original structure cost $29,000 (over $800,000 in 2024 dollars).

“As cool as the ‘bigature’ is, just wait until travelers see the real thing for themselves,” said Charles A. Hyde, president and chief executive officer of the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site. “The museum ranks as #1 on TripAdvisor’s Things to Do” in Indy. So like IND, the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site is committed to being the best in class – as we celebrate the shared history and spaces ‘IN Indiana’ that make our state an exceptional place to live, visit, and discover.”

Benjamin Harrison and his wife Caroline Scott Harrison, an artist herself, began construction on their 10,000 square foot Italianate home 151 years ago. It was from that property in 1888 that Harrison ran his famous “front porch campaign” for the American presidency, giving 80 speeches and addressing more than 300,000 people from across the country.

To learn more about the works of Greenwood artist Jimmy Landers, click here.

For more on the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, visit https://bhpsite.org/.

Media images available here.