Indy Airport Unveils Three New Art Exhibitions for Fall, Winter
Displays give passengers a look at artists’ unique realities
INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 19, 2019) – The Indianapolis International Airport (IND), in partnership with the Arts Council of Indianapolis, recently put three new art exhibits on display for visitors to enjoy this fall and winter. These exhibitions give viewers a glimpse into each artist’s unique life journey.
Tom Duffy and Keith “Wildstyle” Paschall each have a series of photographs on display in the Ticketing Hall. Artist Heather Vickers has a set of detailed graphite drawings on display in Concourse B. All exhibitions are on view through March 15, 2020.
“Each passenger who travels through Indianapolis is on a journey that is uniquely his or her own,” said Mario Rodriguez, executive director of the Indianapolis Airport Authority. “And that’s the story our winter art exhibitions tell, through our Hoosier artists who share their individual perspectives via their art, based on the paths they have each traveled through life.”
Bloomington, Ind. based nature photographer Tom Duffy’s exhibition, Harvesting Limestone, is a collection his photographs of the famed limestone quarries of his home city. The exhibition gives the viewer a behind-the-scenes look at the process of gathering the natural material of limestone, which we frequently see displayed on so many architectural marvels across the country. It is also a sensitive portrait of the humanity of the often-ignored quarry workers, whose difficult task it is to wrench the stone from the earth.
Keith “Wildstyle” Paschall’s exhibition, Indy Hip Hop Music, provides a personalized perspective on hip hop music culture in Indianapolis and the people who are actively creating the scene. Wildstyle, a musician and long-time hip hop producer as well as a visual artist, was concerned that the individuality of these storytellers and their audience wasn’t being documented. He took it upon himself to create a photographic archive of the singular culture of Indianapolis hip hop, including both concert action shots and artist portraits.
Heather Vickers’ display is a collection of her realistic graphite drawings of wild horses. The horses are shown tumbling head over heels against a stark, white background. They symbolize health and strength, and their tumbling movement is representative of the challenges life can present. Vickers, who teaches at Purdue University, aims to convey that even powerful minds can be upended by circumstances over which they have no control.
“The two photography exhibitions in the Ticket Hall show very different aspects of central Indiana as interpreted by artists who know them well," says Julia Moore, the Arts Council's director of public art. "Both limestone quarry worker culture and hip-hop culture are important for visitors to know about to understand the diversity of us as a state. We are not just one thing here.”
Click here to access images on display from the exhibition.