Featured Artist Exhibits

Neunundneunzig Luftballons

Based on the 1983 pop hit by Nena, this series is a study in understanding. In the song, 99 ballons are let loose near the Berlin Wall. Both the East and West sides of Germany see this as an act of aggression. This leads to war.

99 people hanging from 99 ballons represent the difference and similarities between us all. An understanding of each is the key to living in harmony.

Instagram: @mobilistindy

Movement Behind the Wheel

As an artist, I find inspiration in unexpected places. One of those places is the Indy 500, an event that is often associated with speed and adrenaline. But to me, the Indy 500 is about more than just racing. It’s about the human spirit, determination, and the pursuit of excellence.

Through my art, I aim to capture the energy and excitement of the Indy 500 while also exploring its deeper themes. I use vibrant colors and bold brushstrokes to convey the sense of movement and momentum that defines the race. At the same time, I incorporate subtle details and symbols that reflect the values and ideals that make the Indy 500 such a meaningful event.

Whether you’re a racing fan or not, I hope that my artwork will inspire you to embrace life with passion and creativity. We may not all be drivers in the Indy 500, but we can all find something worth pursuing with our hearts and souls.

artbyjohnsonsimon.com

Would You Give Up, or Try Again?

“Last year my dad died, I nearly divorced my husband of 23 years, I made myself pretty miserable and I constantly told myself I wasn’t good enough.

I have always considered myself creative but never called or considered myself an artist. My husband gives painting lessons to one person, and he invited me to join in and push myself a little bit. I did it, thought I wasn’t good enough, and gave up for a bit.

I decided to try again after my dad died, I went back to the studio, joined the painting lesson, and started again with no intention of creating a body of work. I jumped in and it felt good, and then I went home and dove back into my misery.

Fast forward, I was ready to give up on my marriage. I get jealous and hulk green with envy because he is so inspiring… someone I look up to and want to be. Always positive, optimistic, and always making me feel less than good enough. I was always angry and then realized it wasn’t him making me feel this way, it was totally me and instead of being influenced by him, I chose to be the opposite.

I’ve never said to anyone or to myself that I was depressed, in the back of my mind I’ve always thought that taking antidepressants was sort of cheating and not dealing with real feelings, and then earlier this year I started taking one and it changed everything.

I realized that I don’t ever want to give up and no matter what I will always try again.”

You said we couldn’t, so we did

In celebration of Disability Awareness Month, ABLE showcases the work of ArtMix artisans, students, teaching artists, and staff. This impressive group show reiterates ArtMix's mission that no matter our age or ability, we are capable individuals with identities beyond our labels.

We are artists. We are able.

Artists: Kei'Anna Anderson, Hunter Brumley, Talia Caldwell, Chad Campbell, David Cohen-Arazi, Lauren Coles, Emily Compton, Joseph Copass-Israels, Lynn English, Cody Feldman, Skilar Games, Jared Grondin, Tom Hamilton, Katelynn Hurst, Norriesha Ice, Ti’andre Jackson, Cole Jarrett, Jordan Kent, Larry Keough, David Kleeman, Amber Mcclain, Renee Mcghee, Emily Meeker, Tom Meeker, Ashley O'Keefe, Nikki Owens, Samuel Penaloza, Eleyés Reeves, Breanna Rice, Eli Sandlin, Ellie Schwer, Katie Shirk, Johnson Simon, Sarah Strouse, Kim Watanabe, Emily West, Joshua White, and Molly Wolfe

What If…

“What if you didn’t let fear hold you back? What if you let your imagination run wild? What if you let your inner child free? What if you weren’t afraid of being judged? What if you tried? What if you said ‘yes’ or ‘no’? What if you failed, but stood right back up? What if you had hope? What if you actually tried that thing you always wanted to? What if you took that class?

What if you tried?

I have always gravitated towards working with my hands, solving puzzles, and finding solutions to problems. Creating with my hands is a puzzle and a problem for me to solve.

Some of my favorite things I have created came after I uttered the phrase ‘What if…’”

Pandemic Diaries

"I tried to deal with the isolation of the pandemic by maintaining a daily sketch discipline. It helped replace some of the creative energy and inspiration that I usually got from friends, coworkers, and students. Most of this work grew out of those sketches and my desire to explore and expand my repertoire of personal iconography, and in the case of the ‘Gems’ collages, to scramble up layers of sketches to create lovely little keepsake moments from a dark period. "

chris-tower.sqaurespace.com

Good Fibes

Urban Artisans is an internship program that aids 16-22 year-olds, with and without disabilities, with the transition from school to the workplace. Under the leadership of our professional Teaching Artists, interns work as a creative team to produce marketable, artistic products in clay, fiber, and paints. This summer, a group of our interns had the exciting opportunity to explore the world of fiber arts with Teaching Artist Kei’Anna Anderson. For many of the artisans, this was their first experience working with yarn, thread, looms, and weaving. Throughout the program, the artisans were pushed to master the basics of tapestry making. Here’s what Kei’Anna had to say about the artistic process:

"A slow rhythmic, meditative, repetitive process that allows gentle reconnection with the mind and fine motor skills is the answer to the question ‘Why Tapestry?’ Tapestry not only connects us to our ancient history but also connects us to our present experience with others and most importantly ourselves. This grounding process instantly slows us down and causes us to, first, appreciate the colors and textures of fibers; smooth, rough, bright, dull, as we begin to make personal connections with our selected fibers for a design pattern.

This body of work exemplifies a progression of mastering the technical skill of tapestry making. However, the Urban Artisans’ natural instinct to imagine and create consumes this basic concept from the beginning. They continue to express happiness and joy while given the creative freedom to make design choices and complete a process from start to finish. Their imaginations are beyond, as presented in every single tapestry. Their diligence and perseverance demonstrate courage. The Urban Artisans express the challenges of learning the technical process. In the end, nevertheless, their work shows a gain of respect for this ancient way of art making.

This Tapestry Series is a collection of individual works as well as collaborations. It is an honor to have worked with the Urban Artisans.”

Artists: Aidan Cole, Isaac Cole, Ti’Andre Jackson, Adrian Maupome Ramirez, Ava Belcher Harris, Jonathan King, Bart Countryman, Michael Redd, Nick Hillebrand, Cameron Moore, Gretchen Lineback, Talia Caldwell, Max Richey, Gabriel King, Byron Smith, Anthony Shockley, Christian Walker, Adam Betten, JD Snyder, Emily Mathias, Mary Eyth, Kayla Angus, and Sutton Frederick

Good Morning Sunshine

Your Guess is as Good as Mine: The Search for Memory and Identity

“What happens to yourself when you cannot remember your past? Philosopher René Descartes once claimed, ‘I think, therefore, I am.’ Descartes said the only certain thing in this world was since he thought, he was a thinking thing, and therefore he existed. Therefore, if you can think, you must exist. But if you exist, then who are you? Selfhood relies directly on your ability to remember. Your current self is simply the response to a collection of memories and experiences. If you cannot remember those core things, then how do you maintain a sense of self at all?

Over the past few years, I have felt very lost as an individual. Every week seems to bring another life-changing event to my doorstep. My days have been full of car wrecks, break-ups, and emergency room visits. I feel unable to keep up with the pace of life. By the time I begin to process one event, the next one sweeps me off track.

My memory has never been very solid, I always joke that my brain is on a two-year timer. If a memory is not absolutely critical to my survival, I will forget it within two years. While this makes rewatching movies an enjoyable experience, I often find myself worrying about who I am. With the rate of life over the past few years, I feel it has gotten even more challenging to keep track of my life and my memories.

In this struggle for clarity, I have come to see my art for what it is: a collection and categorization of memories. It is an effort to preserve the person I was, and the person I am, for the person I will be. I have turned my paintings into a catalog of my life events. Weaved into the patterns of my paintings, are little mementos and symbolic imagery.

As Descartes put it, I hope to move beyond a ‘thinking thing’ to being a person with a stable and reliable identity. Through the repetition of making these paintings and remembering them, I hope to maintain my sense of self as time passes, even in this unsure world. So I ask again, what happens to you when you cannot remember your past?

At the end of the day, your guess is as good as mine.”

www.mollywolfeart.com

Gray Stories

“I often think about the impact that one’s medical history can play a significant role in their life and incorporate this topic in my artwork. Genetic medical history has dramatically affected my family’s past and has significantly impacted my present life. It helps me anticipate my future and how my decisions will impact those around me. It has helped me become more aware of my surroundings and to be more conscious of how everyone’s differences. In my work, I use my and my family’s personal experiences with health as inspiration. I incorporate how our past experiences have affected the way memory can be used.

When beginning a piece of art, I initially research and find old photographs that I become interested in. By doing this I find the overall theme for a composition. By taking these photographs with family members, they are able to be reminded of a specific time. I am able to see how a photograph has the potential to affect your memory that for some time may have been forgotten. They help provide a way to tell old stories.

With the use of the photographs and stories, I am able to combine them to create an oil painting to visit the topic of memory. These works show both figurative realism and abstraction. Painting using impasto also helps me to suggest the form of memory, how some stand out more than others. The text incorporated with my work suggests the reminder of a specific event provided by a minor photograph. I look at past family photographs and recorded stories from family members for inspiration to create both oil paintings and sculptural work.”

www.carolinegray-art.com

Arteyles

Jaden Leyles is an up-and-coming Indianapolis-based artist. He has previously worked with ArtMix as a teenager, in our Urban Artisans summer program. His nature-inspired acrylic paintings feature vibrant colors, impressionistic lines, and an expression of the artist’s inner feelings.

The Greatriarchs are long-term residents of the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood. They are leaders, nurturers, mentors, and friends of the old and new residents of their neighborhood.

During an eight-week class with ArtMix, the Greatriarchs came together on Friday mornings to draw, paint, collage, and share their stories. The Greatriarchs were guided through different projects each week by Teaching Artist, Bella Heilbrunn. During each class, the Greatriarchs focused on a different theme. Bella says, “One week’s project was painting flowers in a vase. We were inspired by artists like Van Gogh, Picasso, and Manet. The students were asked to use their favorite colors, types of flowers, tablecloths, and shapes of vases.”

The eight-week course culminated with the Greatriarchs’ largest work: 24” x 48” acrylic paintings on canvas. On this Bella says, “For our final painting project, we got to use large canvases for yet another new experience. It was a little intimidating at first for some. But once we warmed up and it turned into a ‘feel-good painting,’ we didn’t want to stop. For this piece, each student painted whatever they wanted. I really enjoyed getting to know the Greatriarchs by watching them paint, listening to their stories, and hearing them sing.”

These works were on display in ArtMix’s gallery for our February and March shows.