INDIANAPOLIS (July 17, 2017) – Abstract art will be the featured genre
on display this summer and fall at the Indianapolis International
Airport (IND), featuring originally imagined pieces from artists that
leverage architectural space, life experience, and scientific
principles.
The Indianapolis Airport Authority and the Arts Council of Indianapolis
have selected Marna Shopoff and Samuel Vázquez of Indianapolis, and
Orie Shafer of Garrett, as the featured artists from July 16 through
Nov. 12, 2017. The IAA and the Arts Council work collaboratively to
review and select artwork reflective of the Indianapolis art community.
Since the opening of the midfield terminal in 2008, IND has displayed
creations from select artists quarterly, intriguing visitors who fly in
and out of North America’s best mid-sized airport.
“These exhibitions are part of our service to the community, and they’re
a part of the Indy signature experience we want travelers to feel as
they arrive in the city,” said Mario Rodriguez, executive director of
the IAA. “It also gives us a chance to boast about the tremendous
artistic talent Indiana has to offer.”
That talent includes MARNASHOPOFF, who experiences life through space,
particularly architectural space, and her large-scale paintings explore
human experience, place and memory through allusions to architectural
elements and the metaphorical use of color. Looking at her body of
work,_Layered_, is like walking through shining spaces shaped by walls,
floors and ceilings.
The summer series will also feature the work of SAMUELVÁZQUEZ, whose
paintings are influenced by his youthful experiences in New York City as
one of the early “style writers” of hip-hop culture. Vázquez
investigates the resilience of humanity and its gift of rising beyond
social constructs, all through the use of vibrant colors, uninhibited
gestures, and relentless energy.
ORIE SHAFER’s abstract vision is leveraged through his expression of the
beauty of scientific principles–mixed-media creations where math and
science are expressed visually rather than rationally. Shafer, who
describes himself as a poor science student as a child, uses
his_Lectures to Myself_series to explore physics, astronomy, chemistry,
and geometry using drawings, paintings, and collages. The altar form
that these works frequently take is a deliberate allusion to the time
periods when many scientific discoveries were made, which were also
times of great leaps in religious thinking and artistic breakthroughs.
Shopoff’s and Vázquez’s work will be displayed in the Ticket Hall, and
Shafer’s work can be viewed in the Concourse B exhibition case.
“We’ve shown work by both Marna and Samuel in the Arts Council’s Gallery
924 in the past year,” said Julia Moore, director of public art at the
Arts Council of Indianapolis and organizer of the exhibitions. “I’m
thrilled to be able to share their amazing paintings with airport
guests, and also to highlight Orie’s work, which I’ve loved for over 20
years.”
In addition to the visual art exhibitions, visitors can also enjoy new
video art on the screen above the main escalator/stairway to Baggage
Claim.
Animator JARROD MOSCHNER has created a custom version of his
award-winning short _Penguins: The Magic Hat _specifically for display
at Indianapolis International Airport. In the adventure, a group of
curious penguins encounter a magic hat that leads them on a journey
through time and space. Moschner’s whimsical animation will be on view
through December 31, appearing at unpredictable intervals as penguins
often do.
To learn more about these artists and their work,
visitwww.ind.com/community/art
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About the Arts Council of Indianapolis
The Arts Council is an organization that advocates for the need and
importance of broad community funding and support for a thriving arts
scene; connects artists, audiences, businesses, foundations, and arts
and cultural organizations with opportunities to expand central
Indiana’s creative vitality; and innovates by constantly pursuing and
promoting programs that catalyze creative growth in central Indiana.
The Arts Council owns and operates two performance and exhibition
spaces, the Indianapolis Artsgarden (attached to Circle Centre Mall) and
Gallery 924 (at 924 N. Pennsylvania Street). The Arts Council allocates
public funding to arts and cultural organizations through a competitive
grant program; offers fellowship opportunities including the Creative
Renewal Arts Fellowship, the Transformational Impact Fellowship, and the
Robert D. Beckmann, Jr. Emerging Artist Fellowship; provides programs,
services, and technical assistance for artists and arts organizations;
and manages the city’s public art program including the city’s new
Public Art for Neighborhood initiative. The Indy Arts Guide provides a
comprehensive arts calendar featuring thousands of events, performances,
and exhibitions throughout central Indiana. For more information on the
Arts Council, call (317) 631-3301 or visit online at indyarts.org [2].
Connect with the Arts Council of Indianapolis on Facebook/indyarts,
Twitter and Instagram @artscouncilindy, and online at indyarts.org [2]
About the Indianapolis Airport Authority
The Indianapolis Airport Authority owns and operates Indiana’s largest
airport system. In addition to the Indianapolis International Airport,
its facilities include the Downtown Heliport, Eagle Creek Airpark,
Hendricks County Airport, Indianapolis Regional Airport and Metropolitan
Airport. IND has received numerous prestigious awards recognizing it as
a leader within its class, including best airport in North America in
2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 in Airports Council
International’s annual Airport Service Quality awards. It has also been
inducted into the ACI Director General’s Roll of Excellence, one of the
few U.S. airports to be included in this elite group of worldwide
airports. Condé Nast Traveler readers named IND the best airport in
America in 2014, 2015 and 2016. IND is the first airport in the U.S. to
win LEED® certification for an entire terminal campus. LEED is a green-
building award for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. IND
has won additional recognition for excellent customer service,
concessions programs, and art and architecture.
IND generates an annual economic impact in Central Indiana of more than
$5.4 billion without relying on state or local taxes to fund its
operations. About 10,000 people work at the airport each day. IND serves
more than 8.5 million business and leisure travelers each year and
averages 143 daily flights, seasonally and year-round, to 47 nonstop
destinations. Home of the world’s second-largest FedEx Express operation
and the nation’s eighth- largest cargo facility, IND is committed to
becoming the airport system of choice for both passenger and cargo
service. For more information, visit IND’s Facebook page at Indianapolis
International Airport [3] and Twitter page at @INDairport [4].
