Indiana: Indianapolis

 31 May 2022

This is our final stop before we head to Columbus tomorrow to see Andrew and Madison and their dogs. It’s a hot and breezy day here and even with the breeze, it’s toasty/sweaty. Summer is here in Indy; the roses are blooming and the leaves are all sporting mid-summer green. Gone is the light spring green and chartreuse.

We made reservations to see the Benjamin Harrison home in Indianapolis. It is really well preserved and it’s a fine old home. No expense was spared in it’s construction. Our tour guide was about 12 (well, maybe 20, but he looked SO YOUNG) and was both personable and knowledgeable. The site has been working on a $6M renovation and the construction was actively happening as we were visiting. 

After the Harrison home, we went to the Indianapolis Art Center. It’s not an art museum; it’s more of a teaching facility. It has 14 studios that host classes in everything from fiber to sculpture to drawing/painting, metalwork, clay, woodworking and printmaking/book arts. Driving to the Art Center, we notice lots of checkered flags of all sizes. They were especially prominent in planters on porches and flying from flagpoles in yards and attached to homes. We missed The 500 by a couple of days…but we got to see the civic pride all across Indy!

The Indy Art Center is in a fun and funky neighborhood. If I lived in Indy, this is where I would want to live! We ate at a middle eastern restaurant; food and ambiance were great.

Stay tuned for a surprise drive-by that Dan wanted to see….

Benjamin Harrison Home

Benjamin Harrison’s home that he built after establishing his law practice in Indianapolis. His grandfather was William Henry Harrison (of Tippicanoe and Tyler Too fame); his great grandfather was a signer of the Declaration of Independence (under Thomas Jefferson). His father was the only person to be both the son of a President and the father of a President! (FUN FACT!) Benjamin Harrison was a champion of conservation and did more to preserve land and found National Parks until Teddy Roosevelt. Six new states were admitted to the union under his administration: North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, Idaho, and Wyoming. I knew none of this before our tour. Let’s face it, Harrison was President a LONG time ago (1889-93)

New accurate reproduction wallpaper in the family parlor. I thought the border was particularly pretty.

The Harrison adult dining room. The kids ate in the kitchen until they could behave themselves properly at the dinner table.

We got to hear the Reginaphone—it had a copper disk with holes punched in it that played music. Apparently Mrs Harrison danced to the tunes. It had a pretty sound to it. Here’s one playing on YouTube:
Reginaphone song

The curved staircase went all the way up to the third floor. The craftsmanship was incredible.

The front foyer; a sculpture and drawing of the President are seen on the right.

Look at the detail in these door hinges on the first floor. After noticing these, I noticed that these fancy plates were not on the upstairs hinges.

A horn chair with fur seat cushion gifted to Harrison from a wealthy Texas admirer.

Back in the day, having a cane when a gentleman went for a walk was considered refined. Here are some of President Harrison’s canes.

And I thought home gyms were a new thing. Here is President Harrison’s home workout station, complete with dumbbells and Indian Clubs and pulley-system weights for resistance workouts. All in a box with a curtain over the front!

Indianapolis Art Center

The first four photos in this section were from the “Modern Craft” exhibit on now through June 3. There were two quilted and stitched wall hangings that had layers of stuff happening. As do the ceramic pieces I chose to picture here.

This mixed media solo show was by Bad Talents, the name that Shelby Alexander uses to display her work. I really loved these. Graphite drawings were layered over recycled fabric(s) and framed. I love the selective negative space. I think these would be fun to try to make as a lesson….imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? Her models were all young women of various ethnicities—and all beautiful.

“Holiday in Berlin” by Bad Talents

Detail from “For Felix (Rose like sweet and sweaty intoxication) by John Paul Moribito; Moribito combined weaving and beading on all of his pieces for his solo show “A Queer Tangent In Tapestry”.

“La piccolo Madonna do rame (dopo Raffaello Sanziodo Urbino)” by Moribito.

Outdoors, in the back of the studios and galleries, was a walking path with occasional art installations called Artspark. Open dawn to dusk with no admission.

One of the installations in Artspark.

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Dan particularly wanted to see these dinosaurs breaking out of and in to the Children’s Museum. I have to admit: they were pretty cool! The museum itself was HUGE. Made me wish I had some kids with me so I’d have an excuse to go see it. There were things both inside and outside! This is where you take them when you want them tired when you come home!

As we were leaving the arts area, Dan saw a Rise ‘n Rolls and sent me in to get breakfast rolls for tomorrow morning. Yes SIR! There was no one else in the shop and I got to talking with the proprietor. When he found out we were on the last leg of our 8-week trip, he went over and put two donuts in the bag (to go along with the Amish pecan rolls!) and proudly told me that they were named the “Best Donut in the World” for the second year running! I don’t know about that, but I couldn’t wait to try the Cinnamon Caramel Donut….it was really really GOOD. IT was, by FAR, the lightest donut I’ve ever had. Oh yes, if I ever run across a Rise ‘n Roll bakery again, I will be happy to purchase another one! (And, getting out of bed tomorrow will be easier knowing I have a pecan roll to go with my coffee!)

It’s been a great trip. Stay tuned to hear more about what we’ve seen/learned/heard.