Kathleen McLaughlin, The IBJ
kmclaughlin@ibj.com
The Indianapolis Cultural Trail today announced major donations from the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation and Indiana Pacers. It also unveiled three public art works that will be exhibited in the Northeast Corridor stage of the trail, which is now under construction.
The DeHaan foundation gave $250,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000 toward the Cultural Trail's fund-raising goal of $55 million.
The planned eight-mile trail is intended to serve as a downtown hub for the state greenways system, connecting neighborhoods and cultural districts. So far, $42 million in private and public funds have been raised to pay for the trail.
The one-mile Northeast Corridor will run through the Massachusetts Avenue cultural district. A $6.1 million contract for the stage was awarded to Sunesis Construction Co. in October 2008. Construction recently began and is expected to last 18 months.
The work will restrict traffic on several roads in the neighborhood, including New Jersey Street and Walnut Street.
The Northeast Corridor will be the second of seven planned stages. The first was the half-mile East Corridor, completed in June 2008.
Public art revealed today includes the city's first art installation that will return solar power to the electrical grid and a vault releasing floral aromas. The third piece is a conceptual take on pedestrian-crossing signals.
- "Prairie Modules 4&5," by a group of artists called M12, will be located on the north side of North Street between New Jersey and Alabama streets. The two architectural sculptures will use tall grass, solar panels, black reflective pavers and LED lighting.
- "Chatham Passage," by Sean Derry, will be installed in the alley adjacent to Metro Bar. Derry is creating a sunken concrete vault, covered with an ornate steel grate, that will release a faint floral scent.
- "Care/Don't Care," by Jamie Pawlus, will be located on the east end of Massachusetts Avenue, north of St. Clair Street and College Avenue. The project makes use of a traditional pedestrian signal, programmed to change its message from "Don't Care" to "Care" at random intervals.
For a look at the public art, visit http://www.indyculturaltrail.org/publicart.html.
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