Over the past couple of months, the other, much more handsome, half of VL has been working with art nonprofit Big Car on SPARK: Monument Circle, a demonstration placemaking project that features daily cultural experiences now through mid-October.
Four parklets narrow the street, adding tons of seating and a bit of greenery to Monument Circle, which is a traffic roundabout in the heart of downtown Indianapolis whose center, the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, is also the center of the state of Indiana:
A welcome trailer is where you can get information about the events, check out games and buy SPARK souvenirs:
Food trucks regularly visit the site:
Games for children and adults are available:
Other amenities include an interactive Doseum and oversized toys like sit-and-spins. Each day of the week has a different theme, from Mellow Mondays to Cycle Sundays. In addition to weekly workouts and parades, artists will be available to grant wishes and create forensic drawings of friends. Check out the event schedule for more information.
I’m personally most interested in Walking Wednesdays, which will include walking tours that focus on different aspects of downtown and nearby history, architecture and public art. I’m looking forward to having another excuse to check out local sights and learn more about the Circle City!
Department of Everyday Visualingual 