Cloud Observatory by Meredith Knapp Brickell

Cloud Observatory by Meredith Knapp Brickell was recently installed at 518 N. Beville Ave. in the St. Clair Place neighborhood of Indianapolis, across the street from the Thomas D. Gregg Elementary School.

It’s adorable, as you might imagine — a small wood and metal structure, almost like a lean-to except that, instead of leaning on another building, it seems to lean into the sky:

A double-sided chalkboard to document your experience:

Per the instructions, I leaned back and quickly read over the handy cheat sheet of cloud types:

I was rewarded with a gorgeous view of the sky and some slow-moving clouds:

What’s so utterly delightful about this installation is its simplicity — located on an empty lot in a residential area, across from a grammar school, it fits so well into its context that I wish every neighborhood could have one:

The structure is tucked behind a beautiful garden:

Meredith Knapp Brickell is based in Indianapolis and teaches art at DePauw University in Greencastle. Her mixed media sculptures and installations often reference architecture, landscape and impermanence.