Art in Unexpected Places
About the Initiative
Art in Unexpected Places is a public art initiative that brings visual art and poetry into everyday spaces across the Near Eastside of Indianapolis. Through storefront murals, crosswalk art, poetry installations, and other creative interventions, the program transforms ordinary neighborhood spaces into moments of discovery, reflection, and inspiration.
Led by IndyEast Arts Cultural District and supported by the John Boner Neighborhood Centers and the City of Indianapolis, the initiative highlights local artists while strengthening the cultural identity of the Near Eastside. Installations will appear in locations such as vacant storefronts, chain-link fences, sidewalks, crosswalks, and alleyways—creating a walkable outdoor gallery throughout the district.
2026 Art In Unexpected Places // Art Walk
Murals at Factory Arts District
Oscar Toloza, Flawful
Location: Factory Arts District North
Dana Powell Smith, Colors of Life
Location: Factory Arts District North
Visual Artwork
Aby Cortes, Connected Present
Location: 2811 E 10th Street, Suite B, Indianapolis, IN 46201
Tasha Beckwith, Good Morning
Location: 2811 E 10th Street, Suite C, Indianapolis, IN 46201
Matt DeLoughery, On the Stand
Location: 3125 E 10th Street, Suite E, Indianapolis, IN 46201
Mars Everett, Quick! Quick! This is Fleeting
Location: 3320 E 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46201
Britt Ritchie, 9O O6 CHEER
Location: 2811 E 10th Street, Suite A, Indianapolis, IN 46201
Teaune Trice, Quiet Gathering
Location: 3125 E 10th Street, Suite B, Indianapolis, IN 46201
Oscar Toloza, Sol Seeker
Location: 2809 E 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46201
Victoria Williams Steen, Fox Spirit on Sacred Land
Location: 2901 E 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46201
Tylar Lee, Fitting In
Location: 3320 E 10th Street, Suite A, Indianapolis, IN 46201
Molly Hodge, The World You Don't See
Location: 2811 E 10th Street, Suite E, Indianapolis, IN 46201
Khaila King, Balance: The Seven Chakras
Location: 2811 E 10th Street, Suite F, Indianapolis, IN 46201
Juan Wortham, Something Familiar
Location: 2811 E 10th Street, Suite D, Indianapolis, IN 46201
Melodie Yvonne, Love, Ariane
Location: 3029 E 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46201
Morgan Binkerd, The Birds Have Been Singing and This Time I Was Listening
Location: 2901 E 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46201
Obed Bailey, The future is now
Location: 3320 E 10th Street, Suite B, Indianapolis, IN 46201
Summer Glenn, Star Cowboy
Location: 3029 E 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46201
Poetry
Teresa Clay, Light in the Darkness
Location: 3125 E 10th Street, Suite K, Indianapolis, IN 46201
Did you know there’s light in darkness too?
On the hard days allow the light to guide you through,
I once heard a young queen say to a crying friend,
Don’t wipe away your tears let them fall to your chin,
Don’t lower your head trying to hide your pain,
There is nothing more human in the world than love & pain,
And I thought…. she is right,
Never lose sight of the light,
Drop to all fours if you must,
Cry and wail put up a fuss,
But never give up the fight,
Let the heavens hear you,
Let everyone else be strong,
This is your moment..your feelings are valid…please carry on,
Every tear has been counted,
Every hard day has been seen,
For every day you survive and thrive,
You inspire a broken queen.
Angela Barnes, The Bells of St. Rita
Location: 2811 E 10th Street, Suite A, Indianapolis, IN 46201
The voice of the bells of St. Rita, tucked away in my head alongside my granny’s voice
On her long front porch, through the rustling summer leaves of her crabapple tree
Floating on a summer breeze down Arsenal Avenue, fusing with the scent of Colonial toast
I closed my eyes as the multi-tonal melody melted into my child-sized ears
Celebrating time with a song that I loved
Much like the chimes the altar boys rang during mass
It blended in my memories
They serenaded my Mom and Dad down Hovey, Ralston, Arsenal
To the gates of reintegrated Tech High School
Those same bells rang when my parents were married there
When I was later baptized there
When my granny’s death was mourned there
Black Eastsiders could count on those bells
Adding a layer of heaven to an otherwise challenging time, offering hope in the sublime
Our own Media Vita, The Bells of St. Rita
Talha Kahf, The Universe
Location: 2811 E 10th Street, Suite C, Indianapolis, IN 46201
The universe came over for tea last night
She told me,
“Love, I am ever-expanding
a collection of black holes & supernovas
balancing stillness with perpetual growth
Love, I might as well be human”
Zaira (Z) Deakin, I AM
Location: 3125 E 10th Street, Suite A, Indianapolis, IN 46201
I am
The kind of song
You hum to yourself
At the end of a long day
It lingers
On repeat
I am
Your favorite painting
Hanging in the dining room
“The couple intertwined”
The one your mom loaned you
But did not give you
To keep forever
I am
The wind that knocks your hat off
On a steamy day in May
In the middle of Indiana
Our beloved Indiana
I won’t be sorry for any of it
And neither should you.
Bella Cook, Daily Affirmations
Location: 2811 E 10th Street, Suite D, Indianapolis, IN 46201
I am beautiful, calm, and capable.
I am strong, soft, and relatable.
I do not have to boil myself down for others to digest.
I do not have to bite my tongue or hold my breath.
I live my life only for myself.
What matters most is my peace and health.
Kindness and respect flow through my veins like blood.
I am important. I am patient. I am happy. I am loved.