The Indianapolis International Airport (IND) will officially open its first-ever art gallery this evening with a private community event. The KIND Gallery, named after the Indy airport’s international airport code, will initially feature artists from the Harrison Center for the Arts.
The gallery is an expansion of the Indianapolis Airport Authority’s robust arts program, which was launched when the new terminal opened in 2008 with $4 million in permanent art installations currently on display. The program includes rotating temporary art exhibits curated and coordinated in partnership with the Arts Council of Indianapolis. The new KIND Gallery serves as an extension of the temporary exhibit portion of the overall program.
“We’ve had a long history of supporting the arts and we are committed to creating a climate where art and culture thrive – and that means creating expanded opportunities and experiences for local artists and the traveling public,” said Mario Rodriguez, executive director of the Indianapolis Airport Authority. “The KIND Gallery is another chance for us to deliver on that commitment.”
The KIND gallery, covering more than 800 square feet, was established in partnership with the Arts Council of Indianapolis to bring new and exciting local art to the terminal. The gallery will initially feature the works of Indianapolis artists Johnny McKee, Kate Oberreich, Kipp Normand, Josh Rush, Ess Mckee and Megan Jefferson. The exhibit features a range of mediums including painting, collage, printmaking, and sculpture.
The first gallery show, titled “Pareidolia,” was previously exhibited at the Harrison Center for the Arts, a nonprofit artist studio dedicated to fostering awareness, appreciation and community for arts and culture in Indy. “Pareidolia” refers to the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern. An often-used example of pareidolia is the experience of being able to see different shapes in the clouds. As such, each of the artists featured in the show used clouds as their prompt to set their creativity into motion.
“The airport’s new gallery and the intent behind it is a perfect partnership with the Harrison Center’s mission – which is to create forums and opportunities for public conversations between artists and the community,” said Joanna Taft, Harrison Center for the Arts executive director. “This exhibition is an opportunity for our artists to express their unique voices while pushing themselves into uncharted territory.”
The KIND Gallery is located post-security in Concourse A next to Natalie’s Candy and is open to the traveling public.
