Indianapolis, Eteljorg Museum, & Kachinas!

[giradman]

Hi All - Susan & I just returned from a visit to our son who lives w/ his wife (and 2 cats) in Indianapolis (largest city & capital of the state of Indiana in the mid-west USA) - been visiting there for about 15 years - did a return visit to the Eiteljorg Museum dedicated to Western & Native American Indian Art & Culture - pic below - for those in the 'vicinity' a recommended stop - great paintings and other art forms (e.g. bronze western sculptures by the likes of Frederic Remington - see his 'Bronco Buster' below!).

BUT, one of our personal interests are Kachina (or Katsina) carvings, especially by the Hopi Indian artists of the Southwest - the Hopi Mesas (three) are in northern Arizona (east of the Grand Canyon) - these represent 'spirits' related to the Pueblo Indian religious and cosmological beliefs (whole books are written on the topic and the artists who created these cotton wood carvings - we own about 9 Kachinas now - nearly all Hopi - which are the most expensive ones to buy) - BUT, we bought one @ the Eitejorg Museum a number of years ago called Saviki - below are additional images of our den fireplace mantle w/ all of the kachinas plus a beautiful stone sculpture & a painted pot - frontal pose of the Saviki kachina & the signed bottom. For those interested, I'll be glad to post more 'close-ups' of the other kachinas. Dave

 

[MoonlitSonata]

Awesome! I'm from Indy.

 

[giradman]

Awesome! I'm from Indy.

Hi - small world! Son lives in Carmel - nice Indy location w/ plenty of good restaurants - our 2 favorites this time were Stone Creek (near his house and our 4th visit over the years) & Ocean Prime - a first time experience - 3 in the group had steaks which were perfectly cook; I had seared tuna very rare - delicious - rather expensive but would return again. Dave

 

[MoonlitSonata]

I'm way far south of Carmel but I have family up there. Hate the traffic so much! Lol I'm a city gal (originally from near downtown) but country implant.

 

[giradman]

I'm way far south of Carmel but I have family up there. Hate the traffic so much! Lol I'm a city gal (originally from near downtown) but country implant.

Son & DIL use to live in Avon but a long commute to their jobs - now up north, they have just a 5-10 minute drive each - Indy is really 'spread out' but for a big city does not take too long to get to places w/ the new airport just a half hour away from them - Dave

 

[MoonlitSonata]

Love Avon. I'm about 20 min from there.

 

[giradman]

Below is a post I left a year ago on a visit to our son in Indianapolis - then, we saw a great show w/ Frank Sinatra Jr. at the beautiful Palladium Theater in Carmel (a northern suburb of Indy), and had another new experience, i.e. a movie at the Flix Brewhouse - expand the quote to view the pics.

Well, we just returned from our annual visit to our son & DIL and will next add a few 'new' posts for 2016! Dave

Well, on our way to Indianapolis via Louisville (map in my early post), about a 3+ hour drive - Indy is a BIG city w/ a super-long beltway I-465 - their town Carmel is off the northern limb of that road - map below shows that I-65 enters the southern limb of the beltway; his house is located at the top (see blue curved arrow).

We spent three nights at their place and usually arrange a few attractions - this time both new to me. We had tickets to see the Frank Sinatra Jr. show at the beautiful and fairly new Palladium Theater in Carmel - our son was able to get seats up front (about 8 rows from the stage) - the performance was a combination of video clips, personal stories by Frank Jr., and plenty of Frank Sr. songs - over the years the son really sounds like his father and his vocals are in fine form in his early 70s!

A second 'new' experience for Susan & I, was going out to a movie on the BIG screen w/ our son for lunch and a film - the movie house is called the Flix Brewhouse and is a combination of a restaurant, brewery, and movie theater - we needed reserve seats which had 'pull out' trays and menus; a wait person took your food and drink order which was then delivered to you - SO, lunch, craft beers brewed on site, and a great film - Bridge of Spies - with Tom Hanks, a true story about the Cold War - highly recommended.

As usual, we ate well all three nights - on Sunday, back to Kentucky and this time Lexington for 3 nights - Dave
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[giradman]

Carmel, Indiana Visit for 2016!

As mentioned in previous posts, including the one quoted previously from our 2015 visit, our son & DIL live in Carmel, Indiana, a northern suburb of Indianapolis (expand the quote for a nice map). We returned to the Flix Brewhouse for lunch, an in-house beer, and a movie - then also had a 'new' experience attending a musical at the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre, subject of the next post.

The Flix Brewhouse is a great experience and our second trip - the complex is a combination of an in-house brewery w/ numerous beer selections, a restaurant, and multiple movie theaters. 'Waiters' come to your seat to take orders - the food selection is unexpectedly good and the beers excellent; in the Carmel structure, full-extension pullout tables are present (pic below does not show that particular feature) - our son, Stephen and I had one of their lighter brews.

We saw the true story 'disaster film' about the Deepwater Horizon explosion - the construction of the set was remarkable and the scenes of the destruction of the rig remarkably done - short synopsis quoted below; and just a few pics w/ one describing the near to scale rig in a gigantic water tank - still seemed quite realistic - a recommendation.

For those in the area w/ a yearning for home-made local beers (and a meal/movie combo), give the place a try - we plan to return next year! Dave

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, igniting a massive fireball that kills several crew members. Chief electronics technician Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) and his colleagues find themselves fighting for survival as the heat and the flames become stifling and overwhelming. Banding together, the co-workers must use their wits to make it out alive amid all the chaos.

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[giradman]

Carmel Visit 2016 - continued:

On our last night after an excellent sushi dinner for me, we attended a performance of the musical Young Frankenstein at the smaller but beautiful Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre - this is actually part of the parking lot structure and is in a complex w/ the Palladium Theater. Of course, the musical is based on the Mel Brooks film 'Young Frankenstein' from 1974; he wrote the music and lyrics for the musical.

The Tarkington Theatre is a community effort supporting local talent (see quote below and the video link, if interested). In all honesty (we have a lot of community theater in our home town of Winston-Salem), this production was excellent for a 'local' performance - the stage settings, choreography, singing, acting, etc. were all outstanding - I would probably rate this musical experience on par w/ traveling musicals that Susan & I have seen in Charlotte and Durham in North Carolina. I would definitely want to return next year if there is a show of interest.

Booth Tarkington (1869-1946) was an American dramatist and novelist, and was born (and died) in Indianapolis, hence the naming of the theatre. He was awarded two Pulitzer Prizes in 1919 and 1922 for his novels, The Magnificent Ambersons & Alice Adams, both made into movies - the former is a must recommendation IMHO. Only two other authors received two of these prizes, i.e. William Faulkner and John Updike. Dave

Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre is the largest of more than 70 Indiana community theatres and one of the ten largest of over 7,000 active community theatres in the United States. Civic also is considered the nation’s longest continuously operating community theatre. Founded in 1915, Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre has been a vital part of the city’s cultural landscape for a century, providing superior live theatrical entertainment for a broad-based audience.

Every Civic production is designed, directed, choreographed, and accompanied by a team of professional artists who support a corps of talented community performers and craftsmen. Each year, Civic provides the community with nearly 95 performances and 500 opportunities to participate onstage or behind-the-scenes in a professional theatre setting with access to cutting edge equipment and facilities. Additionally, its extensive variety of educational and community outreach programs provide opportunities for artists and patrons of all ages – 18 months to seniors – to learn through theatre throughout the year.

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[scifan57]

It sounds like a very interesting place to visit. Of the two movies based on Booth Tarkington's books I've seen Alice Adams but not The Magnificent Ambersons.

Do these shows have a long run before the next production begins?

 

[giradman]

It sounds like a very interesting place to visit. Of the two movies based on Booth Tarkington's books I've seen Alice Adams but not The Magnificent Ambersons.

Do these shows have a long run before the next production begins?

Well, try to watch The Magnificent Ambersons, if you have a chance (I own on DVD - no BD yet) - directed (in part - a problematic production) and narrated by Orson Welles.

The Tarkington Theatre is close to the Palladium from my previous post (see the aerial pic below) - the production we saw is running for about 2 weeks; again, this is community theater, i.e. the performers are local and likely are not being paid (or if so a minimal rate) - in my town, the local community productions are done by very good 'amateur' actors/singers - I'm always amazed when I view our local presentations, the amount of dedication these people offer at no price - Dave
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[giradman]

November 2017 - return visit to see our son & DIL, just our usual 3-night stay - one afternoon we toured the Sun King Brewery in downtown Indianapolis, the city's only brewery although the state has dozens of craft beer makers. Our son signed up for the extended tour, which was just over an hour long and included the main building and also a smaller structure w/ their 'craft beers' aged in a variety of used oak barrels (bourbon, rum, wine, etc.). The business is only 8 years old but has had millions of dollars of expansion w/ numerous jacketed stainless steel fermenters - their output listed in the quotes below (from previous link) and the pic is 18,000 barrels but that was in 2012 - according to our excellent guide, if I recall correctly, Sun King is currently producing at least twice that amount w/ numerous distribution sites throughout Indiana and now into Chicago, Illinois.

Our tour included a nice tasting glass w/ their logo - we tried all 3 of their 'Active Beers' (see pic) and also one of the seasonal ones, i.e. Fistful of Hops (an Indian Pale Ale style, one of my favorite beers - love those hops!). We also tasted several of their craft barrel beers, which were somewhat weird (and experimental in my mind) - these are sold in screw-top cans at a premium price (like $20+ for two cans) only at the brewery. A deli-style restaurant just opened (couple of pics below) which we did not try, but probably will on our next visit. There was also a small gift shop and we picked up some tee-shirts and several 4-can cartons, including the hoppy one. Next year the company is opening a distillery in Carmel where our son lives, so that may be a visit too. For those reading this thread and are in or near Indy (and enjoy beer), then a visit is highly recommended (sign up for a tour online or call). Dave

Sun King Brewing is a brewery in the Cole-Noble District of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is the largest brewery in Indianapolis and the second largest brewery in the state. In 2011, Sun King won eight medals, including four gold medals, total at the Great American Beer Festival. Sun King was the first commercial brewery to open up in approximately 30 years in Indianapolis. Sun King Brewing was founded in July, 2009 by Dave Colt and Clay Robinson, who met while working at Ram Restaurant & Brewery; they had three additional partners. Later that year, they acquired their current property in Downtown Indianapolis. They brewed their first batch of beer on July 1, 2009. The name Sun King was inspired by the sun and its importance in life cycles and beer making.

In 2010, Sun King started packaging their beer in beer cans. By 2011, they were producing 5,000 barrels of beer. That year, Sun King replaced their 15-barrel system with a 30-barrel system. They also started selling their beer outside of the metropolitan Indianapolis area, expanding to sell in Bloomington, Indiana. Sun King distributed approximately 50 miles outside of Indianapolis by 2012. Sun King produced 18,000 barrels of beer in 2012 with a revenue of $5 million. As of 2013, the brewery had produced 15,000 barrels of beer, with 35 full-time and 50 part-time employees. The brewery announced that it will expand by 2016, investing $2.1 million in updated equipment and additional staff. An additional $3.9 million will be spent on expanding the brewery facility, making room for 240 fermentation tanks.

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[giradman]

Indiana State Museum, IMAX Theater, & Poison Exhibit

On our second day, we headed downtown to the 'museum' area (first pic) - our goal was a visit to the Indiana State Museum, but adjacent is the outstanding Eiteljorg Museum, described briefly below from the link and also the topic of my first post in this thread - we've been there at least three times in the past and highly recommended.

In the Indiana State Museum, we visited the 'state cultural exhibit' on the second floor; the first floor exhibits were being renovated (as described in the pic) - BUT, the cultural area is well done w/ a chronologic history and display of the state of Indiana through several centuries (pics below from the web - forgot to bring my camera, although I could have used Susan's iPhone) - we also saw an amazing IMAX film (the state's largest screen in this format) and a great 'traveling' exhibit centered on 'poisons' - topics of next post(s). Dave

The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art is located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana and houses an extensive collection of visual arts by indigenous peoples of the Americas, as well as Western American paintings and sculptures collected by businessman and philanthropist Harrison Eiteljorg (1903–1997). The museum houses one of the finest collections of Native contemporary art in the world.

The Indiana State Museum is a museum located within White River State Park in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The museum houses exhibits on the science, art, culture, and history of Indiana from prehistoric times up to the present day. The museum is also the site of the state's largest IMAX screen (Source).

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[giradman]

IMAX Theater @ Indiana State Museum

The IMAX theater at the Indiana State Museum is huge and curved offering a fantastic viewing screen (see first quote below) - we attended the 11AM showing of the 3D film Amazon Adventure about the English 19th century naturalist, Henry Walter Bates (second quote below + YouTube video) - the film was indeed amazing and a joy to watch, especially based on a real life character and on a topic that has been an interest to me since my teen days decades ago. If you have a chance to see this film in this format (and in 3D), then don't miss the opportunity. Dave

Featuring academy award-winning IMAX technology and a six-story screen, IMAX Theatre offers audiences both 2D and 3D IMAX films, as well as contemporary Hollywood movies. Conveniently located in White River State Park's Indiana State Museum, the IMAX is the ultimate larger-than-life experience. The theater offers entertaining and educational films on the largest movie screen in the state. IMAX delivers the ultimate cinema experience to moviegoers with 12,000 watts of digital surround sound. Using state-of-the-art technology, the IMAX Theater experience gives viewers a unique, larger-than-life way to go to the movies.

Henry Walter Bates (1825 -1892) was an English naturalist and explorer who gave the first scientific account of mimicry in animals. He was most famous for his expedition to the rainforests of the Amazon with Alfred Russel Wallace, starting in 1848. Wallace returned in 1852, but lost his collection on the return voyage when his ship caught fire. When Bates arrived home in 1859 after a full eleven years, he had sent back over 14,712 species (mostly of insects) of which 8,000 were (according to Bates, but see Van Wyhe) new to science. Bates wrote up his findings in his best-known work, The Naturalist on the River Amazons. (Source)

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[giradman]

Power of Poison - Traveling Exhibit

Another attraction at the Indiana State Museum was the traveling exhibit The Power of Poison described in the quotes below. Originally presented at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City several years ago - now making tour stops. The exhibit starts w/ poisons in nature (plants, animals, etc.) and continues with poison in myth & legend, then onto villains and victims, and ending with poison for good - a fascinating presentation that we hurried through too fast (crowded on a Saturday afternoon) - I could have easily spent an afternoon there - also highly recommended. Dave

Crowds of people of all ages are piling into the nearly pitch-black exhibition, “The Power of Poison,” at the American Museum of Natural History to immerse themselves in all things concerning the sinister toxins. But in between being terrified by scary stories out of the jungles of Colombia and trying to solve murder mysteries, visitors are also being reminded of how poison is relevant to our daily lives in both good and bad ways; theobromine in chocolate gives dogs seizures, but research on the foxglove flower, which causes heart attacks in animals, has helped create heart disease drugs for humans.

The exhibition is broken up into four major sections: poison in nature, poison in myth and legend, villains and victims, and poison for good. The first of these is more of an anti-travel brochure for Colombia, detailing the Chocó rain forest plants and animals’ use of poison for survival. The ubiquitous dangers, ranging from golden poison frogs to deadly vines and scary ants, may be almost more frightening than the vestiges of the drug wars. But the show’s curators aren’t trying to just shock and entertain viewers; they want to explain the reason for all the toxicity. The exhibit points out, for instance, that immobile plants face over 500,000 types of insects who want to feed on them. Their best defense is poison.

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