Announcing Monumental Gestures, a new major arts initiative focused on Indianapolis
Columbus, Indiana — Landmark Columbus Foundation has announced a new Indianapolis-based project, Monumental Gestures. Monumental Gestures’ mission is to transform public spaces through ambitious art experiences that invite conversation, amplify voices, and celebrate histories.
Combining expertise from the disciplines of art, design, architecture, and landscape design, Monumental Gestures mobilizes individuals who share an interest in the future of public art in Indianapolis. Curator and art educator Sarah Urist Green began the project while participating in the Mitch Daniel Leadership Fellowship in 2022 and then joined forces with Landmark Columbus Foundation in 2023, receiving a planning grant from the Herbert Simon Family Foundation to help build the team.
“I want to know what would happen if we put Super Bowl energy into something truly public and permanent, not just for sports tourists and convention-goers, but for Indianapolis residents,” said Sarah Urist Green, the Artistic Director of Monumental Gestures. “Our vision is to create art experiences that are welcoming to visitors but also deeply rooted in the daily life of our communities.”
The Monumental Gestures team engaged in a series of focused sessions in late 2023 to explore the core values, feasibility, and potential structure of Monumental Gestures. The collaborative effort, which yielded a workbook available on the project’s website, also examines the history of the many kinds of monuments and developments that have shaped the Indianapolis we know today.
Monumental Gestures Team
Sarah Urist Green, Artistic Director
Richard McCoy, Managing Director
Merritt Chase, Design Director
Chris Merritt, Co-founder + Principal
Danica Liongson, Landscape Designer
ROKH, Cultural Equity Director
Rasul A. Mowatt, Research Director
Jordan Ryan, Cultural Researcher
Landmark Columbus Foundation Team
Abigail Flout, Operations Coordinator
Hadley Fruits, Photographer
Laura Garrett, Director of Partnerships
Jamie Goldsborough, Creative Director
Jessica Thorpe, Urban Strategist
Monumental Gestures’ work operates within Landmark Columbus Foundation’s program arm, Columbus Design Institute (CDI), which has worked around the state of Indiana. CDI’s projects include hosting the 2019 Mayors Institute on City Design, creating a process to select the bridge designer for 16 Tech, developing a master plan for the art and business community of New Harmony, among other projects in Bloomington, Indianapolis, and Columbus. More generally, Landmark Columbus Foundation is dedicated to caring for, celebrating, and advancing the cultural heritage of Columbus, Indiana and like-minded communities.
“Working with Sarah Urist Green and the Monumental Gestures team is a terrific way to show how our organization is leveraging the legacy and values of Columbus into this important, new effort,” said Richard McCoy, the Managing Director of Monumental Gestures and the Executive Director of Landmark Columbus Foundation. “As cities compete for creative talent, meaningful new art experiences have become essential for attracting and retaining these individuals. Indianapolis has the opportunity to establish itself as a leader in this space.”
As a non-profit entity, Monumental Gestures will work collaboratively with the City of Indianapolis, public and private institutions, and developers to identify potential sites and partners to construct new art experiences, often building upon developments already in the pipeline. Through strategic partnerships, Monumental Gestures endeavors to shape our city’s monuments of the future.
Initial Projects and Timelines
Monumental Gestures is launching with two major projects that connect to significant new developments in the heart of Indianapolis.
Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc
Monumental Gestures is a collaborative partner during the organization’s efforts to consider how art can play a more prominent role and enhance the experience for all along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick.
The team will produce a Public Art Integration Plan to accompany design enhancements for the Cultural Trail, identifying opportunities and locations for art that could help solve and support design challenges along the linear park. Monumental Gestures will work to integrate and align with the research and recommendations of Forecast Public Art, who has led a community-driven public art planning process with the Cultural Trail since 2023.
Monumental Gestures will run a visioning exercise to generate a framework plan to guide the development of Visit Indy’s concept of creating world-class art experiences as part of its Destination Vision Plan for White River.
The team will host a two-day private meeting in downtown Indianapolis with an invited group of stakeholders, many of whom have projects along the river currently underway. The meeting will explore the ideas behind the Destination Vision Plan, conduct a field visit along the White River to explore potential sites, and strategize how best to engage the multiple communities and partners that could be connected to the project.
Before the meeting, research and data will be assembled to inform participants of the significant planning and research already conducted on the White River and define each potential site's design challenges and opportunities.
In support of a more dynamic and equitable cultural landscape, Monumental Gestures will work together to create transformative art experiences with the scale and ambition that will benefit Indianapolis.
The team worked to identify a core set of values and initial goals:
Values
Seeking ambitious projects that imagine better futures;
Moving with the desire to understand and center the dynamics of people and place;
Intentional in participation and partnerships.
Goals
Advocate for free art experiences in public spaces;
Be accessible to a wide range of audiences;
Endeavor to reflect histories told and untold;
Promote spaces of belonging;
Bring people together.
The specific art experiences will emerge from extensive site analysis and rigorous, community-driven processes. Working closely with partners and stakeholders, Monumental Gestures will invite the most innovative artists, designers, and architects—from local to internationally renowned—to create ambitious, thoughtful, and publicly accessible art experiences for all to enjoy for free.
For press, download a link to images here. Photo credits are: Hadley Fruits for Monumental Gestures.
Media Contact
Jamie Goldsborough
jamie@landmarkcolumbus.org
About Monumental Gestures
Monumental Gestures transforms public spaces through ambitious art experiences that invite conversation, amplify voices, and celebrate histories. monumental-gestures.org
About Landmark Columbus Foundation
Landmark Columbus Foundation (LCF) is a public resource and thought leader for Progressive Preservation in Bartholomew County; an advocate and educator for and about cultural heritage; and a source of inspiration to advance good design for public benefit. To fulfill its mission, LCF accomplishes Progressive Preservation efforts that assist in caring for buildings, landscapes, and art in Bartholomew County. It serves to educate and advocate for these cultural resources through research, conservation, fundraising, and documentation. It also runs two programmatic arms, Exhibit Columbus and Columbus Design Institute. landmarkcolumbusfoundation.org
