Hamilton East Public Library (HEPL) and Fishers Arts + Culture Commission (FACC) look forward to unveiling “Knowledge,” a public art project in HEPL’s newly renovated pedestrian plaza, located in the heart of the Nickel Plate District.
“Knowledge” includes a carved native stone and onyx sculpture located at the mouth of the Nickel Plate Trail onto HEPL’s campus, two stone benches located in the center of the pedestrian place on the south side of the building, as well as 90 ceramic tiles set into the concrete of the pedestrian plaza located on the south side of the building, from the Nickel Plate Trail to Municipal Drive. The ceramic tiles feature images of Fishers, Hamilton County, and Indiana state history.
“Knowledge,” a collaboration between artists, FACC, and HEPL, aims to transform a public space into a vibrant canvas, set to captivate residents and visitors alike. FACC funded $100,000 to support artwork and HEPL funded $25,000 (and site prep work to support artwork), from the Miesse Fund established in honor of the library’s first librarian, Lulu Miesse, by her late sister Sharley Miesse.
Vare
“The Fishers Arts + Culture Commission is excited about our long-standing partnership with the Hamilton East Public Library to present a new art installation to the Fishers community,” FACC Chair Jocelyn Vare said. “Public art enhances community life, especially here in the Nickel Plate District, our designated statewide culture district. Fishers’ beloved amenities, the Nickel Plate Trail and public library, are now connected as an interactive art experience that highlights our community’s heritage. As residents explore this new art installation, they will discover something creatively new and genuinely historic.”
The artist team of Rude Calderón and Roberto Delgado was selected through an RFQ/jury process in 2021. The jury included FACC commissioners, City of Fishers leadership, HEPL leadership, an HEPL board member, and community stakeholders from Noblesville Creates and Fishers Arts Council.
Calderón (sculpture and benches) was born in San Jose, Costa Rica, where he spent the first seven years of his life. His family immigrated to Los Angeles, Calif., in 1964. His father apprenticed and worked in his uncle Manuel Zuñiga’s sculpture studio creating religious sculpture in the Spanish baroque tradition. His deep respect for materials and craftsmanship is rooted in this family history.
Stone sculpture is at the center of Calderón’s artistic work; the past 18 years have been largely devoted to this medium. His artworks show a reverence towards the handling and natural appearance of materials that infer the omnipresent mystery of nature.
His paintings, sculptures, and prints have been widely exhibited since 1985 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Laguna Art Museum, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, UCLA/Armand Hammer Museum of Art, as well as FM Fine Art Gallery, Los Angeles; Frank Pictures Gallery, Santa Monica; The Art Art Project, Woodland Hills; Ave 50 Gallery, Highland Park; Ventura Artists’ Union Gallery; Tropico de Nopal Gallery, Los Angeles. Nationally in: Anchorage, Alaska; Texas Art Museum, Jose Galvez Gallery in Tucson, Ariz.; The Mexican Fine Arts Museum in Chicago, Ill.; The Brandywine Institute in Philadelphia, Pa. Internationally his work has shown in: St. Petersburg, Russia, Free Gallery; Amerika Haus Berlin, U.S. Cultural Center, Berlin, Germany; Mexico City, Tijuana, and Juarez, Mexico; Colima, Mexico; Santiago, Chile; Galicia, Spain; and El Museo del Niño, San Jose, Costa Rica.
Delgado (ceramic tiles), best known for his public art murals, lives and works in Los Angeles and Mexico. He holds an MFA from UCLA and is the recipient of two Fulbright fellowships, a Ford Foundation fellowship, and a grant from the Brody Arts Foundation. He has created murals at sites across Southern California and in Atlanta, Cleveland, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Phoenix, and other cities in the United States and Mexico.
The unveiling of “Knowledge” will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22 at HEPL’s ribbon cutting celebration, where attendees will have the opportunity to experience the art firsthand and celebrate the completion of the Fishers Library renovations. The event will feature a ribbon cutting and interactive activities for all ages, making it a celebration not to be missed.
As the unveiling of this public art approaches, the entire community is invited to join in celebrating the transformative power of art and the vibrant spirit of Fishers.
For more information about “Knowledge” and upcoming events at HEPL, please visit hamiltoneastpl.org.