Carmel, Indiana is a suburban city immediately north of Indianapolis. Known as the roundabout capital of the U.S. with 140 of those wild traffic routes, the city is also known for its many pieces of public art. Fifteen of these works of art are by Seward Johnson, an American artist known for trompe-l’œil painted bronze statues. Other artists also have public art displayed.
“Ambassador of the Street” by Seward Johnson, placed 2012, cost $78,000
“Spring Eternal” by Jerry Joslin, placed 2010, cost $49,975
“Things To Do” by Seward Johnson, placed 2008, cost $80,000
“Who’s In Charge” by Seward Johnson, placed 2008, cost $88,000
Even bike racks have become “art” in Carmel
The day we were in Carmel the weather was not conducive to enjoying street art. We’ll return on a day without cold rain and see more of the many other public art displays. There is some controversy about the people street statues, as not all taxpayers feel that they are worth the price.
Roadtirement 
Those statues look so real. They also have a policeman near one of the crosswalks I thought was real.I also remember there is a guy on a bench reading a newspaper that looks like the real thing. They have an art festival and Porch Fest every year. Porch Fest is worth the trip. People in the Arts District open up their front porch to local musicians. You walk from porch to porch until you find something that tickles your ear,
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That Porch Fest sounds neat. It is amazing how real the statues look!
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It is amazing.
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They certainly know how to spend taxpayer money in Carmel…
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Yes they do. They also have a big tax base.
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I think the art is worth the price, they are very unique and attractive!
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The quality is really impressive. Johnson’s work is known world wide from what I’ve read.
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I love Seward Johnson’s work. He created a sculpture park called Grounds for Sculpture near Trenton, N.J. Sometimes you could go there and find him wandering around talking to visitors. Unfortunately he died a year or two ago. I’ve done two or three blog posts with photos of his sculptures.
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That would have been a real treat to have met him. I saw a piece on his park you mentioned, and am off to do a ‘search’ on your blog.
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I really like that “things to do statue”– great life like scene.
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That one, like most of them, really tell a story. “Things to do” is tagged as a busy Mom juggling multiple tasks.
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Excellent. Thank you for your wonderful shares.
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Fun
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A city without public art is usually so boring. I lead bike rides in the area and the most popular is the https://amidnightrider.com/2020/12/13/bakeries-and-murals-bike-ride/
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The bakery/mural ride looked fantastic!
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I choose “Who’s In Charge.”
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Of the ones we saw that was my favorite too.
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Oh I like them!
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We are glad you got some enjoyment from viewing these works.
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I love these statues. What fun to browse among them.
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We’ll go back on a nice day and take a leisurely stroll to see them all. Thanks for sharing.
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