Visual Art Abounds in Hammond, Indiana

Designed and created by nationally recognized artist David Black, the piece commands attention at a height of 27 feet in white aluminum, set atop polished granite columns. The focal point is its cascading water, which falls into a pool below. Illuminated in the evenings, the sculpture takes on a new presence.
The Rotunda is the new Hammond Landmark commonly used as a reference point. The purpose of the fountain was to create a place for residents to congregate and "interact" with the exhibit. During last June's Hammond Dog Walk, a particularly hot day, several hounds were seen swimming in the pool. Says a local resident, "It may not have been what the planners had in mind, but it sure was entertaining." http://www.hammondindiana.com/rotunda.html

# 2 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Hohman Ave. Map).

Steel Your Heart

The group of sculptures close to the Rotunda appear at first to be one work of art. In fact there are several works involving three artists and a team of steel tradesman. The works colloquially have been coined "Steel Your Heart". The three artists involved in the project are Bill Boyce, notable in the Midwest for his sculptures, Todd Bracik, and Sue Frame, who also created the steel bunny located on the south side of the Rotunda. All seven pieces, including the steel bunny, are for sale. The purpose of the project is to financially assist laid off steel workers in the region. Proceeds from the sale of the 6 works, for individual sale, will be placed in an unemployed steelworkers fund and used to benefit those individuals who have lost their jobs in the steel mills due to the sluggish economy. Resources for the project were provided by NIPSCO and Robinson Steel.

# 1 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Hohman Ave. Map).

Mad Maxine

Nearby, in front of the Hammond Development Corp., is a piece titled "Mad Maxine" by signature bunny artist Sue Frame of Chicago. This 7-foot sculpture of a rabbit was made in part by donated steel materials from a collaborative effort of the steel mills. Whether the piece was meant to be interactive is not known. However, in the winter months, the rabbit has been seen in winter garb including hats and scarves, and once, it was found with a stuffed animal (a bunny of course) resting in its open iron "womb".

The city's newest treasures are spectacular glass sculptures by the internationally acclaimed artist Dale Chihuly housed in the new Federal Courthouse just two blocks south on Hohman Avenue. The four glass sculptures by Chihuly bring color to the four story atrium whose walls are made of Indiana limestone. (The courthouse itself is an architectural creation by the world renowned architects, I.M. Pei, Cobb, Freed and Partners). More on I.M. Pei.

# 4 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Hohman Ave. Map).

Man of Steel

At Harrison Park the venerable beast "Man of Steel," created by local artist Hermann Gurfinkel, was one of Hammond's first pieces of public art. Placed in the park in the mid-'70s, the sculpture is said to symbolize the mill worker's contribution to the industry. Local steel tradesmen created the model sculpture using industry steel.

# 8 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Hohman Ave. Map).

Persistence Of Memory

Recently, there has been a surge in reproducing famous works. The old Yale Building at 200 Russell St. boasts the world's largest Salvador Dali reproduction. The 17 by 20 foot "Persistence Of Memory" was painted by artist Wendy Gresmer in 2001, some 80 feet high on the south wall of the building situated across Hohman Avenue from St. Joseph's Church. The Associated Press picked up the story and has provided Hammond with international attention.

# 3 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Hohman Ave. Map).

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of
La Grande Jatte

In 2002, Georges Seurat's "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" joined the city's other works of public art in the downtown area at the corner of Ruth Street and Hohman Avenue. Local artist Cande Sagan completed the painting using pointillism, a painstaking technique using dots of color.

# 7 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Hohman Ave. Map).

Touching Fingers
from Artist Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel

Sagan recreated the detail of the touching fingers from artist Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel work on the south wall of the law office of Robert Sorge near Kenwood and Hohman Avenues. According to Hammond Art Advocates and Aficionados, an informal group of local business leaders, more reproductions are planned on the exteriors of other downtown buildings.

# 9 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Hohman Ave. Map).

Evolution of Industry and
Growth in Northwest Indiana

Tucked away at the former NIPSCO Substation No. 9 is the Northern Indiana Arts Association satellite teaching art center and gallery. The outside walls of the building are covered with murals from several different artist. The west wall, bottom mural by Geoffry Smalley provides a lesson in Hammond history. Look closely and you will discover the evolution of industry and growth in Northwest Indiana. The top mural was created by Crazy In Style Artists and is more of a traditional graffiti-style mural.

# 12 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Hohman Ave. Map).

The Hugging Wall

The Northern Indiana Arts Association satellite east wall mural titled "The Hugging Wall" was done by local artist and Uncle Freddie's Gallery co-owner Tom Torluemke. The mural's blast of color speaks to the importance of human interaction and holding communities together during challenging times.

# 13 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Hohman Ave. Map).

Outdoor Sculptures

There are other pieces worth mentioning. A walking tour of downtown and a drive through Hammond will allow you to see other public art contributions. These include outdoor sculptures at Purdue Calumet; two statues at St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Center, including the statue of "Saint Margaret Of Cortona" and the newer statue of St. Francis of Assisi.

# 5 & 6 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Hohman Ave. Map).

Summertime Along Indiana Dunes

In the lobby at Mercantile Bank on Hohman Avenue is a 56-foot long mural by LeRoy Neiman entitled "Summertime along Indiana Dunes."

# 11 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Hohman Ave. Map).

Fallen Firefighters

The sculpture at the Central Fire Station at 6110 Calumet Ave. is an emotional reminder of the frailty of all of us and honors fallen firefighters who worked at the station. The piece incorporates a twisted steel beam from the fire that killed firefighter Fred Biedron in 1991.

# 10 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Hohman Ave. Map).

The Creation

The Creation, a 1984 mural Ruth Dusckworth executed for the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Hammond, Indiana. Ruth Duckworth sequentially unfolded the story of the seven days of creation in a vigorous spiral that travels from a central cavity - "where God is thinking" - outward. Starting at the center, the unformed universe develops into images of the heavens, the waters, the mountains, the living creatures, and ends with a depiction of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden

Information and Photo obtained from the "Ruth Duckworth, Modernist Sculptor - The Minneapolis Institute of Arts" website.

# 18 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (South Hohman Ave. Map).

Space Themed Mural

This work of art is located at the Challenger Learning Center, Purdue Calumet. Painted by Pete Cortese in 2002, this brightly colored mural includes scenes of the nine planets and their moons, the international space station and a tribute to local astronaut Jerry Ross. The 67 by 12 foot mural can be found in the entryway to the learning centers science activity center and planetarium dome.

# 17 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Purdue Area Map).

Lake County Convention and
Visitors Bureau

The building design encompasses some of the main, most memorable images of Lake County and uses them in the building language. The solution is as diverse as the community itself; its people, the natural environment, and man made developments.
The structure starts with the most dominant natural feature in our area, Lake Michigan. The large exhibition space is created with the form of stainless steel "waves" glistening in the sun. These waves crash into the undulating "sand dunes" which are juxtaposed to the industry; Steel denoted in the gray office form (second story) and the smoke stacks of the entry canopy. The natural terrain then rolls into the plains and farms, which is bordered to the south by the free flowing Kankakee river depicted in the south facade of the building.
From this, the composition has sculpted a structure that symbolically tells the story of the area, houses the necessary functions for the Welcome Center, and leaves one with an image unseen elsewhere.

Information and Photo obtained from the "Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau" website.

# 19 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (South Hammond Map).

Deco Doors - Bronze Metal Art

These Art Deco Bronze Doors, presently located at the Purdue University Calumet, Student Union and Library Building, once adorned the main entrance to the Hammond City Hall from 1931 to 1976. They were modeled by the renowned sculptor Alfonso Iannelli to represent the industrial worker laboring to fulfill his physical needs tending to machinery and his spiritual needs in tolling of a church bell.The doors are on permanent loan from the City of Hammond to Purdue University Calumet to be displayed as a part of the University’s permanent art collection.

# 16 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Purdue Area Map).

Founder's Plaza Steel Sculptures

50th Anniversary project designed to honor the founders of Purdue Calumet. The design, located in front of the north entrance to the Purdue University Calumet, Student Union and Library Building, features Northwest Indiana's Environmental and industrial heritage. Seating areas abound along the walks with native grasses, wildflowers and daylilies. The focus portion of the plaza is a natural landscaped area with steel sculpture of marsh grasses and heron taking flight. Designed by Lehman and Lehman, Inc. along with SiteScapes, Inc.

# 15 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Purdue Area Map).

Environmental Education Center

The Environmental Education Center is located at 2405 Calumet Avenue, Hammond, Indiana. This facility offers a unique extension to classroom environmental education and also serves as a field trip or meeting site for scout troops, homeschoolers, college groups, and environmental organizations. Equipped with Indiana’s first Indoor Trout Stream, the Arts and Crafts ReUz Station, a nature trail along George Lake, and the 40-foot Tree of Life.


CISA Studio from Hammond, Indiana created the mural on the outside of the Center.

# 20 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Robertsdale Area Map).

Arch at Purdue

The wood and aluminum arch by David DeCesaris of Hammond faces 173rd Street from the south. Behind it, the brick walls of the Physical Education Building offers a warm backdrop to the simple open form.
The sculptor relates that the 8-foot by 15-foot work had to be redesigned to its present form when the university changed proposed sites for the sculpture. The large triangular piece at Purdue combines the sleekness of aluminum with the warm tactile qualities of rough-hewn wood. It is an open form that allows the viewer's gaze to figuratively venture through its central arch. Rather than maintaining a hard-edged geometric context, the artist chose to emphasize many of the gently curved organic contours. Were one to examine the shapes closely, one might find some as akin to nature and anatomy as to mathematical geometry. His choice of low-maintenance aluminum and white oak wood is for longevity.
Outside of expensive Honduras mahogany, more reasonably-priced white oak is one of the best-weathering exterior woods. In the Purdue piece, the artist has stained the oak to a darker tone that compliments the light aluminum. Various segments of the aluminum are finished to different degrees. This affords a variety of surfaces and a calligraphy of tooling from the finishing process. Similarly, the bolts used in the fabrication process become almost decorative.

Information obtained from the Times article by Gordon Ligocki. Original article can be found at the nwi.com.

# 18 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Purdue Area Map).

Hammond City Hall Sculptural Art

These limestone sculptures around the Hammond City Hall by Iannelli which were modeled in conjunction with the Deco Bronze Doors now on display at Purdue Calumet. He depicts the ideals justice, law, good government and democracy in the sculptures and the various industries in Hammond such as construction, manufacturing, and transportation.
There are several pieces of sculptural art at the public schools in Hammond. Sculpture by Emil Zettler and Alfonso Iannelli are located at Edison, Morton, Kenwood, Harding and Hess Elementary Schools. These are terracotta sculptures salvaged from the original Edison and Morton by George Grant Elmslie. In addition, each has some terracotta architectural ornament by Elmslie from the original buildings. There is a very fine piece of ornamental ironwork in the main entrance of Edison Elementary School by Elmslie.
Johnny Haggerman, a sculptor in Virginia, created new brick sculptures for O’Bannon, Jefferson, and Irving elementary schools.

Information and photos by Gregory H. Monberg.

# 21 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Hohman Ave. Map).

Relief Sculpture

Lorado Taft created the Relief sculpture, located over the doors to the City of Hammond Administrative Office Building. The building itself is one of many things once on the Conkey Plant site. The Conkey Plant was once the world’s largest printing / bookbinding facility.
Lorado Taft (1860-1936), the first midwestern American sculptor, pioneered in large group compositions and in the use of nontraditional materials. His lectures and writing helped create a national concern for art.
The Hammond Government complex is located at 649 Conkey Street.

# 22 on Map of Visual Art Locations in Hammond, Indiana (Hohman Ave. Map).

Commanding a presence in the lobby of the Towle Community Theater is a 7 ft. x 13 ft. frieze by art deco sculptor Lorado Taft. The work of art, which once hung above the entrance to Daly Hall at the former American Maize plant in Robertsdale, was donated by Cargill Inc., to the Hammond Development Corp. for use in the theater.

 

The Historical Quilt was started in February 1984 by Quilters Groups that met at the Hammond Public Library's Harrison Park Branch. At the International Culture Festival in September 1984, it was presented to the Hammond Public Library to celebrate the Hammond Centennial and to thank the library for the use of the Harrison Park Branch. Quilt blocks depict many Hammond landmarks, as well as Hammond's City Seal. The quilt hangs in the lobby of Main Branch of the Hammond Public Library, 564 State Street.

 

This work of art is located in the Suzanne G. Long Local History Room at the Hammond Public Library, 564 State St. The tapestry depicts scenes of Whiting and Hammond's Robertsdale neighborhood. The title comes from the song "Walking Slow" by Jackson Browne. The piece was designed and produced by the former Prudence Davis, a graduate of Clark High School in Robertsdale, who now is Mother Prioress Zoe Davis of the (Benedictine) Priory of Our Lady of Peace at Turvey, a small Bedfordshire village about 50 miles north of London. Davis wove the tapestry in 1974-75 at West Dean College in West Sussex, England, using photos of the area taken by her father, who worked for Amoco.

 

Part of The County Seats Project (2006) this piece by Abbie Cashman was sponsored by Books, Brushes & Bands for Education. The seat was originally sited at Sibley and Hohman, and is now on display in the Youth Services area at Main Branch of the Hammond Public Library.