''Crossroads'' is a 2013 mural that consists of two

acrylic Acrylic may refer to: Chemicals and materials * Acrylic acid, the simplest acrylic compound * Acrylate polymer, a group of polymers (plastics) noted for transparency and elasticity * Acrylic resin, a group of related thermoplastic or thermosettin ...

on canvas paintings (''Crossroads I'' and ''Crossroads II'') by the artist Ismael Muhammud Nieves. It is located within the Eskenazi Outpatient Care Center on the

Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Hospital The Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital is a public hospital located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The hospital is the flagship medical center for Eskenazi Health, founded in 1859 as Indiana's oldest public healthcare system. The hospital is operated by ...

campus, near downtown

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, USA, and is part of the

Eskenazi Health Art Collection The Eskenazi Health Art Collection consists of a wide variety of artworks composed of fragments from the 1914 City Hospital mural and artwork project, artworks added over time, and newer pieces which include works created for the new Sidney & Lois ...

Description

Each framed work measures 158 x 49.5 inches. Inspired by sitting on a porch or gazing out a window, letting the mind wander across the landscape, Nieves created a bright composition of Indiana native flowers and plants by incorporating emblematic images from the Eskenazi Health Art Collection together with

Native American Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...

and Indiana state symbols incorporated with

graffiti Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...

shapes, as Ismael Muhammad Nieves comments below:

Indiana’s landscape is beautiful year-round. The landscape has been enjoyed through contemporary eyes as well as the Native Americans who call this land home. Throughout the mural are woodland scenes directly inspired from the Eskenazi Health Art Collection. The animals, trees, and foliage in the murals are native to Indiana. Incorporating graffiti shapes and palette, in my opinion, creates a fun atmosphere for the waiting area. There are parts of my painting that were inspired by Eskenazi Health’s existing art collection. I challenge the viewers to identify them.
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Historical information

Acquisition

''Crossroads'' was commissioned by Eskenazi Health as part of a re-imagining of the organization's historical art collection and to support "the sense of optimism, vitality and energy" of its new

campus A campus traditionally refers to the land and buildings of a college or university. This will often include libraries, lecture halls, student centers and, for residential universities, residence halls and dining halls. By extension, a corp ...

in 2013. In response to its nationwide request for proposals, Eskenazi Health received more than 500 submissions from 39 states, which were then narrowed to 54 finalists by an independent jury. Each of the 54 proposals was assigned an area of the new hospital by Eskenazi Health's art committee and publicly displayed in the existing Wishard Hospital and online for public comment; more than 3,000 public comments on the final proposals were collected and analyzed in the final selection. ''Crossroads'' is credited as "Dedicated with gratitude, The Ruthelen and Andrew Burns Family".

Location

''Crossroads'' is located in the Special Medicine and Infusion Center waiting room on the 4th level of the Eskenazi Outpatient Care Center on the

campus.

Artist

Ismeal Muhammud Nieves spent his early years in New York City before moving to Indiana as a teen. After serving in the U.S. military, he attended

Purdue University Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...

, where he received a B.S. in electrical engineering. A self-taught artist, Nieves' work has been exhibited at South Shore Arts, the

Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art Indianapolis Contemporary, formerly known as the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art or iMOCA, was a museum of contemporary art in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. In 2020, the gallery's board voted to begin closing down operations, a result of ...

, the

Indiana University Northwest Indiana University Northwest (IU Northwest or IUN) is a public university in Gary, Indiana, United States. It is one of seven regional campuses of Indiana University and was established in 1963. The university enrolls approximately 3,500 degree ...

Gallery for Contemporary Art,

Sheldon Swope Art Museum The Sheldon Swope Art Museum in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States, was originally funded by a bequest from Michael Sheldon Swope (1843–1929), a American Civil War, Civil War veteran and jeweler who lived in Terre Haute much of his adult life ...

Terre Haute Terre Haute ( ) is a city in Vigo County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 58,389 and its metropolitan area had a population of 168,716. Located along the Wabash River about e ...

, 2612 Space and Supreme Gallery in Chicago and Crewest Gallery in Los Angeles, among others. Nieves has completed several public mural commissions and has been involved closely with Subsurface, a graffiti event in Indianapolis. He is based in

Hammond, Indiana Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. Located along Lake Michigan, it is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the Li ...

References

External links

Ismeal Muhammud
artist's website
Eskenazi Health Art Installations (video)
YouTube {{EskenaziHealthArtCollection Eskenazi Health Art Collection 2013 works