On May 6, the Stutz Artists Association will open a special art exhibit that was specially designed to celebrate the 100th running of the Indy 500. The exhibit, titled “Fast Forward, Look Back”, will include art and artifacts from the archives of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that are rarely seen in public, as well as some contemporary work featuring the sport of racing by local artists. Former Formula One and Indy 500 driver Derek Daly will join the Gallery opening as a special guest. The opening reception is a registered Porch Party in support of the Indy 500 and will be held at the Raymond James Stutz Art Gallery on Friday, May 6 from 5-9 pm as part of the IDADA First Friday Art Tour.
In addition to the art and artifacts, live music will be provided by Gordon Brooks and cocktails by 12.05 Distillery and Fountain Square Brewery will be served. During the Porch Party, more than a dozen vintage and collectible cars owned by Tuner Woodard will be on display, including the 1914 Stutz Bearcat.
The Stutz Artists Association received a grant from the 500 Gives Back program that will allow them to sponsor photo workshops for 10 students from IPS #114. The students selected will travel to the Motor Speedway with cameras, equipment, and instructors who will teach them how to photograph speeding racecars. During the month long celebration of the 100th Indy 500, the Stutz Artists Association will present the past, present – and through the work of the students, the future of racing and race fans. These young artists will have an opportunity to learn a skill and interest that they can appreciate, enjoy, and practice in the future. Photos produced by these students will be on display at the closing reception on Friday, May 27 at 6 pm.
Below are a few examples of artwork that you may see at the exhibit:
“Last May, it fully occurred to me that I had come home to Indianapolis, when out on my front porch in
the Meridian-Kessler neighborhood, with the wind blowing out of the south west, I could hear a pitched
roar. I thought about what it could be? All at once I realized it was the sound of cars practicing at the
track in the distance. In my family, we consider ourselves minor race royalty. You see my Grandfather
Carl Sheets, the story goes, repaired the 1919 Peugeot in which Howdy Wilcox bent an axel in practice
the day before the race. My Grandfather was up all night fashioning a new axel for that car and Wilcox
went on to win the race. When I was a boy my Grandfather took me to the Race Museum to show me
around. Everyone there addressed him by his first name, Carl. He asked if he could show his grandson
the collection in the basement garages and he was told, of course! I got to sit in all kinds of race cars
that day. Members of my family still hold court in the same third turn seats that they’ve had for over
thirty years. With this history it only seemed fitting that I would make a race painting, after returning to
live in Indy ; incorporating my love of open blue skies, machines, history and boyhood memories.”
“I like creating pieces that engage and challenge people’s minds. My art is inspired by things
that I have lived and heard, dreams, and by random conversations with friends and family.
Most of my work is humorous and stress-free, and I love it when I see a smile in a person’s
face when they see my art.”
“Being a fine art documentary and travel photographer is truly the best of both worlds. I search out the color, texture, and emotion of a subject while incorporating my love for culture and ritual. My passion lies in combining the two in a single image yet staying true to the story that presents itself.
It’s important that I capture a strong independent moment that is rich within the frame. I often observe light as the subject and focus on bringing it to life, from ordinary to extraordinary, within the context of the image.
My captured experiences are a result of remaining actively open to my surroundings, allowing the subject to evoke the scene and I to reveal its true essence.
For me, conveying these experiences to the viewer is the ultimate sense of completion.”
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